Rampart Ridge via Lake Lillian

We hiked up to Rampart Ridge in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness via the boot track (or Backdoor Trail to Lake Laura and Lake Lillian, our route was 6 miles with 2,300 ft of overall gain. We only saw 4 other hikers on the trail and spotted 6 others across various lakes today. Very peaceful on this cloudy/foggy day. Photo of one of the many Rampart Lakes.

It was chilly when we started on one of the flat portions of the trail. We saw a variety of wildflowers along the trail.

Most of the trail up to Lake Lillian is very steep, gaining 1,000 ft in less than a mile.

Very foggy at Lake Lillian

Lots of wildflowers by Lake Lillian

 

The trail from Lake Lillian up to the ridge is very steep, steeper than the trail up to Lake Lillian.

We found lots of ripe huckleberries to enjoy today.

View from part way up the trail, the clouds were beginning to lift off the lake.

Enjoying the wildflowers as we continued up,

and up.

After reaching and eventually crossing over the ridge, the trail descends for a short time.

marmot

The trail then climbs again, where we continued to see wildflowers,

and had limited views. A peak of Kacheess Lake in the far distance.

The trail descends into the Rampart Ridge Lakes area.

Meadows filled with wildflowers

View towards Rachel Lake below

Continuing down the trail past a small pond/tarn

The first of many lakes along our route.

Fleabane and monkey flowers were plentiful here.

We enjoyed meandering around many of the lakes, taking a lunch break, and hiking along some routes we hadn't been to before.

Returning back to the first lake along your route.

The clouds had lifted a bit,

We could see Hibox Mountain across the small pond as we made our way back.

Another view of Rachel Lake below

Seeing a bit further than we did this morning.

On our descent down to Lake Lillian, we could see Keechelus Lake in the distance.

Lovely view of Lake Lillian as we continued back down the trail. (This trail seems steeper on the way down than it did coming up)

some of the wildflowers, berries and fungi we saw along the trail today: