November 20th is late in the season for Lake Annette, which at about 3,500 feet is nearly at the same elevation As the top of Summit West, just on the other side of the ridge. There was about 8 inches of frozen snow in the parking lot, which made parking a free for all event.
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| Parking near the middle of the lot due to deep, frozen snow. |
The trail was snow-covered but the snow was soft with good footing. The temperature was in the upper 20s at the start and dropped gradually as the trail ascended. The bridge crossing Humpback Creek gave a good indication of the snow depth.
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| Bridge over Humpback Creek |
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| Humpback Creek |
I only encountered one hiker on the way up who told me the lake was frozen, cold, and windy. He was right. Two hikers and their dog were heading down as I arrived. The snow was almost two feet deep in places and loose off of the beaten path, which made getting around a chore. The piercing wind cut my stay short and I was heading down within 15 minutes. Still it was an excellent day in the mountains and well worth braving he cold.
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| View from Lake Annette |
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| Last bit of sun on the ridge west of Lake Annette |
