Alaska Lake

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Alaska Lake
Gold Creek Alaska Lake 0309.jpg
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Alaska Lake
Usa edcp relief location map.png
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Alaska Lake
Location Kittitas County, Washington
Coordinates 47°27′35″N121°21′23″W / 47.45974°N 121.35649°W / 47.45974; -121.35649
Basin  countriesUnited States
Surface elevation4,213 ft (1,284 m) [1]
Islands 0

Alaska Lake is a freshwater lake located on the western skirt of Alaska Mountain at the border between King County and Kittitas County, Washington. [2] The lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing. Other Alpine lakes are in the vicinity, including the Rampart Lakes a short distance south, at the base of Mount Margaret. To the east is Hibox Mountain. [3]

Contents

Location

Access to Alaska Lake and Alaska Mountain is through Gold Creek Trail #1314. The trailhead is at Gold Creek Pond on the North shore of Keechelus Lake and South of Snoqualmie Pass. [4] Towards the open meadows of slide alder and vine maple, the trail leads to a waterfall and later Joe Lake. Most visitors to Alaska Lake are day hikers although the lake is provided with campsites. Gold Creek Trail connects to the Pacific Crest Trail on the north ridge of Alaska Lake.

Climate

Alaska Lake is located in a hemiboreal climate, [5] part of the marine west coast climate zone of western North America. [6] The average temperature is 3 °C. The warmest month is August, with an average temperature of 16 °C, and the coldest month is January, at an average of −6 °C. [7] The average rainfall is 1687 millimeters per year. The wettest month is January, with 396 millimeters of rain, and the least in July, with 38 millimeters of rain. [8]

Rampart Lakes
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
396
 
 
−1
−10
 
 
354
 
 
−1
−10
 
 
343
 
 
4
−8
 
 
213
 
 
9
−4
 
 
165
 
 
15
−2
 
 
104
 
 
18
0
 
 
38
 
 
24
3
 
 
48
 
 
20
12
 
 
114
 
 
12
−2
 
 
298
 
 
4
−7
 
 
353
 
 
0
−5
 
 
370
 
 
−1
−11
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [8]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
16
 
 
30
14
 
 
14
 
 
30
14
 
 
14
 
 
39
18
 
 
8.4
 
 
48
25
 
 
6.5
 
 
59
28
 
 
4.1
 
 
64
32
 
 
1.5
 
 
75
37
 
 
1.9
 
 
68
54
 
 
4.5
 
 
54
28
 
 
12
 
 
39
19
 
 
14
 
 
32
23
 
 
15
 
 
30
12
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Edna</span> Lake in Washington state, US

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Joe Lake is a freshwater lake located on the eastern skirt of Alaska Mountain at the border between King County and Kittitas County, Washington. The lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. Frequently hicked Huckleberry Mountain is just north of the lake on the opposite side of the Pacific Crest Trail. Other Alpine lakes are in the vicinity, including the Rampart Lakes a short distance south, at the base of Mount Margaret. To the east is Hibox Mountain.

Angeline Lake is a freshwater lake located on the northern slope of Iron Cap Mountain between Otter Lake, Azure Lake and Big Heart Lake, in King County, Washington. Self-issued Alpine Lake Wilderness permit required for transit within the Big Snow Mountain area. West Fork Foss River exits Angeline Lake into a canyon that produces Angeline Falls downstream from Chetwoot Lake to Delta Lake. Because Angeline Lake is at the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing golden trout, rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout.

Chetwoot Lake is a freshwater lake located on the western slope of Iron Cap Mountain next to Crawford Lake, in King County, Washington. West Fork Foss River exits Chetwoot Lake towards Angeline Lake and then to a canyon that produces Angeline Falls downstream towards Delta Lake. Because Chetwoot Lake is at the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing.

Avalanche Lake is a small alpine freshwater lake located on the northern skirt of Chikamin Peak and Lemah Mountain in King County, Washington. Because of its proximity to surrounding peaks and mountains at the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the lake is a popular area for hiking. Other Alpine lakes are in the vicinity, including the Iceberg Lake a short distance East, at the base of Chimney Rock West. To the South is Chikamin Lake.

Chikamin Lake is a small alpine freshwater lake located on the northern skirt of Chikamin Peak and Lemah Mountain in King County, Washington. Because of its proximity to surrounding peaks and mountains at the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the lake is a popular area for hiking. Other Alpine lakes are in the vicinity, including the Icebox Lake, Glacier Lake and Spectacle Lake a short distance South, at the base of Chikamin Ridge. To the North is Avalanche Lake and Iceberg Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectacle Lake (Washington)</span> Lake in Kittitas County, United States of America

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Glacier Lake is a small alpine freshwater lake located on the northern skirt of Chikamin Peak and Lemah Mountain in Kittitas County, Washington. Because of its proximity to surrounding peaks and mountains at the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the lake is a popular area for hiking, camping, and fishing golden trout. Glacier Lake is a short distance between Chikamin Lake and Spectacle Lake at the base of Chikamin Ridge. The Pacific Crest Trail is a short distance from Glacier Lake as well as other Alpine lakes located in the vicinity. To the North is Avalanche Lake and Iceberg Lake at the base of Lemah Mountain.

Edds Lake is a freshwater lake located on the western skirt of Huckleberry Mountain at the border between King County and Kittitas County, Washington. The lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing golden trout. The Pacific Crest Trail runs just East of the lake is a prominent ridge that separates Edds Lake from Joe Lake and Alaska Lake south towards Kendall Katwalk. Other Alpine lakes are in the vicinity, including the Chikamin Lake a short distance north, at the base of Chikamin Peak. To the west is Mount Thomson on Bumblebee Pass.

Gravel Lake is a small freshwater lake located at the edge of the Pacific Crest Trail on the western skirt of Mount Thomson at the border between King County and Kittitas County, Washington. The lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing golden trout and rainbow trout. Other Alpine lakes are in the vicinity, including the Alaska Lake a short distance east, and Joe Lake and Edds Lake northbound on the PCT. To the east is Hibox Mountain.

Chiwaukum Lake is an alpine freshwater lake located on the Ewing Basin south of Lake Donald and the McCue Ridge in King County, Washington. Because of its proximity to surrounding peaks and mountains at the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the lake is a popular area for hiking. Outflow from Chiwaukum Lake is Chiwaukum Creek and an unnamed creek flows into Chiwaukim Lake from Larch Lake. A short distance north of Donald Lake are other Scottish Lakes including Loch Eileen and Lake Julius.

Snoqualmie Lake Potholes is a set of freshwater lakes located southeast Snoqualmie Lake, in King County, Washington. Self-issued Alpine Lake Wilderness permit required for transit within the Big Snow Mountain area. Because Snoqualmie Lake Potholes are at the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing rainbow trout and cutthroat trout.

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alaska Lake
  2. ↑ "USDA Ranger District Off Vehicle Map" (PDF). United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Barnes, Jeremy and Nathan (2019). Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. Mountaineers Books. ISBN   1680510789.
  4. ↑ "Gold Creek Trail #1314". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Peel, M C; Finlayson, B L. "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification" (PDF). Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 11: 1639–1640. doi: 10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 . Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008.
  7. ↑ "NASA Earth Observations Data Set Index". NASA. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Alaska Lake, Washington Climate Averages". WeatherWX. Retrieved 29 March 2021.


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