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 | Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID | |
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| | Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID | | | |
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Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID
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| Hiking | 11.37 Miles |
2,646 AEG |
| | Hiking | 11.37 Miles | 5 Hrs 32 Mns | | 2.33 mph |
| 2,646 ft AEG | 39 Mns Break | | | |
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[ show ]
| partners | | We tossed around all sorts of options for this hiking day before settling on this one. It turned out to be one of my favorites. The drive was about 2.5 hours to reach the trailhead, but very scenic along the way.
Starting at the Big Fisher Lake trailhead, we split left toward Pyramid Lake. The climb was steady but never difficult, leading us to the lake with views of Pyramid Peak and the cirque wall we would need to climb to reach the Balls. The cirque ascent slowed us down a bit, but gave us with sweet views back to Pyramid Lake and the surrounding peaks.
Upper Ball Lake was the first destination. We explored the shoreline and saw several excellent camping options—another stunning Idaho alpine lake.
Upper Ball Lake: [ youtube video ]
Instead of backtracking, we left the trail and cut across off-trail terrain to rejoin the path down toward Lower Ball, which was just as beautiful.
From there, we eventually worked our way back toward the starting point before turning uphill toward Trout Lake. The stretch along the 6,600-foot contour was a highlight: ripe huckleberries, patches of fall color, and a gentle, flat section of trail provided a welcome break.
The descent into the Trout Lake basin looked steep from above, but it turned out to be straightforward—and actually a lot of fun.
Trout Lake: [ youtube video ]
After lunch by the lake, we retraced our steps back to the trailhead. This is a moderate hike that I highly recommend. I’d also love to return and try the variation from Trout Lake to Big Fisher Lake.
Hike
Peaks: 0
Lakes: 4
Moose: 0
Trip Summary
Peaks: 3
Lakes: 11
Moose: 0 |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
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| _____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry  |
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