The Alternate Route Proved To Be The Better Way

4/13/2025 Talapus and Olallie Lakes via the Pratt Lake Trail

See my Instagram reel for this hike: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIcgHpsS_C1/

What a beautiful day. Any hike is a good option on a day like this.

The more direct route to Talapus and Olallie Lakes has a gate blocking access to the trailhead, so I took the alternate route from the Granite Mountain via the Pratt Lake Trail.

The snow levels gradually built up along the way, just as I had hoped. There were several small waterfalls asking the way.

I recognized this bridge from several years ago when I hiked this with a friend. The snow was very deep then, and that creek crossing, even with the bridge, looked very dicey, so we called it there and turned around.

At the fork in the trail, you can head left to proceed down to Talapus Lake. The lake was decent, but probably not worth the extra couple miles.

Once I returned to the junction, I went the other direction to Olallie Lake. It was much more spectacular, with considerably more snow and much better views. I had the lake to myself, and I enjoy a snack while I cherished the solitude and the blue sky.

One fun "feature" of the hike was that the warming temperature created snowfall as the melting snow feel from the trees, sometimes in large clumps. I covered my head to lessen the blood and keep the snow from going down my back.

When I got back to the trailhead, the number of cars suggested that many people hiked the trail to Granite Mountain. I was reluctant to do this hike based on trip reports from a few days prior, but I'm seeing more positive reports, so that's my next adventure.