Emerald Lake EDITS

EMD01

Dist: 4.66 mi	Points: 890	Calories: none
Time: none	Speed: 0.0 mph	Pace: 0:00 / mi

001

Location: 45.666637°, -111.044197°

EMD001

Location: 45.459064°, -110.921097°
Parking lot; head S on dirt road to trailhead

EMD002

Location: 45.458157°, -110.921036°
Sign US Forest Service sign for Emerald Lake very direct only trail. Pine forest, mixture of lodgepole and juniper a few aspen trees douglas fir. Head SE direction following along creek. There is no designated camping or an outhouse. Very gentle incline.

EMD003

Location: 45.455406°, -110.915619°
Steep slopes on either side of the gulch.The bottom of the gulch is broad and relatively flat. The creek runs along the trail to the west. There are no creek crossing until the upper part of the trail. Good viewing, the area is not thickly forested.

EMD004

Location: 45.447590°, -110.910973°
I'd like to add a waypoint somewhere in here... anything interesting you would note about this portion of the hike?

EMD005

Location: 45.442043°, -110.909348°
Horsetail Falls is above and to the west. Scramble to reach them, if desired. I don;t remember seeing them, so I don't know if they are visible from the trail or not. I did not hear them, but all the falls in the area were ice falls by then.

EMD006

Location: 45.432396°, -110.911308°
Midpoint of trail. You can look back out and down the gulch. set of falls ahead. Go off trail 5-10 yards to get a better vantage point.

EMD007

Location: 45.422031°, -110.918327°
A short set of switchbacks, moderately steep. At the beginning is a bare area (probably scree). Provides an excellent profile view back along the ridge line to the east. Midway through the switchbacks find another taller more impressive set of falls.

EMD008

Location: 45.417751°, -110.921761°
After the switchbacks, the trail breaks the edge of a large flat area which seems like a cross between a park and a bowl. There is a single person bridge with hand rail arcoss the creek which has widen considerably. Short distance to Emerald Lake.

EMD009

Location: 45.416492°, -110.924263°
Landscape transitions to alpine climate, pass through large meadow/marsh. Nearly vertical cliffs rise to the east and slightly gain more angle as they circle around to the west. Emerald Lake is visible. Beware high winds and powerful gusts in autumn.

EMD010

Location: 45.414665°, -110.927719°
Emerald Lake is a medium-small alpine lake with trees growing around its perimeter. In a cluster of trees by the waypoint is a stone fire ring. Camping @ the lake is not reccomended. Unaware if fish live in lake. Optional: cont S to Heather Lake.

MAP

Location: 45.667099°, -111.038559°