Tangle Blue Lake
Tangle Blue Lake is a scenic destination, surrounded by jagged ridgetops,
and the approach is short. It is a fairly warm lake, due to its shallow
depth, and swimming and fishing are just two of the benefits to be found
here. There are good, though well-worn, campsites on the north shore,
on both sides of the outlet stream; a more isolated campsite is found
among the rocks on the south side. Water is found in a stream on the east
side, along the swampy trail. The easy approach means that solitude is
sporadic at best. You may climb to the saddle southeast of the lake for
views of granite-spired Bear Ridge, Horse Creek Basin, and Eagle Creek.
The Trail:
From the trailhead, you follow old logging and mining roads. A bridge
is crossed shortly after you begin, followed by a steep climb before you
angle right towards the creek. A road takes off to the left a half mile
from the trailhead; this leads south to Horse Creek Basin and the rough
routefinding path to isolated Log Lake. Your path continues straight.
An easy climb brings you to the Wilderness Boundary and another gate
at mile 1.5. Signs of past logging are slowly healing along the trail;
luckily, many impressive incense cedars are still standing.
Shortly past the gate, at a clearing, an old road to the left switchbacks
up the hillside to the antiquated Grand National Mine. Our trail drops
to Tangle Blue Creek and crosses. Here, the road becomes a path for a
while; at a switchback, you return to the road for about .3 miles before
it again dwindles to a trail, which may be indistinct among jumbled rocks
and seasonal creekbeds. After crossing Marshy Creek, keep to the left
and continue along Tangle Blue Creek.
After climbing for several hundred yards, the trees give way to a gently
sloping open meadow, often abloom with wildflowers. Signs direct you to
Tangle Blue, left, or to Marshy Lakes, right. Drop down to the left, to
recross the creek's eroded bed. Wonderful old-growth cedars grow along
the meadow's edge.
You immediately pass the remains of Messner's Cabin before the waterworn
trail climbs steadily through dense mixed forest for the last half mile.
The firs and pines eventually open up onto a grassy meadow. A sheltering
row of trees lies just ahead at the lake's shore.The campsites directly
under these trees are the most popular. They are level, open, somewhat
dusty, and for some reason, there are cement barbecue grills here. If
you've brought briquettes, start grilling; if not, stick to a campstove,
as the burnable wood at Tangle Blue has been denuded by generations of
miners and hikers. Fishing for rainbows and brookies is good at the outlet,
where submerged, tangled debris hint at the origin of the lake's name.
Past the campsites the trail continues along the lake's east side, through
muddy alder patches. Just beyond the alders a small stream bisects the
trail. This is the best source of water here -- be sure to treat or filter
it. You immediately cross a meadow littered with broken trees, the result
of avalanches from the slope above.
The campsite on the south shore is out of the trees and much smaller
(no barbeque pits!) If you prefer sleeping on granite slabs, under the
stars, this will be your best choice.
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