Talus Lake 7.23.03

Today's goal was Talus Lk which is about 2 miles south of Deception Lakes and can be reached off of the PCT. I used the Tonga Ridge road for my approach, this shortens the approach greatly. I had never been past the Turnoff for the Tonga ridge trail. The road is in great shape all the way to the trailhead. It is however much longer than I expected. There is some limited parking just past the trailhead (1059b). This was a first for me the hike starts on a steep decline as it drops to meet the Deception Creek trail. The trail is in very good shape as climbs steadily to reach the PCT just south of Deception Lakes. I did not intend on going to Deception Lakes, but since the weather was very warm I thought it best to catch some shade and have some lunch. The bugs were a mild nuisance, as I did some exploring near the uppermost of the Deception chain. I returned to pack up and head for the day's objective. Talus Creek crosses the PCT about 2.5 miles from Deception Lakes, there is a great campsite just before the creek crossing. I dropped pack here and crossed the creek and climbed on the south side of the creek all the way to Talus Lk. The first part is the steepest but it moderates quickly. I picked up some fisherman's trail now and again on the way, the area is pretty open so it only took about 45 minutes to reach the lake. The lake itself wasn't much to look at and the fish were not biting. The descent went very easy (30 minutes). I packed up and started out stopping frequently to gawk at Mt Daniel, Cathederal Rock and Terrace Mt. There was plenty of water on the trail and all trails were in good shape.