Robin Lakes, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Mount Daniel above Lower Robin Lake before sunrise.

Robin Lakes are a set of high alpine lakes in the Alpine Lake Wilderness of Washington State, and are a special place to visit.  They are tucked away in an open granite basin below Granite Mountain.

The lakes are most commonly approached from Salmon La Sac, north of Cle Elum.  They are often referred to as the "little Enchantments", and for good reason.  The resemblance is striking, and the famous view out to Mount Daniel is striking.

The hike to the lakes is not easy.  In fact, it's physically demanding and requires navigational skills - especially if visibility is poor.  The trail climbing up to Tuck Lake is a root grab on a trail that doesn't believe in switchbacks, and the final path to the Robin Lakes largely follows cairns as it climbs a ridge, then gulley, and finally open granite slab.


Mount Daniel above Lower Robin Lake at twilight.

To get to the lakes, drive the Salman La Sac Road to road's end at the Deception Pass TH.  Hike the Deception Pass Trail 4-1/2 miles alongside Hyas Lake and climb nearly to the pass, where a signed junction with the Tuck & Robin Lakes trail awaits you.  Now the fun begins.  Pack lots of water on a hot day.

The stats on the route are 14 miles round trip, 3,200' elevation gain.  Of course, nearly all the elevation is gained the last 3 miles, so the stats can be a little misleading.

For photographers, this means you will want to choose your gear wisely in order to minimize weight.  This can be tough, because I can give you reasons to bring just about every size lens!


Morning alpenglow on Mount Daniel above Lower Robin Lake.

I had the advantage of having been here previously and new (mostly) what to expect.  My 24-70mm lens proved to be my work horse, and was used for all the images shown here.  I brought my 17-40mm lens in hopes of doing some night photography, but found the sky too bright during my visit due to the times of the moon rising and setting.

I did not bring my 70-200mm lens due to weight concerns.  So when the 12 goats, including 5 kids, arrived at my camp and chose to visit me the duration of my stay, I was  mostly helpless to photograph them!

Compositions are a bit limited at the lakes, but not confining.  Granite Mountain is mostly a pile of scree from this side.  So while it catches nice evening light, it is not the most appealing subject.  Add some dramatic clouds and this would all change of course.

The granite lakeshore at both the lower and upper lake make for some nice abstract or close-up photography, especially in diffused light.

For filters, you will want to bring a 2-stop split neutral density filter with you at minimum.  A polarizer could also be useful under certain lighting conditions, though I did not use mine during my visit.

These images will be up on my web site soon.  You will be able to view these and many other images from the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in my Central and South Cascades Gallery.

As always, thanks for looking and I hope to see you on the trail!