Lake Edna

Lake Edna is a freshwater lake located along Icicle Ridge, approximately 10 miles west of the city of Leavenworth in Chelan County, Washington. Because of its close proximity to Icicle Ridge Trail, the lake is a popular area for hiking, swimming, and fishing. Lake Alice is a short distance in a prominent cirque on the opposite side of Icicle Ridge.

For the Alpine Lake in Idaho, see Edna Lake.
For the fictional town featured in an early-1990s Kentucky Fried Chicken ad campaign, see KFC advertising.
Lake Edna
Lake Edna, Big Jim Mountain in the background
Location of Eightmile Lake in Washington, USA.
Location of Eightmile Lake in Washington, USA.
Lake Edna
Location of Eightmile Lake in Washington, USA.
Location of Eightmile Lake in Washington, USA.
Lake Edna
LocationChelan County, Washington, United States
Coordinates47°39′25″N 120°54′44″W
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface elevation6,755 ft (2,059 m)[1]

Lake Edna sits on a highly glaciated and semibarren alpine basin, surrounded by heather and other wildflowers and a coniferous presence primarily larch pines.[2] Self-issued Alpine Lake Wilderness permit required for transit within the Lake Edna area.[3]

Along with neighboring lakes, Lake Edna was given its name by Albert Hale Sylvester, a topographer for the United States Geological Survey working throughout the North Cascades National Park Complex in the 1900s.[4]

Climate

Avalanche Lake is located in a hemiboreal climate,[5] part of the marine west coast climate zone of western North America,[6] which under the Köppen climate classification, a subtype for this climate is a "dry-summer subtropical" climate, often referred to as "Mediterranean".[7]

The average temperature is 2 °C. The warmest month is August, with an average temperature of 16 °C, and the coldest month is January, at an average of −5 °C. The average rainfall is 1687 millimeters per year. The wettest month is December, with 233 millimeters of rain, and the least in July, with 28 millimeters of rain.[8]

Avalanche Lake
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
233
 
 
2
−9
 
 
173
 
 
2
−8
 
 
191
 
 
6
−6
 
 
107
 
 
11
−2
 
 
102
 
 
17
2
 
 
66
 
 
21
5
 
 
28
 
 
27
8
 
 
35
 
 
27
9
 
 
66
 
 
22
6
 
 
163
 
 
13
0
 
 
193
 
 
5
−5
 
 
210
 
 
1
−9
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [8]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
9.2
 
 
35
16
 
 
6.8
 
 
36
18
 
 
7.5
 
 
42
22
 
 
4.2
 
 
51
28
 
 
4
 
 
63
36
 
 
2.6
 
 
70
41
 
 
1.1
 
 
81
46
 
 
1.4
 
 
81
48
 
 
2.6
 
 
72
43
 
 
6.4
 
 
55
32
 
 
7.6
 
 
41
23
 
 
8.3
 
 
34
16
█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches

Access

The foot trail starts at the Chatter Creek Trailhead at the end of USFS Road 7609 on the north bank of Icicle Creek. Chatter Creek Trail #1580 is approximately 5.5 miles long and travels fairly closely to the course of Chatter Creek. The trail leads past Lake Sylvester and Lake Alice reaching and joining Icicle Ridge Trail #1580 on the north skirt of Grindstone mountain.[9] Access to Lake Edna is right off Icicle Ridge Trail to the right (east) of its junction with Chatter Creek Trail. Icicle Ridge Trail shortly afterwards will follow the ridge to Lake Ida on the right and Lake Augusta over the east slope of Big Jim Mountain.

Campsites are located along the first few miles of Chatter Creek Trail until the trail becomes more forested around the bowls formed for Lakes Sylvester and Alice. Several campsites are also located around the shore of Lake Augusta, past Lake Edna. Self-issued Alpine Lake Wilderness permit required for transit within the Grindstone Mountain area and can be obtained at the Chatter Creek Trailhead and the Campground past the Guard station.[10]

Alternate routes

Access to Icicle Ridge Trail can also be gained a further distance away by Fourth of July Trail #1579 and from the Icicle Ridge Trailhead off Icicle Road in the city of Leavenworth.[3] Icicle Ridge is also intersected by Hatchery Creek Trail #1577 a short distance from Lake Edna coming from the north.

The Hatchery Creek Trailhead is approximately 6 miles from the Icicle Ridge Junction and is located West of Tumwater Campground as Highway 2 crosses over Wenatchee River, south of Chiwaukum, Washington. A good part of Hatchery Creek Trail is overgrown by fireweed and charred logs remnants of the Hatchery Fire of 1994.[11]

See also

References
  2. Day Hiking Central Cascades. Mountaineers Books. 2019. p. 192-193. ISBN 9781594854378.
  3. "Icicle Ridge Trail #1570". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  4. Barnes, Jeremy and Nathan (2019). Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. Mountaineers Books. p. Section 78. ISBN 978-1680510782.
  5. Peel, M C; Finlayson, B L. "Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification" (PDF). Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 11: 1639–1640. doi:10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  6. Beckey, Fred W. Cascade Alpine Guide, Climbing and High Routes. Seattle, WA: Mountaineers Books, 2008.
  7. "Climate Summary for Leavenworth, Washington". WeatherBase.com. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  8. "Lake Edna, Washington Climate Averages". WeatherWX. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  9. "Chatter Creek Trail #1580". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  10. "Chatter Creek Trailhead". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  11. Lorain, Douglas (2011). Backpacking Washington: From Volcanic Peaks to Rainforest Valleys. Wilderness Press. p. 170. ISBN 9780899975467.
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