Tucked into the high country below Mission Peak, the quiet solitude of Lake Clara provides ample reward when the trees open up into a serene lake lined by western larches. I headed up last night as the sun began to fade, enjoying a period of moderate air quality and glad to swap the smell of smoke for the fresh notes of conifers and green undergrowth.
The route itself isn’t too long but definitely gets to the point: about three miles round trip with roughly 1,000 feet of climbing, most of it on a single-track trail that doesn’t hesitate to start climbing in earnest. You’re in forest for the bulk of it, with a few stretches of rock and scree mixed in, and then a couple of open meadows break up the trees and hand you glimpses toward Bowl 4 before you top out into the basin that holds the lake.
This time of year, these shady slopes feel like a little oasis above the sun-baked brown shades of the valley. The Clara area is holding onto most of its greenery even as August wanes, which is nice to see as the first golds of the tamaracks are nary a month away at this point. There really is no off-season up here. That being said, the wildflower show up here is definitely on the wane. Look for the last splashes of pink-purple in the higher elevations, while the majority of these tall shrubby perennials have gone to seed on the lower reaches of the trail.
For most adventurers this is an hour-or-two hike, logistically simple to knock out right from the Base Area. Air quality has been fluctuating here on the mountain, but we often enjoy much clearer conditions than the valley at this time of year, especially in mornings when the smoke has settled into the lowlands overnight. Thanks to our new AQI sensor, the current reading from our Base Area is linked directly from our Mountain Report and is visible on the public PurpleAir map.We’ll see you on the mountain soon for a hike, a bite to eat, or a cold drink.
Base Area Forecast
Wednesday 8/26: Widespread haze before 3pm. Patchy smoke before 3pm. Sunny, with a high near 79. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming northeast in the morning.
Thursday 8/27: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. West wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Chair 5 Pub Schedule
Restaurant open Fridays from 4-9pm, Saturdays from 11am-9pm, and Sundays from 9am-2pm.
No chairlifts run during the summer season.
Summer Access Policy
During the summer season (May–October), public access within the Mission Ridge Special Use Permit area is permitted except where restricted due to maintenance and construction. We love seeing the Mission Ridge community in the mountains and on the trails year-round, but please make sure to check out the full access policy by clicking the link below.
