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Why does nobody talk about the water situation on the Rae Lakes loop in early season
I did the Rae Lakes loop out of Roads End two weeks back and counted the crossings. There are 7 water crossings between the trailhead and the junction, and by early June the snowmelt turns the biggest one near Vidette Meadow into a waist deep fast mess. I crossed it around 8 in the morning and the current pushed me so hard I had to grab a tree branch to stay upright. A ranger told me 2 hikers got swept and needed rescue that same week, which I never saw mentioned on any of the trip reports I read before going. Nobody posts about this stuff. People write about the views and the permit lottery and how many miles a day, but the river level in June is a whole different trail than the same route in August. If you are heading up there early, do the crossings before the afternoon sun gets the melt going and bring trekking poles. Has anyone here done it in July and can tell me if the big crossing calms down by then?
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troyreed20d ago
Thought those reports covered everything, but clearly we all skipped the part that actually matters.
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