Spiderzak
09-08-2015, 10:42 AM
We hiked around Brown Duck Mountain September 5-7, 2015. We started at the Lake Fork trailhead at Moon Lake, hiked to Brown Duck Lake and then did the loop clockwise; kidney lake, tworoose pass, squaw basin, Cleveland pass, East Basin, "East Basin Pass", Atwine Lake, Brown Duck Lake and back to the Trailhead. We did it in 2.5 days. I didn't check the mileage but one website states it is 33.5 miles.
Other than Cleveland pass, a very brief section on the North side of East Basin pass, and a few small scattered meadows, this hike is in the forest and does not have much in the ways of views. Picture lake was also pretty but it didn't work into our schedule to spend the night there. The lakes are nice but many are damned and have that human feel to them. I did not attempt any fishing. The trail from Moon Lake to Brown Duck Lake is heavily used by horses and the portion between the wilderness boundary and Brown Duck Lake is full of loose rocks and soft dirt. On the way down it felt like an imminent ankle roll throughout that portion.
Cleveland Lake & Cleveland Pass
81445
Other than Cleveland pass, a very brief section on the North side of East Basin pass, and a few small scattered meadows, this hike is in the forest and does not have much in the ways of views. Picture lake was also pretty but it didn't work into our schedule to spend the night there. The lakes are nice but many are damned and have that human feel to them. I did not attempt any fishing. The trail from Moon Lake to Brown Duck Lake is heavily used by horses and the portion between the wilderness boundary and Brown Duck Lake is full of loose rocks and soft dirt. On the way down it felt like an imminent ankle roll throughout that portion.
Cleveland Lake & Cleveland Pass
81445