Trail #187 (Lone Rock to Lake Hardy)

(Trail Highlighted in light blue)




Trail #187: 4.75 mi. Strenuous
Although this trail is intended to access Lake Hardy, it is probably not the most commonly used trail to access Lake Hardy. Most people access Lake Hardy via Dry Creek canyon to the North Mountain trail (Trail #043 to Trail #042) or from "Schoolhouse Springs" (Trail #200), both in Northeast Alpine. The appeal of Trail #187 is the low amount of traffic it receives, the surprisingly beautiful and lush areas, and the challenge.

Trail #187 begins on the mountain (at approx. 7,000 ft.) and not at a developed trailhead. It breaks off of the Jacob's Ladder trail, which begins at the Orson Park area.

As a disclaimer: All trails in the Lone Peak Wilderness Area are challenging. I would burn the rubber off of and wear the insides out of a good pair of boots every year or two. My quads would become larger to the point I had to buy new pants for summer use. I experienced hyponatremia on one occasion after drinking over 10 liters of water on a 100+ degree day. I was able to find and filter a scarce amount of water, which is not always a guarantee. Carry your "10 Essentials."

Upon beginning from the Jacob's Ladder trail, #187 makes its way below and then around Lone Rock heading East. Once around Lone Rock, the trail begins a traverse across the mountainside toward Second Hamongog, gaining elevation at a moderate rate, in a mostly brushy environment. In places it is quite moist, and I was once surprised to see a moose in a drainage.  Numerous drainages are crossed on the way to Second Hamongog. Some are suitable for camping, having more flat ground and more abundant water, while others are either too small, too brushy, or have insufficient water.  The trail through here is often difficult to distinguish. It gets so little use that grasses quickly grow back onto the trail and make it less visible. We re-cut the trail several times and built a few rock cairns to help hikers, however the rock cairns were usually knocked over each time we passed through. Pay close attention through here. Once past this area, the trail climbs a little more steeply for half a mile or so. A few more small drainages are crossed during the stretch before reaching Second Hamongog at about 2.5 miles and 8,175 ft. of elevation. (Note: It is not uncommon for hikers to attempt Lone Peak summit from Second Hamongog. This is a highly hazardous route and I have only briefly explored it. There is a lot of loose sediment on top of hard granitic bedrock, on very steep ground.) From Second Hamongog, the trail continues the final 2 mi. portion to Lake Hardy. This segment of trail gets more use than the segment coming from Lone Rock due to hikers approaching from First Hamongog. Once past Second Hamongog, the trail steeply climbs the loose granitic ridge immediately East as is marked with system of rock cairns. Recent reports indicate that this portion has become difficult to distinguish. Upon gaining the ridge, the trail continues Northeast across granite surfaces marked with more cairns for about .5 mi. The trail enters a small grassy valley about 500 yards long with a stream, at which point it parallels the Lake Hardy trail (#176). The trail hugs the granite along the West side of the valley, heading North. Once the top of the valley is reached, a short scramble up a smooth granite surface brings you to Lake Hardy at around 10,000 ft.