Rampart Ridge Backdoor (with Lakes Laura and Lillian)

It had been 2 months since we attempted this exact route.  It was like a completely different hike.  The meadows were blossomed with flowers, the then bare bushes were overgrown to give us a real bushwacking experience.  It was every bit of beauty I expected it to be back when I first saw the landscape in March.  The trail was much easier to recognize, even in the bountiful, fresh growth.  The road to the parking lot still has one area of washout.

The parking lot was a full one on Sunday, though the trail was quite quiet.  Upon starting we ran into some campers coming down who said that Lillian was almost completely thawed, as opposed to the week prior when there still remained a great deal frozen.  I was relieved.  We initially said we wouldn't go up there again until August, because we wanted to go up to the ridges, which would be very difficult to do with frozen lake areas below it.  So we eagerly climbed up to Lake Lillian; and when I say "eagerly" I mean that we made it up there in 45 minutes.  I did mention, though, how I forgot how steep it really was.  Up to Lake Lillian, it is about P3's ridge equivalent on steepness, minus the loose terrain.  There is a point where the trail will split -- left takes you to Lake Laura, and right continues the climb to Lake Lillian.  From the Lake Lillian fork, there exists another fork further ahead -- to the right I believe is the trail to Mt. Catherine, straight ahead is to Lillian.  Moving past this we reached the entrance plateau to Lillian.  From before the entrance you can look to the left side and see Lake Laura below.

Lake Laura below

So I hear there are two ways to make up to Rampart Ridge behind Lake Lillian.  We did see a faint trail to the left of the lake, which looks like it will tackle Dungeon Peak first, then Rampart Ridge Highpoint.  We took the trail to the right, which climbs up a rock face slightly and then walks along the right side of the lake until you hit the backside of it for a loose rock/dirt climb.

Getting around Lake Lillian 

Once you get up that loose rock/dirt area on the backside of Lake Lillian, the ridge climb is not that back.  The backside is forgiving if there is a fall.  There are many bushes that keep the scrambling exposure to a less nervous level, but ample bushwacking.  Once you get past the first prominence, there is a trail that spurs left along the ridge, with the one on the right continuing to Rampart Lakes (from what it appears to be on maps).  We went left and up the ridge.

Left and up 

Left and up 

Second point, Lake Lillian below.  What a lookout. 

Last good push before a scramble.

Mt. Rainier in the distance.

The view of Lake Lillian below.

The beautiful ridge we just got through climbing.

From that backside, though, you catch glimpse of rolling hills and what looks like a very fun ridgeline that extends even further than you imagined.  I could see why people camp here.  I could hike here the rest of the year and maybe, just maybe, touch ground on the full ridgeline and the
gullies.  It reminded me of Europe.  I could almost hear, "The hills are alive with the sound of music."

We made excellent timing, and after sitting down for lunch, we took some snapshots and went back down, making it a 4.5 hour hike with a roundtrip distance (parking lot to Rampart Ridge Highpoint) of less than 5 miles.  It was enjoyed by the whole family.  Make sure you check out the waterfalls below Lake Laura and between Lake Lillian and Lake Laura.  We filled up our water bottles from their streams.