Emerald Lake and Heather Lake
July 26th, 2009
My goal this day was actually to get to Fridley Lake, since I heard it was rarely visited and might have nice fish in it. Well, it’s rarely visited for a reason! My plan was to hike up from the Emerald Lake trailhead, past Emerald and Heather Lake, climb Overlook Mountain, and drop into Fridley Lake. Easier said than done. I did get up on Overlook Mountain’s right shoulder, but I couldn’t see any obvious routes over the top and down to Fridley. I know there is a way through that steep, rugged terrain, but hiking solo I didn’t want to get myself into trouble. So I had to be satisfied with lovely hike, great views off of the ridge, and some good fishing in Heather Lake. Life is tough here in Montana… :P
Love your photos!
Ya I have been up to Heather quite a few times and have heard the drop into Fridley is pretty crazy! Thanks for the great blog!
Thanks for posting this…beautiful pictures! What kind of fish did you catch on Heather Lake and what did you use? Also, what peak or mountain is pictured in the 2nd large photo?
Hey Michael, thanks for stopping by. I think Heather Lake has Rainbow Trout in it, but it’s neighboring Emerald Lake has Grayling in it. I fish mountain lakes with little spoons usually. The mountain in the picture is Overlook Mountain, right above Heather and next to Mount Chisholm.
Just in case anyone stumbles upon this site:
I’ve done the climb over the ridge from heather to fridley, and I’d recommend caution unless you have a little rock climbing experience…it’s pretty sketchy in places. Also, while the Fridley lakes are awesome and worth the climb, the only thing you’re likely to catch there is 40 year old steel cans of Coors!