Stash Lake
Difficulty: Moderate
Trip Type: Multi-Day Backpacking / Moving Camp
Distance: ~6.2 miles from starting trailhead / ~1.0 mile from Splinter Lake Basecamp
Elevation: 10,001 feet
Coordinates: 45.09211, -109.83533
Time: ~45 minutes from Splinter Lake Basecamp
Access: Unmaintained off-trail navigation. Departs via cross-country from Splinter Lake Basecamp.
Bugs: Minimal (little to no bugs)
Getting there
The multi-day backpacking route departs from the Lady of the Lake Trailhead. Please note that this is a thru-hike itinerary; our group dropped one vehicle off at the Beaten Path Trailhead first, then jumped in the truck and drove over to the Lady of the Lake Trailhead to begin hiking. This ensures a vehicle is waiting for pickup at the other side when you finish the trip.
The hike
If you are traveling straight from the vehicle turnaround, the route to Stash Lake spans roughly 6.2 miles from the starting trailhead. For backpackers tracking sequentially, this destination initiates Day 3 of the itinerary. We broke camp completely on this morning, packing all of our heavy gear to begin our multi-day moving hike out toward the final exit trailhead. Stash Lake sits about 1.0 mile away from your old campsite at Splinter Lake.
The route to reach the shoreline involves a 550-foot vertical climb from your former basecamp. Because there are no maintained footpaths climbing through this part of the drainage, you will rely entirely on cross-country route-finding, angling past the rocky timber gaps to hit the shelf where Stash Lake sits at an elevation of 10,001 feet.
Tips & safety
High Country Navigation: Continuous cross-country route-finding is required to travel safely across this upper shelf with full backpacking packs. Keep your map handy to navigate the terrain as you transition between the small sub-alpine lake pockets on your way toward the next campsite.
Thru-Hike Logistics: Because this extended itinerary finishes at a completely different exit point, ensure your logistics are arranged with a shuttle vehicle waiting at the final trailhead before you set out.
Fishing: FWP and GNIS data listed for Yellowstone Cutthroat.
