Rae Lakes Two Night Sprint
Rae Lakes is a bucket list hike for me. Many people do it in three nights but we can do it in two. The second day will be a monster. This is maybe overly ambitious but here's how it would work:
Day 1: Drive and Hike
Hit the road at 3 am. Its a 4-5 hour drive to the Lodgepole Visitor's Center. Get our permit and drive to the trailhead. Be on the trail by 9:00 am
We'll hike ~15 miles and ~3,500' day one. We could go further if our legs will take it, but going up means sleeping at higher elevation so its a tradeoff.
Day 2: Rae Lakes
This should be the great day where we get to the lakes themselves.
We'll hike another ~15 miles with another ~3,500' up and an equal ~3,500' down. This will be a test. Crossing Glen Pass should be a delightful monster. If we're making good time we can rest and explore the lakes.
Day 3: Home
A relatively chill downhill march back to the car. ~10 miles and 3,000' down. If we get up early we can get to the car by noon and be home and showered at a reasonable hour.