After arriving at the summit of Ophir Pass and checking out the hut where we were staying; we pondered what to do with our afternoon. Our initial plan was to hike Ice and Island Lakes, but that hike was a little bit too long considering the later start we’d be getting. Plus, we were a little bit tired from all the hiking we’d done on the trip so far and wanted to relax and enjoy the hut. So, the short 1.2 mile roundtrip hike to Crystal Lake from the summit of Ophir Pass was the perfect option!

The path heads up steeply among the rocks just next to the Ophir Pass sign. In an earlier post, I noted that the road from the Ophir side of Ophir Pass is rocky with some drop-offs and gets very narrow for about a half mile as it crosses a band of rockfall. If you want a tamer ride to the top, start from the Silverton side of the pass. 4WD is still recommended from that side, so don’t get mad at me if you try it out without. I would say that it was fairly smooth and easy from the Silverton side at least on our trip. The quality of the road varies year-to-year and within the same year, but it was great quality and was even being repaired more at the time.

Anyway, once you’re at the top of Ophir Pass, however you get there; heading up to Crystal Lake is a fun jaunt. As usual, let’s dive into some pictures now!