I've heard mention of coming in at Eagle Lakes a couple of times but I haven't found any info on that. Is there a parking area there or a road that I can't see on the map or something? And why do people like skipping the first half of the trail so much? Seems like a large majority just go for WH3 and that's the whole trail for them. What's up with that?
Just for full disclosure on the dates, my connundrum is that I have more time at the beginning of the week to allow for unforseen issues, but on the other hand, I am hitting Rubicon on 10/11 with my buddy during his honeymoon and don't want to break or risk missing that. But if I wait and do Fordyce that second weekend, after Rubicon, and have anything major that keeps me from being back on the road by Sunday morning, I'm in serious trouble if I don't get back to Seattle in time. I'm military so I can't just "take a sick day" or "phone in".