Zen: my trips into Alaska Lake were in the very late 80's or early 90's. Had a USFS and state forestry map that showed the trailhead. I understand there is new logging and a Real Estate development in Gold Creek Valley now so not sure you can go that way anymore. I got lost where the trail leaves Gold Creek and heads uphill. Poorly marked and easy to miss. After Gold Creek you kind of pick your way straight uphill through tall bracken fern and hope you,re on a trail. Somehow I got there.
TM: The lakes in the Spokane and Cheeny area are frozen up and fishable through the ice. The lakes in the basin are not even frozen. Two different worlds though only 40 miles apart. The lake below my deck has no ice whatsoever on it (unheard of for January), but I understand the higher elevation lakes in Okanogan Co. have various amounts of ice.
All the lakes in the Sun Lakes Basin are ice free as is Banks,even in the shallow bays.
48 degrees here today on my deck.....unheard of for first week in Jan.