Howard Lake is a small, shallow pond on the shoulder of McGregor Mtn, and has excellent views of its craggy face 6,000 feet above. Most maps and guidebooks refer to the lake as "Coon Lake," but the state recently changed the name in honor of a local prospector. An alternative return route is to head east at a junction and follow a trail that used to serve as a wagon road for an abandoned mining community up the valley (this involves a walk back on the current road.)