From autumn through to early spring the lake is frozen over, and traces of snow cover the higher peaks and the shadowy recesses of the forest floor well into the beginning of May. At the highest points, above 8,202 feet, the landscape is barren alpine tundra, the volcanic rock exposed to the elements. In the high, jagged mountains surrounding the lake, an eerie quietness reigns, broken only by gusts of wind whipping up puffs of snow from the craggy peaks. The view from White Cloud Peak is breathtaking, the ice-covered lake below seemingly transplanted from the heavens. It's an otherworldly sensation, heightened by a terrain devoid of vegetation and strangely desolate. 6,561 feet below, alpine forests flourish, with pine trees rooted in the rocky slopes and, lower still, forests of white birch, dragon spruce, willow and broad-leaved coniferous trees abound.

Erdaobai River runs from the lake, via a 223-foot waterfall, and is the source of two of Jilin province's major waterways - the Songhua and Tumen Rivers. On a cloudy day, the walk up to the waterfall is still a pleasant trek, with the steam from the numerous hot springs billowing around the cascading waters, parting briefly to reveal the ghost-like forms of a group of Korean tourists picnicking on eggs boiled in the steaming and bubbling waters. Further up the track rocks fall, cracking like pistol shots as the sound echoes off the steep valley sides. Up ahead the waterfall cascades down, disappearing beneath snow and ice. Passing the falls, the ascent up to the lakeshore is steep. On the ridge, clouds blanket the landscape making the ground indistinguishable from the sky, with only an occasional black rock peeking through the snow. With cloud cover reducing visibility to a dozen or so yards, an unwary traveler may find himself wandering out into the middle of a still frozen lake - turn back immediately!

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