Copper Glance Lake

Sarah and I headed to the Methow Valley for the weekend to stay at a friends cabin. We woke up Saturday to a bluebird sky and 80 degree weather and decided to head up to Copper Glance Lake--a hike that had been recommended to me by some NWhikers. After a scenic 30 minute drive we arrived at the trailhead.

The hike starts off along an old road that heads up to an abandoned mine. Early into the hike you come upon Copper Glance creek. The original bridge has collapsed, but the boards still remain and we were able to cross without a problem. The road section of the trail was a bit grueling as it climbs about 1000 ft up to the old mine. Luckily the flowers along the trail were coming to life giving us a distraction from the constant climbing. The mine was pretty interesting although we decided not to explore into the tunnel.

Tiger Lilly

The mine

At this point the road turns into an actual trail and makes a hair pin turn to the south. The climbing doesn't stop, in fact, the trail immediately after the mine was probably the steepest of the hike. Have no fear, the monotony of climbing up dusty trails is soon ended by a view of Isabella Ridge peaking over a grassy knoll. At this point it seams as if the lake should be directly in front of you, but the trail cuts to the right and continues to climb. From here on out, we no longer minded the climbing because the beauty of the open meadows filled with flowers quickly made us forget the burning in our lungs and legs. The hike became spectacular from this point onward. The flowers, the blue sky, the craggy ridge; we really couldn't have asked for more...and we hadn't even made it to the lake yet.

The first glimpse of the Isabella Ridge

Lupine, Asters, Forget-me-nots and much more

After crossing the meadows we came upon a small pond, then veered left and headed up a brief but steep gravelly slope. Soon after this you hit the highest point on the trail (again more splendid views) and then begin to drop slightly down to the lake. The lake was fantastic. The water was so clear--clearer than most lakes I've been to. The shores are rocky, but we saw a few dirt spots where you could set up a tent. The lake is also surrounded by larch which I'm sure make this a beautiful fall destination. We sat and soaked up the sun for about an hour. We watched a lot of what looked like trout swimming just below the surface. It was a pretty amazing place. On the way back we decided to scramble up another 50 ft from the trails highest point to a couple of big boulders for a 360 view of the area which I'd highly recommend.

The pond just below the lake

Copper Glance Lake

360 view above the lake

The whole time we were out, we only passed one couple on their way down from the lake. The hike is about 6.3 miles round trip and gains about 2700 ft in elevation. To get to the trailhead from Windthrop take the Westside Chewuch Rd to the eightmile creek road and continue on this until you see the trailhead on the right.

Waptus Lake/Polallie Ridge Loop...almost

Fourth of July brought a sunny three day weekend for the SSDL gang and a hike of great adventure. We had been struggling to come up with any good hikes this summer because of the crazy amounts of snow that is still lingering in the mountain. After hearing trip reports of a snow free hike to Waptus lake we decided to piece together a little Alpine Lakes Adventure of our own.

The original plan was to hike in Saturday to Waptus Lake (8 miles) and camp for the night. Then depending on what the conditions were like we would either just day hike around the area on Sunday or hike the Polallie Ridge trail to Diamond Lake. We also kept open the option to hike over Waptus Pass and return via Pete Lake. So Saturday arrived and we set off into the unknown.

The hike started off nicely. It was a beautiful blue sky day and the crew was feeling good. The trail starts by climbing slightly up the low divide from Salmon la Sac. This area has been burned and is very open which allowed for some good looks up to the surrounding ridges. The snow level was actually looking pretty good and we continued on hopeful to make a loop. The hike to the lake appears mostly flat although over the 8 miles you do climb about 1000ft. We had lunch at a scenic site along one of the first creeks. The creek crossing were all a bit on the exciting side. The water was moving quickly and you often had to navigate over rocks and logs. With our poles and a little acrobatics we were able to keep our feet dry.

View along the river

On the way in we had nice view of cone mountain which looked completely free of snow. We were continually glancing up at Polallie ridge to our left trying to get a handle on the snow level and feeling hopeful. We briefly considered going up trail creek and making a loop to the east, however when we saw where we would have to ford the Waptus River to get there we quickly changed our minds. The Waptus river was running high and unfortunately the bridge to cross to the east side of the river just below the lake was out. Hikers were being rerouted to the horse ford crossing which was doable, but fairly deep. When we got to the junction we decided to skip the crossing and instead set up camp on the south side of the lake. We had only passed a few people on our way in, but heard from another hiker that the north side was quickly becoming crowded.

Waptus Lake from the south shore

At about 4:00 we made our way to quick creek and looked for a place to set up camp. Quick creek was a wide flooded mess by time it reached the lake and unfortunately the only 3 sites near the water were all occupied. We settled on a large site before the creek set back in the woods a bit. We got set up made a fire and enjoyed a delicious taco and s'mores dinner. The area around our campsite still had some large snow patches, but we had plenty of bare ground to hang out on. A little before sunset, Sarah and I went for a walk and managed to find an area where the shoreline protruded into the lake far enough for us to have some splendid views of Summit King and Bear's Breast mountain over the lake.

Summit Chief and Bear's Breast behind Waptus Lake

In the morning we decided to go ahead and attempt a loop and head towards Waptus Pass. We packed up camp and headed out with an open mind and a handful of backup plans. We took the quick creek trail that was just a bit before our campsite and quickly began to climb the switchbacks. We made quick progress and began to reach some open spots with nice views of the lake and the falls along the creek. We stopped for an extended snack break about 2 miles into the hike where the climb eases and there is a nice view point. During the next mile we began to hit patchy snow which got continually thicker until the junction with the Polallie Ridge trail. Despite the snow, we had no problem finding the trail to this point. We ran into a nice couple who were headed over the pass and down to Pete Lake, but they were the only people we saw for most of the day. At the junction we saw a random bench and a slightly wet, yet snow free campsite. Here the trail climbs for another 1.5 mile to a junction with the Tired Creek trail at a crest.

Climbing up Quick Creek Trail

Looking down at Waptus Lake

Waterfall along Quick Creek

And the snow begins

Melted out campsite near the junction

Above this point was continuous snow and the trail was not visible. According to our map we needed to cross one of the small creeks and continue up until the high point. It looked very straight forward basically as long as we stayed between the two creeks and climbed we should hit the junction. We were going to check out what the snow was like actually on the ridge and then decide to either forge on to Diamond Lake or drop down Tired Creek to camp at lower elevations. So up we went.

View after the climb up from the junction

After a while we made it to what appeared to be the top. There was still a decent amount of snow and although we could see patches of bare ground we saw nothing that resembled a trail. We knew their was an old lookout near the junction, but nothing of the sorts could be found. After more map reading and debate we decided that we might have cut our angle a little too far west. We were right (we were near the 5001 ft mark on the green trails map). Unfortunately we didn't realize just quite how right we were. In order to correct our mistake we decided to drop down a bit to climb back up the rise just slightly to the west. After more snow climbing we made it to the crest and were greeted by breath taking views. We could now see north to a whole panorama of peaks. It was absolutely beautiful. There was bar rock at the crest in patches and lingering snow as well. The only thing that threw us for a loop was the large ridge that we were now looking at to the east. Thinking we were standing on Polallie Ridge, we just couldn't figure out quite what we were looking at. We were staring at the main section of Polallie Ridge and standing very near a snow covered trail 1317 on a little side ridge. Feeling tired from all our climbing and a bit frustrated we decided to drop down into the bowl and traverse to the south to see if we could get a better feel for our exact location.

Panorama of the view

Only a few clouds

Sure enough after about 30 minutes I stepped unknowingly right onto the trail. A little confused, it was back to the map and we made the realization that we were on the Tired Creek trail and staring up at Polallie now quite a bit above us. At last we decided to claim defeat on the Polallie attempt and head down to find a drier, warmer camp spot. The trudge down the Tired Creek trail soon became snow free and dusty and was a bit of a knee buster in spots. After a while we reached the Cooper River trail and began the hike to Cooper Lake. Not long after we passed the parking area for Pete Lake and left the solitude we had been enjoying all day. We found a nice spot to camp on the north end of Cooper Lake and rest after our ~11 mile snow adventure day.

Headed down Tired Creek Trail

Our Route

On Monday after a lazy morning we hiked a tedious 5 miles back to our car along the Cooper River Trail passing several horses and flip flop clad families who all gave us and our packs very quizzical looks. One person even stopped to ask us if we were training for something. We just smiled and said "nope we do this for fun". At about 2:00 we returned to our car and headed to Roslyn for some well deserved and very delicious burgers and beer. All in all it was a great 4th of July weekend. In total: about 25 miles, lots of snow (probably 8ft at the deepest), and about 3,000ft elevation from trailhead to high point (much more if you count all our ups and downs).

Shi Shi Beach

The guys planned a surprise weekend trip for Sarah and I which turned to be out a really great relaxing trip. We headed out Friday after work knowing we needed to be packed for backpacking, but not sure where we were headed. When we caught the Bainbridge Ferry, we were pretty confident we were headed to the Olympics but they still refused to divulge any information. We set up camp Friday night at Leland Lake campground which we had mostly to ourselves.

Saturday started with a stop in Port Angeles for permits, bear canisters, and coffee. We then drove onto the Makah Reservation where we picked up an additional permit and parked in a private overnight lot about a mile from the Shi Shi Beach trailhead. We loaded up and hit the trail. The trail goes for about 2 miles on reservation land until you hit the Olympic National Park boundary and drop down to the beach. On the beach it is another mile or 2 to Point of the Arches, a dramatic set of rocks and cliffs on the beach. We set up camp in the trees near one of the creeks that enters the beach. There were quite a few groups out, but the noise of the ocean and the thick forest around our camp gave us the feeling of being all alone.

Overlooking Shi Shi Beach

Beach Hiking

Our Campground

It was a gloriously warm day which we spent lounging in the sand and exploring the area. After dinner we walked down to Point of the Arches to check out the tide pools and watch the sunset. It was a fabulous night. The next morning Sam & Sarah headed out early to check out the new tide pools exposed by the mornings low tide. A little before lunch we headed back up the beach and to the cars. It was a very relaxing beautiful weekend.

Tide Pools

Exploring Point of the Arches

Sunset

More Sunset

Back at camp

Boulder River

We decided to try out this 8.6 mile trail despite the ominous weather forecast. It is a relatively flat trail that meanders along the Boulder River often 50-100 feet above the river. The first mile is through logged forest but after that you enter the 48,674-acre Boulder River Wilderness and hike through a nice area of old growth. There were many impressive cedar trees and the trilliums and huckleberries were blooming. We passed three nice waterfalls rushing down the canyon wall, all in the first hour of the hike. After the falls the trail became quite muddy and the light rain turned into a more constant downpour. We had misread the trail guide and thought we were headed to a final water fall at 4.3 miles so we were a little disappointed to find out that the trail just ends in a flat camping area near the river. On a sunny day it would be a beautiful place to relax for a while, but in the cold rain we only stopped for a few minutes. There was another nice camping area right before you reach the wilderness boundary. The hike out was cold and wet and the trail had turned into a series of giant puddles and mud pits. All in all, it was nice to get out and we mostly enjoyed the hike.

Tiger Mountain

It was a glorious Seattle spring day so Sarah and I decided to take advantage of it and hit the trail. Unfortunately, our cold spring meant most of the mountains were covered in slushy snow. So we opted for a slightly less wilderness hike and headed to Tiger Mountain about 30 minutes outside of Seattle. Tiger Mountain is part of the Issaquah Alps, an area in the foothills of the Cascades that is managed by Washington DNR. There are lots of trails that traverse Tiger ending a several different summits. We headed up West Tiger #3. It's a 5 mile out and back trail with about 2,000 ft of steady elevation gain. We were definitely not alone with the trailhead parking lot over flowing and about 20 people at the summit. At the top we sat in the sun and looked down upon King county. Poo poo point just a little south of the summit is a popular paragliding spot and on a day like this there were about 10 people gliding through the sky. It was really nice to get out in the sun. This is a good hike for training and getting in shape for summer, but not a place for solitude.

Here's a link to a map of the entire Tiger Mountain trail network.

Heybrook Lookout

Today was a rare sunny January weekend day that was just begging for a hike. After some misadventures driving in the snow earlier this weekend we decided to play it safe and headed to Heybrook Lookout. It's a good hike for winter because the trailhead is right on Highway 2 so no snow tires/chains/4wd required. Although, there was snow on the trail it was totally do-able in regular hiking boots.



It was a short hike only 2.6 miles round trip to the 76' lookout. We had lunch and enjoyed the scenery then headed up the road to the opening by the power lines for another nice vantage point. Only downside of the hike is you can hear highway 2 the whole time. It took us just about an hour to get there from Seattle. The trailhead is located on the north side of Highway 2 east of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest sign near Index, WA. This hike could be turned into a longer hike by following forest road 210 from the Index-Galena road or by hiking forest road 6022 from Highway 2.


Looking south toward Mount Index and Lake Serene


A panorama to the east with Baring Mountain on the left

Happy to be in the mountains

Vantage point near the power lines

Paradise Snow Shoe Mount Rainier Take 2

With a clear day in the forecast four of us decided to set out for Mount Rainier for a day of snowshoeing. We drove up to Paradise with plans of exploring Manzama Ridge. We checked in with the ranger who was less helpful than most rangers I've encountered. We did learn that the trail had not yet been poled but should be navigable. It was a clear morning, but some ominous clouds sat in the distance. Now this was the second time I've attempted to snowshoe Manzama Ridge. I had planned to go last January, but low visibility sent us to Reflection Lake instead.

We started out our adventure heading north from the parking area. It was beautiful as we headed toward the mountain, but after about 15 minutes the clouds started to roll in. The wind picked up blasting us with icy snow in the open areas. We stopped for a quick lunch in a clump of trees and forded onward. When we made it to a clearing we started to become a little unsure where we should go. The clouds had rolled in a bit more and it was snowing lightly on us. We saw a few people heading northeast up what seamed way to steep to be our route and decided to head in a more easterly direction. Looking back at the map we should have continued upward if we wanted to get on skyline ridge and head over to Manzama. We decided to abandon our hopes of the ridge since we had lost our chance at getting a view and head back down an adventurous route down to the road. It's amazing how the openness of the Paradise area combined with snow can really skew your judgement on distance. It felt like we had hiked quite a ways, but had we been there in the summer it would have seemed like nothing. All in all it was still a beautiful day in the mountains.