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Home , Mountain Loop Highway, Ruth Mountain, Sloan Peak, Vesper Peak

» On Trail July 2008 » Trails www.wta.org

logjam and then find the trail, which is now an abandoned road. At 3 miles you enter the . Then, for a mile, the trail goes through beautiful, lush old-growth forest before ending at the . Old maps show the trail continuing deep into the cirque. Observant hikers can find remnants of this old trail that the river has decimated. Hiking the riverbed is best in late August or early September, when water flow is low. My suggestion would be to continue south another two hours, crossing and recrossing gravel bars many times. The river makes a turn to the west-southwest going deep into the cirque. Look to the east-southeast and see a bench about 50 feet above the river. This flat area gives ample space for camping and ideal views of rugged mountain scenery: Ruth Mountain, Seahpo Peak, Jagged Ridge and . For day two, hike the cirque and explore the rugged valley. Map: Green Trails 14 Directions: From Glacier, drive east on WA 542, turn east on FR 34 and follow it to the end.

Headlee Pass A tarn 1 mile beyond Headlee Pass, between Vesper and Sperry Peaks, is a destination well worth the effort. Within half a mile of parking the car (elevation 2,400 feet) is a challenging stream crossing where you need to pick a route across twisted logs and rocks and then regain the trail. The trail will switchback steeply across open slopes, leading to a valley between Morning Star and Sperry Peaks. This area, site of the abandoned Sunrise Mine, was once rich with mining activity. Press on up the water- gouged, unmaintained trail. lingers in the Headlee Pass gulley until early June. At the pass (4,700 feet) trail designations dis- appear from Green Trails maps. An easy-to-fol- from Snowgrass Flat. This is one of seven classic trails low footpath continues onward to a tarn (5,600 you should consider for a summer overnight backpacking trip. feet) which lies between Sperry Mountain and . There are several sites here, make sure to practice leave-no-trace camping. Your second day can be a climb across steep granite slabs of Vesper Peak (6,214 feet) or Sperry Peak Great Overnights (6,200 feet). From Sperry Peak you can see Seven great backpacking trips to take this summer the Monte Cristo massif. Although steep, the granite offers good tread to the top. Record the The rewards of overnight camping are many: grandeur with lots of photos. Jan P. a slower pace, time for relaxation and leisurely Map: Green Trails 111 , 110 Silver- exploration of a campsite and its surroundings. ton Klippert After an overnight, a hiker’s mind’s eye can bet- Directions: From the ter remember the sights, sounds and aromas of turn south on FR 4065 and drive to the end. Jan Klippert was the adventure. a well-traveled hiker and a past WTA Mason Lake Mason Lake is but one of several lakes board member. He Nooksack Cirque worth exploring adjacent to the Alpine Lakes wrote this article in The beginning of the Nooksack Cirque Wilderness area. From the parking lot (2,200 November 2007. Jan Trail in the is not quite what I feet), hike the Ira Spring Trail, gaining 2,000 passed away in Janu- had expected. The road ends abruptly at Ruth feet to a fork. The right fork will take you to ary 2008. Creek, where hikers must first cross a wide www.wta.org July 2008 » Washington Trails On Trail « the summit of Bandera Mountain (5,205 feet). Map: Green Trails 144 Benchmark Mountain The left fork takes you on a beautiful, newly Directions: About 8 miles east of Stevens constructed trail to Mason Lake (4,180 feet) Pass on U.S. 2 turn north on Smith Brook Road where there are many good campsites. Take FR 6700. Drive about 3 miles; the trailhead and time to relax and enjoy the lake. From this loca- parking are well marked. tion there are several alpine lakes and trails to explore on day two: Kulla Kulla, Rainbow, Pratt, and Island. Trails also lead to Pratt Mountain Snowgrass Flat in the Goat Rocks Wilder- and Mount Defiance. Snowgrass Flat ness, high on the PCT between 5,800 feet and Map: Green Trails 206 Bandera 6,400 feet, is a destination worth more than Directions: From I-90 exit 90 take FR 9031 to one visit. The flat, with numerous tenting sites the end. and abundant water, is open country that Silver Creek/Kachess Ridge invites wandering for hours along the PCT or The Silver Creek and Kachess Ridge Trail one of the many trails that crisscross this high Lake Valhalla near Easton, on the dry side of the mountains, plateau. To the north is Goat Lake. Loop trails near Stevens Pass. offers superb open-meadow rambling. Snow abound. North of the flat is an alternative for Though known to lingers in the meadows well past Memorial the surefooted as the PCT meanders along a most hikers as a day Day. As you get out of the car (2,400 feet), the jagged 3-mile ridge between Old Snowy and Elk hike, this trail makes trail is unrelenting for about an hour of steady Pass. This area was a favorite of Supreme Court a great overnight climbing to wide meadows (3,600 feet). The trail Justice William O. Douglas, described in his trip. is delightful as it meanders alongside Silver biography, Of Men and Mountains. The climb Tom Trimbath Creek. There are many opportunities to camp on established campsites: be sure to practice no-trace camping skills. Day two can be a day for roaming through French Creek Basin and over Thorp Mountain to No Name Ridge. Green Trails Maps show a number of hikes on Kachess Ridge and there is a lot of time for enjoying the blue skies of Eastern Washington, Thorp Creek Trail, and trails leading to Domerie Peak and Easton Ridge. Map: Green Trails 208 Kachess Lake Directions: From Easton, take I-90 Exit 71, then follow FR 203 to the trailhead.

Lake Valhalla Lake Valhalla near Stevens Pass is a popu- lar day hike objective offering great overnight opportunities. From the trailhead (3,800 feet), the new trail intersects the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). As you hike south toward Lake Valhalla (4,830 feet), you break over a ridge and get your first glimpse of the lake that could be a garden for the gods. This is an appropriate setting for humming a Wagnerian melody. There are several tent sites around this cold, deep, jewel- like lake. Company can be expected as the lake is on the PCT. At the south end of the lake are huge boulders that have fallen from 5,844-foot Lichtenberg Mountain. It is not a technical climb to the summit where you can see much of the from Mount Baker to . Hiking north on the PCT 4 miles you’ll reach Lake Janus (4,100 feet). It is shallower and might offer warmer swimming water. Wearing foot protection in all lakes is suggested. An alternative to is a hike to Mount McCausland (5,747 feet), named after a U.S. Forest Service district ranger, about a half mile north of Lake Valhalla. When you reach the top be sure to sign the register. Views here are limited. » On Trail July 2008 » Washington Trails www.wta.org Deer Park and Moose Lake The Obstruction Point Trailhead at the end of a dirt road from Hurricane Ridge in Olympic Na- tional Park allows hikers to venture deep into the Olympic Mountains. One hiking destination 7.5 miles east from Obstruction Point (6,100 feet) can be Deer Park (5,200 feet). The Elk Moun- tain Trail to Deer Park takes the hiker through some exceptionally bleak tundra-like landscape on the south-facing side of Elk Mountain. Faint trails invite the hiker to summit Elk Mountain and Maiden Peak for views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island. There is no water on the ridge. Campsites are plentiful at popular Deer Park as it is easily accessible by car. From Deer Park, climb Blue Mountain (6,007 feet) and return to Obstruction Point parking the next day. Another hiking destination accessible from Obstruction Point is Moose Lake, tucked in the Grand Valley drainage between Grand Lake and Gladys Lake. Hike south on the Lillian Ridge Trail and descend to Moose Lake. (Note that at the point where the trail descends to Moose Lake there is a faint trail not on the maps that continues high along Lillian Ridge.) Moose Lake, at 4,800 feet, is a popular spot and the number of campsites is limited. Overnight- ers should preregister for one of the Moose Lake sites at the Olympic National Park Wilder- ness Information Center just outside Port Ange- les. A classic campsite at the east end of Moose Lake sits about 50 feet above the lake with views westward up the valley. The next day, hike to Grand Ridge Pass (6,400 feet). Marvel at the jumble of Olympic peaks jabbing the sky. Map: Green Trails 135 Mount Angeles Directions: From Port Angeles take the road to Hurricane Ridge. From the east end of the Hurricane Ridge parking lot take the dirt road to Obstruction Point. 

Paul Bestock to the top of Old Snowy gives views of Mc- Call Glacier and Tieton Peak and much of the For More Ideas Meadows of wild- Goat Rocks Wilderness area. Views of Mount flowers and fog on Rainier are ever-present; evening alpenglow is For other ideas for great backpacking trips, the Deer Park Trail, breathtaking. Take time to hike south to Cispus search WTA online guidebook at www.wta.org. Olympic National Pass, elevation 6,500 feet, a long, sweeping Or refer to last year’s “Backpacking 101” series Park. pass between the headwaters of the Cispus and in Washington Trails magazine. You can find the Klickitat Rivers. This area, with phenomenal complete series of articles and hike suggestions wildflowers, abundant mountain goats and online at www.wta.org/magazine/1232.pdf spectacular views, is worth coming back to If you’re looking for a guidebook, try Doug again and again. Lorain’s Backpacking Washington (Wilderness Map: Green Trails 302 Packwood Press, 2007, $17.95). Directions: Drive south from Enumclaw on WA 410. At the intersection with WA 123 Or, if you’re into really long treks, try continue south past Ohanapecosh to Johnson Trekking Washington by Mike Woodmansee Creek Road. (Mountaineers Books, 2003, $18.95)