Around the 4th of July, I headed up into The Cascades with a friend to explore some high lakes and backpack at elevation. Following the west fork of Foss River, we began our hike in a beautiful valley flanked by high peaks that we would soon ascend to. Trout Lake is a familiar camp site just a mile and a half in from the trail head. I’ve enjoyed camping there a few times, but never traveled much further up trail towards the higher lakes. Climbing what would be over 3,300 feet of elevation with full pack seemed daunting, but the beauty was mesmerizing, and stopping at different water features throughout the hick helped break up the endless climb. Val carried her own pack and together, we took each switch back and scree scramble in stride. I was very proud of my legs for carrying me and all my gear without too much struggle. It was some great strength training to step up and down the large rock steps throughout the trail. 1900 feet in less than two miles carried us to the outflow of Copper Lake, where we planned to set up camp for the weekend. it was a pleasant surprise to find plenty of space to set up our tents overlooking a beautiful turquoise cove.
At 4,000 feet of elevation, the blueberries were not out yet, but a thick layer of yellow tree pollen ringed Copper Lake. We had to venture out on the rocks quite a way to find a clear space to filter our water, which tasted cold and crisp from melted snow. Fish were kissing the surface from time to time, but a few hours of fishing with all kinds of bait and tackle yielded only a bit or two, no catches. That’s ok through because we packed great camp food- hotdogs for all! It’s amazing how good food tastes after long hikes, and how little hunger I feel when I am on the trail. There are blood sugar moments, and my friend hiking with me, who also happens to be a doctor, knew when we needed to break for a snack and water. It made for some good self care on the journey.
Much of our hiking was along the outflow from Copper Lake, which was one of many alpine lakes we encountered on our adventure. Near to Copper Lake is Lake Malachite, which we dropped our packs at the turn off to hop up to- and it was a hop, lots of rock stairs and climbs- glad we didn’t take the packs with us on that little side trip. After appreciating Malachite, we returned to the trail to Copper Lake and soon found ourselves crossing the outflow and appreciating the scenery of craggy peaks all around. The last of the snow was still clinging to a few scree piles, reminding us of how high up we were in the mountains. Our first evening, the alpenglow was beautiful. We sat and watched the colors stretch out across a partly cloudy sky as the smoke drifted up from a cozy cook fire. We had fabulous weather too, with sunny days and starry nights, just cold enough to appreciate the sleeping bag zipped up.
The night was cool, but I slept snug in my tent in a down sleeping bag. The next morning, we awoke to swarming bugs and were thankful we’d packed bug nets for our heads. It made the morning in camp easier- bugs are a big challenge in the mountains most of the warmer months. Others who had not packed bug protection were heading back down early. We happily put on our day packs and began the trek to Big Heart Lake, stopping at Little Heart Lake on the way up. We knew the hike would be another couple of miles and another 1,000 feet or so of elevation. It was a comfortable traverse with such light gear. The dogs didn’t have to carry packs either. Big Heart Lake was full of activity, from fellow campers to day hikers looking for a nice rock to perch over the blue waters. A breeze chased off the bugs, so we spent a pleasant afternoon fishing, swimming, and chatting about life. We watched one woman inflate a small boat, then load herself and her pointer in for a row. They made it just out to the open water, then the breeze held them back until the intrepid paddler turned and headed back to her launch point.
Still no fish caught, but we did catch a look at several other adventurers with floats, bug net reading chairs, and other dogs on the trail. It was an amiable group, all finding some shore line and a few hours of peaceful mountain bliss in the warm afternoon sun. I ended up getting a little sun burn on my ankles and feet, but well worth it for the relaxing time on the lake. As the shadows began to stretch along the shore, we packed up and headed back down to Copper, noting the light change on the peaks around us and how high we had climbed. The bugs slowly began to return as we headed back to Copper Lake and our camp, but our bug nets continued to keep out the unwanted pests and we moved back down without struggle. The varied thrush calls were lovely, echoing across the pristine blue marble surface of the water and weaving through the fir trees.Most of the forest in these mountains are very old, through they do not have the same size as valley trees. Altitude and tough winters, as well as wind, keeps these old giants slow in growth but no less noble in stature.
At the end of our second day, we had completed our planned trip up and back from Big Heart Lake, and were now ready for another evening of good food and plenty of sleep for our return hike the following day. It was truly a gift to be in the quiet of the back country instead of down in the loud bangs of Independence Day for white land owning men from England. Please do chew on that reflection for a moment. For almost 100 years after July 4th, many people in The United States were enslaved, unable to vote, and otherwise thought of by free white European men as subordination or even subhuman. Many of these abuses continue today in our country, so celebrating anything on July 4th is a little shortsighted. Having the freedom, time, money, and equipment to hike into the back country is indeed a privilege. I will say that everyone we saw up there was white. There was an even split in presenting genders, yeah ladies! I was not surprised to see no children up here, it’s a heck of a climb. An odd teenager did lank through, but little kids would not make it up this mountain, and I was glad to see none around.
The trip was a chance for some peace and quiet, along with vast vistas and some good working out to reach our rewards. As we made our decent, the outflow of Copper Lake came pouring down the mountain side, one great falls churning down the steep slope. At a lower part of the falls, we stopped to filter water and cool off for a bit. My hiking friend had bruised her leg on a rock and took time to soak it in the ice cold water, which helped a lot. I took time to wash my face and hands after filling the water bottles. It was the best water I’ve had to drink in a while. I tried to take a picture of the huge old growth tree that had uprooted and fallen near the water, but it’s hard to see in mere digital form. Most of these pictures do little justice to the actual scenes we encountered.
To the right in this picture, you see a standing root structure over three stories high. The tree attacked to it stretched out across the forest for a few hundred feet. The scale is vast and difficult to capture on film, but you can see some people standing to the right below the tree to get some idea of size. In this lower forest, incense cedar, mountain hemlock, and grand firs dominate the forest canopy. A few red cedars and alder grow close to the river, but most of this sub-alpine forest remains hemlock and fir. There is no evidence of major industrial forestry in these hard to reach steep slopes, but by the time we had returned to the river valley, the old familiar stumps of felled giants returned as witness to the logging carnage through the last 100 years in The Pacific Northwest. I am so glad there are places to climb up to for a chance to visit more intact ecology of the region.
It was a good challenge to get up into the alpine lakes with a pack and take two nights to rest in the forest high above. What an amazing place Washington State is. As my friend and I reflected on our trip, we both agreed we’d rather be up in The Cascade Mountains than any beach in the world. On a holiday weekend, to be quietly ensconced away in the forest by a still blue lake is a dream come true. May I get a chance to have many more, because there are hundreds of lakes in the mountains here to explore, and it will take the rest of my life to see most of them. Gratitude for the opportunity to be out, that we were safe, that gear worked, animals were cooperative, and the weather too. Glad for a hiking buddy who remained supportive, lively, and open to exploring and climbing up up up into the wild yonder. Thanks to all the stones that held us, the water that quenched our thirst, and the good food that kept our energy up throughout the trip. This place remains a beloved place to explore and learn from.
EEC Forest Stewardship 