Saturday I started a 4 day pack trip up the Entiat River with 3 of my packgoats: Snowball, Chinook and Chelan. It was about 1pm by the time we got on the trail after driving from Gig Harbor. The road up the Entiat River is paved until just past the North Fork Entiat Campground. Then it’s about 4 ½ miles of good gravel FS road to the TH. Drive time from the Columbia River to the TH was about 1 hr. Saturday afternoon the TH parking lot was fairly full.

The trail is in good shape and climbs gently with a few small ups and downs. The first part is open to motorcycles. I met two, the riders were very courteous. The crossing of Snowbrushy creek was a bit of a challenge for the goats. It’s a pretty good step up onto the log across the stream…and somewhat awkward for them. Chinook jumped up on the log and walked it; the other two forded the stream. They were wet up to their bellies and the bottoms of the panniers got wet, but they made if fine. The first afternoon we went about 6 ½ miles and camped at Snowbrushy meadows…a very pretty spot. We had deer in camp looking for salt. The meadows are a short way down a side trail just before the Snowbrushy trail junction.

Sunday we continued up the trail. The section from Snowbrushy trail junction to a little before the Ice Creek trail junction was through burned forest. We reached the large lower Entiat meadows about 10 ¾ mi from the trailhead. It was then alternating forest and meadow, followed by about a 1 ½ mile section through forest to the upper meadow. The last ¼ mile through forest before the moraine, the trail was mostly snow covered and took care to follow. The moraine area below Seven Fingered Jack was a land of rock and snow…about 2/3 snow with piles of big broken boulders scattered around. When you break out of the trees, the snow covered trail heads up to the right. Past the first section of snow and rock the trail appeared again and there were a couple relatively flat areas melted out…where we found a spot to camp. Monday we headed back down to Snowbrushy meadows under clouds with several hours of rain. Tuesday it was nice and sunny for the hike back out to the trailhead. There were only two blowdowns on the trail, which were easy to go around.

The mosquitoes were not bad most of the time…sometimes almost none, other times bothersome, but deet worked quite well. The mosquitoes tended to be worse in forested sections, particularly for about ½ mi below and above the Ice Creek trail junction. There were relatively few bugs in the meadows or the moraine area, which was nice.

There were some nice patches of wildflowers in the upper burn areas. The meadows tended to be more grass than flowers.

I talked to a couple of guys who had been up to Ice Lakes. They said the mosquitoes were really bad where the Ice Creek trail crosses the Entiat. They also said they needed crampons and ice axes to get to the Ice Lakes.

Another guy I talked to went up to Cow Creek Meadows and then took the trail up toward the ridge with the intent of going to Larch Lakes. He said he lost the trail under 6 feet of snow.

All in all a great hike…summer is slowly arriving in the mountains :)

Saturday I started a 4 day pack trip up the Entiat River with 3 of my packgoats: Snowball, Chinook and Chelan. It was about 1pm by the time we got on the trail after driving from Gig Harbor. The road up the Entiat River is paved until just past the North Fork Entiat Campground. Then it’s about 4 ½ miles of good gravel FS road to the TH. Drive time from the Columbia River to the TH was about 1 hr. Saturday afternoon the TH parking lot was fairly full.

The trail is in good shape and climbs gently with a few small ups and downs. The first part is open to motorcycles. I met two, the rider were very courteous. The crossing of Snowbrushy creek was a bit of a challenge for the goats. It’s a pretty good step up onto the log across the stream…and somewhat awkward for them. Chinook jumped up on the log and walked it; the other two forded the stream. They were wet up to their bellies and the bottoms of the panniers got wet, but they made if fine.
The first afternoon we went about 6 ½ miles and camped at Snowbrushy meadows…a very pretty spot. WE had deer in camp looking for salt and checking out the goats. The meadows are a short way down a side trail just before the Snowbrushy trail junction.

Sunday we continued up the trail. The section from Snowbrushy trail junction to a little before the Ice Creek trail junction was through burned forest. We reached the large lower Entiat meadows about 10 ¾ mi from the trailhead. It was then alternating forest and meadow, followed by about 1 ½ mile section through forest to the upper meadow. The last ¼ mile through forest before the moraine the trail was mostly snow covered and took care to follow. The moraine area below Seven Fingered Jack was a land of rock and snow…about 2/3 snow with piles of big broken boulders scattered around. When you break out of the trees, the snow covered trail heads up to the right. Past the first section of snow and rock the trail appeared again and there were a couple relatively flat areas melted out…where we found a spot to camp. Monday we headed back down to Snowbrushy meadows under clouds with several hours of rain. Tuesday it was nice and sunny for the hike back out to the trailhead.

The mosquitoes were not bad most of the time…sometimes almost none, other times bothersome, but deet worked quite well. The mosquitoes tended to be worse in forested sections, particularly for about ½ mi below and above the Ice Creek trail junction. There were relatively few bugs in the meadows or the moraine area, which was nice.

There were some nice patches of wildflowers in the upper burn areas. The meadows tended to be more grass than flowers.

I talked to a couple of guys who had been up to Ice Lakes. They said the mosquitoes were really bad where the Ice Creek trail crosses the Entiat. They also said they needed crampons and ice axes to get to the Ice Lakes.

Another guy I talked to went up to Cow Creek Meadows and then took the trail up toward the ridge with the intent of going to Larch Lakes. He said he lost the trail under 6 feet of snow.

All in all a great hike…summer is slowly arriving in the mountains

With a so-so forecast, and talk of lots of snow in the mountains, we headed over to the Entiat for the long weekend. Super smooth tread to Myrtle Lake, some bugs out-but not too bad. Followed trail 1430.1 to the Larch Lake Trail. One creek to wade. Good climb up the Larch Lake Trail to the lower lake. Trail is in good shape with no blow downs and tread in good shape. The lake was melted out and about one foot of snow at the lower lake, although going fast. The upper lake had several feet of snow. Sunday hiked towards Fifth of July Mountain and Pomas Pass for good views. On the return, headed down Larch Lake trail with hopes of crossing the Entiat River, but the river was flowing fast, so backtracked to the 1430.1 trail.

To read this report in its original form, with photos, check out my blog: http://dontlookdown.wordpress.com/[…]/

And, more photos at Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

Somehow, I found myself with an extended weekend at the very end of August; Nicole didn't. Thus, the table was set for my Second Annual Solo Backpacking trip, a trip set to coincide with my twenty-ninth birthday. Certain conditions were to be met. The hike couldn't be too high on our must-do list, because Nicole wouldn't be along to enjoy it. I also wanted something that would challenge me. And why not make something that's a little further away than our normal weekend overnighter?

In the end, I decided on Ice Lakes, via the Entiat River. 100 Hikes... put the round-trip mileage at ~28 and recommended allowing 3-5 days. Ice Lakes were on my list, and the criterion fit. I'd be carrying a heavy backpack (~45lbs) but reasoned that the elevation gain would be spread over so much mileage that it'd be no problem. More training for the Canadian Rockies! My itinerary was flexible: I'd leave Thursday, make the lakes Friday, spend Saturday exploring or summiting Mt. Maude, and return Sunday. Or, if the forecasted thunderstorms came to fruition, I might return Saturday instead. Whatevs.

I left straight from work on Thursday around 12:30, and pulled into the trailhead parking lot at the end of Entiat River Road at 16:00. The drive was nice, taking me past Leavenworth for the first time through Wenatchee and north along the Columbia River through an interesting landscape. Though there were signs warning of big horn sheep crossings, I saw none.

I booted up and hit the trail at 16:20, setting a comfortably quick pace in order to put as many easy miles behind me as possible on the first day. The trail starts off wide and dry, mixed-use as it is (hikers, horses, motorcycles). The trees turn from somewhat unhealthy-looking to fully fire-scarred and destroyed as one makes progress down the Entiat River trail.

At 17:55, I entered Glacier Peak Wilderness, ~4.2 miles from the trailhead. The trail narrowed. Deer met me head-on on the trail. The sun lowered behind the ridge to the west. Every snap, crackle, and pop in the forest had me looking over my shoulder; I attributed each one to another deer, fearing a bear or cougar as the sounds stalked me along the trail. I realized only later that the heat of the day had gone from the naked, burned trees. And now they contracted in the shade like an old house in night's silence.

I pressed on, coming to the intersection with the Ice Creek trail at 19:30, and crossing over Entiat River via logjam minutes later. The crossing was fairly simple, and there were unoccupied campsites on either side of the river. After crossing, I set up camp, ate banana chips and a pepperoni stick for dinner to avoid cooking, and went to bed an hour or so later. The sky was clear and a beautiful half-moon hung visible through the trees.

***

I woke up Friday at 06:00 and stepped out of the tent. My birthday! I busied myself with breakfast and breaking down camp, which took nearly two hours without Nicole's help.

Once again, the trail works through burn, gaining slightly more elevation than it had earlier. Views improve, either across Ice Creek to the Entiat Mountains (including unnamed 8000'+ peaks I'd mistaken for Mt. Maude) or uphill through avalanche chutes toward the Spectacle Buttes.

I crossed Ice Creek, high-stepping straight through it the first time and using a well-placed and well-cairned log the second time, working my way up through healthier forest and patchy meadows toward the head of the valley. In one large meadow, the real Mt. Maude revealed herself. At 09:50, I reached the end of the Ice Creek trail at a campsite below cliffs and waterfalls. From here, the trail to Ice Lakes is unmaintained, but obviously well-travelled and easy to follow. After resting and eating, I took off at 10:20 to climb the final mile to Lower Ice Lake.

And a climb it was. Gaining some ~1500', in such a short distance, without a single switchback, with a 45lb backpack, was quite difficult. I had to watch every step, avoiding loose rock that sat on dry slopes ready to slide away beneath me. I stopped every several steps, sat down dozens of times, sometimes right on the path. Marmot's whistles and pika squeals kept me company. A weasel ran right behind me, startling me up from a spot I might still be sitting today otherwise. Larch trees appeared sporadically amongst the others. I could guess at the distance remaining above me. On my final approach, my quadriceps nearly burst into spasm.

At 12:40, over two hours since I'd left the valley floor, I took a few more ascending steps and Lower Ice Lake lay before me. I gave thanks and dropped down along the lake, setting up camp on a picturesque peninsula after only a moment's hesitation but several minutes of rest.

I napped, filtered water, ate, put on my tent's rainfly. Another person arrived at the lake—the first I'd seen, though he'd be joined by others in his party later. I set aside any ideas I'd had for further exploration: exhausted as I was, I could only walk around Lower Ice Lake in my flip-flops, taking photographs.

Clouds rolled in, the wind picked up. I ate a homemade cinnamon roll for my birthday dinner and retreated into the tent to drink Glenrothers whisky and read Anna Karenina, which I'd insisted on carrying with me. I wrestled with my plans: stay tomorrow night as well, or head out if the weather doesn't cooperate?

The wind continued to strengthen as night fell. I'd set up my tent to view Mt. Maude out my window, which ended up being broadside to the wind. Gusts were strong enough to collapse the tent into me; I stuck my arm out of my sleeping bag to brace one of the poles several times.

Eventually I was able to sleep, only to wake up with a full bladder around 22:30 to an eerie calm. I walked out into the night and came back relieved. Not a few minutes later, the wind began again, this time accompanied by rain.

I decided that if it wasn't sunny and clear the next morning, I'd hike all the way back out to the car, stop at McDonald's for my yearly McNugget allotment, and be home Saturday evening. I fell asleep sometime later.

***

Saturday morning I woke up again at 06:00. It was quite cold and cloudy. I looked up at Mt. Maude, her summit hidden in clouds, and set myself to breaking down camp. I'd be heading all the way out today after all.

At 08:00 I was on my way down through The Rockfield of 10,000 Pika. I nearly hyperextended my knee, but made better time going down than up. Though each step had to be watched, I wasn't exhausted as I was while gaining the elevation.

By 09:30 I was back on the Ice Creek trail, and I crossed the Entiat River at 11:15. I had ~8 miles to go. Just keep moving, I told myself. My feet were starting to bother me. My shoulders were beginning to ache.

I kept moving, feeling blisters blossoming in strange places on the bottom of my feet. I stopped to address them—unsuccessfully, as it turns out. If I stopped moving, the pain upon re-starting would intensify. I began to limp.

The last ~five miles were pretty terrible. When I made it within ~two miles of the trailhead, I rolled my left ankle. I sang songs over and over in my mind to pass the time, looking at my watch regularly, figuring out just when I would arrive at the parking lot.

14:44. My backpack was off, and my boots weren't far behind. I ate some Advil with a shot of whisky. My water bladder was empty. It was my longest day on trail. But I was heading home...

***

This trip was a challenge. And it was a success. My only disappointment is that the weather kept me from staying another day, making it to Upper Ice Lake and perhaps the summit of Mt. Maude. Then again, that most likely would've made for an even more difficult day on the way out.

I guess I'm saving Upper Ice Lake and Mt. Maude for a later date. I'll definitely look in to taking the shorter approach, though. One trip up to Ice Lakes via Entiat River and Ice Creek is enough for me!

Stats: ~26 miles round-trip from the Entiat River trailhead to Lower Ice Lake and back, spread over 3 days, with ~3800'+ of gain (and loss). Also, some big blisters.
Day 1: ~8.1 miles to the Entiat River crossing, ~3:10 hiking time, ~1200' gain.
Day 2: ~4.7 miles to Lower Ice Lake, ~4:50 hiking time, ~2600' gain.
Day 3: ~12.8 miles to the trailhead, ~6:40 hiking time, 3800' loss.