Marmot LakeRecent Trip Reports
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Marmot Lake
— Sep 13, 2011
— Mike Campbell
Multi-night backpack
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs
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Thanks to WTA, the trail to Marmot Lake is in great shape. With our delayed summer, the meadows were...
Thanks to WTA, the trail to Marmot Lake is in great shape. With our delayed summer, the meadows were full of flowers in full bloom. Unfortunately, they were joined by the bugs! Bug juice does control the harassment pretty well. Marmot Lake was picturesque both day and night with the full moon. There are many campsites around the southeast side of the lake but the best is a small site just beyond the scree slope. On the second day, I made the trip to Jade Lake and it is truly inspirational. There is a cairn marked route up the rock gully furthest to the right as you ascend. About half way up, there is a boot path on the left side of this gully that is initially hidden by a fallen tree but is a much easier way up. Once on top, the vista just keeps expanding from Lynch Peak to Jade Lake to Little Jade Glacier-snow field and resting on Diptop Peak. Mt Daniel's tip is barely visible at the top of the gully. The deep blue-green of the lake leaves a lasting memory.
In the three days there, I encountered just 2 other small groups. Given clear weather, this is a great trip.
Marmot Lake
— Jul 17, 2011
— toadlicker
Overnight
Issues:
Snow on trail
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Warning: in snowy conditions, this hike can be dangerous with two snow chutes to cross.
First, I came up the Cle...
Warning: in snowy conditions, this hike can be dangerous with two snow chutes to cross.
First, I came up the Cle Elum River via the Hyas Lake trail. I hit before the Tuck / Robin Lake turnoff, which is at 4,200 feet. Above 4,300 feet was total snow, and I could no longer follow the exact trail, so I made my own way up to Deception Pass. I actually hit the pass and had to search around for the PCT / Marmot Lake junction. Finding the trail signs, I took out the map and set off trying to make it to Marmot Lake with all this snow. I trudged on over the snow, the route making an arc, then I encountered a small pond and lazy creek running through the snow. I kept the pond/creek to my right, and took a coarse to reach a ridge and small saddle. I stayed uphill and left of the saddle and did a fast and steep descent down into a most beautiful big cirque. A huge basin filled with snow and I counted 11 waterfalls 400'ish feet high. I crossed to the far side of the basin and now kept the creek to my right. I soon found dry trail, but only briefy, as it went away and I was again on snow. The map showed the trail staying to the creek's left, then cross to the creek's right, then cross again to the left. I don't know is this is true, but it makes no sense. Anyone out there who is walking on snow like I did, don't cross the creek like the map says, just stay left. In this area I crossed two HUGE avalanche destruction zones, where the trees, branches, needles were all strewn about in a big swath. After the avalanche zone I found trail again, in a meadowy area, and was thankful for trail even though running water was rushing down the trail. Now I'm following the actual trail up the hillside, and came to a dangerous snow crossing. There is a snow chute / avalanche chute, fairly steep (maybe 50-60 degrees, enough to scare me), and this chute drops down 500 feet!! to the forest below. The snow was a bit hard, but I could kick in steps (unfortunately I brought my running shoes, so kicking in was difficult). If I fall, I'll probably die. I successfully crossed, and 100 yards later is a second snow chute, just as steep and wider. I crossed it also, but I began thinking "i am planning on sleeping at Marmot Lake, so, in the morning what if the snow chute is hard ice???" I contemplated turned back now and not sleeping at Marmot Lake, but I continued on. Further on is more snow, at times hitting a snow bank 12 feet high. I also twice had to ford ice cold creeks. The higher trail was all 100% under snow, making for a difficult creek crossing just before the lake. Once at the lake I found a dry, snow-free spot to camp high up on a rock. It was a beautiful morning and luckily the snow didn't turn to ice. I safely returned the way I came.
Hyas Lake, Deception Pass, Marmot Lake
— Jul 25, 2009
— amyriley
Overnight
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Blowdowns | Bugs
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We drove up the Salmon La Sac road on Friday late afternoon. Not too bad on the pothole-front. And my...
We drove up the Salmon La Sac road on Friday late afternoon. Not too bad on the pothole-front. And my Corolla made it across the one creek that is running across the road (Scatter Creek?, I don't know) without a problem.
Car-camped the first night just before the Fish Lake Guard Station, tons of wildflowers, TONS OF BUGS. Thunderstorms both Friday and Saturday evening! Hiked the Deception Pass trail up to the pass...BUGGY when you stop moving, but other than that, really nice. Marmot Lake trail #1066 was in much better condition than people would have had us believe. Yeah, there's a big blowdown, but it's navigable...just follow the pinky-purple ribbons. The biggest issue was brush...thick, hiding the rocks underneath, and super humid. After all the heat and BUGS we jumped in the lake without hesitation and it was perfect! The first campsite when you get to the lake gets awesome morning sun which dried out all our stuff in about 20 minutes which was great following the previous night's rain. If you keep going around the lake there are other great sites as well...I think just not as sunny in the a.m. The next day we dropped our packs at the junction with the Lake Clarice trail and scooted up there (.6 one way)...nice side trip, better camping at Marmot. Anyway, back to Marmot Lake...great hike, totally worthwhile, nice distance (8.6 one way), not a lot of people. I cannot emphasize how serious the bug issue was...one hiker we passed along the way called them "mind-bending" and that is the truth!
Marmot Lake #1066,Jade Lake
— Aug 23, 2008
— Dizz-O
Day hike
Issues:
Bugs
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We made the long hike to Jade Lake over the weekend. This hike has been at the top of my...
We made the long hike to Jade Lake over the weekend. This hike has been at the top of my wish list for a long time because so many people have hyped it up. There is no doubt that Jade Lake lives up the hype. Even if the water was normal mountain lake color, it would be an amazing place, but to add the gorgeous Jade colored water makes it even more special.
Marmot Lake #1066
— Jul 12, 2008
— paul and cindy
Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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At the Deception pass trailhead we encountered two bear cubs in a tree about 100 feet up the trail. We...
At the Deception pass trailhead we encountered two bear cubs in a tree about 100 feet up the trail. We beat it back to the trailhead and watched the cubs from there and watched for mama bear to appear. They were very small but agile; climbing around in the tree. After about 15 minutes another couple of hikers came along and we all felt safe enough in a group to go on up the trail. No sign of mama bear, thank goodness! We made it about about 1/2 mile past Deception pass and then had trouble finding the trail in the very deep snow; enough to go snowmobiling. We came back down the trail past the turn off for Tuck/Robin and on down the hill and found a nice camp sight near the creek. Hardly any bugs and just a patch of snow behind the tent and Trillium all around. Coming out the next day the mosquitoes started biting after we got past Hyas Lake and all the way to the trailhead. |
Marmot Lake. Photo by Galiwalker
2010, 2011
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