Bottom Line:
Go now!! Larches are at peak, and I have never seen them so good on this trail, but they are not likely to last long (already some needles falling at the trailhead). IMHO, this is the best larch hike in the area with a fantastic effort-to-reward payoff. The trail has larches end-to-end (no hiking way up to see a grove or two), with very dense larches near the pass. The color is simply fantastic right now. Do not let the mild stats of this hike fool you though: the trail starts rough and "informal" but gets better defined as you ascend; the trail has most of its 1450ft vertical in the last mile or so, and it pretty much straight up, with gravel, and some compact ice from last Friday's snow. But wow... it is so worth it. After seeing two parties near the trailhead, I did not see another person for the next two hours. Meanwhile... you can imagine what Blue Lake was like up the hill and around the corner ;)
Stats:
- Distance: 3-3/4 miles
- Duration: 2-1/2 hours
- Vertical: 1450 ft (pretty much straight up after relatively flat beginning)
- Road/Parking: There is parking for 8 or so cars on the Hwy 20 hairpin turn east of and below Washington Pass. This does not look like a trailhead but pushing through some overgrown alder you will find a faint trail, and eventually a wilderness registration kiosk. No toilet. Careful exiting this small pull-out back onto Hwy 20. Mazama store/brewery is about 20 minutes down the road.
- Weather: Sunny with light wind; 40-60Fs depending on exposure. The bottom was shady by early afternoon, but this created fantastic, dappled side-lighting on the approach to the summit!
- Water: There is no water for filtering on this trail; carry water. A seasonal stream that can often have water this time of year is dry. The tarn below the summit is also dry - a first!
- Larches: Larches east of Washington Pass descend right down to Hwy 20 and this trail starts among them, and ascends 1400 ft within them, with the larches getting denser and more spectacular as you ascend. Watch for some amazing ancient specimens near the top. At the pass, there is another valley full of larches on the other side. All of this framed by the amazing peaks around Washington Pass - e.g. Kangaroo Ridge and Early Winters Spires. It really does not get better.
- Trail: This trail is on GAIA - GPS suggested for navigation. The trail is difficult to follow in the lower reaches, especially where significant flooding events since my last trip 3 years ago have created many new channels and washed-out what faint hint of a trail existed. There are three distinct bolder fields to cross, and with recent rain one cannot really discern any dusty steps. But past these areas, the trail becomes much better defined, although narrow, very steep, gravelly, and periodically ice covered up to the summit. Most of the 1450 ft vertical is over a short distance. Poles strongly recommended for the descent, where falling into your butt in the gravel is a distinct possibility. This is simply an AMAZING trail this time of year, but not well known or trafficked. You will see more larches here that any other Hwy 20 adjacent trail in the area. Be nice to the Winthrop folks - this is a local's favorite.
- Takeaway: There is plenty of opportunity to explore from Kangaroo Pass, including traversing over to Kangaroo Temple. This was planned as a short after-work hike, but still need to come back and explore with more time. If you want the trail to be in the sun, start in the morning. I liked my afternoon start for the angled light, but the downside was a chilly, shady trail at least half of the way up.
No video today as took a break just to revel in the beauty of this hike! Shared a link to the video from a few years ago... the conditions on this hike were more optimal than that one ;)
Comments
SKblonde on Kangaroo Pass
Thank you for this report. I always wondered where people were hiking to when they parked there!!
Posted by:
SKblonde on Oct 10, 2024 05:28 AM