Heather Pass, Maple Pass, Lake Ann (Rainy Pass), Rainy Lake
Aug 13, 2010
by
Riri
—
last modified
Aug 25, 2011 02:29 PM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Rainy Lake
- Region: North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway
- Trails: Rainy Lake (#310)
- Avg Rating: 3.00
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Heather Pass
- Region: North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway
- Trails: Heather Pass (#740)
- Avg Rating: 3.17
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Heather - Maple Pass Loop
- Region: North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway
- Agency: Okanogan National Forest - Methow Valley Ranger District
- Trails: Maple Pass (#740)
- Avg Rating: 4.27
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Lake Ann (Rainy Pass)
- Region: North Cascades -- North Cascades Highway
- Agency: Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest, Mount Baker Ranger District
- Trails: Maple Pass (#740), Lake Ann (#740A)
- Avg Rating: 4.31
- Hiking Companions
- Hiked with a dog
- Why You Should Go Now
- Wildflowers blooming
- Be Aware Of
- Bugs
Lake Ann viewed from Heather Pass (photo by Riri).
Still obsessed with the North Cascades, I decided to take faithful Daphne for a hike on this beautiful sunny day up to Heather and Maple Pass. While this loop hike to Heather and Maple Pass is quite beautiful, to me, it isn't quite in the same premier category as Skyline Divide, Hidden Lakes, Cascade Peak/Sahalie Glacier, or Spider Meadow. But it is a hike that's worth doing because the views--while not as astoundingly breath-taking as those seen on the aforementioned trails--are nevertheless, gorgeous.
At 9:30 am, about a dozen cars at the trail head, which is located in the Rainy Pass picnic-area parking lot (not the Rainy Pass trail head parking lot, which is on the east side of the highway). Only passed about ten small hiking parties all day on this 8.4 mile loop (with Lake Ann and Rainy Lake detours) which I did counterclockwise, starting on the steep, dirt path and ending on the paved walkway.
The fork to Lake Ann (to the left) is at 1.3 miles, but honestly, I felt the lake wasn't worth the extra 1/2 mile, as it's much prettier viewed from above. Nevertheless, Daphne was hot so we hiked down there to let her swim. After returning to the main trail, we had to cross an ankle-twisting 1/2 mile of rock slide before ascending to Heather Pass. Views from the pass down to Lake Ann are great here. There's a well-worn boot path to the right, just before the pass, which heads off to Lewis Lake, a milky green lake I could see from the switchbacks.
On Maple Pass, there was a nice breeze which kept bugs away and several nice, flat areas with large slabs of rocks and grand views of Glacier Peak--great spots from which to enjoy lunch. From Maple Pass on, the main trail is simply the widest of an assortment of criss-crossed boot paths, some of which lead to views, some to small tarns, and others to seemingly nowhere.
A large stick buttressed by a pile of rocks marks the 6850-foot high point of this hike, on a shoulder of Frisco Mountain. From there, it's steep switchbacks down towards Rainy Lake, where larkspur, lupine, sitka valerian, saxifrage, western anemone, red paintbrush, penstemon of many varieties, and many other wildflowers were in vibrant bloom. A hanging waterfall is visible to the right.
To give Daphne another swim, we turned right when the trail met the paved walkway at 5.8 miles, and walked a flat 0.6 miles to Rainy Lake before returning up the path back to the trail head.
STATS:
LOOP DISTANCE plus two lake excursions: 8.4 miles
ELEV. GAIN: 2000 ft (4855 ft trail head, 6850 ft highest point)
GRADE: easy to moderate
TIME: 4:20 at a medium pace
DOGGY NOTES: several seasonal streams, lakes, and tiny tarns provide sufficient water; trail is shaded at the beginning and end but there is no shade on the pass
MAPS: Green Trails 49, 50
PASSES: NW Forest Pass
OTHER NOTES: (1) Mosquitoes are out. I swear, that citrus eucalyptus juice does the trick against both mosquitoes and biting black flies! (2) One surprising patch of snow around 6750 ft, easy to cross. (3) Two small blow-downs (one on either end of the trail), but easy to step over. (4) Wildflowers on the Rainy Lake side are gorgeous and peaking.
PHOTO NOTE: Alas, for some reason, the WTA site won't permit me to upload photos tonight.
At 9:30 am, about a dozen cars at the trail head, which is located in the Rainy Pass picnic-area parking lot (not the Rainy Pass trail head parking lot, which is on the east side of the highway). Only passed about ten small hiking parties all day on this 8.4 mile loop (with Lake Ann and Rainy Lake detours) which I did counterclockwise, starting on the steep, dirt path and ending on the paved walkway.
The fork to Lake Ann (to the left) is at 1.3 miles, but honestly, I felt the lake wasn't worth the extra 1/2 mile, as it's much prettier viewed from above. Nevertheless, Daphne was hot so we hiked down there to let her swim. After returning to the main trail, we had to cross an ankle-twisting 1/2 mile of rock slide before ascending to Heather Pass. Views from the pass down to Lake Ann are great here. There's a well-worn boot path to the right, just before the pass, which heads off to Lewis Lake, a milky green lake I could see from the switchbacks.
On Maple Pass, there was a nice breeze which kept bugs away and several nice, flat areas with large slabs of rocks and grand views of Glacier Peak--great spots from which to enjoy lunch. From Maple Pass on, the main trail is simply the widest of an assortment of criss-crossed boot paths, some of which lead to views, some to small tarns, and others to seemingly nowhere.
A large stick buttressed by a pile of rocks marks the 6850-foot high point of this hike, on a shoulder of Frisco Mountain. From there, it's steep switchbacks down towards Rainy Lake, where larkspur, lupine, sitka valerian, saxifrage, western anemone, red paintbrush, penstemon of many varieties, and many other wildflowers were in vibrant bloom. A hanging waterfall is visible to the right.
To give Daphne another swim, we turned right when the trail met the paved walkway at 5.8 miles, and walked a flat 0.6 miles to Rainy Lake before returning up the path back to the trail head.
STATS:
LOOP DISTANCE plus two lake excursions: 8.4 miles
ELEV. GAIN: 2000 ft (4855 ft trail head, 6850 ft highest point)
GRADE: easy to moderate
TIME: 4:20 at a medium pace
DOGGY NOTES: several seasonal streams, lakes, and tiny tarns provide sufficient water; trail is shaded at the beginning and end but there is no shade on the pass
MAPS: Green Trails 49, 50
PASSES: NW Forest Pass
OTHER NOTES: (1) Mosquitoes are out. I swear, that citrus eucalyptus juice does the trick against both mosquitoes and biting black flies! (2) One surprising patch of snow around 6750 ft, easy to cross. (3) Two small blow-downs (one on either end of the trail), but easy to step over. (4) Wildflowers on the Rainy Lake side are gorgeous and peaking.
PHOTO NOTE: Alas, for some reason, the WTA site won't permit me to upload photos tonight.
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Milky green Lewis Lake in the distance (photo by Riri).
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Maple Pass (photo by Riri).
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Rainy Lake from the high point of the trail (photo by Riri).
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Heather Pass, Maple Pass, Lake Ann (Rainy Pass), Rainy Lake