Ancient Lakes
Apr 04, 2000
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Ancient Lakes
- Region: Eastern Washington -- Wenatchee
- Agency: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Avg Rating: 3.96
Looking for something completely different than the usual rain-soaked forests, the rather obscure hike to Ancient Lakes seemed just the ticket. After following Spring's/Manning's driving directions to the tee, I arrived at the unmarked trailhead. A makeshift gate to keep the jeeps out, along with a state wildlife department property sign assured that I was in the right place. The parking area is a rocky wide spot just before the gate with a porta-john nearby. If you come to a sign that asks you to slow down because of worms crossing the road, you're in somebody's driveway, and need to back up a few feet to the parking area. The old jeep track begins at the mouth of an impressive hanging coulee, high above the hidden Columbia River below. Getting lost is almost an impossibility, so I improvised a loop trip that is not described in the 55 Hikes book. At about one-quarter mile from the car, I made a left on what appeared to be a simple foot/horse trail. Sticking with this, the trail stayed high on the north side of the coulee floor, quickly delivering me to the lakes. A nice waterfall cascading down the coulee wall was passed en route, and great views were had across the expanse. I camped on a knoll separating the two lakes farthest up the coulee. Yet another waterfall emerged from the head of the coulee, and its sound made for pleasant sleeping. Although the wind had blown mightily all afternoon and evening, it diminished at sundown. Prior to retiring for the night, with the bats beginning to emerge, I explored a foot/horse trail that climbed the coulee wall to the southeast. After coming out on a ledge looking straight down to one of the lakes 100 feet below, the trail eventually attained a rolling plateau of sage and grasses. Although I did not follow this trail in its entirety because of failing daylight, long-distance viewing suggested this to be a connector trail to several other lakes in the wildlife area accessible by car. Retreating to my sleeping bag, I was awakened periodically by the chirps, clucks, honks, quacks, and screeches of an incredible variety of birds that visit Ancient Lakes. I spotted Canada geese, numerous ducks, gulls, raptors, and hundreds of colorful, swallow-like birds skimming over the surface of the water eating insects. A nearby coyote's yelp at dark-thirty also opened my eyes briefly. The following morning, after breakfast and chatting with a fellow on a horse, I followed Spring's/Manning's suggested route past the lowest of the three lakes and back out of the coulee to complete the loop. This portion is a well-defined jeep track. The morning birdsong was outstanding, superior to any symphony. Red-winged blackbirds were easy to spot, but an especially lovely birdsong seemed to rise up out of the sagebrush. All in all, a fine overnighter for early spring; definitely one of the more attractive spots east of the mountains. One final plus worth mentioning is the amount of open grassland throughout the coulee, contrasting nicely with the basalt cliffs. Y'all come!
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