Ancient Lakes
May 18, 2002
- 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
Someone new to the Quincy area would never guess as to the treasures awaiting them just miles from the quiet farming community. Lichen-covered basalt cliffs, small lakes and wet lands, complex canyons and coulees, wide open sky views, birdsong, snakes and an assortment of strange plants and flowers.
I had the delight of introducing a small group of Mountaineers to Ancient Lakes. The lower way into the lakes is via an old jeep road and is used by mountain bikes and horses, as well as hikers. In the spring the area doesn't have the solitude as suggested by the 15-year-old prose of the Central Washington hiking guide, but there's still room for the usually mellow groups who choose to camp there.
We camped on the low ridge between two of the lakes and then went for a hike up through the stepped coulee slopes. Various boot beaten trails follow the line of cliffs between Ancient and Dusty Lakes. You can scramble down to Dusty over moderately steep talus and continue on a hike around the upper lakes, tiny hidden valleys and wetlands. It is possible to make some long loops, combining the upper trails and roads past the fishing camps with the trails descending to either Ancient or Dusty Lakes. Territorial views can be had by climbing up around behind some of the cliffs. Just be aware that the rock is a combination of unstable shale and weathered basalt.
We saw a beaver family swimming around in the larger Ancient lake and observed the swooping flight of swallows, raptors, and other birds. The soothing hoots of an owl and the buzzy song of crickets lingered well into the calm night.
On Sunday, there was a rattlesnake near the trail on the way out, who after buzzing a warning, quickly retreated under a rock.
The flower season is advancing into early summer with the advent of Thelypodium, purple sage and an assortment of yellow, white and violet daisies. Arrowleaf balsamroot, larkspur, buckwheat, wild onion, brodiaea, elderberry and alumroot were still blooming in the more protected talus and lithosol soils. The serviceberry was setting fruit and the wild roses were beginning to bloom.
We caught a heavy rainshower on Saturday as a front moved through, but Sunday was warm and pleasant with high thin clouds. The rain had dampened the dust slightly and freshened the air. It was an enjoyable, easy paced trip to begin the backpacking season.
All the water in the lakes and streams comes from the surrounding agricultural area and must be either boiled and/or filtered. There are lots of fish in Dusty Lake for the anglers among us.
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