Spider Meadows #1511,Phelps Creek #1511
Aug 04, 2007
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Spider Meadow and Phelps Basin
- Region: Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - East
- Agency: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee River Ranger District, Leavenworth
- Trails: Spider Meadows (#1511)
- Avg Rating: 4.13
- Be Aware Of
- Bugs
Go on this hike. The views are absolutely worth it. We left from Seattle on friday, battling some traffic along the way, but we made it to the end of the dirt road, which gets progressively worse as you drive (Don't worry, we made it just fine in a honda station wagon).
We stayed overnight at the Phelps Creek Campground, which has all the amenities except for running water. This was an advantage because we could get an early start on the trail, instead of having to meander our way down the miles of dirt road on the day-of. The phelps creek cg is just a little bit down the road from the point at which the road forks up to the trailhead. There are plenty of campgrounds along the way as well.
When we got to the trailhead, there were already plenty of cars there, presumably from others who had stayed on the trail overnight. We were prepared for the fact that this is a popular trail, and to be honest, I expected to run into more people. It really wasn't that bad.
As we made our way up the trail, we were able to avoid bugs in the earlier morning, but as the sun came up higher, they were pretty fierce. Nothing that a little bug spray couldn't solve. I only got 3 bites on the trip. After a good walk through the woods, you come out to the meadows, which really deserve the hype they get (enough said). Keep hiking through the meadows and cross phelps creek (not very deep when we got there). We were able to cross without getting our feet wet. We continued up to larch knob. This part of the hike will get you - be prepared for some steep switchbacks and make sure you've got some water to last you the way up. Don't forget to stop for a break on your way up - these are the best views of the valley and meadow. Right at the top and right before spider glacier there are a number of campsites, which were all available when we got there a 1:30pm (They never actually filled up when we were there). There is a creek there to get more water. We set up camp, got some rest and decided to tackle spider glacier. It's not that long, but fairly steep. Just bring two hiking poles and you'll be fine. It's pretty high up, so the air airs (hah) on the thin side, but the hike up is fairly short. We did it in about half an hour. The views are incredible up there, looking down on both sides. You can see when used to be the Lyman Glacier - thanks to all the mountain goats who farted too much methane.
We then glissaded our way down (its fast!) and stayed around our campsite for a while, resting and enjoying the views. As soon as it was dark out, an amazing night sky emerged. The altitude combined with zero light pollution made everything visible.
The next morning we packed up leisurely and made our way down. 30 feet away from our car, over 9000 bears showed up and ate our lunches.
|
|
Document Actions
- Email this page
- Print this
- Share
Forgot your
New user?
