Per usual, our annual backpacking trip was decided by NOAA weather which we anxiously consulted several time a day prior to leaving. East Cascades once again...what happened to dry septembers? It turned out the the Chelan Sawtooths are a lovely place to go in later september. Highlights included golden larches, fat marmots, no motorcycles, good trails and stunning views. Recommend this hike as a relaxing overnight or multiday exploration. We started late, per usual and got on the Foggy Dew Trail around 4pm. Trail in good condition, no dust due to recent rain. Up, up up, but in a fairly moderate grade. With dark rapidly approaching we were relieved to find the Merchant's Basin camp under the canopy of subapline fir, White pine, and Englemann Spruce with the stream nearby. Woke to blue skies and dramatic basin view...not in Seattle anymore! The hike up to Sunrise lake was set in a magical allee of golden larches framed with a azure blue sky. We dropped packs and explored the 'secret trail (wolfwoman 8/19/10) leading up the west side of the cirque. Amazing views to the west and south. Spent the second night at Sunrise Lake amongst the larches.The best campsites are off the lake and up the east shoulder. Strong winds and rain arrived in the night and we decided to packup after dayhiking from Merchant's Basin up to the pass to look down at Cooper Lake and surrounding options. Saw a couple locals on horseback and a group of polite mtn bikers. Arrived back in the trailhead at dark, again. Eagle Lakes and Cooper Lake look like other interesting options to explore in the area.

Excellent views, great fishing, clean campsites. Different trails in this area have unique multi-use rules. Some allow bikes, and some allow motorbikes as well. Check with your local USFS Ranger Station for complete regulations for all the trails in this area. I did a volunteer backcountry ranger patrol of this area. The trails are in very good condition. The fish are very easy to catch. If we all apply the concept of hauling out whatever we bring into this area, this place will remain healthy and beautiful, and it would make my job much easier. If we bring glass, cans, tin foil, etc., we can't just leave it in the fire pit. Pack it out. Make sure to dig a proper hole to bury your 'number 2' waste; we're lucky we aren't required to blue-bag it out, as is required in many other areas I've explored. There's so many things that a backcountry ranger can be doing beyond cleaning up trash from lazy campers, and the USFS doesn't have an unlimited budget by any stretch of the imagination...

Started at Crater Lakes TH around 10:30am. Ran uphill until I realized I was running slower than a walk. Walked uphill. Lots of dirt bike tracks. Trail in great condition otherwise. Stopped by Martin Lakes (gorgeous) and Cooney Lake (great). Snow was falling above 6500' or so, a little bit was sticking around 7200' at the route's high point. Ran around Martin Lakes trail to Foggy Dew trail and out to TH. Great day.

Hiked about 9 miles to gorgeous 7300 ft.Cooney Lk. which is in a huge wide-open area with lots of lupines and exploring possibilities around. About 3500 ft. gain to lake. Great campsites and lots of them, too. This trail, just short of getting to the lake, is open to motorized bikes so had 6 of them buzz past me. The bikes aren't allowed by the lake but could see tire prints on the ""forbidden"" part of the trail! Hiked south of lake to 8000 ft. pass and then down to Merchants Basin and over to Sunrise Lk. at 7200 which is also a must-see. This pass also gives you access to the ""Summit Trail"" which goes through the Lk. Chelan/Sawtooth Wilderness area. I was at Cooney last Sept. after the larches had changed and it was just spectacular. This area is just covered with those trees. Saw 2 bears on trail about 1 mile from trailhead. (I've seen more bears this yr. so far than any other yr.) I hardly ever see any other hikers in this wilderness area so its a great place to go for solitude.