INGALLS CREEK Ingalls Creek is a reliable early season snow free trail . This year we probably could have hiked it a month sooner and still avoided snow. We went as far as Falls Creek (3400 ft) and only saw snow 2 or 3000 feet above on the mountain tops. This area near Blewett Pass is in the rain shadow of the main part of the Cascades and is consequently much drier and sunnier. So it was worth driving 2 1/2 hours to the trailhead to enjoy a pleasant partly sunny and 99 % rain free day while western Washington and the Cascade passes were drenched in heavy rain most of the day. The trail is in excellent condition with no blow downs, slides or obstacles to report. There is some mud near 2 or 3 creek crossings. The main attractions of this trail are the open forest, flowers, river sized creek and a few views of the Stuart range peaks but not Mt. Stuart. No summit, no lake, no stupendous view. The flowers are superb , the forest is a nice east side mix with many very large Ponderosa pine, and Ingalls creek is a constant white water wonder with rapids and little falls it's entire length. Also good fishing for trout and dolly varden according to the fisherman we met about 2 miles up trail. The snow has been gone too long here so we missed the glacier lillies and almost all of the trillium. The dominant flower was lupine. We also saw lots of paintbrush (3 colors), solomon's seal, and vanilla leaf. Others were violets, mertensia , tiger lily, columbine, arnica, nootka rose, penstemon, thimbleberry, fairy bells, groundsel, buckwheat, lousewort, honeysuckle, star tulips and several others I couldn't identify. The stars were the orchids ! Calypso and lady slipper orchids which bloom on this trail in June. The huckleberry crop looks like it will be ready early. The trail is always in earshot of the furious white water creek but a couple of sections get out of sight of the stream for 1/2 a mile or so before returning to streamside. My group had a small lunch at falls creek but it got too cold and windy for pleasant sunning here (45 deg.) so we headed back down 1 mile or so to a wonderful warm riverside campsite for more food and relaxation. This spot was 15 deg. warmer with no wind. After that it was a pleasant walk back to the trailhead. Wildlife encountered: thrush, hawk, snake (not a rattler), chipmunk and hundreds of beautiful moths & butterflies. Stats: 11 miles 1400 vert. (2000 ft trailhead 3400 top) 3 hours up 2:15 down Robert Michelson 6/2/2001

Azure colored skies, temperature in the low eighties. Snowless, dry trail- up to Falls Creek turn-off point, and according to a forest crew quite a bit beyond - discounting the half a dozen or so shallow creeks to be crossed. Can be done in tennis shoes ! A field of lupines with their fragrant perfume right at the onset. Calypsos hidden on the forest floor. Glacier lilies, spring beauties. Large stretches of Trillium along the trail between 2800- 3200 feet. Just go there, and don't forget to cool off, if necessary, at the base of a boulder field, at about 2600 feet, with large car-sized boulders in front off it. You come out of a temperature in the eighties and suddenly you feel like walking into a freezer. It felt very much like standing in front of the Big Four Ice Caves off the Mountain Loop Highway. I haven't seen anyone commenting about this phenomenon ''

A long overdue trek into our wilds with the company of the kind gentleman, Mr. rubberlegs, finally materialized, and we headed east after meeting in Preston. We had inspiring ideas of a grand day without moisture, and we indeed left all showery weather 98% behind us. A stunning hike and snowshoe trek up to Teanaway Ridge was in order…however, the Iron Creek FS #9714 was still signed as closed. Road looked pretty soft still, and there was no way we’d get close to the trailhead anyhow as some large areas of snow still linger down at 3200’ here. Give it a couple more weeks. But I had a backup already planned in case we couldn’t make our first choice, so we happily blasted a little more up over Blewett Pass and strolled into the Ingalls Creek trailhead as the only visitors. The first ½ mile of the trail shows what is in store for flowers later further in: massive areas of glacier lilies everywhere! I’ve never hiked this trail this early, so it was fun to explore 4+ miles up the valley in snow much of the way past the first mile. We took the snowshoes along so they wouldn’t be left in the rig, but ditched them behind a towering tree ½ mile in and just wore gaiters. The bare stretches of trail showed the heavy use this area is getting from elk, as elk marbles littered the trail heavily in stretches! I became Professor of Scatology in Mr. Rubberleg’s mind, as I gave him convincing stories of the mammals we were following throughout the valley. He was particularly interested in the coyote scat and tracks I lured him into inspecting more closely. Alas, no rare albino white snow rattlesnakes could be discovered this day, so we’ll leave that discovery to someone else. But the normal and pleasant Western Rattlesnake does inhabit the first miles of this trail in summer, so keep your eyes open. Being neither of us could lure the other to walk out to the end of tree snags dangling over stunning Ingalls Creek for a photo opportunity of a lifetime, we slopped on up until the roar of, “LUNCH!!” halted our inward adventure. Suddenly we were freezing eating in the snowbank by the creek after hours of burning up sweating. A very fast lunch and we stomped out in two hours, with a wonderful 15-minute segment being in a heavy snow shower…real pretty. Yet another successful day sharing grand stories with a new friend, and in total solitude as no other people were in this vast valley on a fine Friday in April. Guess everyone stays home on Friday the 13th!!

In an effort to shake the winter out of our systems and limber up our hiking muscles, we ventured east to Ingall's Creek for our first backpack of the summer (it's really here isn't it'). A great choice! Ingall's is a great hike early in the season for a number of reasons. Due to low elevation, the trail is snow-free early. It's also advantageous to visit this lovely trail before the summer heat brings the rattlesnakes out, as we discovered last year! 1200' elevation gain in 6 miles is easy on backs that haven't shouldered packs for a few months, and the scenery is gorgeous. We hiked in late Friday and camped about 1 mile beyond Falls Creek, strolled up to Fourth Creek Saturday, and came out Sunday. On our way to Fourth Creek, we encountered a bull elk with a beautiful rack sauntering up the trail toward us! From the beginning of the trail you will pass a great campsite about every 30 minutes (1 mile). The best one is about 30 minutes past Falls Creek. By the way, is there a history behind the grave about 100' off the trail across from the Falls Creek campsite' It appears that a Fred Ericson met his demise there in 1928, and was buried on the spot. A wooden cross leaning against a large tree marks his final resting place. All in all, if you hike Ingall's Creek, you will find great campsites, plentiful water & wood,and abundant wildflowers with more to come. A few small, puny patches of snow starting at about 10 miles are fading fast, and and will probably be gone in a matter of days!

Me and my Buddy hiked into Ingalls Creek late on Friday night. We only made it about 4.5 miles in because of darkness, and camped next to the stream. Saturday morning we woke up to rain, rain, and more rain. Since our rain gear was minimal, we wimped out and headed for the trailhead and home. Of course, it was sunny & warm back at the trailhead. This was our first hike here and we'll be back. The trail starts gradually and stays that way - at least for 4.5 miles. The flowers were just awsome, and anything beyond Indian Paintbrush and Lupin, I have to guess at. The colors were beautiful. Nice hike.