We hiked the Hannegan Trail into the Copper Ridge Loop between 9/5 and 9/7, camping one night at the Boundary Camp and the next at Indian Creek. We hiked the loop clockwise.
Day 1: Hannegan Trailhead to Boundary Camp (5mi, +2100 ft)
The hike up to Hannegan Pass is rocky and dusty with a gentle grade. Great views of Mt Ruth on the way in, all the way up to the pass. Wildflowers are past peak but still lots to look at. The trail gets heavy sun in the afternoon and is fairly exposed to wind so expect to feel hot. Once at the Pass there are great views of the park and your descent down to the Boundary Camp is about a mile. Camp is small and has water access down a short steep trail as the WTA description notes. The river is flowing steadily. Boundary Camp is when you'll start seeing huckleberries as far as your eye can see - most are perfectly ripe and should stay that way for a little while. Along the Hannegan Trail you will also find some thimbleberries, salmon berries and maybe even some raspberries. Great starry sky at Boundary Camp to enjoy. No fires!
Day 2: Boundary Camp to Indian Creek (14.5mi, +3400 ft)
Fantastic day - classic North Cascades views all the way through. The trail is very dry between Boundary Camp almost all the way to Copper Lake, so be sure to carry ample water - most streams are dried out. Loads of berries to pick. The lookout is a highlight and is worth spending some time at - you will be rewarded for the steep climb up. We saw a bear cub along this stretch - lots of good areas for them to hide along the trail! Copper Lake is a good place for a lunch stop as well. You'll descend steeply after Copper Lake first on a rocky, exposed trail, then climb steeply for about 1 mile, until you start dropping precipitously into the Chiliwack River Valley and ultimately Indian Creek Camp. The last ~6 miles of this day were full of thick forest and long switchbacks - frankly, not much to look at here and your knees will burn from the descent. The river is running but fording it is perfectly manageably - I'm 6'2" and the water was about at my knees. I forded without shoes without any trouble. You may be lucky to see some salmon swimming upstream - keep an eye out! Indian Creek Camp is quiet and under a large canopy of trees - don't expect any sunlight, even if you arrive well before dark. The water access point from camp is a short walk and is absolutely beautiful.
Day 3: Indian Creek to Hannegan Trailhead (15mi, +3700 ft)
Right after leaving Indian Creek Camp you'll find a fun suspension bridge. The first few miles are an easy walk through the woods - there was no sun for the first several miles in the morning, and it was pretty chilly. Then the cable car, which is a total highlight! Kudos to the NPS for having the imagination to install this - it's a lot of fun. After that, though, settle in - you will be climbing for the next 9 or so miles back up to Boundary Camp and then Hannegan Pass. The climb can drag on but there is plenty of water along the way as you'll cross several small streams. Lots of berries to snack on along the way! Once at Boundary Camp you have a mile's climb back up to the Pass, then a hot afternoon descent back down to the trailhead - again, no water here and it's dusty and rocky, but you're on your final 4 miles all downhill so likely don't need too much.
In all, this is a terrific loop with deep woods, a beautiful river, proper climbs, a great fire lookout offering outstanding views of Mt Baker and other Cascadian Peaks (you'll see Glacier in the distance, too), a good chance of wildlife sightings (we also saw some marmots). It's challenging with a full pack's weight, but at no point is it too terribly taxing if you're accustomed to long walks in the woods. The fall colors were just getting started but will turn brilliant oranges and reds in the coming weeks. We were glad we went clockwise (the big descent to Indian Creek would have been really brutal in the other direction).
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