Copper Ridge, Hannegan Pass and Peak — Thursday, Jul. 29, 2021

First things first: wildfires.

We had permits for a 4-day/3-night trip to stay at Silesia Camp, Copper Lake, and Boundary Camp. Unfortunately, we were only able to stay at Silesia for one night due to a wildlife starting a few miles away (now called the Bear Creek Fire). As of yesterday, NPS closed the Copper Ridge trail to the lookout and lake.

Summary:

The 8.5 mile hike from the TH to Silesia Camp is beautiful! After Boundary Camp, the trail narrows at times and can be a bit bushy, but nothing crazy. The bugs, however, were AWFUL - I have never been assaulted so viscously by biting flies in my life. They stick to you, fill your ears and nose and are determined little devils. I changed into long pants mid-trail and we rarely stopped for a break, and when we did we could only bear a few seconds at a time.

Overall, the trail is a lot of up and downs. In fact, when we thought we were close to Silesia Camp we realized we still had a few hills to climb. The closest water source is Egg Lake (about 1 mile round trip and 450 elevation), so a bit of a trek. Despite that, I'm happy we stayed at Silesia, the mountain views are stunning.

Wildfire:

We noticed a plume in the distance around 7pm on Thursday. We were up high but the smoke filled the valley by 9pm. By 10pm the smoke made the surrounding peaks hard to see but we could only faintly smell it. To be safe, we packed our bags before bed and set alarms throughout the night to check on conditions, just in case we needed to make a quick exit. By morning, the smoke settled into the valley and we could tell that Copper Ridge was sadly a no-go and we turned back.

Still a great trip and between the wildfire and biting flies it was some classic Type 2 fun!

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://www.mooremisadventures.com/