Spade Lake, Waptus Lake via Waptus River — Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024

We hiked from Salmon La Sac trailhead to Waptus Lake on day 1. The trail was very nice and easy, pleasant hiking. The ford was straightforward; I wore my trail runners to protect my sensitive feet and did not regret it. Waptus Lake was hopping, but thankfully there are a plethora of campsites, so we had no trouble finding a spot by the southeast side of the lake. Pit toilet was nice too.

On day 2, we day hiked up to Spade Lake. Much steeper and more challenging, but still quite enjoyable, especially because the trail was dotted with wild blueberries! Delicious! We dove in at Spade Lake; the water was exquisitely cold and blue. Then we took a long, relaxing break before heading back down to camp at Waptus again.

We hiked out the next day. Overall, a popular, pleasant, and very pretty place to backpack.