Heart Lake via Lily Basin Trail — Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014

South Cascades > Goat Rocks

Day hike into Lily Basin/Heart Lake via Lily Basin Trail 86, Greentrails #302 Things to consider: 1. Road 48 has one area that requires high clearance/4 wheel drive. 2. About a mile short of the Lily Basin/Angry Mt trail intersection is a very difficult, washed out stream crossing with the potential for slips/falls. Ignoring the potential for rain, three intrepid Cascadians headed out for Lily Basin/Heart Lake and it was a great decision. No rain, but more important: The flowers were in full glory We saw goats and marmots, and even an owl. Except for the one spot noted above, road 48, turn off Hwy 12 to the south just a short distance west of Packwood, is in good shape. And, except as noted above, the trail is in good shape and you get into some wonderful backcountry with minimal gain. Our round trip distance was 15 miles and roughly 2000-2200' of gain. Packwood Lake and Mt Rainier moved in and out of the clouds and we got some great views. The flowers were just fabulous, starting with past prime bear grass early on then moving into miles of flowers of all kinds and colors. You cross several miles of open slope with high peaks above you, flowers around you, and views for miles. Fog and clouds moved in and out and enhanced the beauty with shadows and varying color. We ate lunch at the intersection of Lily Basin/Angry Mt trails with views in all directions. Heart Lake sets in a huge cirque with flowers in full bloom. This was a great day of hiking!