This trip was a 27 mile loop to Marmot Lake and Deception Lakes with a hike up Surprise Mountain for a great view. We began and ended the trip from Tonga Ridge trail head on road 6830; the trail goes down a short connector trail (Tr 1059B) to the Deception Creek Trail (1059).
Two early river crossings were needed at the trail junction but with lower water level this time of year, rock hoping was possible. Trail 1059 is in good shape and a fun trail to hike as it goes in and out of the woods and through gouged out, but overgrown, river banks as the trail leads south to Deception Pass.
At Deception Pass we connected with Tr 1066 to Marmot Lake for our first camp. A number of places exist at Marmot for camping. The trail was in great shape; other camping opportunities exist along the way. We took a side exploration trip to Lake Clarice after making camp; good trail until nearing Lake Clarice; brushy when nearing the lake.
Day two we backtracked to Deception Pass and then headed north on Tr 2000 (PCT) to Deception Lakes on the excellent trail. Numerous large dusty campsites are available at Deception Lakes which was very scenic.
After setting up the tent, we hiked to the top of Surprise Mountain on a trail shown on our Skykomish Ranger District map but not the Green Trails Map. Signage for Surprise Mountain, at the lake, shows the trail marked as a trail to a horse camp. The trail is excellent (did have one crawl under log) to Surprise Gap and continuing to the top of Surprise Mountain. The trail to the Gap and down and beyond to Glacier Lake is part of the old PCT. A couple we met that hiked to the gap from Glacier Lake said they passed a sign saying the trail is abandoned but it too is in great shape.
On day three we returned to our beginning trail head using connector Tr 1059A (also in great shape).
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