Copper Ridge Loop — Wednesday, Jul. 31, 2019

Two friends and I hiked the loop counter-clockwise in 3 days. We got to the Glacier Visitor Center right after 8 a.m. when they opened, but had to wait in a long line.  We ended up borrowing bear canisters, as not all camps have poles/lockers.  (Spoiler: we did not see any bears)

Day 1: Trailhead to Indian Creek camp, 15 miles, ~3,000' elevation gain

The trail had views, even from the beginning, but they really opened up 5 miles in at Boundary Camp.  Most of the elevation gain was to Hannegan Pass, but the hike down through the valley had plenty of ups and downs, too. The bugs weren't terrible, thanks to our liberal use of deet. The wildflowers and berries abounded: Salmonberries, Thimbleberries (not quite ripe yet), Glacier Lily, Lupines, Columbines, Cascade Stonecrop, and more.  There were also dozens of varieties of mushrooms at every glance.  After Boundary Camp, there was increasingly more and more brush, and I was so grateful I had just bought short gaiters (Kahtoola's instagaiters) to keep all the debris from sneaking in between my ankles and my boots. Shortly after Boundary Camp, there was a lovely stream that we soaked our feet in and admired the view. 

Still several miles from camp, but excited to try something novel, we learned that the cable car has been taken down for repairs.  In fact, we just missed it by one day!  So we forded the river where the horses do, and the water came up to low- to mid-calf.  We kept our boots on for traction (and because we had a terrifying river crossing last year). It was cold, but not hard to cross.  The trail was shaded off and on, so it was never too hot to be comfortable. Indian Creek camp is beautiful, with a well-marked trail to the water.

Day 2: Indian Creek camp to Copper Lake camp, 8 miles, ~3,900' gain

We set off from camp in our still-damp boots and were pleasantly surprised with how shallow the Indian Creek and Chilliwack River crossings were.  We took off our boots and crossed in bare feet.  We set off for the long steady ascent that led to incredible ridge views!  We stopped for lunch with expansive views of Mount Redoubt, Bear Mountain, and the peaks and lakes in Canada off in the distance.  As we continued up, Whatcom Peak, Easy Peak, and Mineral Mountain loomed large.  We arrived at Copper Lake just before the sun was going down, so we decided not to swim in its frigid waters. The campsite has a composting toilet, which only allows poop and t.p. (that's right--not even pee is allowed!), but it had the most incredible views of the North Cascades! The mosquitos were really bad, even with deet, so we got into the safety of our tent after a quick dinner.

Day 3: Copper Lake camp to the TH, 11.5 miles, ~2,500' gain

We were up all night to the sound of strong rain and winds.  Our packs were in the vestibules of the tent, but they still got wet on the sides and bottom.  Luckily, we stayed dry and postponed our departure time by 30 minutes hoping the rain would let up.  It let up slightly and we packed up and set off.  Our entire trek up to the Copper Ridge Lookout was in rain, and we could see nothing but clouds for several hours.  The lookout was locked, too.  As we hiked down the ridge, the clouds cleared a little and we got a few nice rainbows as well as more rain.  We booked it past Egg Lake and Silesia Camp, and by the time we got to Boundary Camp again the rain had stopped.  We hiked back up to Hannegan Pass and down to the trailhead with plenty of new waterfalls coming down the peaks across the valley.