.
Beautiful Hike, but beware of the bugs!
Overview/Parking:
With summer finally here and snow melted out in the alpine, my brother and I decided to head into the alpine lakes for a hike. We were planning to backpack up to Peggy’s Pond and tag Mt. Daniel. The final road to the trailhead is a long but well-maintained forestry road that passes several campsites. The road appears to be freshly grated with new gravel. It is a pretty area to drive through. Just before the Scatter Creek campground there is a minor stream crossing – it was no problem for my Subaru Outback and any car with decent clearance would be fine. We arrived at the trailhead just before 8am to a mostly full parking lot. There were several wide spots on the road where cars can pull over and park, so it was not too much of an issue. Just make sure you leave plenty of room for other cars to get through. There was a decent pit toilet at the parking lot that was clean (by trailhead pit toilet standards). The meadows around the parking area were beautiful and full of flowers. The one issue with the parking lot was the literal swarms of mosquitos. Like an ungodly number of mosquitos. Long pants and a long sun hoody as well as deet will be needed right now.
Trail Conditions:
The trail dives into the woods and across a stream before beginning a long two-mile forested uphill push. As the trail leaves the creek floor, it felt a lot warmer and muggier – a result of hiking on a day forecasted to be in the upper 90s. The mugs were ever present, so we did not stop too much. After about 2 miles of steady uphill, you reach a pass and head right along the ridge. From here you will alternate flat and uphill sections, passing Squaw Lake before breaking out in the meadows above. The meadows provided good views across the valley towards Granite Mountain South and the other adjacent peaks. Not too many flowers were blooming in the meadows yet. We encountered some lupine and a few paintbrush. But they were few and far between. As you trek through these meadows you will also get your first views of Cathedral Rock in all its glory, a beautiful and motivating sight. The meadows continue for a good mile + and passes 2 small ponds with some camping spots. Soon the trail intersects the PCT at the base of Cathedral rock. Heading left you are on the PCT for a short stint before deviating along the narrow and exposed section of trail. Though only ½ mile or so in length, this section is quite adventurous with lots of scree and large runouts below. While it was not a huge deal for us, the less sure footed and those with poor balance would be keen to use poles or prepare to take their time to ensure you traverse across safely. Along this section you will have magnificent views of Deep Lake and all the peaks leading up to the east peak of Daniel. The waterfalls from Circle Lake down to Deep Lake were raging and stunning. You could hear them roaring from across the valley. After finished the traverse you push up into the trees and will soon pop out at Peggy’s Pond with the impressive Cathedral Rock towering above on one side and the east peak of Mt. Daniel on the other. It was a beautiful and impressive destination. Everything was melted out other than a handful of spots along the way to the next ridge line. Not too many wildflowers yet though as things clearly just recently melted out. The pit toilet was a short walk away and was a great view. The cover does not stay up on its own, so we had to use a rock to prop it up. There were many other parties camped out around the lake. Many of the campsites do not have much shade which on this balmy day presented a lot of issues. The heat was oppressive. As well, the mosquitos here were unrelenting. Long layers and full coverage were nonnegotiable. We used bug spray and bug nets and still managed to get eaten alive. As well, exploring the late with long layers (even summer specific long layers) in this heat was miserable. We cooled off with a swim in the pond but the mosquitos were quick to swarm us when we got out. We chatted with 4-5 other parties who opted to leave due to the oppressive conditions (heat and bugs). We stuck it out for a bit longer but ultimately decided that the conditions were not enjoyable and decided to bow out. Really unfortunate because this location was magnificent.
Conclusion:
The hike itself is nice and the end location is stunning. Just a classically beautiful alpine destination – an outdoorsman’s paradise. Unfortunately, the mosquitos and heat were just too much for us to bare. I have not encountered mosquitos like that in quite some time. And never this late in the season. Likely just a result of the recent melt out. I think in a month it would be much more palatable for most people. Those who go in the near future just need to come prepared with bug nets, bug spray, and good thick clothing to cover up (and a positive attitude).
After the hike, head into Roslyn or Cle Elum to grab a coffee, pastry, or beer. Lots of great spots for a post hike treat!
Friendly reminder to everyone (new or seasoned hikers alike) to study Leave No Trace Principles and show respect for the land and other hikers. Specifically – Travel on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors. Saw some stark violations of these sustainable practices.
Comments