Bald Eagle Mountain — Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023

Our group of eight, ages 30 to 73, started our four day backpacking trip at the end of the North Fork Sauk River road, nine miles beyond its departure from the Mountain Loop road. Our route would call for a first night camp at what's called Spring Camp at timberline on Long John Mountain, a second night at the upper Blue Lake at the eastern end of the Pilot Ridge trail, and a third night return to Spring Camp after a several mile Loop over the 'high trail' above Blue Lake. We found the trail beautifully engineered and well constructed but relatively seldom used and not recently maintained. Foliage and brush for the first 3 miles to Curry Gap would get you really wet on a damp day, but beyond that point the trail gains perhaps 2000 feet elevation to timberline and the views of Slian Peak and the Monte Cristo peaks are very rewarding. Ups and downs typical of Cascade Mountain ridge walking, in and out of timber, brought us to Spring Camp after 7 hours from our start. Younger and more athletic hikers carrying less than 42 pounds on their back might do it quicker, but in any case Spring Camp has the last water source before the next day's sub alpine hike over June Mountain to the lower Lilttle Blue Lake and the larger Blue Lake a mile beyond and 300 feet higher. Both lakes have excellent campsites. We were surprised nobody was overnighting at the lower Lake and we shared the upper Lake with only one other party, at considerable distance away, in the first week of August! Lots of small trout were breaking the lake surface and some were easy prey for a keen eyed osprey. We swam, very briefly, in cold clear mountain lake water. Our third day on the trail was really the payoff so many of us seek. The 'high trail' ascending from Blue Lake to reconnect with the east end of the Bald Eagle Trail is really a somewhat constructed, somewhat hiking boot built, short but steep but rewarding pitch, up and over the ridge to big views of Glacier Peak, the Cascade Crest, Skykomish Peak and the North Fork Skykomish River Valley. The long third day's return to Spring Camp is classic wilderness alpine cruising. And our final, fourth day return to our cars was completed in less than 6 hours. If you're looking for a backpacking trip with views, meadows, flowers, alpine lakes and solitude on a well built but little used wilderness trail, this is a good one to consider.