Beaver Lake — Friday, Nov. 24, 2006

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

There are 2 handsome new washouts on this trail, both before you get to the beaver ponds. The shortest washout poses the biggest problem, as it renders the trail only a couple of undermined inches wide on the slopey portion of the trail; cliffy upness on one side of the inches-wide trail, cliffy down-ness on the other, so there's not a large tread-patch. It still goes for now, but I don't think it will be long before the undermined portion gives way; I'd hesitate if I had a little tyke with me. The larger washout is quite impressive - the river ate the trail completely, and you're left standing on the edge of nothing. (it's like the 3rd washout from 1996 at the end of the trail [as of that date], only smaller). These floods and washouts are making the puctuation of these trip reports quite difficult. This 2nd washout is get-aroundable via shoreline and then up through a salmonberry plantation. It looks like an easy re-route, unlike the first washout which hugs against a cliffy section. After Beaver Lake, the trail is about the same, but more siltiness - the blue mucky silt blobs are being regraded into the trail by pounding rains and rivulets. There has been a lot of work done on this beautiful, popular trail, perfect for young families and wildlife watchers; let's hope funding is found to fix it.