Started the trip in a motel in Bellingham in order to facilitate an early arrival at the trailhead. Of course, breakfast and dallying conspired to get us there later than we had planned. The road up is in good shape with only a couple of moderate sized potholes.
The hike up was quite pretty, if a bit wet due to rain the night before and some brushy sections of trail. Views are great within 15 minutes of hitting the trail and improve as you make your way up the valley. We stopped at Hannegan camps at about 3.5 miles, just before the pass, to set up camp. Lots of good, established sites here as well as a common cooking area with a good hanging tree.
The next day we headed up to Hannegan Peak, another mile up, up, up beyond the pass. Trail is well established, signed and numbered (our vintage 1970's trail guide listed it as a scramble). The 360 degree views from the top were outstanding. There is a nice little campsite (one maybe two small tents) that would be a wonderful place to spend a night in fair weather. After lunch and a couple hours of gawking we headed back down.
The hike out the next day brought a few light showers that kept us nice and cool. Mother Nature was nice enough to save the downpours for later in the afternoon when we were safely off the trail and scarfing burgers in Glacier.
Great hike with beautiful views and lots of options. Hannegan Camp makes a great base for day tripping to Hannegan Peak, Copper Ridge, the Chilliwack Valley or Mt Ruth.
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