Finally scored a permit to Boundary camp for a beautiful three-day backpack trip to the Copper Ridge area (although was hoping for Egg Lake, was glad just to get a permit!). First day, we hiked to Boundary camp with a side trip up to Hannegan Peak. I highly recommend this, as the 360 views of surrounding peaks, including Shuksan and Baker, were stunning! (see photo above). The trail from Hannegan Pass to the peak was steep, but in good condition, with no scrambling or tricky footing.

Note that the first couple of miles from the trailhead to Hannegan Pass has a fair amount of sun exposure. It was a hot day and we were glad we had a fairly early start, as the trail could get scorching hot. There are several places to get water along the way to Hannegan Pass, including great access at Hannegan camp. Boundary camp had good access to water via a short walk down a steep trail, and the camp sites were spacious and private, if a little dusty. Flies were bad, so if you're going soon, come prepared. There was a bear food locker near the trail down to camp, and a trail to the toilet (no lid) was also near the food locker. Shortly after we had set up camp, a major thunderstorm came through, igniting several fires in the area (we saw only one of them, a minor column of smoke far on the ridge, so we decided it wasn't too worrisome). 

On our second day we hiked to the Copper Mountain Lookout. Note that there are only one or two water sources in the initial mile or two from Boundary camp up through the woods to Copper Ridge (really just trickles), and no other sources except for Egg Lake. The hike to the lookout was beautiful, with meadows galore, wild flowers, ripe blueberries, and gorgeous mountain views, as it wound up, down, up, down and finally up, and up to the lookout. Trail was in good condition, with no tricky footing or scrambling. GPS said the round trip was 10.2 miles, with 2,869 of total elevation gain. The 360 views from the lookout were breathtaking! Another hiker asked of us it was worth doing both Hannegan peak and the lookout, and our emphatic answer was yes! (See photo below). We also  saw a column of smoke down the ridge, really just a wisp at first, but as the wind shifted, it grew into a column. 

When we woke the next morning, the valley was filled with smoke. As we packed up to leave, we checked our Garmin Inreach, and a message from our daughter informed us that the Hannegan pass trail and all camps on Copper Ridge, including Boundary, were closed because of fire. We realized we should have checked earlier (lesson learned). We quickly left and on the way down we met a Ranger on his way up to put up a sign and let people know to leave. Needless to say, we didn't see many other people on their way in.

All in all, a really amazing backpack trip, and despite the long line of cars parked up along the road on our way into the trailhead, there was plenty of solitude.

Day 1: TH to Silesia Camp - 8mi
Wonderful first day of hiking. Being that we were staying at Silesia Camp (which is a dry camp, unless you want to hike the additional mile roundtrip down to Egg Lake), we had to plan a bit of a water carry. The last water crossing was just before Boundary Camp, so we packed up 7 liters of water between the two of us and hiked the final 3 miles to Silesia. Between the remaining hiking for the day, cooking meals, generally keeping hydrated, and the next 3 miles to Copper Lake the next morning, we were able to make it last and avoid the trip down to Egg Lake. We had a magical sunset and had a great night of sleep to end the day.

Day 2: Silesia Camp to Graybeal Camp - 16mi
The day started with the climb up to the lookout tower. Absolutely stunning views all along the climb and especially at the top. We stopped for a nice snack before heading out on our way - we paused again after descending to Copper Lake to finally refill our water. The trail from this point to the start of the forest was pretty tough - some places were quite overgrown and narrow in spots and others were just very loose/unstable rock. Once we made it into the forest, we really lucked out - all but 10 or so blowdowns remained. The crews had been working so hard to clear these, and I bet they finished up that afternoon. We continued down uneventfully, took a moment to watch the salmon while we crossed the river, and then moved onto the final 5-6miles of absolutely joyous forest walk. Spirits were high as we approached Graybeal, until we hit the washout.

Now, we had read some reports ahead of time about the difficulties of the washout, but obviously had not read the right ones. We wound up wandering the area for maybe 30 minutes or so before finding our way out. Light was starting to fade, and we nearly camped here for the night, unsure of how exactly to get out. In general here's how I would direct - follow the orange tape tied to the trees at the start. The tape will have you do a water crossing. Once on the other side, it will turn you around to go back over the water in the other direction, about halfway, where you will then be on a peninsula-like piece of land, surrounded on either side by two tributaries of the waterway. You're going to climb up on top of that, and there will be a pretty clearly defined path that at various points has rocks lined up and down the sides of sand paths. The sandy path will end abruptly at the edge of a sharp descent back down over a dry riverbed. There will be a large uprooted tree on the other side. You will need to navigate down and across the riverbed and up the other side. The path will once again be quite clear once you reach the other side. Parts that may still look a little unclear, but you can pretty much always see fallen trees that have been cut through to make the path. The rest of the path is easy going from here, and turns back into the official trail. Navigating the washout is off to the left of the the gps trail identified in Gaia. Our backup plan had been to just bushwhack and follow the gps trail if we couldn't otherwise find the rerouted path, and thankfully we didn't have to do this, but we did run into some other folks on the way back that were struggling through exactly that, and we luckily were able to help guide them out. 

Anyway, we ended this day exhausted and immediately went to sleep.

Day 3: Graybeal Camp to Tapto Lakes - 3.5mi
We planned our itinerary so that we would have a short day to take full advantage of as much time as possible up at Tapto. Unfortunately, about 30 minutes after setting up camp and taking a quick dip, thunderstorms started rolling in behind us. The first passing storm hit us hard with high winds and hail. Behind that storm was another 4 hours of thunderstorms. Being so exposed, we were definitely feeling pretty uncomfortable with the storms and were relieved when it finally passed - just in time for a beautiful sunset, and a fitful night of sleep.

Day 4: Tapto Lakes to Copper Creek TH - 10mi 17mi
The day started beautifully. We were blissfully unaware of any trouble around. The skies were bright blue and we were taking our time getting out - we had an easy day ahead, and we really wanted to take full advantage of being up at Tapto, especially because we hadn't been able to the night before. We took our time, took pictures, and laid around in the sun. The trek back down to Graybeal was awesome - we felt great and were in high spirits. Once we got back down there though was when we noticed the wildfires that had started from the previous night's lightening. There were about 2 or 3 we could see - one area that didn't look too scary, and one bigger plume ahead that started to get the nerves going. We started to think our plans of staying at Copper Creek might need to change, and that our 10 mile easy day was about to turn into a much longer day. We felt good and were hiking fast, but by the time we got to Copper Creek, the smoke started rolling in. We decided the safest decision was going to be to hike out. So we once again packed up and got ready to hike out the final 7 miles. We made it back to the TH by 10pm and headed into Bellingham and got some late night taco bell and a hotel for the night instead. We learned that the trail and camps had been closed earlier that day and felt good about our decision pack out a day earlier than expected.

All in all, it was really a wonderful trip, albeit with some nervous moments. Nature is as extreme and unpredictable as it is beautiful and magnificent. And I always feel lucky to spend time experiencing all those different variations.

Multi-night backpack entering the trail on 8/20/22. We went the clockwise direction of the loop, staying the first night at Boundary Camp. The trail to Hannegan Pass was pretty exposed to full sun and thus dry and VERY hot. Luckily, there were some small streams dunk your head under to cool off or refill water, starting at about 2 miles in. Lots of biting flies on the trail when we entered. The blueberries and huckleberries on the west side of the loop are ripe. Still a healthy amount of wildflowers were out like columbine and fireweed, but many are past prime or are done. We had lunch on the second day at Silesia camp, and was able to see the peaks which I can't name on that clear day. Spend some time at the fire lookout--the views are amazing on a bluebird day! We spent the second night at Copper Lake. No biting flies, but hey, there are lots of mosquitos to swarm your face to take their place. Hiked to US Cabin camp the next day; the 88 blowdowns we were warned about by NPS was cleared, and we actually ran into the team that was clearing them (thanks guys!!). There were salmon spawning in the Chilliwack River, where you have to ford to cross it. The river level was knee high at best. The cable car was in good condition. When we exited through Hannegan Pass trail on the last day, the number of biting flies seem to quell, but they're still there and enough to be a nuisance.

Stats (mileage and elevation from Gaia):

• 5 days, 4 nights Counter-clockwise Loop
  • Campsites: Copper Creek Boundary Camp, Indian Creek, Copper Lake, Silesia 
• 33.57 miles
• 11,689 feet of elevation gain
• 11,740 feet of elevation loss

Hiked in on August 18, and hiked out on August 22. This trail is beautiful, but easily the hardest I've done so far with the constant elevation swings each day. 

Day 1 - 5.11 miles, 2371' gain, 1078' loss - TH to Copper Creek Camp Boundary Camp: Got to the trailhead and started out around 1:30pm the first day. A terrible idea to start so late, as it was a scorcher of a day. Mid to high 80's, with high humidity, sun, and absolutely zero wind. From the trailhead up to Hannegan Pass was like hiking in a sauna/steam room. The air was so thick in the valley it made my usual slow pace 10x slower. While the mileage and elevation gain in this section should be relatively moderate, it took forever with a ton of long breaks, and I'm quite sure we were all showing signs of heat exhaustion. To make it worse, any time you wanted to stop you would instantly be swarmed with biting flies. 100% Deet helped for a small amount of time, but after awhile it didn't even matter - those flies were going to bite you and it didn't matter how many chemicals you doused yourself in. The way down from the pass was mostly shaded by that time, and a welcome relief. Flowers were past their peak, but the bees and butterflies were still doing their best to pollinate.

On that note - there is a wasps nest in the trees just off the trail by the boundary line. It's one big ball of NOPE.

They weren't aggressive, but I wasn't hanging out for long so see if they wanted to change their minds.  By the time we made it to the boundary line for the National Park, it was 7pm and we still had 2.7 miles to get to our first campsite at Copper Creek. We were all EXHAUSTED and hungry, so we called it and decided to set up at Boundary Camp. There was only 1 other group there that night so thankfully we were able to grab a site. I did bring a Thermacell with me, so either it worked to keep the bugs away, or they just weren't bad here. There are lots of moths, as evidenced by the amount of cocoons in the trees. And also when they fly into your face after dark when you have a headlamp on. Good times! 

- Site details:

• Water: There is water access here, but it's a steep climbers trail down. Not too long before you get to the camp, there is a water crossing you can filter from. However, check the levels - it was a steady and wide flow on Thursday, but when we went back through it on Monday it was half the flow from just a few days prior.
• Food Storage: Bear box across the trail from the campsites
• Toilet: Open air pit toilet (no lid) up above the bear box 
• Bugs: Moth central. Minimal other bugs.

Day 2 - 8.85 miles, 1672' gain, 3691' loss - Boundary Camp to Indian Creek Camp: We woke up rested - or as rested as you can be for sleeping on a blow up pad - and set out around 10:30am to get to Indian Creek camp. There was 0% chance of rain, so naturally it had rained on and off overnight, and throughout the morning while packing up our site. This would continue all day and into the evening. Naturally. The trail itself is fine - narrow in spots, but never sketchy. Going mostly downhill we were much faster - an hour from Boundary Camp to Copper Creek, and then another hour to U.S. Cabin Camp. The trail from Copper Creek to US Cabin is overgrown and bushy, so we were soaked from all the brush. It's almost all huckleberry bushes though, so you'll at least have some of the best trail snacks while making your way through this section. 

The cable car crossing was the highlight of the day. There were 3 of us, so one went solo, and the other two went together. With packs, 2 people in the car is quite awkward, so everyone going solo is a better idea. We didn't have gloves, but wrapping a shirt around our hands worked just fine to keep from getting rope burn.

The suspension bridge is just before you get to Indian Creek camp, and the planks were quite slippery since they were wet from the rain. When we got to camp, all 3 sites were taken. However, the middle one had a ranger who had told us about a communication error and he was supposed to be at a different site. This one was large enough though that we were able to get our two tents in with his just fine, and he was super nice to chat with about our upcoming days on the trail. 

- Site details:

• Water: Easy access trail to the river to collect water. If it's not raining, a great spot to bring your cookware and make/eat dinner
• Food Storage: Hang it from a tree or have a bear can
• Toilet: Open air pit toilet (no lid) - trail crew was replacing it the morning we left
• Bugs: None 

Day 3 - 7.42 miles, 4261' gain, 1451' loss - Indian Creek Camp to Copper Lake: Up and out early as we knew it would be a big day to get up to Copper Lake. The trail crew that redid the pit toilet was also working to cut through some of the downed trees just after the camp, so not sure what it looks like now. Nothing major before crossing the Chilliwack, and flagging was easy to spot. We watched the salmon work as hard as they could get swim upstream for a bit, then switched into Tevas to get across the river. For a 5'5 person the water was just under knee high. Current wasn't terribly strong, but still enough you'd be knocked over if you aren't watching your steps. Poles were helpful.

If you're doing this route CCW, the blowdowns are the worst at the bottom of the trail with minimal flagging (flags are almost all condensed around the river). While it was never hard to keep the trail in sight, if you aren't paying attention I can see how it would be easy to lose and get turned around. So really, just pay attention.

We got through the mess at the bottom relatively fast, and started our way up. There are a few cairns to help guide you through the dry creek bed, and when you get to the part with flowing water it's your last chance for water until you get to Copper Lake. The rest of the trail up is just logs to cross over on the trail with no route finding necessary, but with heavy packs made heavier by carrying extra water, this section for forever. I believe actual years went by before we got out of the forest. The worst is when you reach the last log (thanks Bruce!), you're still not close to the lake.

It took us 90 minutes from the end of the switchbacks to get to the lake. There are some great views which help pass the time, but there are still times when you just want to scream into the void because your legs hurt and you wonder why you put yourself through this time after time. Blueberry bushes abound up here - some are almost ripe, but the majority are still little green balls. Once you get to the waterfall crossing (easy, but you'll get your feet wet) you're only half a mile from the lake. We got there around 6pm, and the spot closest to the lake was taken. While it looked nice, it was windy that day and their tent fly was putting in a lot of work to stay staked in the ground. We chose the site up higher and in front of the bear box. It was quite large and had a great view of Mt. Redoubt through the trees - along with being protected from the winds down below. The best spot to get water is by the outlet where that waterfall was coming from. Water was cold, but not the coldest I've been in. It was windy and cool so we didn't get in to swim, but a nice leg dip was refreshing. 

- Site details:

• Water: Easy access, but make sure to take a trail that's not closed for restoration (there are a lot, and some are not clearly marked).
• Food Storage: Bear box
• Toilet: Composting toilet with a lid and a great view into the Cascades not too far from the higher campsite
• Bugs: Mosquitos, but not horrible - thinking the Thermacell really helped here

Day 4 - 4.28 miles, 1961' gain, 1593' loss - Copper Lake to Silesia (+Egg Lake for water): The morning was thick fog and lots of dew over everything, so we had a very slow start and hung around waiting for the sun to burn it off. I hung out by the lake watching the fog roll in and out. Pretty sure it should also be renamed to Pika Lake - so many meeps echoing around the basin. More meeping than I've ever heard in one spot before! 

We headed out of the basin around noon, and off on the 1000' or so of gain to get to the lookout. The switchbacks are short and steep, and it never really lets up. You'll be high above the lake soon, and it is a beautiful view back down into the basin. The fog was gone by now, and there was a great breeze to make the sun somewhat tolerable. The views though. WOW. It's hard to make good time when you're stopping every minute to take a photo. Got to the lookout just before 2pm and had the entire area to ourselves (we met the ranger down by Copper Lake). The views here are just amazing. Peaks upon peaks upon peaks in every direction. We stayed for about an hour just taking in the views and enjoying the day. 

I thought the trail to Silesia would be mostly downhill since the lookout is the high point of the trail, but I am dumb and that is false. There's downhill sections, and then plenty of uphill hiking to get there. My quads ACHE. We got to the turnoff around 4:30pm and got incredibly lucky by being the first group there (there are only 2 sites). The first one is the prime spot - it's large and has a GREAT view of the Pickets, Mineral Mountain, Whatcom Peak, Shuksan (though you need to walk around the corner), and half a view of Baker. The heather here is still going strong and lots of bees buzzing about. 

With it being dry, we set up camp and then took our cookware and water bladders down the short and steep trail to Egg Lake. We ate our dinners down there and got all the water we'd need for the morning and the hike out the next day. Back up to camp in time for a fantastic sunset and some stars before promptly passing out. 

- Site details:

• Water: Only available at Egg Lake - 1/2 mile and about 430' of elevation loss/gain
• Food Storage: Bear box
• Toilet: Composting toilet with a lid and a great view of Whatcom Peak
• Bugs: Thermacell died early in the evening and the mosquitos were terrible

Day 5 - 7.91 miles, 1424' gain, 3926' loss - Silesia to Hannegan Pass Trailhead: Woke up around 5:45am to catch the sunrise, and what a great one it was! Perfect time to get out of the tent and watch the pink sky hit all the peaks.

A quick breakfast and pack up we hit the trail for the final day at 8am. And the inclines still weren't over. COOL. LOVE IT. The trail was beautiful at least, and there was still a decent breeze. 

The flies came back in force part way back up the switchbacks to Hannegan Pass, forcing us to keep moving. They were horrible at the top so we stood there for maybe a minute before starting the long descent back to the car. Flies eased off closer to the bottom, and a surprising amount of people heading up with backpacking gear for a Monday. 

While it wasn't as hot as Thursday, there was only a light breeze so the valley was still incredibly hot. At least this time it was all downhill. 

We got to the car around 1:30pm and hopped in the river for a refreshing cool down and to get some of the dirt off of us (there's a little trail opening by the road closure sign). Back in the car with fresh clothes on horrifically unfresh people, we made our way to Chair 9 for a stupid amount of fries, chicken wings, and beer. 

I did the early lottery for permits back in April and was awarded a fairly early permit reservation date, so I booked this trip! We had done Devils Dome Loop two years ago, so wanted to explore another part of this park. This ridge loop does not disappoint and at five days, four nights, this was my longest backpacking trip ever. I was pretty happy with this itinerary (going counter-clockwise with a side trip up to Tapto) because it alternated woodsy, no-view, but relatively bug-free relaxing campfire nights with spectacular-views, horrendously-buggy, starry alpine nights! Also good alternation of uphill/downhill hard/easy travel days.

Day 1: Hannegan TH to US Cabin (10.1 miles, uphill and downhill)