Recently did a 2 night backpack to Selisia camp on copper ridge. Wildflowers are in full bloom right now and beautiful. On the way in we hit our first snow patch on the way up to Hannegan pass, with fairly consistent snow starting when we got to Copper Ridge. There were several sketchy snow bridges over streams that we had to cross on the way up to Copper Ridge. In the span of just a couple days the snow melted significantly and on the way out there were no more sketchy snow bridges as the snow had all melted. There is one site at Silesia that is fully melted out and the other is still covered in about 2 feet of snow but melting quickly - with the heat wave this week, I suspect the second campsite will melt out at an accelerated rate now and possibly be snow free by the start of the last weekend in July. We hiked up to the Copper Ridge lookout from our camp at Silesia and it was beautiful, 360 degree mountain views - I would highly recommend it! Bugs (flies and mosquitoes) were a nuisance and not too bad, but they got consistently worse in our time out there, so beware.

My plan was for a one night there-and-back hike to US Cabin Creek, via the Hannegan Pass trailhead, starting 7/30.  There was an increasing haze in the air starting about 2 miles in.  Upon reaching Hannegan Pass, it became obvious that the Chilliwack River valley was so full of smoke that continuing past Boundary Camp was a bad idea, and that I wouldn’t be able to keep my itinerary.

Hannegan Pass was full of other hikers facing similar disappointment that day.  Some were chased out of the valley by the smoke, others were coming down from Copper Ridge and had seen the valley from above, and they made it clear the smoke was worse even further up the valley than could be seen from the pass.  Several of them recommended I drop my pack and go up Hannegan Peak as a consolation prize, which I did. 

The trail up Hannegan Peak is a steep, rocky, exposed mile-long climb, but the views were incredible: mountainous panoramas that included Mt. Baker, and a better look into the smoke choking the Chilliwack River valley.  It was well worth the switchbacks and extra distance!

The Hannegan Pass trail is rocky, but well maintained and easy to follow.  It was completely snow free on 7/30.  There were a lot of bugs in the air, but between bug spray and a bug jacket, I avoided bites.

I was disappointed that I couldn’t explore more of this area and will plan coming back next year.  Unfortunately, wildfire smoke will inevitably figure more and more prominently into everyone’s backpacking season as conditions get hotter and dryer earlier.

Did this as a loop from Hannegan Peak to Copper ridge lookout and then down to boundary camp and then back to hannegan trailhead. This TR has info if someone wants to who wants to do this as a loop from hannegan peak rather than dropping down to Chilliwack river. For the ridge walk above the copper ridge trail bushwhacking, climbing down water stream, vegetable belaying, route finding through thick forest are must have skills else I will recommend just drop down from pass and stay on regular trail. Ice axe not needed as you can go around that steep snow slope with slightly longer travel. Bear spray would also be nice to have as you will not see anyone on that ridge above copper ridge trail. See caltopo link for blue section for ridge walk.

Bugs were terrible the whole day and did not let you rest even for a moment. I have way too many bites through the clothes today.

TH  to Hannegan Peak:

Trail in good shape. Water source at hannegan camp not hannegan pass. Wildflowers galore and awesome views in all direction specially south and east. Just when you leave parking lot you are welcomed by huge valley with waterfalls and this is a long walk to pass with almost very low gain. From Pass to peak it is a steep gain but views kept on getting better.

Hannegan Peak to Copper ridge trail

There is a sheer drop off on east face of Hannegan peak and the Chilliwack river trail is 2000 feet below the peak so for this ridge walk I would highly recommend staying on the west side of the ridge while doing the ridge walk.

Getting down from peak to the north flank is a challenge in itself. There is a one section which is steep class 3 scramble with fall of 100ft or even more if you cannot catch on any rocks as next to the rock face is just loose sand. This downclimb can be easily avoided by going north-west flank towards granite peak and dropping down to scree field below that then traverse west from there. This adds mileage to your plans. Once you hit the ridge you can clearly see the booth path there going north which I followed as much I could. When it disappeared you had to look around to find it again but then it starts entering thick forest (where the east cliff of hannegan ends). The actual trail is still 500 ft or more below you.

Merging back to copper ridge trail is going to be a challenge. The satellitle images show forest which is old so there are much more trees and vegetation there than I had planned for so route finding took a long time there. You can see in satellite image there are two huge rock faces after copper ridge trail has climbed switchbacks you can see trail may be 100 feet below you there but I couldnt find a safe downclimbing spot there. I kept on going north but then started bushwhacking and trying to follow a stream bed from satellite image. The stream was dry with this was steep section. Had to do lot of vegetable belaying here to get down to real trail.

Once back on copper ridge trail I took a breath of relief. I am glad I didnt rely on the bigger stream north of it to get down. This stream which starts from same point as south fork Silesia creek must be avoided to climb down as it is very steep and slipper by just looking at it and it might be impossible to downclimb it without rope or partner. Also I would not recommend any of this with a heavy pack. I had a running vest which made getting through those bushes and trees easier.

Copper ridge trail to lookout:

Trail in good condition overall. There are section of snowfields but they are easy to cross as snow is slushy and they are mostly flat. Met few people who were going to camp at Egg lake and had finishing rods with them. Didn't know egg lake had fish. Views from Silesia campground are great and keeps on getting better.

The last section to lookout is steep and gains almost 1000 feet in a mile. There is some weak melting snow water at the bottom which will dry in few days. From the point I merged till the lowest point below lookout it is almost at same elevation but you gain/drop almost 800 feet or even more going up and down on the ridge. At lookout views are awesome in each direction Mt Baker becomes visible again. Challenger and other peaks nearby still has a lot of snow. The real showstopper is Ruth from this angle along with the Sukshan ridge looks like a huuuge crater.

The hannegan ridge to copper ridge also had too much up and down so you do not save much/gain elevation gain while doing the traverse. Lookout had ranger stationed for this weekend. After exploring the lookout area for 20 minutes and talking to other trail runners who were running the whole copper loop today I headed back. There was 10 miles to go and around 2000ft of gain and it was already 4pm.

Lookout to Boundary camp

The view coming down the copper mountain is great as the trail meanders through the ridge. At lookout you can see the pass and hannegan peak and it is a long way to go from here. Did not meet a single person from here till the intersection of Chilliwack river trail. The trail is in this section is fairly good except few narrow section with steep angle. since I was running low on time couldnt go down to the egg lake or enjoy views as much I would have liked to. Once the trail leaves ridge it goes drops more than 1000 feet and I thought I had missed the junction but the junction is hard to miss. There are water sources just beyond the camp. Marmots were singing in the valley and so I had my snack there around 6:30 and it was cooler there so bugs were not an issue. After resting for a while headed up to pass.

Boundary camp to TH: 

There was still more than 5 miles to go. Bunch of switchbacks to go up to Hannegan pass. Also still lot of snowmelt coming down. You can see caves in the avalanche chutes. you can also see why the trail is so low and not bove the hannegan pass due to the east face of Hannegan peak. Trail is rocky for a while but then becomes softer. Saw a rockfall/rockslide on other side of the trail towards Ruth Arm. The wildflowers were maximum in this section that I has seen the whole day. Saw bunch of backpackers at hannegan pass didnt have time to chat with them from there on just ran the rest of the section in 80 minutes to car finishing around 9pm. Didnt need to use headlamp but it was getting dark in forest so I had it with me just in case.

A day full of type 2 fun. 12 hours car to car. 22 miles 7400ft gain/loss.

360 degree views from lookout in additional links. The 360 degree view from Hannegan peak will explain why it was hard to get to boothpath.

Caltopo link : https://caltopo.com/m/0VG4

We hiked clockwise around the loop and out to Whatcom Pass, July 20-23.

To update a few recent trip reports: 

The dicey snow chutes up to Hannegan Pass mentioned in a trip a couple weeks ago: one is fully melted out and the other is very reduced: required one awkward big step and then a few on the ice which now has dirt on it to improve traction (I think from the WTA work party that was working on the switchbacks to Hannegan Pass.  Thanks, crew!) Should be gone in a week or less?

Bugs: black flies at Hannegan pass, and before and after for a while.  Not on Hannegan peak much and much diminished on Copper Ridge. Mosquitos were bad at Copper Lake!  Bug net on the head helped.  Down to the River and around Indian Creek Camp: not bad at all.  Not bad at Graybeal or Whatcom Pass.  Some at Copper Creek Campground when we stopped for lunch. 

Water: still flowing in lots of places. There’s a nice stream between Hannegan pass and Boundary camp that will probably last a few more weeks.

Blowdowns: lots!  Mainly on the trails farther out: down from Copper Lake to the Chilliwack crossing and seemed especially numerous between the suspension bridge and the turn off to Graybeal and Whatcom Pass.  That 3.5 mile otherwise easy stretch seemed to last a long time!  But it was also toward the end of a long day for us.  Some big trees or “branch fests” as my hiking partner called it one rant. Requires some awkward climbing with a big pack.  

Brush: I would say it’s salmon berries, thimble berries, ferns mainly, a little devil's club and you can just power through.  Sometimes you have to look down to avoid rolling an ankle, but overall, not a big deal IMHO.

Smoke/fires: we didn’t experience any to block our views. Some in the distance I think.

Bears: didn’t see any but other hikers/campers did: at Graybeal and near Hannegan pass.  We had bear canisters.  There’s a bear storage locker at Copper Creek.

Fords: one of the Chilliwack/Indian Creek fords still midthigh and a good strong flow. Very doable and short, but walk strong.  The other is easy.  A bit of trail finding is needed here. Look for red tape in trees for help.

The cable car: talked to a hiker who said it was replaced a year ago.  Looks very new and felt safe.  A cool experience.  Suspension bridge was also fun, though wobbly and a one person at a time trip.  

My thoughts: It seems lots of people report longer days than expected on this loop, and that was our experience too. The ranger suggested we spend our first night out of Hannegan TH at Egg Lake and that would have been nice, since we got there mid afternoon, but we had to power on to the lookout and Copper Lake and took a few more hours to do that.  I found the steep down to the Chilliwack River after Copper Lake not to be that bad.  Lots of other PNW trails have similar steep switchbacks. I don’t usually wear them but I wore knee sleeves on this downhill and I think it helped my knees feel more stable. We stayed two nights at Graybeal and day-hiked up to Whatcom Pass.  It was nice to have that mellow day.  (Though the trip up there is also some elevation gain and had a big/long cedar tree blowdown and a few other minor challenges that might make one a bit nervous. But, I am a little more nervous these days after falling in a boulder field last year and breaking an arm, so...take that for what it’s worth.) 

I recommend including a trip up Hannegan Peak at the beginning or end of your trip.  Although it is a steep side trip, it’s short and the views are fantastic.

A very cool trip if you’re up for the challenge and gorgeous scenery.  Lupine, Paintbrush, Columbine, Asters and butterflies too.

Did a 2-night backpacking trip from Hannegan trailhead to nearly the end of Copper Ridge, with the middle day being an out-and-back day hike. We started July 21st and came out July 23rd. Before getting into the details of the hike, I wanted to first mention that I lost my personal camera somewhere along the dirt road to the trailhead. After exiting the trail on the 23rd, I set my camera on the roof of my car (classic, stupid mistake) to load my backpacking gear, and I forgot the camera there. I'm assuming the camera fell off fairly close to the parking lot, but I wasn't able to find it. It may have bounced off the road or been stolen, but if you happen to find a Nikon D3500 anywhere near Hannegan trailhead, please contact WTA and/or take it to the Forest Service ranger station in Glacier. Okay, now on to the trip report.

Day 1
The hike up to Hannegan Pass from the trailhead is a relatively pleasant grade, rising 2000ft in about 4 miles. It is very exposed, though, so make sure you protect yourself from the sun. We started hiking around 8:30am and made it to Hannegan Pass in 2 hours without incident. There is water along this section of the trail, but I wouldn't say it is abundant. Definitely carry enough water with you to make it to the Pass at least. From Hannegan Pass, we hiked a mile down to Boundary Camp (where we saw marmots AND a pika!) and hung a left up Copper Ridge. We ran into a group that mention they had seen a momma bear with cubs hanging around Boundary, so be alert and loud. If you are at all unsure if you should fill up water before starting to hike up the Ridge, just go ahead and fill up at Boundary Camp. There is almost no water between Boundary and Silesia/Egg Lake Camps, and I expect it to become even more scarce in August and September. 

The climb up to the Ridge is a solid set of switchbacks that don't really let up, but they weren't too bad going slow and steady. We were not anticipating the number and size of the hills on top of Copper Ridge, so just know that this trip will test all of your leg muscles and joints each day. We stayed at Silesia Camp, and despite the clouds, the views were absolutely incredible.

Total elevation gain: ~3500ft
Total elevation loss: ~1100ft

Day 2
We used our middle day to hike the length of the Ridge as an out-and-back to our Silesia camp. The hike from Silesia up to Copper Lookout is challenging but very doable - just don't let the distances on the maps fool you into thinking it's a quick walk. We had to cross a few patches of snow that I expect will melt out very soon. Copper Lookout provides some of the best views in the park that you can get to on a regular hiking trail. Plenty of wildflowers along the way, but many seem to have been scorched in the recent heat. There are some overly bold marmots up there with some very cute pups, and someone in my group even saw some ptarmigan. The hike down to Copper Lake is a real knee-jerker on lots of loose rock, so be careful. There is plenty of water at Copper Lake and after. Once we passed the Lake, we kept going for another 3-ish miles, which was really very easy. The trail mostly evens out and doesn't rise or fall much before it starts going down into the Chilliwack Valley, but we didn't make it that far. 

This was the first day we really dealt with any bugs, too. They seemed to be pretty abundant at Copper Lake and farther north, mostly little flies and mosquitoes. They weren't too bothersome, but I was wearing long pants and sleeves too.

If you are hiking from Copper Lake towards Silesia/Egg Lake Camps, make sure to fill up on water around Copper Lake. The climb up to the Lookout is tough and you may use up your water before you'd like if you're already low.

Total elevation gain: ~3000ft
Total elevation loss: ~3000ft

Day 3
Our hike out was just a reverse of our first day, but way buggier. Things were fine until we started hiking down from Hannegan Pass, which we hit mid-day when everything was warmed up. Stopping on that last section of trail, even just to let other hikers pass, meant getting swarmed by flies and mosquitos. They weren't too painful, but they were extremely annoying. I also got pretty sunburnt on my face there. 

Total elevation gain: ~1100ft
Total elevation loss: ~3500ft

Summary
Overall, this hike is really some of the best backpacking in the region. Getting a permit is very difficult, though, and conditions now are more like typical mid-August conditions rather than late July. So, for anyone reading this in 2022 or beyond, there may be more snow on the trail in late July in the coming years. Of course, if we keep getting monster heat waves, there may actually be less snow. Definitely pay attention to each summer's weather history in addition to checking trail reports.