3 Day/ 2 Night backpacking trip. Completed full loop. Day 1 TH to US Cabin Camp. Day 2 US Cabin to Copper Lake. Day 3 Copper Lake to TH.

TH parking is washed out. Everyone parks on side of road. There is a turnaround for large vehicles at the end but there were horse trailers in the area when we started out. Trail to Hannegan pass was busy but everyone was pleasant.

Thank you to the wonderful work groups that were out there!

We lucked out on weather, only a sprinkle of rain on 3rd morning. Trail is in great condition, a couple of downed trees but easy to go over. Brush cleared in a lot of places but some spots were thick and wet with morning dew. River ford was about mid-calf at 1pm on Sunday. Salmon are spawning and fun to watch. Berries are ripening  around the whole loop but are just starting on the ridge. Still some beautiful wild flowers. Lots of pika spotted, some marmots were heard and maybe a mink (still looking into what we saw on the river)? The cable and suspension bridge are fun!

A truly magical trip!

Hiked the Copper Ridge Loop on a 3-day 2-night trip with a buddy. Clear skies made for beautiful views and conditions. I was able to hike this trail 2 years ago as well so it was interesting to see the differences in trail conditions.

Day 1: 14.6 miles from Hannegan Pass Trailhead to Indian Creek Camp. We got a late start due to us having to work earlier in the day and we hit the trail at 2pm. The weather was somewhat cool despite the clear skies so it made for great hiking weather. We cruised on to Hannegan pass by 3:45pm and took our first break, made it to the cable car crossing by 6:15pm (which looks recently rebuilt and nearly new condition. It seemed to work a lot better than it did 2 years ago). I also remember the stretch from Bush creek to Indian creek being very overgrown (and a very difficult to navigate blowdown), but it looks as if trail crews have done recent work and it was in great shape with no blowdowns, so thank you trail workers! We were able to keep a good pace and rolled into camp at 8pm. We took the last camp available which was furthest up the hill (also seemed the most secluded as the other two sites were near each other). We made a fire, had a very late but well deserved dinner, and then went straight to sleep.

Day 2: 8.3 miles from Indian Creek Camp to Copper Lake. We know this would be our hardest day with elevation, but thankfully it was also our shortest day of distance. We had a somewhat lazy morning at camp and hit the trail at 8:45. The trail from Indian creek camp to the river is a bit overgrown but manageable. Once you get to the river be sure to look out for the spawning salmon, definitely an impressive sight (double impressive when you calculate how far upstream they swim to get there). When I last hiked this there were two streams to ford but this time with the current flow it was just one. We followed the pink ribbons and had no problem finding the trail on the other side. Then began the long ascent. Normally I'm anti-headphones while hiking person, but knowing we would be climbing for hours without coming across anyone, listening to an audiobook really helped pass the time and endure the climb. Trail is in good shape aside from having to hop over 5 or so blowdowns. With a couple snack breaks scattered in we rolled into Copper Lake camp around 2pm. We took the spot furthest from the trail (I think it's the best spot by far, although somewhat dusty). We jumped in the lake (although it was sunny and looked very inviting, it's still very cold...) and then took a well deserved nap. The ranger came by and let us know that despite us pouring water on our campfire at our Indian Creek Camp, it was smoking when she came through an hour or so later. Definitely a good reminder to use way more water than you think you need to after you're done with your camp fire. Fortunately she was able to get more water on it, but definitely not a great time of year for us to make a mistake like that. Lesson learned. Up to this point during the trip the bugs haven't been that bad, but came evening at Copper Lake they came out in force. We had to get fully covered and put on a bug net. We watched the sunset on the mountains, went to sleep, and woke up a couple hours later to watch the stars. With no moon, the stars were next level. Well worth the midnight wake up call. 

Day 3: 11.4 miles from Copper Lake to Hannegan Pass Trailhead. We woke up early to watch the sunrise from camp right (it rises right in between Mount Redoubt and Bear Mountain) and as soon as that sun hit us we could tell it was going to be a hot day. We hit the trail at 8:30. This is really where we reap the rewards of our hike by soaking in all the ridge view has to offer. This is also why I personally prefer the counter-clockwise route of the trail verses the more popular clockwise route, because on your last day you get all the best views. Had a break at the ranger lookout at about 9:45, then we continued on till we basically ran out of water at Hannegan Pass at around 12:30. The heat definitely bogged us by the end and instead of taking a lunch break we opted for refilling our waters, eating a snack, and powering on to our car. After hiking in the national park and seeing maybe one group every 2-3 hours, going on the Hannegan pass trail felt like a shopping mall. We got back to our car at 2pm, making our trip exactly 48 hours on the trail.

In my opinion, this trail has the best variety of scenery, seclusion, and features (such as the cable car, suspension bridge, and lookout) to make it feel like an awesome adventure with a lot to offer. Only thing that would've made it better was if we saw some bears :) but maybe next time...

Arrive Saturday 8/1 ~10 am @ Hannegan TH. Multiple cars parked along side of road, but thankfully turnaround at the end of road was open for me to turnaround and find parking spot. I parked, not realizing it was next to a bunch of bee boxes. I didn't get stung, but was nervous by 100s of bees buzzing around.

Day #1 (Saturday): Hannegan TH to Egg Lake Camp: Trail weed whacked, so not overgrown. Water sources (creeks) cross trail prior to first camp. Water @ 2 camps prior to NPS boundary, where you need to a permit to camp beyond. Before Egg Lake there were a few snow patches to walk through, but no big deal! Egg Lake appears to have 3 camps (all occupied), 4 tent plots, 2 toilets, and 1 bear locker. Mosquitoes were bad! I used lake outlet to refill water, which had bubbles pooled up in it from the girls using soap in the lake the night before. 

Day #2: Egg Lake to Indian Creek: More elevation gain up to Lookout where the views are phenomenal. Trail in good shape. Bugs weren't bad at lookout. Snow patches after lookout, before Copper Lake (not hard to cross). Past Copper Lake there were a couple streams to fill up. There was one snow field that I was warned about (and think at least one person fell based on a prior trip report I read). I followed rock cairn, not realizing it was below trail. I crossed snow here (then cut up to trail). No microspikes required. I'm weeny when it comes to heights and steep slopes, but found this this crossing wasn't a big deal. My knees are sensitive, so I was worried about switchbacks/drop down to Indian Creek, but the switchbacks/substantial elevation down to Indian Creek was fairly gradual and not a knee killer. The trail is overgrown along switchbacks down and as you approach Indian Creek and Indian Creek camp. As you approach Indian Creek, look for pink ribbons to keep you oriented where the trail is and where to ford Indian Creek. Keep your water shoes on after first crossing because a bigger one is shortly after the first. The second crossing was deeper (~knee deep or less for 5'6" person) and faster moving, but i never felt like I was going to get knocked off my feet. I was more worried about how cold my feet were half way across. I saw 7 salmon trying to swim (not very successfully) upstream. Indian Creek camp: 3 camp sites (but 4 groups trying to camp there, guessing 1 was illegal without permit) w/fire rings and toilet. Easy water access across trail.

Day #3: Indian Creek to Whatcom Pass: Let the jungle, bush whacking & climbing under/over trees begin :( Multiple sections of the trail were overgrown. Trail in need of a weed whacker! The worst parts were past the junction along trail that parallels Bush Creek. I slipped on a few rocks that were hidden below the bushes. Before Graybeal camp there is a log with arrow drawn on it. Cross creek here then look for rock cairns to get idea of where the trail goes as you weave through multiple down trees. I stopped at Graybeal camp (at least 2 campsites) for snack. Flies were annoying (except at the lookout on Copper Ridge and Hannegan Peak, if it wasn't flies pestering me, it was darn mosquitoes - I wore bug hat daily). More bushwhacking and elevation gain past Graybeal camp. Streams cross the trail, so you can fill up if needed. Whatcom Camp: 3 campsites, composting toilet, and stream to get water. I was only group camped here. After setting up camp, I hiked up to Whatcom Pass where I made dinner and enjoyed views of Beaver valley and up close view of glaciers on Mount Challenger. Mosquitoes were relentless. 

Day #4: Whatcom Pass to Copper Creek Camp: Backtrack and enjoy the bush whacking back down to the trail junction with Chilliwack River trail.  Part of Chilliwack River trail were overgrown, but not as bad as trail up to Whatcom camp. Instead of fording Chilliwack River (possible at current level), I used cable car. If you don't have help getting into cable car, be careful. As I was getting in, it started to slide away from platform. Since there wasn't another group waiting, I sat in cable car above the river and enjoyed the view and look (unsuccessfully) looked for more salmon. I didn't use gloves and my hands felt fine. It's a bit of a arm workout pulling one's self across. On other side, a big ladder leads up to platform. Copper Creek has campsites on both side of creek (3 up to right and ~2-3 more on other side). I think there is toilet on both sides of creek. Campsites are pretty spacey, at least the one I had was. Fire pit area away from tent area. Flies were annoying (maybe its because I was in need of a shower).

Day #5 (Wednesday): Copper Creek camp to TH w/side trip to Hannegan Peak: Met Ranger at camp before leaving. Stream crossing to fill up with water. More beautiful flowers! Arrive back at Hannegan after more elevation gain. There was one tent setup at Boundary camp. I continued to junction with Hannegan Peak trail. I dropped my pack and took side trip up to Peak. There were 3 tents setup. Still some snow patches that you could use to melt for water, but I don't think these snow patches will be around much longer. If you plan to camp, expect to carry enough water. The ~1 mile trail is steep, but WORTH IT! I really loved views from lookout and Whatcom Pass, but I Hannegan Peak was my favorite. Besides campers, a fair amount of day hikers present. Left paradise to backtrack back to TH. There was at least one group campsite ~4 miles from TH. As I always hope, I arrived back at car to find all 4 tires still inflated and no broken windows.

Summary

We completed the loop in three full days, two nights. Incredible views, beautiful wildflowers in bloom, and great trail conditions. That said, it was challenging to complete in 3 days—I would describe our group as morderate-to-experienced backpackers at active fitness levels. Snow was melting fast and generally easy to cross, with a few tricky sections after Copper Lookout. Would recommend trekking poles for the next few days or calling the ranger station before you head out. (We called the ranger station to get our permits via email since the station in Glacier is closed. She gave us some helpful information on trail conditions.) 

We were out Thursday-Saturday and encountered very few groups Thursday/Friday. The hike out on Saturday made it clear that this is a popular day hike up to the Pass. Most people wore masks and kept distance, but we were still surprised how many people did not make an effort to mask up. 

Trip Report by Day

Day 1: From Hannegan Pass TH we hiked 8.2 miles to Silesia Camp. This section of trail was hot (exposed) with little wind/air flow. Wildflowers in bloom made it enjoyable though. After setting up camp at Silesia (I can see why this is one of the best sites in the park!), we hiked down to Egg Lake. Back at camp, we had a clear night and enjoyed the scenery from behind our bug nets. (Bugs were annoying but not unbearable.)    

Day 2: 11.5 miles from Silesia to Indian Creek Camp. The first part of this section is on the ridge and the views from Copper Lookout are incredible. Intermittent snow crossings require a bit of trail finding, especially right after leaving the lookout. We stopped at Copper Lake for a few minutes, but kept moving due to bugs. Note that the WTA trail description is fairly lacking between Copper Lake and the descent to the Chilliwack River crossing. A few additional notes not mentioned:

• The waterfall 0.5 miles from Copper Lake is a bit challenging to cross, though it is probably lower flow as the season goes on. 
• After the waterfall, you still have some climbing to do (~2.5 miles) before the descent down to the Chilliwack crossing.
• The switchbacks down to the crossing are mentally draining more than anything. We had heard this from other hikers, but it is a long slog down. Huckleberries treats along the way made it somewhat bearable (uhh..berry-ble?!).
• Once we got down, there were two crossings. One was about ankle deep and the main crossing was about thigh deep (for a ~5'6'' person). The current was strong in the afternoon. Trekking poles or cyclist-strength leg muscles recommended.

Day 3: Indian Creek to Hannegan Pass TH ~14.6 miles. When we called the ranger she mentioned this was a 17-mile section. We didn't have a GPS, but we think it was closer to 14.6 based on mile markers and what we know about our average MPH. There is a suspension bridge and cable car for the two major crossings, so no fording required unless you do not take the cable car option. Cable car was fun and easy to use.

The trail is brushy but easy to follow—would recommend wearing pants for the section between Indian Creek and Copper Creek. Our group cruised through to Copper Creek on the rolling trail, since we knew the middle section would be tough. We climbed up to Boundary Camp then Hannegan Pass, and the biting flies kept us moving. Then down to the trailhead to finish a challenging but manageable day if you start early. For reference, it took us ~8 hours with breaks.

Conclusion

While a loop is mentally satisfying, the out-and-back between Hannegan Pass and Copper Lake is the most scenic part. Unless you are looking for what creekside camps and trails have to offer, our group agreed that it was better to stick with the ridge. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip and can't wait to return!

Summary: It was such a treat to be up in the North Cascades this weekend. We camped at Boundary Camp two nights and day hiked up to the Copper Ridge fire lookout on Saturday. I tagged the loop trail, but we didn't go past the lookout on the ridge.

Road. The road is fine, just be smart. Same with parking--roadside parking and stay out of the area blocked off for turnarounds.

To Hannegan Pass. The trail up to Hannegan Pass is in great shape, and the sides of the trail where it would normally be wet and brushy have all been trimmed back. We did this part of the trail in the evening, but coming down late morning today it felt hot and exposed. I would recommend a very early start if the forecast is for sun. Plenty of creek crossings for wetting your hat and filling your water. 

Boundary Camp is quiet and pleasant. A whole bunch of bold-faced marmots live there and are not afraid of campers (read: we tried to scare them out of our site and were met with blank stares). We saw a bear and her cubs on the slope north of camp in the evening. None of the sites seem to be built for more than one tent.

To Copper Ridge. The trail up to Copper Ridge is also in great shape with a single somewhat tricky blowdown. Right as you reach the ridge you'll cross a big rocky avalanche chute/creek bed with a small creek (you'll know it when you see it); around the next corner is a better, fast flowing creek that is the last water source until Copper Lake (besides Egg Lake, which is a .8 mile, 300' detour). The rest of the ridge has plenty of mud and old snow, but no great sources to filter and I would recommend filling up here, especially on a hot and sunny day.

To Copper Ridge Lookout. The ups and downs of Copper Ridge have patches of snow that are mostly easy to navigate, you'll just need to keep an eye on where the trail actually is as many boot trails will mislead you. Stay aware of posthole traps as well--we punched through a few times. We put on microspikes once: at the snowfield by Silesia Camp. The snow was slushy on top, but the grade was pretty steep and a slip in the wrong spot could land you on some gnarly rocks. As we crossed, we witnessed someone take an unintentional slide down about 50'. Some basic self-arrest knowledge may come in handy here. I imagine conditions here will change quickly in the coming days and weeks.

To Hannegan Peak. The trail up to Hannegan Peak is also pretty exposed. Snow at the top, but no traction necessary.

Bugs were bad pretty much everywhere--some giant mosquitoes, but many more no-see-ums and gnats. A head net costs $4 and is a worthy investment.