Hike Date: 03-09-2013
Distance (Roundtrip): 4.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1100 ft
Highest Point: 2500 ft
Heather Lake Hiking Guide
On a great sunny day like today, I decided to strap on the hiking boots and head up to the Mountain Loop Highway, just outside of Granite Falls. I've been visiting more trails in the North Cascades, since my summers are usually spent in the Snoqualmie area. My girlfriend and I decided to trek up to Heather Lake, an alpine lake resting at the foot of the north face of Mount Pilchuck. The trailhead is located right off Mountain Loop Highway on USFR 42. The road and parking lot are filled with a lot of deep potholes. A 4x4 with a good height would be best suited to take it on, but my little Nissan Sentra also made it up just fine. At about 8am, there were only 3 other cars in the lot.
The trail starts off with a slight climb through a heavily wooded forest. Along the way, there are plenty of small waterfalls and streams from the snow melting away at the top. It's nice to stop and listen to the water make its journey over the trail, polishing the rocks as it flows. The trail is very well-kept, with occasional blowdowns here and there. The sun was barely getting through the treetops. For about a mile, the trail continues to climb and switchback frequently with varying degrees of steepness.
At this point, the trail gets wider. There was enough room for my girlfriend and I to walk side-by-side. Along the trail, giant cedar stumps can be found as wide as five feet across! It's crazy to imagine the forest with such large trees towering high above. As the trail widens, the slope levels off as well. It's nice break for about half a mile, before the climb slopes upward again.
As soon as the trees give way to blue skies and sunlight, the trail becomes covered in slick, icy snow. Micro spikes or trekking poles are highly recommended. I'd forgotten our micro spikes, so we really struggled at this point. It is very difficult to climb the steeper sections of the trail while it's covered in ice. When the trees began to crest over and the trail leveled out, it was such a great feeling.
We were finally getting close. At this point, the trail no longer climbs. Instead, it weaves around old cedar trees all the way to Heather Lake. As we approached, views of Mount Pilchuck were peeking through the trees. The sky was bright blue up above without a cloud in sight. Carefully, we avoided deep holes of melted snow. Since the snow was quite icy and packed down, no snowshoes were required. Eventually, a wide view of Mount Pilchuck appears. At its base was the snow covered Heather Lake.
We reached the lake a bit before 10am. Because of the snow and ice, it took us nearly two hours to get there. The views of the mountains high above were breathtaking. The sun was out in full force, making the snow around us glimmer brightly. The trail continues all around the lake, but we decided to just hang out right in front. Snowshoes are highly recommended for anyone planning to explore anywhere around the lake and off the trail. We stood in the snow and ate our sandwiches before heading back down the icy trail to the parking lot. The trip back took about an hour and a half. By this time, the parking lot had completely overflowed down onto the road!
Photos
No comments:
Post a Comment