Lakeshore - Fish Creek - Summit - Purple Creek
For our first backpacking adventure of the 2015 summer season, Rebecca and I decided to do a loop a little farther east from the heart of the North Cascades.We went down the Lakeshore Trail and stayed at Moore Point, then went up Fish Creek Trail, west on the Summit Trail, stayed at Juanita Lake, and came down the Purple Creek Trail, ending again at the landing.
We planned to leave after work and make the seven mile trek out to Moore Point when our friends Curt and Jamie surprised us with an offer to canoe us halfway. Good company, a light breeze, and the opportunity to postpone hiking after a long day at work made for a nice short trip in the canoe before they dropped us off at Flick Creek.
We followed Lakeshore for the next three miles to Moore Point, enjoying the uplake views of the sunset before reaching our camp. Just before arriving at the camp, we startled a bear with our talking and laughter. After a brief look at us, it crashed on up the hill as we made more noise to shoo it away. We settled down at our site right next to the lake, and used the remaining sunlight to knit and chat until the last of the light faded from the sky.
In the morning, we began to make our way up Fish Creek Trail. The lower section of the seven mile trail goes through an area that burned several years ago. Although there was a decent amount of brush, the vast majority of the trees were bare, giving us the benefit of unobscured views at the cost of higher sun exposure, plus an added bonus of the thrill of watching and hearing a long-dead tree come crashing down a short distance away. Shade was more than welcomed when found, but it was fascinating to see the landscape stripped down compared to the layers of leafy fabric it typically dons.
Further up the trail, past the fire scars, the landscape changed to a much more lush forest, where multiple creek crossings soaked our feet and a thick green shag carpet surrounded us until we reached the junction for the Summit Trail.
This seven mile section continued to lead us higher and higher, bringing us through large expanses of subalpine meadow parkland, and eventually up to an elevation where the trees are stunted and the earth has more stone than soil. Every turn revealed a view of a different peak or a change in perspective of the mountain range we call home.
We continued on for Juanita Lake, feeling giddy about our hike and excited to be back in such a beautiful place. When we got to the lake, we set up camp in a spot neatly tucked under a few trees with a gorgeous view.
After setting up, we dropped most of our gear at the tent and hiked an extra mile up to Boulder Butte. There, at 7,300 ft, we ate our dinner and watched the sun set over the panorama of seemingly endless peaks and ridges before returning to our camp.
The next day, we awoke to the pleasant morning light shining over the view from our tent and geared up with the company of overly friendly marmots.
We headed up to Purple Pass for the last short stint of elevation gain on the trip, and then quickly made our way down, down, down eight miles with over 50 switchbacks on the Purple Creek Trail. Down at the landing, we indulged in some french fries and then happily caught a ride back to the Russell House after finally being reacquainted with just one section of our wide-ranging backcountry home.
We planned to leave after work and make the seven mile trek out to Moore Point when our friends Curt and Jamie surprised us with an offer to canoe us halfway. Good company, a light breeze, and the opportunity to postpone hiking after a long day at work made for a nice short trip in the canoe before they dropped us off at Flick Creek.
We followed Lakeshore for the next three miles to Moore Point, enjoying the uplake views of the sunset before reaching our camp. Just before arriving at the camp, we startled a bear with our talking and laughter. After a brief look at us, it crashed on up the hill as we made more noise to shoo it away. We settled down at our site right next to the lake, and used the remaining sunlight to knit and chat until the last of the light faded from the sky.
In the morning, we began to make our way up Fish Creek Trail. The lower section of the seven mile trail goes through an area that burned several years ago. Although there was a decent amount of brush, the vast majority of the trees were bare, giving us the benefit of unobscured views at the cost of higher sun exposure, plus an added bonus of the thrill of watching and hearing a long-dead tree come crashing down a short distance away. Shade was more than welcomed when found, but it was fascinating to see the landscape stripped down compared to the layers of leafy fabric it typically dons.
Further up the trail, past the fire scars, the landscape changed to a much more lush forest, where multiple creek crossings soaked our feet and a thick green shag carpet surrounded us until we reached the junction for the Summit Trail.
This seven mile section continued to lead us higher and higher, bringing us through large expanses of subalpine meadow parkland, and eventually up to an elevation where the trees are stunted and the earth has more stone than soil. Every turn revealed a view of a different peak or a change in perspective of the mountain range we call home.
We continued on for Juanita Lake, feeling giddy about our hike and excited to be back in such a beautiful place. When we got to the lake, we set up camp in a spot neatly tucked under a few trees with a gorgeous view.
After setting up, we dropped most of our gear at the tent and hiked an extra mile up to Boulder Butte. There, at 7,300 ft, we ate our dinner and watched the sun set over the panorama of seemingly endless peaks and ridges before returning to our camp.
The next day, we awoke to the pleasant morning light shining over the view from our tent and geared up with the company of overly friendly marmots.
We headed up to Purple Pass for the last short stint of elevation gain on the trip, and then quickly made our way down, down, down eight miles with over 50 switchbacks on the Purple Creek Trail. Down at the landing, we indulged in some french fries and then happily caught a ride back to the Russell House after finally being reacquainted with just one section of our wide-ranging backcountry home.
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