Week 33 Apr. 16 - Heather Lake

Total Distance: 4.3 miles
Elevation Gain: Approximately 1533 ft. 
Time: 10:50 am - 2:00 pm 
Weather: Overcast, cool, rain off and on turning to snow as I climbed to Heather Lake. 

This week took me further north than any other week.  I was staying with a friend in her Marysville beach home Friday night, and I took it as an opportunity to hike in the North Cascades.  I had picked out three potential hikes for this weekend all in the same area, two were at the same trailhead, but lately I have had trouble choosing my hike until the last minute.  This morning was one of those tough mornings to get out of bed and go hiking.  I stayed up late talking with my friend, and when I finally went to bed I was exhausted.  My alarms starting going off, and it felt like I had only been asleep for a few minutes.  My bed was warm, and I laid in bed hearing the rain pound on the roof above. Unfortunately I did the predictable, I went back to sleep.  After the weeks I have had lately, sleeping in was well deserved.  My friend also cooked me a delicious breakfast of poached eggs on toast, a caloric cache of energy I would need wherever I went.

Getting a later start than I wanted, I got to the Heather Lake trailhead around 10:45 am.  This is the same trailhead for a winter climb of Mt. Pilchuck.  Both hikes are in my snowshoe book, and with chaperoning prom tonight, I thought the shorter hike would be better.  Learning the lesson from the Green Lake hike on Wednesday of this week, I put on my gaiters and clipped my snowshoes to my pack.  Right as I got going I bumped into two men on their way out, and I asked if they made it to the lake.  They said they got close, but the were falling so deep into snow drifts they couldn't make it.  I asked if snowshoes would do the trick, they confirmed I had everything I needed.

I took off into a young forest.  It was obvious this was second growth.  The trees were tall and skinny, and huge tree stumps littered the forest floor.  The trail was covered with running water, as both the rain continued, and the snow is beginning to melt with the warmer weather.  My boot/gaiter combo was up for any puddle as I walked at quite a clip up the valley.  Soon I came across another four hikers walking out.  They too were forced to turn around since the snow was just too deep to walk through without help.  As I climbed, the trail became completely covered with snow.  Eventually, the snow on the trail was too slick to keep fighting with it, and I put on my snowshoes.  This made the hiking so much easier.  I stepped off to the side of the trail and broke fresh tracks next to the deep footprints of the previous hikers.

As I walked on, I found myself surrounded by much larger trees than those I first saw below the snow line.  It was clear to me that I was hiking in the Old Growth forest of the Pacific Northwest.  These fellow living organisms are breathtaking.  Many stretch higher than 200 feet into the heavens. I imagine it would take several people to stretch their arms around the base of these massive trees.  Daydreaming about the forest, I found myself looking up the valley with no footprints left to follow.  I made my way through the trees, breaking fresh tracks in snow that would have easily swallowed me whole without my snowshoes.  Then over a snowdrift, I could see the clearing of Heather Lake.

I was the first visitor today.  I climbed up a small hill overlooking the lake.  I stomped out a place to sit.  Put down my insulated pad, and bundled up as the clouds were swarming into the lake basin.  While eating my lunch, it began to snow.  I enjoyed the silence and beauty of an undisturbed, snow-covered lake.  Then, I heard a loud crack.  Startled, I looked up, and I could see an avalanche falling on the far side of the lake.  It was absolutely beautiful and frightening.  After about 30 minutes, I packed up.  On my way out, I turned around and some of the clouds and mist lifted for me to see the bottom of the ridge that makes Mt. Pilchuck above.

Less than five minutes, after leaving I saw four hikers making their way following my tracks.  They were all in their boots and were having a tough go.  My tracks helped a little, but it wasn't great.  I continued on, and passed what seemed like a parade of hikers, a few prepared, many in jeans and tennis shoes.  It isn't quite jeans hiking weather.  I don't know if they all made it, but I learned earlier this week Until June or July if you are gaining elevation bring your snowshoes.  If you don't use them, they aren't that heavy to carry.

Orchid: Lunch at the lake.

Onion: Finding several orange peels n my hike out. I picked up all I saw, but I am sure I missed some...

Picture:

Google Map, GPS Track