Otter Falls tumbles down a natural granite spillway into Lipsy Lake (Hike 8).
Otter Falls tumbles down a natural granite spillway into Lipsy Lake (Hike 8).
A sprawling, nearly 415,000-acre wonderland, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness encompasses oldgrowth forest, glacier-dredged creek valleys, and ice-sharpened peaks. Bounded on the north by Highway 2 and on the south by Interstate 90, the wilderness straddles the Cascade Crest, extending nearly to North Bend in the west and near Leavenworth in the east. It includes the section of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass, as well as the renowned Enchantments surrounding Mount Stuart.
Scattered throughout this wild and rugged landscape lie the glittering namesake alpine waters; more than seven hundred lakes, tarns, ponds, and pools are tucked in the wilderness. The stunning mountaintops and lakesides carved by geological forces and glaciation have drawn people for generations. The centuries of visitors, from indigenous peoples and prospectors to surveyors and PCT through-hikers, have left their mark: a system of trails has developed that today covers more than 600 miles.
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness includes a wide variety of flora and fauna, with stark differences between the wetter western side of the Cascades and the more arid portions on the eastern side of the mountain passes. Entire books are dedicated to this complex and diverse wilderness environment, exploring its climate, geology, wildlife, forests, and geography. Such books are fantastic resources for deepening visitors’ understanding of the wilderness and digging into the finer details of what the wilderness holds (see the Bibliography at the end of this book). Thus, this guide intentionally avoids technical terms, scientific names, and extensive natural-history detail to focus instead on the experience of hiking the trails and the lore associated with them.
The trails and their stories are all connected by the overarching history of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Created in 1976, the area encompassed by the wilderness has not always enjoyed the protection and safeguards it has today. The scars left by mining, logging, and industry hint at how close this now-treasured wilderness came to becoming something much smaller and quite different. The gripping tale of how a scrappy group of conservationists, wilderness protectors, and trail stewards came together in 1968 to form what would become the Alpine Lakes Protection Society (ALPS) and spearhead the unlikely creation of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is fascinating. Spurred by logging, road projects, and the prospect of a shrinking wilderness isolated to rocky islands above the tree line, ALPS spent years battling the US Forest Service, lobbying Congress, and standing up to opposing interest groups to protect this unique landscape.
While ALPS succeeded in creating the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, its work is ongoing and will never be complete. New challenges continue to arise, and the legacy of private ownership means that wilderness advocacy is still very much needed. Remember that the hikes in this guide and the majestic landscape the trails travel through exist because of the tireless efforts of past protectors. When hiking these trails, treat the wilderness with respect, recognizing how hard people fought to preserve the opportunity for everyone to enjoy it. Better yet, find ways to connect with advocates and play a part in continuing the work of protecting wild places.
A yellow-pine chipmunk in the eastern Cascades
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness spans two separate national forests, divided more or less along the Cascade Crest: to the west is the Mount Baker–Snoqualmie National Forest, while to the east is the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The US Forest Service divides each of these national forests into two ranger districts each; for contact information for these four ranger districts, see the list at the back of this book. The Forest Service provides helpful pamphlets on wilderness regulations and guidelines that can be found on the Forest Service websites also listed in the back of this book. An overnight in the Enchantment Lakes area (Hikes 81–86) requires an additional permit process, outlined on the Forest Service website. The wilderness regulations and permit requirements change frequently enough that it is not prudent to reproduce them here. While many guidebooks try to provide that information as a service to readers, they become quickly out of date, and bad information can ruin a carefully planned backpacking trip. Instead, hikers and backpackers should review the regulations and permit requirements every season to keep up with any changes.
It’s also a good practice to check road and trail conditions before getting in the car and heading to the trailhead. Current road and trail conditions can be found on the Forest Service websites. The Washington Trails Association (www.wta.org) is also an excellent resource on trail conditions, as members of the organization often post recent trip reports that offer insight into the current conditions of a trail.
Hiking is perhaps the most approachable of outdoor activities. You do not need special equipment or training. The surroundings in which you undertake a walking journey from one destination to another are what distinguish a hike from a mere stroll. Your morning walk to your office, bus stop, or school or the daily trip down two flights of stairs to the office coffee machine are all walking journeys—but they are not hikes. Where the journey takes you and your reason for undertaking the journey are what make it a hike.
Perhaps because hiking appears so easy, many hikers do not put a trail into context before they start barreling down it. Where you’re hiking matters, and not all hiking is the same. With one or two exceptions, every hike in this guide involves spending time in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Hiking in the wilderness is very different from sticking closer to civilization, and hikers should prepare accordingly.
This guide assumes that readers have some hiking experience and know they should approach trails with an abundance of caution. It cannot warn of every hazard that a hiker may encounter on any given trail, as trail conditions are constantly in flux. If you are new to hiking, round up some more-experienced friends to bring along. These broad guidelines—not intended as a primer on “How to Hike”—offer some topics to consider as you plan.
Although most hikers return from their trips without incident, hiking in the wilderness is filled with potential hazards. Loose trail surface, rotten snow, rockfall, lightning strikes, falling trees, fast-running icy creeks, snakebites, charging goats, and much more can be found along the trails in this book. At the same time, prepared hikers who pay attention to their surroundings can usually avoid these dangers. In short, be aware and do not assume that the wilderness is safe.
Be aware that trail routes and conditions may have changed significantly since the time of this writing. If a route ever seems unsafe, listen to your instincts. Always exercise caution and do not be afraid to turn around and hike another day, even when the rest of your group disagrees with your assessment. As beautiful and enjoyable as the wilderness is, it is also indifferent and unforgiving.
It should go without saying that you should check the weather report before heading out to hike. Do that for every hike, regardless of where you’re headed.
Hiking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness requires some additional weather observation. Weather can change extremely rapidly in the wilderness, with unpredicted storms whipping up to blacken blue skies in a matter of hours. These storms can bring heavy rain, high wind, and snow. Do not get caught unprepared and have to take steps to avoid hypothermia. Even on the brightest, sunniest of summer days, carry lightweight raingear. For other times of year, warmer raingear might be more appropriate. Use your best judgment.
Pages upon pages could be filled describing the best equipment for any given hike, what is a must-have and what is superfluous. Backpackers and hikers spend endless hours arguing that the gear they use, the way they pack, and the methods they use on the trail are superior. The truth is that there really isn’t any perfect answer for what gear you must bring into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It is all about context.
That said, always pack the Ten Essentials. If you do not know what they are, consider finding a more-experienced hiker to accompany you on your first trails in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The Ten Essentials can be grouped into two broad categories: to prevent and respond to emergencies (1–5) and to spend a night outside (6–10):
1.Navigation—map and compass
2.Headlamp or LED flashlight
3.Sun protection
4.First-aid kit
5.Knife
6.Fire—matches and firestarter
7.Shelter—emergency blanket
8.Extra food
9.Extra water—and/or water filtration system
10.Extra clothes
Lupine on Icicle Ridge above the town of Leavenworth (Hike 80)
Note that for several hikes we recommend that you bring an extra pair of lightweight shoes for fording major creeks or rivers, as well as hiking poles to aid in crossing. For other hikes with easier crossings, waterproof boots should work fine.
While there are few right answers to the question of what gear to bring, there are certainly wrong answers. When hiking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, avoid taking any of the following:
•Sandals or lightweight tennis shoes: These footwear choices unnecessarily increase the risk of foot injury and make it harder to navigate the trail. Wear lugged-sole hiking sneakers or, for rugged trails, waterproof or water-resistant hiking boots for ankle protection and traction on rocky terrain.
•Clothing that is restrictive, difficult to move in, or not functional: Don’t wear something that will make it more difficult to survive a night in the wilderness if necessary.
•Food on overnight trips without a way to secure it from scavengers and bears: Always bring a bear can or a sturdy sack and a length of rope to hang up your food.
The alpine high country is extremely fragile. Errant feet can cause damage that will take the landscape many years to recover from. With so many people exploring the Alpine Lakes Wilderness every year, it is critical to treat these areas respectfully, lest they be loved and enjoyed right into oblivion.
Attempt a zero-impact approach when hiking through sensitive and fragile areas. Hike in small groups, stick to the trail and rocks, and use backcountry toilets where available. Camp only at existing sites, and practice Leave No Trace principles. If you are not familiar with Leave No Trace, take some time to review this philosophy on their website, https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles. The goal is to leave no indication of your time in the wilderness.
Hiking culture has its own etiquette, which includes certain practices that other hikers will assume you know, understand, and follow. Following this etiquette will help you better share the trail.
•Hikers headed downhill yield to hikers climbing uphill. Hikers working their way uphill are focused on that effort, while those going down are better positioned to step aside for those headed up.
•Don’t cut switchbacks. This practice destabilizes the slope and makes it more likely that large sections of trail will be destroyed. There is never a need to take a shortcut; after all, spending time in the wild is the whole reason for hiking!
•Slower hikers yield to faster hikers. There is no wrong pace for a hike, but hikers taking the slow approach need to be aware of those coming up behind them to avoid creating a traffic jam on narrow trails.
•Unless a trail is flooded with people, it is customary to give a simple greeting to other hikers you encounter on the trail.
•Because sound carries a long, long way in the wilderness, be aware that your voice could cover a great distance and disturb wildlife and people you may not be able to see. You don’t need to speak only in hushed, reverent whispers—speaking at normal tones and volume levels is just fine. Avoid shouting, especially around lakes or open areas where there are fewer trees to muffle the sound.
•Leave no trace. Pack out what you bring in. Don’t carve your initials into logs, draw on rocks, cut down trees, create shortcuts on the trail, or otherwise mar the wilderness.
Hiking and backpacking through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness is an always rewarding, sometimes life-altering experience. Many of the routes outlined in this book pass through truly stunning landscapes and access remote areas where few boots have trodden. The path will be long and some part of your body will probably be aching by the end of the day, but you will also have a lot of fun. It’s not every day that you can experience this wilderness. Our hope is that this guide will minimize the amount of time you spend planning your trip, giving you more hours to spend in awe of this majestic landscape.