I felt like I needed to move, needed to get deep in the woods, and get back to a hobby that I hadn't done in awhile: solo hiking. My take on it this year was to throw down the miles with a light pack in a day hike rather than to do overnights with a heavy pack. First up was Phelps Creek / Spider Meadow / Spider Gap. This hike involved a lengthy drive on some questionable dirt roads, but the Subaru handled everything that was thrown at it and got me to the trailhead. The first five miles of the hike were on an old mining road and were a gradual uphill. The main challenge were the numerous (16) creek crossings. These creeks were dozens of feet wide and required careful placement of the feet to stay dry. Trekking poles for extra balance would have been nice, but I managed just fine with long legs and a light pack.
Spider Meadow finally opened up and it was a truly magical place with acres and acres of wildflowers, ringed by tall, snowy peaks.
I continued hiking up the meadow another mile or two, and then up, up, up and into Spider Gap - a pass in the mountains that leads to the west side of the Cascades, Glacier Peak, and hikes off of the Mountain Loop Highway.
I didn't have time or the equipment to do it, but the trail through the gap goes up to a little over 7000' and is to the right of this snowfield. Next time!
The view looking down Spider Meadow from the Gap.
The next day, I decided to get an earlier start and try to visit the four Scottish Lakes that I'd seen on the map and had always wanted to check out. It was a nearly 19 mile hike, so I needed to keep the pace up. The trail gained 4000' elevation in the first 4.5 miles and it was gnarly, but I was proud I could do it.
Lake Ethel is the first lake and is in a basin at 5500', felt swimmable, had a lot of camping space, and a fun rock island not too far off the shore that could be fun to jump off.
I ate a sandwich, soaked my feet, and got ready for the next phase of the hike.
Up and over another ridge and then dropping down to Lake Julius. Great views from on top of the ridge, including peek-a-boo views of Glacier Peak and surrounding mountains.
Lake Julius is a favorite for fishing and I encountered a group of four fishermen at the far end. Adding that to the one gal I saw hiking on the trail and total people seen for the day equalled five. Lake Julius had some cool waterfalls at the far end, that I would later discover to be coming out of the fourth lake, Lake Donald, up above.
This is Lake Eileen - my favorite of the four. There was a sandy/silty shallow area near the trail. I waded in the water, relaxed, filtered more water, and enjoyed the solitude and sunshine. My favorite camp spot was here, too.
Another 1000' up above Lake Eileen was Lake Donald - a deep turquoise. It had a small camp spot and was pretty, but that was about all to recommend it.
The view from the ridge above Lake Donald showed Lake Julius with a lot of ridges rolling out as far as the eye could see.
Very proud of these stats!!!
