Open-Ended Solo Trip in Washington State

Speaking just to your water-quality question: Western WA, as you may have heard, gets a lot of rain. So there's a lot of surface water with very low mineral content. Western WA has not had the extensive mining history of CO, ID or MT. There are elevated levels of lead and arsenic in soil around Puget Sound due to the historic operation of a copper smelter in Tacoma, but it's non-soluble and only in the surficial soils (so don't eat the shallow dirt), not the water. Wildlife, livestock, and people all poop in and around those surface waters, like anywhere, so most people treat for biological reasons.

I'm above-average aware (and concerned) about mineral contamination of drinking water and I wouldn't fret about it west of the Cascades or in the Cascades.

And that extra flavorful dirt is mostly in urbanized areas:

https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/smeltersearch/

I had a geologist co-worker who said he tell when it was going to rain because low pressure systems caused winds from the south and he could smell the smelter from 25 miles away.

Thanks a lot for the quick (and interesting) reply. It's a shame because some of the most exciting moments I've had in CO involved stumbling across abandoned mines and other ruins. You've get to appreciate the rich heritage that comes with these things, but the drawbacks are huge. And it left me especially appreciative of the great water we get in many areas of NE.

Thanks again.

There are a bunch of historical-oriented hikers in Washington. Check out the forums at nwhikers.net. The Mountaineers have a number of historical books on Stevens Pass (SR2) and Snoqualmie Pass (I-90), etc. The Roadside Geology of Washington book is good too. If you read about the Monte Christo mining ghost town, it will be closed after 4/15 for mining waste cleanup.

The Washington Trails Association website is an excellent resource with a searchable database of trails: wta.org

Most years the problem is too much water. This year, there are many trails already open and the snowpack is scary light. You can still get caught in a late season snowfall, so be prepared for that.

For reference, the North Cascades Highway (SR20) opened 4/3 this year. Last year the opening was 5/8.

Send me a PM if you need anything (I'm in Seattle).

Sahale Arm is definitely worth seeing. I don't think that you can camp at Cascade Pass–I'm assuming that you're coming in from the west–but if you can, that would be sweet. I think that you can camp at Sahale Glacier and environs.

You can access Glacier Peak from a trailhead down the old Stehekin road. It's sort of a long way in but the country in that area is spectacular. Highly recommended.

It's been a while since I backpacked in this area, but the very few grizzlies–well, one–that I ever heard about were just across the border in Canada. But there have been moose sightings over the last few decades, so maybe grizzlies are moving in too, although I highly doubt that they are any concern. Locals should chime in.

20 degree bag is fine. It's rain that you have to prepare for. Possibly lots of rain. Make sure that you have a bomber tent to keep that down bag dry.

I spent most of a summer doing trail work on this trail. Also, my Grandad had a huge cabin in Stehekin, which is still standing, that I visited every year until my mid twenties. Just a great area.

Edit after reading Jerry's post: yeah, Sahale Arm would be sketchy in snow for sure. Jerry's right.

I thought north Washington had normal snowfall. So Sahale Arm would have a lot of snow, probably not worth screwing with. I usually go up in the mountains early, and then the snow is constraining, better to wait a little.

Mt Hood has 28% of normal snowfall. Maybe even less further south.

http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html?ql=station&zoom=&loc=45.382+N%2C+122.315+W&var=ssm_depth&snap=1&o9=1&o12=1&o13=1&lbl=m&o7=1&mode=pan&extents=us&min_x=-122.31666666667&min_y=44.991666666667&max_x=-121.38333333333&max_y=45.691666666667&coord_x=-121.85&coord_y=45.341666666666995&zbox_n=&zbox_s=&zbox_e=&zbox_w=&metric=0&bgvar=dem&shdvar=shading&width=600&height=450&nw=600&nh=450&h_o=0&font=0&js=1&uc=0 has good estimate of snow level

Mt St Helens would be good. Pretty low elevation. If you want to summit and look down into crater there'de be some snow, but it's better than the loose scree that's under it. I like the Mount Margaret area – nice views to the crater and Spirit Lake.

Mt Adams or Goat Rocks might be better as far as snow goes in June.

nwhiker.net or oregonhikers.org have a lot of trip reports

"Sahale Arm is definitely worth seeing. I don't think that you can camp at Cascade Pass–I'm assuming that you're coming in from the west–but if you can, that would be sweet. I think that you can camp at Sahale Glacier and environs."

Rather than try to camp up there, Sahale Arm would make for a great day hike via the Cascade Pass trail on the Middle Fork of the Cascade River road out of Marblemount.
It would fit nicely with your car camping/backpacking mode of travel. Great views up there.

"You can access Glacier Peak from a trailhead down the old Stehekin road. It's sort of a long way in but the country in that area is spectacular. Highly recommended."

Getting to Stehekin would require a time consuming boat trip up Lake Chelan. If you have the time, it'd be a nice trip, but probably better would be to drive down the Suiattle River Road out of Darrington, now that it has finally reopened. There are a number of trails off the road that lead to some very pretty country, but whether they are hikeable this year, after a 10 year closure, depends on how much progress the trail maintenance crews have made. Check with the Darrington Ranger Station(360 436-1155). Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mbs/about-forest/offices/?cid=fsbdev7_001648. A great out and back trip in that area, if the trail is in decent shape would be the Sulphur Mtn trail up to Sulphur Mountain. The views are fantastic, and you could easily camp overnight by dropping down the other side of the ridge where the trail ends on a way trail, about 800', to a bench just above a creek where you will reliably find water. This is a fairly strenuous hike, which requires some ability to route find where the trail becomes a bit indistinct over the last mile. It is 5 miles/4300' elevation gain one way to the end of the trail, and an easy hike/ class 2 scramble to the top of Sulphur Mtn. Another half mile down to the campsite mentioned above. If you are in for a little more challenging trip which requires a little more route finding and stamina, continue on to Bath Lakes. Excellent fishing there, more awesome views, and all in all a beautiful, classic Cascades hike not done very often. It is part off trail, part way trail. Very highly recommended.

"It's been a while since I backpacked in this area, but the very few grizzlies–well, one–that I ever heard about were just across the border in Canada. But there have been moose sightings over the last few decades, so maybe grizzlies are moving in too, although I highly doubt that they are any concern. Locals should chime in."

Grizzlies will not be an issue anywhere except possibly in remote areas of North Cascade NP, nor will black bears on the Sulphur Mtn hike. Black bears can very much be an issue elsewhere. check with the nearest ranger station for local bear conditions.

"Edit after reading Jerry's post: yeah, Sahale Arm would be sketchy in snow for sure. Jerry's right."

Check with the North Cascades NP Visitor Center in Marblemount for snow conditions. Crampons or Kahtoolas may be advised.

Phone: 360-854-7245
Location: 7280 Ranger Station Rd., Marblemount, WA 98267. Drive SR 20 toward Marblemount. Turn onto Ranger Station Road, which leaves SR 20 at milepost 105.3, just west of Marblemount, and drive 0.7 miles to the end of the road and the ranger station.

I'll add a few of my own opinions:

Water: Yes, usually easy to come by and usually clean.

Bears: No grizz to speak of in the North Cascades (only a few way up in NE WA). The one supposedly confirmed NC grizz sighting is suspect IMHO. Hang your food and don't worry.

Bag: 20 degrees is fine.

Bugs: Depends where you are, of course, but in the early season you darn well want bug protection. I treat my clothes and carry a headnet.

Routes: It's hard to guess because this year is so unusual. Goat Rocks might be one worthy option. Keep an eye on nwhikers.net as your dates approach.

Good luck!

Tom: I was thinking that if Puppy Love was coming in over Cascade Pass, it's not too far to head down the Stehekin Road to the trailhead in to Glacier Peak. I forget the name of the river that you follow. But yes, going in from Darrington is a good idea.

Agreed, Cascade Pass/Sahale is a very good day hike.

maybe Puppy Love could indicate how many days/nights he wants to be out backpacking at one time.

" I was thinking that if Puppy Love was coming in over Cascade Pass, it's not too far to head down the Stehekin Road to the trailhead in to Glacier Peak. I forget the name of the river that you follow. But yes, going in from Darrington is a good idea."

Coming in via Lake Chelan would be a very nice trip, no doubt, and end up in the same place. My reasoning was that, given he's coming up from Portland on a limited time budget, it would involve a lot more driving to get over to Chelan on the East side, and then a lot of dead time on the boat just to get to Stehekin. Other than that, the hike in from Stehekin would be a nice one, but it would also be long enough to probably eliminate the possibility of doing Sahale Arm as a day hike.

"maybe Puppy Love could indicate how many days/nights he wants to be out backpacking at one time."

That would be very helpful. Given that he's only got 11 days total between flights, the further north and/or east he has to drive becomes a major consideration. Taking that into consideration, Todd's suggestion of Goat Rocks makes a lot of sense, Still, if OP doesn't mind an ~6 hour drive, the Glacier Peak area is hard to beat. Lots of nice hikes in the Alpine Lakes area, too. Might be a good idea to wait for his reaction to the initial set of responses, before going much further. At least for me.

Folks, thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback! I gave it an initial read and am going to give it a closer look on the maps tonight.

I am also looking forward to checking out some of those trip reports on the NW Hikers board. Great to find something like this. Everyone has their local resources but once you're headed to a new place, it's hard to find the ones relied on by the locals.

Anyway, thanks again!!!

Hi All,

Thanks for all of your suggestions thus far. Using them to narrow down some of my options a bit, I was thinking about the following:
* Boat from Chelan to Lucern and bus up to Holden Village.
* Hike in from Holden past Hart Lake to Lyman Lakes
* Maybe dander up to Cloudy Pass.

Taking everything, boat and all, into account, I'm thinking I'd be looking at four days/three nights conservatively.

Has anyone done this trip before? Any thoughts from a seasonal standpoint?

PL

They're doing mine remediation work up there now, and last I heard the bus would only be running on weekends for the duration of that work. I'm not sure if they're finished–you'd better check. If not, your trip would have to be 6 or 7 days, else you'd be walking either in or out of Holden. Or both. :-)

Woof. I was getting pretty psyched about this. Time to rejig options. Thanks!

Between Wenatchee and Chelan, on the west side of the river, there's a road that will take you into a trailhead that gets you to Glacier Peak destinations. Sorry, I'm at work and can't be more specific. You can also access the trails around Holden from Stehekin, if you fancy the boat ride–which is quite nice!