Go back to read about the first two weeks of our trip in Glacier National Park, in Montana. On Saturday, Christy headed
home, as another school year was about to begin. For me, it seemed as though vacation was just getting
started. I still had the last two weeks
of August, during which time I planned to explore the North Cascades. Most of my remaining trip would be
solo. Solo travel isn’t my preference,
but it’s better than nothing. On the
upside, my friend Brian would be joining me for the last three days, on a backpacking
trip in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Prior to that though, I planned on some car camping and dayhiking in the
Heather Meadows area, near Mount Baker, and in North Cascades National
Park. Most of all though, I was looking
forward to a backpacking trip along Copper Ridge and the Chiliwack River. NOOKSACK I dropped Christy off at the
Seattle airport and prepared to head north.
First though, I had some errands to run. While packing Christy’s gear, we had a zipper blow out on one of
our new duffel bags. I drove over to
REI, where I exchanged the duffel. Then
it was on to Safeway for groceries. At
that point, I had a decision to make.
It was a cloudy day, and rain was threatening. That was quite a change, as we’d only experienced a couple of
sprinkles during two weeks in Montana.
To make matters worse, the forecast for the next couple of days was
marginal, at best. I took a look at the
map, and realized how close I was to Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier isn’t exactly on the way to the North Cascades, but
I figured the short hike to Comet Falls would be nice, even in the rain. On a whim, I headed south, rather than
north. Sometimes my spontaneous
decisions work out great. This was not
one of those times. I ran into bad
traffic outside Tacoma. Then there was
a detour due to a road closure, which added more time to the drive. I was still well short of the park when I
stopped for lunch. After another look
at the map, I realized that if I continued, I wouldn’t make it to the North
Cascades until after dark. I abandoned
my plans and headed back the way I came. The drive north was even
worse. In Seattle, I encountered a huge
traffic jam while trying to get on I-405.
There was major construction on I-5, and apparently everyone had decided
to take 405 instead. I was driving
Brian’s ’88 BMW, which was still running strong after almost 20 years. Although it still offered a nice ride, it
did have a few minor annoyances. There
was a crack in the windshield, and another in the side mirror. The fan occasionally rattled so loudly,
Brian’s wife Jill had taken to calling it the “squirrel killer”. I don’t even want to mention to various
forms of mold growing in the trunk (but then, in the Seattle area, that’s
probably normal). Worst of all, the radio
didn’t work. After two weeks driving a
Jeep with Sirius Satellite Radio, I was pretty spoiled. The slow, tedious drive north was dreadfully
boring. Traffic eased once we passed
the junction with I-90. I made good
time from there all the way to Bellingham.
From there, I followed the Mount Baker Scenic Highway through intermittent
showers to the small town of Glacier.
Beyond, I crossed the North Fork of the Nooksack River, which was grey
from the glacial runoff farther upstream.
I was still a few miles from the campground when I saw a sign for
Nooksack Falls. There was only a little
drizzle falling, so I decided to stop and check it out. At the falls, I found a
fair-sized parking area, an information board, and a marked trail. I followed it a short distance to a platform
overlooking the falls. At the falls, the
river tumbles over an impressive ledge into the gorge far below. The platform offers a good view of the
waterfall, but a poor vantage point for photography. Unfortunately, there aren’t any other options there. The cliffs above the falls are surrounded by
an ugly chain link fence, and a safe route down into the gorge was not
apparent. In fact, all of the
surrounding area is posted with No Trespassing signs. It may be possible to descend to the river farther down and then
work your way back upstream, but I wasn’t in the mood for that much adventure
on this day. Instead, I enjoyed the
view, attempted a few photos, and headed on to the campground. I reached the Silver Fir
Campground a few minutes later. I had
reservations, and it was a good thing, as the campground was full. In fact, it stayed full most of the nights
that I was there, even during the week.
I wouldn’t plan on showing up at this campground in the summer without a
reservation. The Silver Fir Campground is
beautiful. There are only about 20
sites, and most of them offer a fair bit of privacy. The campground is situated on the banks of the North Fork of the
Nooksack River, and several of the sites offer easy access to the water. Facilities are minimal, but the campground
is located in a forest of old-growth fir that would be the focal point of a
trip almost anywhere else. Here, in the
rain forests of Washington State, I guess it’s just another forest with big
trees. I checked into site #2, and
met Dave, the campground host, a few minutes later. Dave was a really nice guy from Lander, Wyoming. He had been by himself at the campground all
summer, and seemed bewildered by all the rain.
Dave, I don’t think we’re in the Rockies anymore. I pitched the tent and
erected a tarp, as more rain seemed imminent.
Fortunately, I had plenty of time to do good job with the tarp. Although there was a huge fir tree in the
campsite that provided some shelter, the tarp covered the picnic table. As it turned out, I spent quite a bit of
time under that tarp. That evening, I dined on
grilled salmon, rice, and broccoli.
After dinner, I looked at the hikes I had planned for the week. Originally I had intended to hike from
Heather Meadows to Lake Ann, at the base of Mount Shuksan, on Sunday. On Monday, I hoped to walk Ptarmigan Ridge
out to Coleman Pinnacle. I thought I
might add the Chain Lakes to that hike, too.
On Tuesday, I intended to start a 6-day backpacking trip. I could only hope that the weather would
improve so that my hikes wouldn’t get washed out. Fortunately, the forecast had called for possibly some partial
clearing Sunday afternoon. On Monday,
though, another front was expected to pass through. It sounded like it might be Tuesday before the return of pleasant
weather. MY PET SLUG It rain all night. The next morning, I got up and made eggs and
bacon for breakfast under the shelter of my tarp. Afterwards, I played with my weather radio. At first, I couldn’t find any audible
channels. Then, on my second try, I
found a weak signal I could barely make out.
Unfortunately, the forecast was in French. Are you kidding me? I was
about to turn it off, when the forecast repeated, in English. The forecast was coming out of Canada, but
it was for the Fraiser River Valley, including the Chiliwack area. The Chiliwack drainage begins only a few
miles northeast of the campground. I
figured this forecast was probably as applicable as any. Unfortunately, it didn’t sound promising. Sunday and Monday both sound wet, with no
real improvement likely before Tuesday. I continued to hold out hope
for better conditions that afternoon. I
did some reading under the tarp, but eventually got bored. I put on my gore tex, and set out to explore
the campground. Before long, I found a
huge fir tree with a hollow base. There
were several openings in the trunk, and one of them was large enough to squeeze
through. I slipped inside the tree,
where I found a dusty dry floor. I
looked up, shining the beam of my headlamp up into the darkness of the hollow
trunk. It was really quite nice in
there. It was quiet, and dry as a
bone. I decided that if the rain
continued, I might come back and sit inside the tree all afternoon. I returned to my campsite,
where I put on long underwear under my Gore Tex to ward off the chill. It was rather nippy for August. Later, I found a new pet. It was a long black slug I found slithering
around the campsite. I was going to
name him Slugo, after Comedian Ron White’s dog. I reconsidered though. I
realized that it would be silly to name a slug after a dog that was named after
slug. Instead, I named him Jesse, after
former Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC). For
some reason, he reminded me of the Senator.
I’m not sure what it was, but I think it was the eyes. Jesse wasn’t a very good
pet. He wouldn’t fetch the stick when I
threw it, and he was lousy at cuddling.
I certainly couldn’t scratch him behind the ears. Later, Jesse invited a bunch of family and
friends over to my campsite without asking.
I thought that was rather rude. The rain finally ended that
afternoon. It was still overcast
though, and I doubted there would be any point in driving up to Heather
Meadows. Instead, I decided to head to
the ranger station in the town of Glacier.
Perhaps they would have some suggestions for rainy day hikes. Once there, I used their
facilities (featuring running water!) to shave and brush my teeth. Then I checked out the visitor center. The ranger there suggested one hike, along a
stretch of the river at Horseshoe Bend.
It sounded promising, so I decided to check it out. I drove back towards the
campground, but stopped just after the bridge over the river. The rain had actually dwindled to a light
drizzle, but I kept my rain gear on. I
grabbed my pack, and followed the stairs down to the riverbank. From there I headed upstream, passing under
towering fir trees draped in moss. The
river was a turbulent grey, swollen from the recent rainfall and glacial
runoff. Along the way I saw lots of
people, including several trail runners.
I continued until the path faded to a muddy track. Eventually I reached a bluff with a nice
overlook of the river. The path was
faint beyond here, so I decided to turn back. I returned to the
campground, where I feasted on soup, salad, Andouille sausage and mac and
cheese. Later, I managed to get a fire
going, despite the damp conditions. I’d
bought three bundles of Cedar from Dave, the campground host. Dave had been nice enough to lend me his
axe, which I used to split the wood.
This made starting the fire much easier. I ended up with a enjoyable blaze, as there is no better than
firewood than Cedar. Later, I was enjoying a beer
beside the fire when I spotted Jesse perched on one of the rocks of the fire
ring. What was he doing? Before I could stop him, he flung himself
into the fire. I couldn’t believe my
eyes. How much does it have to rain to
depress a slug to the point of suicide?
Poor Jesse, you will be missed, I guess. So ended Jesse, the suicidal slug. And we had only just begun getting to know one another. R.I.P. CAN’T GET HIGH “Now that you’re gone, I’m sober every night I can’t get high, no, I can’t get right” From
“Can’t Get High”, by Widespread Panic Monday was moving day. Originally it was to have been my final day
at the Silver Fir Campground, as I’d intended to start my backpacking trip on
Tuesday. The rain had resumed though,
and I wanted to get at least one good hike in at Heather Meadows. After an evening of debate, I’d decided to
stay at the campground at least another day, if not two. Unfortunately, this change
in plans created some logistical difficulties.
First, I’d have to shorten my backpacking trip by a day or two. This wasn’t ideal, but it was manageable. Second, my campsite was reserved by another
group starting the following day. I
checked with Dave, and he told me I was welcome to move to any of the
first-come, first-serve campsites there.
So, after a breakfast of pancakes and bacon, I put on my Gore Tex and
wandered the campground. I found a number of nice
sites that were available. In fact,
there are only a few unattractive sites in the whole campground. I chose site 7, which is private and
features a huge fir tree and a nice view of the river. Best of all, it wasn’t terribly far from my
current site. I was able to hoist the
tent overhead and carry it down to the other site without having to take it
down. I spent part of the morning
setting up the new campsite, paying particular attention to pitching my
tarp. Its value had already been proven
through the first couple of days there, and I expected it would be handy for
another day or two. Later, I decided to drive up
to Heather Meadows to have a look around.
The rain had eased enough that I thought it might be worthwhile, despite
the lingering clouds. On the way up, I
caught the hint of a glimpse of Mount Shuksan through the clouds. I stopped at the Visitors Center first, to
see if they had any suggestions for rainy day hikes. The Visitors Center was a
worthwhile stop. I picked up some info
on area hikes, and enjoyed the blazing fire they had going there. In fact, the fire was so nice, I retrieved
my lunch from the car and brought it inside to eat. Considering that the rain had resumed, and the temperatures were
in the 40’s, it was an easy decision to make. Afterwards I took a hike,
despite the conditions. First I hiked
the Fire and Ice Nature Trail. This
might’ve been interesting, but I was too cold to stop and read the information
signs. At least there were some
pleasant wildflowers along the way.
From there, I continued my hike with a walk around the Bagley Lakes
Loop. This hike hadn’t been on my
original to-do list, but it offered a less-exposed hike at a lower
altitude. Heading higher, up towards
Artist’s Point, was out of the question in these conditions. The loop was a nice walk,
although I couldn’t see much out of the hood of my rain jacket. Along the way I passed more wildflowers, and
a handful of other hikers. One of them mentioned
seeing a black bear along the lake.
Although I saw a huge pile of scat, that was the day’s only excitement. Afterwards, I returned to
the Visitors Center to dry off and warm up.
While I was there, I got a tip from some other hikers on an area of
old-growth forest featuring huge fir trees.
From there, I headed back down the mountain, passing the campground on
the way. Just past milepost 44, I
pulled off the right side of the road.
There I found a path heading into the woods. I headed that way, and in
mere moments I was surrounded by immense fir trees. The forest was incredible, and I was still in sight of the
road! I spent an hour or so wandering
among the giants. Although it was
raining harder than ever, it was hardly noticeable under the canopy of these
trees. Afterwards, I returned to
camp, where I spent the rest of the afternoon reading under the tarp. The afternoon was a bit depressing. It was the third day of rain in a row, and I
was missing out on all kinds of great hikes.
As it was, I knew I probably wouldn’t get a chance to hike Ptarmigan
Ridge. Lake Ann might still be a
possibility, but only if conditions improved soon. Most of all though, I was missing my wife. I don’t mind car camping solo when I spend
most of my time hiking, but sitting under my tarp was a drag. Her company would have improved things
considerably. That evening, I decided
to do a real hike the following day, for better or worse, regardless of the
weather. SAME AS IT EVER WAS On Monday, I’d obtained 3
separate weather forecasts for Tuesday.
One I’d gotten at the Heather Meadows Visitors Center, one at the
Visitors Center in the town of Glacier, and one on my weather radio. All of the forecasts were different. One called for mostly cloudy skies, but made
no mention of rain. Another predicted
rain in the morning, followed by afternoon clearing. The last one suggested a decent morning, followed by afternoon
showers. All three forecasts were
different, and all ended up being wrong.
And by wrong, I don’t mean it ended up being a sunny day. It rained all morning, so I
decided to pin my hopes on the accuracy of forecast #2. I had lunch at the campground, and then
headed up to Heather Meadows. It was
still raining, but I was hoping that it would clear off during the course of my
hike. I drove all the way to Artist’s
Point and parked in a cloud. It was
cold and still raining, but an occasional break in the clouds appeared,
offering hope. I put on rain gear
(well, actually it was already on. In
fact, it’d been on for the last 4 days) and hit the trail. I started my hike with a steep, slippery
descent on the Wild Goose Trail. This
isn’t really much of a trail, as it stays close to the road on its descent to
the Visitors Center. However, it does
provide a convenient connection between the Chain Lakes Trailhead and Artist’s
Point. By taking that trail first, I
would be able to hike the loop through the Chain Lakes without enduring any
road walking. From the Visitors Center, I
descended to Upper Bagley Lake. From
there, I tackled a significant climb up to the Chain Lakes. Although the miserable weather continued,
the lakes were pretty, and the scenery was enhanced my numerous
wildflowers. Near Iceberg Lake I paused
for a brief rest before climbing to Ptarmigan Ridge. On the final climb, I passed a trail crew working on a
particularly muddy section of trail. I
thanked them for their efforts, but noted that they looked as miserable as I
felt. The highlight of the hike
occurred near the end, just before Artist’s Point. I was looking forward to reaching the car, when I spotted a group
of mountain goats below the trail. They
were too far away for photos, but the sighting still added a lot to an
otherwise soggy hike. That night I managed another
fire, as the rain finally subsided that evening. However, the clouds didn’t begin to break until late that
night. At least the change in
conditions offered hope for improving conditions on Wednesday. Continue reading about my trip as I dayhike to Lake Ann, at the base of Mount Shuksan.
Back to Washington trip reports.
Back to Hiking and Backpacking Trip Reports
Please remember to Leave No Trace!