Hiking season is here.
Wait, wait: We know what you’re thinking: Hiking season ends after Labor Day, doesn’t it?
No, in fact, fall can be heaven in the high country.
Hikes that are miserably hot, crowded and choked with biting bugs in high summer, turn into cool, peaceful adventures with funky-looking mushrooms and soul-soothing bursts of fall color this time of year.
Yes, days are shorter, temperatures are lower and the chance of rain is higher. But nothing beats the feeling of fresh, mountain air in your lungs, right?
Right.
Here’s what to do: Find a day with a low chance of rain and head out U.S. 2 to Surprise Lake Trail No. 1060 in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
You’ll see not one, but two, alpine lakes while taking in a healthy dose of backcountry bliss.
Like many trails near Stevens Pass, this one starts steeply under a buzzing set of high-voltage power lines.
Fortunately, it quickly darts into nearly perfect forest, where a wide variety of fall mushrooms and, occasionally, mushroom hunters, dot the trail.
Beautifully crafted planked walkways and stairs, also known as puncheon, cover much of the first mile. Caution: Many of the boards are slippery when wet, so wear waterproof boots with good treads.
After about a mile of gradual climbing in pleasant forest, you’ll cross Surprise Creek, a nice place to marvel at the water’s power as evidenced by the broken pieces of an old footbridge that was snapped in half. Thanks to recent work by trail crews, there’s a new foot log instead.
Once across the notched log, keep your eyes out for nurse logs, house-sized rocks topped with trees and glorious fall color splashed along the sides of the valley.
Eventually, the trail starts to pop in and out of waist-high brush, which will soak your pant legs on early dewy mornings. (Note: Water-resistant pants are a good idea this time of year, anyway.)
Surprise Creek will provide a rushing soundtrack for at least the next few miles as you climb to steadily steeper, rockier terrain.
When you start to hit switchbacks, you’re headed up the final push to the lakes.
It’s not easy, especially with a full pack, as you gain about 1,000 feet in a mile. It’s also a bit muddy and wet, thanks to fall rains trickling over the trail in multiple places.
But it’s all worth it at the top when crystal clear Surprise Lake finally comes into view.
Two tiny rock islands topped with small trees serve as ideal photo subjects over teal blue water under the backdrop of Spark Plug Mountain.
There’s an excellent day-use area for a quick picnic lunch or snack. You can camp nearby, as well.
Slightly more ambitious hikers, however, will find sunnier rocks at Glacier Lake about 3/4 of a mile up the trail at 4,800 feet.
Glacier Lake, a bigger, marvelously rocky lake with superior campsites closer to the water, is worth every extra step.
House-sized, angular boulders allow you to get right next to the cold, clear water in many places.
Surprise Mountain, a great trip if you can spend a second night, looms steeply to the south.
Trout nip at the water almost nonstop and some will break the surface with a jump now and then.
Be sure to bring something to sit on and a warm hat to insulate yourself from the chill of the rocks and alpine air.
If you get good weather, you’ll want to lie in the sun until it ducks behind Spark Plug Mountain.
Later, bask under the stars as they emerge one by one in cool, quiet twilight.
Reporter Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037 or sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Surprise Lake
Hike: Surprise Creek Trail No. 1060 starts in a lush, mushroom-dotted forest of old-growth trees. It takes you up the valley along Surprise Creek to Surprise Lake and Glacier Lake, both fun fall destinations.
Difficulty: It’s 4 miles one-way to Surprise Lake, a mildly strenuous jaunt with a beginning elevation of 2,200 feet and a highest elevation of 4,500 feet at Surprise Lake. Scenic views and campsites are also available at Glacier Lake another about 3/4-mile up the trail at 4,800 feet.
Where: Take U.S. 2 east from Everett. Turn right after milepost 58 just before a large highway bridge. Take a left and go over the railroad tracks. Turn right onto a primitive road and travel about 0.2 miles to trailhead parking.
Paperwork: Bring a Green Trails Stevens Pass map No. 176 and a Northwest Forest Pass for parking at the trailhead.
Information: Search the “Trip Reports” or “Hiking Guide” sections on the Washington Trails Association Web site at www.wta.org; contact the Skykomish Ranger Station at 360-677-2414; or see descriptions in “100 Hikes in Washington’s Alpine Lakes” and “Pacific Northwest Hiking.”
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