Larch Marching in the Cascades (Part 1) - Oct. 2-4, 2021

I took a chance and used my last week off this year to do some hiking and backpacking in the Cascades – just in time for larch season! For those who don’t know, the alpine larch – larix lyallii – is a species of deciduous, coniferous tree found on the eastern slopes of the Washington Cascades. Their needles typically turn golden yellow in late fall (late September and early October in the mountains) before dropping for the winter.

For the past year, I’ve been feeling a bit out of sorts. Unmotivated, depressed, losing interest in my work. Part of it was the pandemic and how isolating dissertation research sometimes is, but the largest part was not being able to travel in the summer. Since 2016, I’ve made it a habit to get out to Washington a few times a year to get some hiking in during the summer. I hadn’t realized how integral those trips were to my happiness until they were gone (as it usually goes…). I got out for a quick weekend in Seattle back in July, and then again in August for two backpacking trips, but it just wasn’t enough. It turns out, though, that a week amongst the fall colors was exactly what I needed. I’m settled back in my apartment in Providence and just feel so whole and complete.

First up was a quick overnighter in the Chelan Sawtooths. I went out with the intention of doing a solo trip, but then my friends Tobin and Jalissa mentioned they would probably be heading to the same lake (Upper Eagle Lake) that day. I headed to the trailhead alone around 5am and hit the trail by 9. Along the way, I passed by a group of four backpackers with a dog (an Australian Shepherd) who looked vaguely familiar. Later on, I realized one of the guys, Jeff, was someone I’ve chatted with on Instagram before – small world! At the lake, I quickly picked a tent site and then ran into Tobin and Jalissa.

The larches were in peak condition around the lake that it almost looked surreal. I have to admit at this point that I’ve never actually seen larches up close and personal, just photos of them, unless you count an ill-fated trip to the Enchantments in October 2015 where most of the larches had already died. The real thing was even better than I could have imagined. Golden trees against stark granite, dotting the rolling hills that make up the smaller peaks of the Sawtooths, even, somehow, speckled high up on steep spires. I wandered up to some high points above the lake with Tobin and Jalissa and then spent some time with Jeff and co. and their cozy campfire after sundown.

One persistent issue I’ve been having this summer has been an irritated knee, especially when descending steep terrain. It was bugging me a little bit on this trip but after a good night’s rest, the hike out was relatively uneventful.

I usually take some downtime after an overnight trip and that was certainly my intention on Monday, but I was trying to be extra conscious of taking advantage of good weather days when they arose since weather in the Pacific Northwest is often chaotic this time of year. Tuesday and Wednesday looked to be busts, so I sucked it up and decided to do a lengthier day hike on Monday. My initial plan was to head up to the North Cascades – there were plenty of classic larch hikes up that way. I had come to town with a list of hikes to help organize my trip, but after some research late Sunday night, I settled on some lakes in the Stuart range which I had never seen before.

Unfortunately, I woke up at 7:30 AM on Monday, which meant I hit all of the traffic in Seattle on my way out and didn’t really start hiking until almost noon. I made quick time up to Stuart Lake for the most part. The entire Stuart massif was visible across what almost looked like a prairie clearing in the forest. It was incredible to see the larches dotting the rugged slopes of the Stuart range, and the views only improved as I meandered around the lake. Towards the western shore, there were several burn scars with blowdowns to navigate, and it was around this time that I tried to cook my lunch only to realize that I forgot both a gas canister and a lighter…whoops.

The trail drastically steepened and I saw no one until I was about twenty steps to Horseshow Lake. An older British lady told me I was in for a treat and said “I won’t even spoil anything for you since you haven’t been here before, but you’re in for a treat.” What could I really say to that? She was right. I spent about two hours at the upper lake just soaking in the sights and taking photos. The larches were in peak color and the grasses were beginning to turn yellow too, which really made for a lovely sight in the late afternoon light.

I left the lake around 4:45 PM and ended up having to hike the last two miles back to the car in the dark. About a mile from the car, I ran into two day hikers coming from Colchuck Lake who didn’t have headlamps…so I escorted them back to the trailhead with me. They were moving very slowly but honestly, a small part of me was happy for the company. I find hiking alone in the dark to be extremely unnerving; a few minutes before, I saw several sets of eyes staring at me through the trees when I was by myself. They were probably just deer, but it was still unsettling.

I made it back to Seattle by 11pm and took several rest days. My knee had begun to act up on the descent of Stuart Lake but otherwise I felt relatively good! To be continued…