Once each year, my sons Adam and Andrew and I go on a backpacking trip to get into the outdoors and celebrate God’s creative beauty. This year was no exception. Since the triathlon we had planned to compete in was cancelled, we added an extra day onto our trip, and spent four days and three nights in the Snoqualmie Lakes National Wilderness, just north of Cle Elum. The weather could not have been more perfect: clear, in the 70’s, no smoke from fires, beautiful. We planned for a short 3.5 mile hike with heavy packs, then set up basecamp and do day hikes each day to surrounding lakes and peaks, with lots of swimming and cliff jumping. Instead of leisurely day hikes and hanging out around lakes, our hikes ended up being all day, sometimes from 8AM till 7:30PM, with short breaks at various lakes as we logged over 20 miles most days. A week later, my 52 yr old joints are still recovering!
The first day, we drove up to the trailhead and hiked the 3.5 miles to upper Hyas Lake. A brief dip into the water reminded us that although the air is warm, mountain lakes can be as frigid as they are clear and beautiful. We set up camp at a great spot, and although the insect population enjoyed our presence, we tried not to let that slow us down. A trail maintenance crew also joined us in the large site.
Day 2 we headed toward Deception Pass and from there to Marmot Lake and then to the stunningly iridescent Jade Lake. I’ve been hiking in many spots along the West Coast, but I don’t remember seeing any lake so turquoise and unusual as Jade Lake, fed by the glacier above it. Our dog Loki enjoyed cooling off in the chilly waters while we at lunch and took a VERY quick jump into the water.
Day 3, our intention was to do our biggest day hike up to Mount Daniel, although various people we encountered seemed surprised that we were attempting such a feat. We hiked for several miles along the Pacific Crest Trail, and then broke off after Cathedral Peak toward Peggy’s Pond. We didn’t have a GPS, and trails were not labeled and crisscrossed all over. We did the best we could from the map we had, but ended up off course. Instead of climbing to the peak, we ended up at another gorgeous lake, Circle Lake. The day was waning, and so we had to hustle the 12 miles back to camp.
Day 4 we headed up to Tuck Lake, and then the boys and Loki decided they had reached their limit. So they stayed there and rested while I ran on up to Robin Lakes. Again, breathtaking views all around. We reunited at Tuck Lake and after another brief swim, it was time to head back to camp, pick up our backpacks, and then down to the car and home.
I was so pleased with the boys as they consistently pitched in to help with camping duties, and did a great job on the hikes. I was usually at the back of the group, sucking in the dust, and found that I enjoyed going uphill much more than downhill as my knees questioned my sanity while the miles rolled by. But we had great talks together, prayer times, looking at shooting stars and satellites one night, experiencing adventures, making memories, and celebrating God’s grandeur in his mountain creation.