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Nancyann Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 Posts: 2314 | TRs | Pics Location: Sultan Basin |
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Nancyann
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Fri Apr 26, 2019 4:09 am
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A couple of my friends wanted to get up to Lake Isabel, so I decided to do a preliminary check to see where the snow line was. I had no intention of going all the way up to the lake, especially since I was recovering from some sort of food poisoning. May Creek kept luring me on, however, and the trail was well flagged through this year’s storm debris, so eventually I found myself at the base of the falls. Surprisingly, I encountered no snow up to this point!
Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 Lake Isabel Trail 4/25/19 May Creek Falls, Lake Isabel 4/25/19
The sights and sounds of beautiful May Creek and the amazing old growth giant fir and cedar trees provided comfort for whatever had been ailing me, so I rested for a bit and continued on with the scramble all the way up to the lake. I was surprised to find Lake Isabel completely thawed out!
Lake Outlet, Lake Isabel 4/25/19 Lake Outlet, Lake Isabel 4/25/19 Lake Isabel 4/25/19 Lake Isabel 4/25/19
I rested for a bit, enjoying the lake’s solitude, and then headed back for the long slog downhill, stopping for a few pictures of the falls on the way.
May Creek Falls, Lake Isabel 4/25/9 May Creek Falls, Lake Isabel 4/25/19 May Creek Falls, Lake Isabel 4/25/19
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Sky Hiker Member
Joined: 03 Feb 2007 Posts: 1469 | TRs | Pics Location: outside |
Heard more logging is scheduled for the area.
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Nancyann Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 Posts: 2314 | TRs | Pics Location: Sultan Basin |
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Nancyann
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Fri Apr 26, 2019 8:19 am
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Sorry to hear that, I wonder if they are going to obliterate more of the trail?
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Fri Apr 26, 2019 8:48 am
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I'd better get up there before it starts to look like my typical slash land hiking in north Idaho.
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fourteen410 Member
Joined: 23 May 2008 Posts: 2622 | TRs | Pics
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If you go back, make sure to take the kayak for a paddle around the lake
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brewermd Member
Joined: 02 Jun 2008 Posts: 159 | TRs | Pics
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brewermd
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Fri Apr 26, 2019 11:20 am
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Bramble_Scramble Member
Joined: 28 Dec 2012 Posts: 312 | TRs | Pics
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brewermd wrote: | Are the canoes gone? |
We were up there on Wednesday. There are now three watercraft. A new green canoe has shown up since I was last there, as well as the old green canoe and the red kayak. Oh and on the way to the second outlet there is about and 8x8ft raft made of four large logs cables together.
There was a surprising lack of trash at the lake and trail compared to the last few times I've been there. The trail through the clearcut is easy to follow, I think it follows pretty much the same route as before.
Friend tried fishing for two hours from shore and by boat and didn't even get a nibble.
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gotakeahike gottahike
Joined: 26 Apr 2019 Posts: 1 | TRs | Pics Location: Western Washington |
My husband & I attempted to reach Isabel in the late 1970s. There wasn't much of a trail and we got a late start so we never reached it, ending up camping in the rain and heading down the next morning. It's been bugging my ever since so a couple of friends and I finally visited the area on April 16th. The the trail is well flagged and we had a great day in the rain. We were all soaked despite full rain gear. There were some old tin cans, aluminum foil, bits of broken glass, and an old grill grate, etc. that we hauled out from the fire pit by the lake. I think my husband and I need to visit it together, find the canoes/kayaks and paddle around sometime.
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Kim Brown Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2009 Posts: 6900 | TRs | Pics
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Did you find the old wood stairs on the originally built switchbacks near the falls?
"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area."
Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area."
Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Bramble_Scramble Member
Joined: 28 Dec 2012 Posts: 312 | TRs | Pics
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Kim Brown wrote: | Did you find the old wood stairs on the originally built switchbacks near the falls? |
We found one section of puncheon just before the lake outlet and a few small spots lower. The first time I went to the lake the trail went up more climbers right and went by the old mine. The main route now just goes straight up by the falls. I tried to locate the trail by the mine but couldn't. I remember that trail popping out by the easternmost campsites but could not locate it.
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Nancyann Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 Posts: 2314 | TRs | Pics Location: Sultan Basin |
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Nancyann
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Fri Apr 26, 2019 9:58 pm
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Thanks to everyone who shared their interesting commentary!
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ale_capone Member
Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 717 | TRs | Pics
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Tried to go up to isabel back in early December. Repeat of a door to door that is only possible during low water on the skykomish. Basically, start at highbridge, and hike the bank of the river to big foot beach. Hike bigfoot trail to main river trail that goes to hatchery. Cut off random foot path that crosses reiter to the pits. Up road to trail.
Where the trail to the lake previously cut off the road just after the fork has been logged. I went the old way, but I think staying on the road would be better. At the top of the cut I could not locate the trail. No GPS or waypoints, just memory. If you know where the trail is from there, it only adds a little more road walking.
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Nancyann Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 Posts: 2314 | TRs | Pics Location: Sultan Basin |
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Nancyann
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Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:45 am
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Hmm, I’ll have to go check it out, ale_capone. Haven’t been up there since my TR.
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Slim This space for rent
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 560 | TRs | Pics Location: Falling off a turnip truck |
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Slim
This space for rent
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Wed Jan 29, 2020 9:56 pm
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The last time I was up there I got a ride
"Lean mean money-making-machines serving fiends"
"Lean mean money-making-machines serving fiends"
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Nancyann Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 Posts: 2314 | TRs | Pics Location: Sultan Basin |
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Nancyann
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Wed Jan 29, 2020 10:14 pm
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Now that looks like by far the best way to see Isabel!
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