[gwc2u]

Not a very exciting report for this "hard core" community but I guess our accidental discovery of this area might interest similar hikers. We were headed for Boulder Lake & I'll blame it on the millage error of our web directions for turning onto an earlier side road that ended at an unmarked trail head to the above lakes. And speaking of the road, it had to be the most pleasant 9 mile 2 track approach ever encountered. I wasn't even convinced we were in the wrong location of our plans until encountering a bear hunter (a successful bear hunter) who informed us we were looking at Tupso Lake. And, I must comment on the humility and pleasant nature of this individual who expressed not a hint of macho, gun toting bravado. A Concrete resident, employed in the logging industry of Darrington and a terrific representative of his sporting community. For those not familiar with this area, the trail is short (2 miles to Louise), gradual (except for the final steep 1/4 mile to the promontory point above Louise) with landscape of heather, blue berries, tarns, lakes and dramatic mountain peaks including Baker & Glacier Pks. Returned early enough to drive further up the Suiattle River to the Tenas Creek road (2660) and attained the Boulder Lake trailhead. A hike for another day I guess. Tried to post pictures but no success. Said it was "loading" but nothing in 20 min?

[puzzlr]

Seems plenty hard core to me, and worth posting about because I didn't know there was a second Tupso Lake so close to the one above Boulder Creek. None of the maps I have of the area show a trail to Lake Louise. Is it a fisherman/hiker trail or an official one?

[Roy Jensen]

Based on my cursory review of old maps, it appears that the current trail to Lake Tupso and likely at least some of the trail to the top of the ridge above Lake Louise was part of the old Illabot trail system. If you look hard enough you can still find remnants of the telephone wire system from the 1930s. I doubt a formal trail was constructed to Lake Louise.

[camut]

This trail is a user-built (fisherman & hiker) trail and is also used for the approach to Illabot Peaks. Although the campsite at Tupso Lake obviously gets a fair amount of use, I've never seen more than two or three other people on that trail and quite often have it all to myself. I've been there twice recently and only saw one other person each time.