Forum Index > Trip Reports > Wallace Lake, Jan 20
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



Joined: 15 May 2003
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 10:36 am 
Wallace Lake may not be a hotbed of a destination in summer, but when it's snow-laden, it's a very pretty trip. I haven't done more than 3 miles at a time the last few months, so I was happy to join JimK on his proposed 12 mile loop. We ended up doing not the loop, but still did 11 miles. Instead we chose to use the time and energy to slog in knee-deep snow to the far side of the lake to soak in the sunshine and enjoy the view that people who stop at the bridge don't see, and returned the way we came in. We took the 2.5ish mile logging road to the picnic area and historical viewpoint of the old trestle piling remains, then continued to the 2.5 mile long Greg Ball Trail. There's another information board telling about Mr. Ball and his contributions to the preservation of our outdoors. Sadly, I have never been on the Greg Ball trail before now. It's a pretty trail that start out along a fork of the Wallace River (I think) and wends upward to pop out onto an upper logging road where you walk a few minutes to the entrance road of Wallace Lak, another 6/10 of a mile. The Greg Ball trail is prettily built - the right amount of wiggles and bends, it comes close to the river a few times, and pops out onto the upper road. It has just the right amount of elevation for families and local joggers and lame-o's like me, who haven't been exersizing much lately. There's a little bit of snow at the beginning of the Greg Ball Trail, then more, then more, until we were calf-high in snow. JimK has been there many times and said he's never seen Wallace Lake when it was covered with this much snow in all the winter trips he's made to Wallace Lake over the years. I got hammered by phflumph. JimK didn't. He walked ahead of me largely unscathed, and each time there was a phflumph, I caught it on my head-bone. The upper road was bathed in sunshine. Luckily JimK is as tall as the Almira water tower on the Waterville Plateau, because we didn't have snowshoes and the snow was pretty deep. I followed his footprints, and we got to the outlet of the lake, but continued to the other side where sunshine was sleeping on the far shore, and where views could be had. JimK said that on clear days, you can see Index from there (the mountain, not the town). The way down was a lot easier, since some snowshoers had gone to the outlet and back, so they make the snowtrail even easier for us to follow. We both put our rainjackets on to use the hoods to avoid dropping snow falling down our collars and onto our necks. As you know, putting on your rain jacket inhibits conversation, but it does make the conversations you do have quite interesting. JimK: "Boy, I'm glad I don't have to go out and scrape ice in the morning." Quark: "You slay bison every morning?" JimK: "Yes, I have a bison-slaying habit. That's why they're almost extinct in Ballard. But I'm also glad I don't have to scrape ice in the morning" I also heard JimK vow he was going to lose a little weight by not eating quite so much, but I guess that was another bit of mis-information I heard due to the rain hood, because at Ixtapa restaurant in Sultan, I watched him eat every bit of food from a plate that was at least as big as a bison's head. So beware of conversations while wearing raingear. There's no telling what people are really saying. I'm pretty sure there's a name for that in the legal industry - Raingear Mishear. Thanks to Jim for showing me the far side of the lake, and for creating steps for me to use, in the deep snow.
Weak sun2
Weak sun2
Snag sconces
Snag sconces
Rootwad and a new wetland in the forest
Rootwad and a new wetland in the forest
Moss and snow on branch
Moss and snow on branch
Creek2_edited-1
Creek2_edited-1
A weak sun through the fog, black trees_edited-1
A weak sun through the fog, black trees_edited-1
Big leaf maple trunk
Big leaf maple trunk
Breaking trail
Breaking trail
Creek
Creek
A Hiker look out at Wallace Lake from Pebble Beach
A Hiker look out at Wallace Lake from Pebble Beach
Outlet
Outlet
Creek2_edited-1
Creek2_edited-1
Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Ski
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Ski
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PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:06 am 
maybe it's just my raingear, but your big-leaf maple ( acer macrophyllum ) looks suspiciously like black cottonwood ( populus trichocarpa ). ( coarser striations in bark / white bark appearance in mature specimens. ) you sure take some nice photos. smile.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



Joined: 15 May 2003
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:13 am 
Thank you ski! HikerMama and I were confused by a trunk like this in Federation Forest on Saturday; it was a lot larger - the tree there was so big - at least 3 feet in dia - we couldn't see the top to attempt any real identification - but I wouldn't have known a black cottonwood anyway. Thanks for the compliment on the pics. But I'm still bumming about the 3 that I deleted off my camera by mistake - the sunglint on the slushy lake surface and the glistening mounds of snow…. Here's a couple that I forgot to post.
Twigs and snow
Twigs and snow
Snow laden salmonberry and lake
Snow laden salmonberry and lake

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Hiker Mama
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PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:24 am 
Nice pictures. I like the first one, weak sun2. I thought you weren't going to take so many pictures this time! hmmm.gif It looks like down low by the trailhead there really isn't much snow? My friend wants to go there with the kids this Friday. That is one trail I haven't been on that I would like to try out. I may just have to put it on my (ever-expanding) list for this year.

My hiking w/ kids site: www.thehikermama.com
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:30 am 
HikerMama, The snow didn't start in earnest until about 1/2 way up the Greg Ball Trail. It's a much better grade for families than the Woody Trail, but does not go to the Falls. We did not check out the Woody Trail at all, but it is likely slushy and muddy - perfect for kids! The roadwalk from the parking lot to the Greg Ball trail had no snow at all. I left my DSLR at home and used my Pentax point & shoot. It does a real nice job on landscape, but it's not very good in low light or macros. Remember that black cottonwood at Federatio nForest on Saturday? solved the mystery for us. (I thought it was an albino doug fir with smoothed bark embarassedlaugh.gif )

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Ski
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PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:35 am 
the specimen immediately behind and to the right ( with the "Y" in it ) more resembles big-leaf maple: darker bark, finer striations in bark, more tendency to send branches out ( as opposed to up ). mature specimens of big-leaf maple will have a broader crown spread ( proportional to height ) than would a black cottonwood. cottonwood will "throw" limbs from great heights- there will usually be a good deal of small limbs/branches immediately around the main trunk. maple will usually top out at about 70-80 feet ( 95 per Sunset New Western Garden Book ) , cottonwood about 150-180 ( per Van Pelt largest specimen was 188 feet, measured 1988, in the Queets Campground ) ( although I think that might be the one that destroyed a good part of the CG in 2004. ) ( there were two about 1/4 mile east of our cabin on the Nisqually that had trunk diameters well over 4 feet DBH - they get big near water. )

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Gabigabs
Trail Breaker



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Gabigabs
Trail Breaker
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:40 am 
Nice pics. Absolutely agree - some trail not quite interesting in summer make perfect winter destination. Bear Lake and Boardman Lake off MT. Loop Hwy also belong to this category.

Life is simple... Eat, Sleep, Hike!
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



Joined: 15 May 2003
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 12:21 pm 
Gabigabs wrote:
some trail not quite interesting in summer make perfect winter destination.
did you get this off a fortune cookie? clown.gif

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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GaliWalker
Have camera will use



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GaliWalker
Have camera will use
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 12:21 pm 
2 years ago I went to Wallace Lake, and then on to Jay Lake. I returned via Wallace Falls, to complete JimK's loop. Unfortunately, I had horribly wet conditions and didn't get to see Mt Index from Wallace Lake. (I took my camera out precisely twice on the entire hike. Pebble Beach was under water.) Yesterday, I planned to return and get the nice views of Index. Unfortunately, I couldn't get out until the afternoon, and ended up just heading to the falls. (Lucky you: beautiful pictures in a pretty surrounding.)
Wallace Falls State Park, Washington Jan 20th 2008.
Wallace Falls State Park, Washington Jan 20th 2008.
Lower Wallace Falls
Lower Wallace Falls
Middle Wallace Falls
Middle Wallace Falls
Furry companions
Furry companions
Wallace Falls State Park, Jan 20th 2008.
Wallace Falls State Park, Jan 20th 2008.

'Gali'Walker => 'Mountain-pass' walker bobbi: "...don't you ever forget your camera!" Photography: flickr.com/photos/shahiddurrani
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Jimbo
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PostMon Jan 21, 2008 1:34 pm 
Wow I forgot how big that lake is. Way back when we use to launch float tube's from that beach.. Crazy amounts of little fishes would come from the darkness and see what we stured up that they could eat.. I used fly's all day one time and my buddy trolled Power Bait for gads sake. Well I got skunked and caught lots.. mad.gif

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 1:58 pm 
Nice pics everyone. Hey Quarky, let me know when you're going out next Id like to tag along. hockeygrin.gif

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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maurella
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maurella
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PostMon Jan 21, 2008 10:01 pm 
Noticed these at Wallace Lake
I went to Wallace Lake today and I noticed several places in the ice that looked to me like breathing holes. Here is a picture of the closest one I could see, on the west side:
Offhand, I would say there were about a dozen of these and they were well spaced across the lake. My first thought is that these are breathing holes created by beaver, but I have no idea if they do that sort of thing or inhabit this lake. Just curious if anyone might have any explanations for this. It was a really good day to go there. Not much snow under the canopy until around the lake elevation, and it was pretty crunchy, but I was glad I had snowshoes. Thanks

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:15 pm 
MikeR, were there footsteps leading up to the hole? Something could have fallen in frown.gif . HOwever, I do recall seeing that hole yesterday, but it wasn't as big as in your photo of it today. Perhaps you're right. It could also be something that had been dropped by a bird from above...? Or.... whatever made this footprint....? eek.gif I have no idea what this thing could be, but the prints were along the side of the lake where the hole is - the trail to Pebble Beach. The prints weren't there when we walked in....it walked in our path between the time that we got to Pebble Beach and before we started back to the trailhead.
Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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More Cowbell
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More Cowbell
Warrior Princess
PostMon Jan 21, 2008 11:27 pm 
It's a rare mouseketeer puma. They are known to stalk blonds who carry hamburger patties and porkchops in their pockets.

“If you want to forget all your other troubles, wear too tight shoes.” - Unknown
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maurella
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PostTue Jan 22, 2008 6:28 am 
No, there weren't any footprints. I had the zoom on so that is probably why it looked big. I would say the hole is only about a foot across. I've got another shot of the lake where you can see others:

Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
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