[ajgoodkids]

Twelve years ago, my wife and I ran by Myrtle Lake on the way to Big Snow Mountain. Our basecamp that fine Fourth of July weekend was Snowflake Lake. This time, our destination was Myrtle Lake. Hiking with seven-year-olds, you don’t run by anything. You do get a good look at the details along the way. Twelve years ago, a washout on the Middle Fork Road added three miles each way to our trip. Given the current condition of the Middle Fork Road beyond Taylor River, I think we hiked that three miles faster than we were able to drive it this time. When we finally hit the trail, the kids did a fine job of hiking. We got into Myrtle Lake just before dark. The Dingford Creek Trail is a beautiful trail. We thoroughly enjoyed the details along the way. Beneath the magnificent old growth, the saprophytes were having a field day. Western coral root and Indian pipe were everywhere. Two small plants with scarlet scales were either young pinedrops or the first candystick plants we’ve ever seen. There was a nice round-leaf bog orchid just before Pumpkinseed Creek’s impressive flume down a rock slab. We set up camp by headlamp and had dinner. The kids were so excited to be out, they partied until the wee hours. The next morning, they slept in while I admired the scenery and fished with no success. After brunch, we headed for Merlin, Nimue and Le Fay lakes. I figured in the Cascades there is a boot-beat path to every lake. No path was to be found, so we headed off by compass bearing. The heavy brush, steep terrain and copious bugs kept our pace moderate. The kids were excited when we reached Merlin, the first lake. It was a large, pretty lake. I wet a line, but we saw no sign of fish. As we headed for Le Fay, a thunderhead welled up over Big Snow Mountain. Frequent thunder echoed off the valley walls. We were in deep forest in a pocket, good terrain for lightning, but the kids were panicked. With our slow progress, heading back toward Myrtle Lake was the smart move. When we eventually saw Myrtle Lake far below, the kids relaxed and went back to enjoying the frequent frogs and toads. By the time we got back to Myrtle Lake, the thunder had dissipated and the sun was back out. I fished while the kids played with a newt. I caught one decent size trout and the kids were ecstatic. This was the first fish my kids had ever seen anyone catch. They were really excited. We cooked the trout for dinner. The kids gobbled up every morsel and declared it delicious. This time, the kids crashed at a reasonable hour. If you can’t get your kids to sleep, take them bushwacking and scare the hell out of them with a few thunderbolts. I got up early the next morning and caught a half dozen trout. I kept two for breakfast and released the rest. After breakfast, we hiked up to Little Myrtle Lake. There was no sign of fish in Little Myrtle Lake, but what a nice spot. There is a distinct trail up. It’s a beauty. There is a particularly nice stretch of trail that works its way up through granite crags and boulders. At the switchback by the waterfall, look for a beautiful sprig of bluebells of Scotland in a crevice on the granite wall. The chiggers were terrible on the way up to Little Myrtle Lake. Just as we arrived, a welcome wisp of cold fog drifted through and grounded all the bugs. We spent an hour at the lake admiring the scenery and climbing on the boulders. The hike down was bug-free and as beautiful as the hike up. We packed up our camp and had a thoroughly enjoyable hike back to our car.

[numen]

What do you mean by chiggers? I have never worried about anything but mosquitoes and black flies when I hike here in Washington -- did you really mean chiggers?

[ajgoodkids]

Little, swarming, dark, biting flies about a sixteenth of an inch long. I don't know if they're chiggers, but I didn't know what else to call them. To me, "black flies" are black, quarter-inch-long, biting flies with swept back wings.

[numen]

I think what you are referring to is no see ums (aka biting midges) instead of chiggers. I remember a few years ago being bitten by a "swarm" of these things while sleeping in my car with the window open. Even though the window was covered with nylon net, the no see ums were able to get thru because of their tiny size -- I should have used no see um netting. Although tiny, they take big bites and leave big welts!