[jalepeno]

Richard and Nick from Marblemount, my son and I from Portland hiked Trail 745 up Sibley Creek to Sibley Creek Pass and Hidden lake Lookout on July 5. It was a perfect day! Sibley Creek road from Cascade River Road is in good shape to the trailhead, some twist, turns and bumps but it's passable in most cars if you take it slow. One of the great things about this hike is the fact that you can drive pretty high in the forest, so that when you do start hiking, you break out into the subalpine zone quickly. The trail is in woods for a short time, then enters a large basin of flowers thats been scoured by winters avalanches. The trail switchbacks up to just below Sibley Creek Pass, then traverses to a col beneath the lookout. Some snow was on the trail on the traverse, the second spot affording some exposure over a gully. We did not have ice axes and kicked steps. From the col up to the lookout, the trail is snow free. At the col, the lookout appears impossibly precipitious and the trail difficult and exposed. It's not. The trail is well-maintained and marked with cairns to the lookout. The lookout is like stepping back in time to the 1950's. I half expected Gary Snyder to welcome me with some fresh bread. And what a view! 360 degrees of "mountains and rivers without end" as Snyder called the North Cascades. About five and a half hours for the whole trip with a half hour on top. Few bugs.

at the col above Hidden Lake

[polarbear]

Beautiful picture Jalepeno. I did this hike in the Spring a couple years ago and was really impressed by the amount of avalanche debris I encoutered right where the trail emerges from the forest. It made me feel a little uncomfortable. I still haven't made it to the lookout. Maybe this Summer.

[Slugman]

Is there a decent way to get down to the lake? It looks pretty cool.

[#19]

Slug, there are a few ways, all involving slabs, heather and talus. Coming in from the N (Sibley) is the way, IMO. I have descended the S ridge to directly to the lake - but wouldn't recommend it.

[Slugman]

Ha! Looking at the maps, I figured the way in from Sibley creek pass to be doable. Thanks for the confirmation, Prince. This hike just got added to my list, either as a dayhike to the saddle by the lookout only, or perhaps a BP to the lake. The elevation gain is pretty big, but not over the limit.

[jenjen]

The lake itself is in the NCNP, so you'll need a permit to camp there (available free at the Marblemount RS). There's actually a trail down from Sibley Creek pass.

[kleet]

[jimmymac]

Slug, stash your BP behind a rock at the saddle and take a quick jaunt up to the LO. It's easy slab scrambling. The view is worth it. Also, there are a handful of very respectable campsites along the trail to the saddle. They are in a Granite/heather environment, IIRC, offering views across the Cascade R Valley. The lake is nice, if a bit of a bowl.

[Yana]

Thanks for the TR, jalepeno. For those others of you that are considering going in the future, may I recommend the very easy scramble up to the highest point of the Hidden Lakes Peak (when you reach the pass, go left instead of right)? The views are even better and, on a busy summer day, you can watch the lines of people going to the lookout while enjoying the much calmer, lookout-less summit. Yana

[#19]

[jenjen]

Last time I was there, from the pass you turned right to get to the lookout. If you kept straight there was a boot path down to the lake. It's been years -- maybe it got washed out? Or maybe I was hallucinating? I know I ran into some other hikers on that trail who had camped there.

[#19]

[jenjen]

Gotcha! Instead of traversing along to the col below the lookout you headed up to the ridgeline after the switchbacks. I noticed that trail but didn't take it. Sorry about screwing up the pass names. That's what I get for answering while I'm in the middle of something else.

[Slugman]

[#19]

slug, sounds like you are hiking strong. The approach to 7088 is great from either side. Huge slabs from the LO side. Spectacular views of Eldorado from Sibley. 100 Hikes describes the Sibley route right down to the transition from metamorphic to granitic rocks, but it is quite steep. My opinion is hike to the LO, stay there if possible. If not, descend the jen path path about 300' to a heather bench. camp there. Poke around the next day. Go down to the lake. Ascend 7088. Exit due N to Sibley Cr Pass. With 2 nights, you could take the trail N of SCP for a few miles for even more NCNP fun.