Forum Index > Trip Reports > Secret Lake 5922, Olympics, 7/24-7/26 '07
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Schmidt Altitude
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Joined: 28 Mar 2007
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Location: The Quah
Schmidt Altitude
Whippet Entourage
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 1:48 am 
For the purpose of this trip report we will refer to our destination as Secret Lake 5922. mum.gif PM MtnWkr or us if you must know the name - please don't post it on this thread. wink.gif On the way up the 2900 feet of elevation gain in less than two miles from the river to the lake, we remembered why we swore we would never visit this lake with a full overnight pack. It was hot, steep, and buggy - the stinging nettle was just an added bonus. We had to keep repeating the mantra "it can't last forever, it can't last forever . . ." We reached the lake about 8:20 - about 20 minutes after MtnWkr decided we weren't coming. We set up camp, cooked dinner, and watched the stars listening to MtnWkr's iPod before heading off to bed. After breakfast, we spent a few hours fishing for the lake's notorious rainbow trout. The first one Jeremy caught was about 15-16 inches and MtnWkr said that he caught one about 20-22 inches the night before. We caught and released quite a few trout before deciding to explore.
Nice catch
Nice catch
Tisha's turn
Tisha's turn
There was another lake, 5970, located NW of us on the other side of the ridge. We climbed from the lake to the upper basin and from there up the loose scree to the ridge, where we contoured around a summit to a beautiful remote lake bowl. We made our way down to the lake and had lunch.
Western anemone
Western anemone
Heading to upper basin
Heading to upper basin
A "mystery" of a mountain from the pass
A "mystery" of a mountain from the pass
First view of Lake 5970
First view of Lake 5970
Lake 5970
Lake 5970
Mtn Wkr enjoys the beautiful alpine colors
Mtn Wkr enjoys the beautiful alpine colors
Tarns around 5970
Tarns around 5970
We then climbed back up the ridge, this time obtaining the summit of peak 6998.
The 11th Commandment.....Though shalt not reveal the name of this lake!
The 11th Commandment.....Though shalt not reveal the name of this lake!
Tisha on Pk 6998
Tisha on Pk 6998
View back down to Lake 5922
View back down to Lake 5922
We then followed the ridge line back to the pass and descended into the upper basin to visit the snow melt tarn in the middle of it.
Whippet toss
Whippet toss
Rowena cools off at the tarn
Rowena cools off at the tarn
Doggy paddle
Doggy paddle
Went a little too far out....help!
Went a little too far out....help!
We then descended back to lake 5922 and sought out some shade from the ever present sun. We decided it was just too hot, there were way too many bugs, bug.gif and the lake looked too inviting, so we stripped down and took a dip.
Lake 5922
Lake 5922
Time to cool down!
Time to cool down!
Aaah....
Aaah....
Last view of the lake
Last view of the lake
Eventually we packed up camp and made our way back to the river and the trail beside it. It was then a quick 3.5 miles to our car and a well deserved dinner and margaritas at the 7 Cedars casino. cheers.gif

"Forest 101: These big wood stick things are called trees. The big rocks are called mountains, and the little rocks are their babies." Elliott from Open Season
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mtnwkr
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Joined: 27 Jul 2004
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Location: Bremerton. I'm the Lorax, I speak for the trees
mtnwkr
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 2:26 am 
That was a good trip.. I hiked in and spent the first night solo catching monster trout on both fly and spinning gear. The next morning I hiked up a nearby ridge and spent a few hours making friends with a marmot. The lake is packed with trout in the 14-20" range, but they aren't the easiest to catch as there seems to be an abundant supply of food.
b
b
hungry trout feeding in the shallows
hungry trout feeding in the shallows
my first pano attempt
my first pano attempt
j
j
peak 6998
peak 6998
g
g
my only friend
my only friend
h
h
i
i

There's a mostly unspoken acknowledgment among the voluntarily impoverished that it's better to be fiscally poor yet rich in experience-living the dream-than to be traditionally wealthy but live separate from one's passions.
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Dayhike Mike
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Joined: 02 Mar 2003
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Dayhike Mike
Bad MFKer
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 2:45 am 
Nice!

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 4:02 am 
Great job guys. Im sorry I missed it. up.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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Magellan
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 6:57 am 
I love the Charlton Heston impersonation
I love the Charlton Heston impersonation

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Matt
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Joined: 30 Jan 2007
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 8:39 am 
Me too.

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Tom
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 11:06 am 
Looks like a nice spot. Are lakes in the Olympics still planted?

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Schmidt Alti-Dude
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Schmidt Alti-Dude
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 12:38 pm 
Tom wrote:
Looks like a nice spot. Are lakes in the Olympics still planted?
The lakes in the National Forest are still stocked. I believe most are on a four year stocking program. We were pleased to see quite a few trout in the 4-5 inch range as well. It must have been stocked recently because I don't believe there is any spawning habitat for rainbow trout (they have to spawn in a stream or river).

Anything stated by me in no way reflects the attitudes or opinions of my wife
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reststep
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reststep
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 3:38 pm 
Thanks for a great trip report and pictures. I heard that Atlantic Salmon were planted in that lake at one time but I can't remember who told me that. If true they are probably gone.

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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mtnwkr
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mtnwkr
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 4:13 pm 
Nope, didn't see any salmon.

There's a mostly unspoken acknowledgment among the voluntarily impoverished that it's better to be fiscally poor yet rich in experience-living the dream-than to be traditionally wealthy but live separate from one's passions.
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Schmidt Altitude
Whippet Entourage



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Schmidt Altitude
Whippet Entourage
PostMon Jul 30, 2007 5:59 pm 
I heard the same rumor. When I hooked my first fish the first time I visited the lake I was so excited. Then it jumped completely out of the water three times and I thought "man, these fight just like rainbows". Imagine my disappointment when I landed a 16" rainbow (okay not too disappointed). My father who was the local game warden until he retired in 2003, said that it was planted with Atlantics way back when but the stocking program was switched to rainbows. Charlia Lakes were also supposedly planted with Atlantics but all I caught we cutthrouts. Jeremy

"Forest 101: These big wood stick things are called trees. The big rocks are called mountains, and the little rocks are their babies." Elliott from Open Season
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javman
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javman
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 6:25 pm 
Good stuff and great photos! Took me a while to find it on the map smile.gif

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ScottM
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 6:36 pm 
Did an overnighter up there last year in July and one of the guys I was with caught what we believe was an Atlantic Salmon. It looked like one, had pink meat inside, and tasted like one. I found an Washington alpine lake stocking chart for Atlantic Salmon on the internet. It mentioned both Charlia and the "secret lake 5922" as having been stocked with Atlantic Salmon.

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Tazz
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PostMon Jul 30, 2007 10:02 pm 
It is so nice to see more trs from the incredible Olys!! Thanks you guys! good images and great report... up.gif

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Bruce
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PostWed Aug 01, 2007 7:58 am 
Can't be much of a secret with such a vivid report...complete with photos. This lake was planted in 1970 with atlantic salmon. The state record is from there. At the time it was a most pristine lake without trail, one needed to be a "goat" to get there. Now however there is a boot track created by fishing folks in persut of the big ones. Try Wonder lakes in ONF and ONP for more big ones. Bruce

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