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ArnVikings Member
Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 79 | TRs | Pics
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My girlfriend and I were celebrating our 2 year anniversary and decided to go to Cave B for the weekend, breaking away Saturday to go on a hike somewhere.
A few months back, some thread on this site brought Cave B to my attention. After looking at the pictures and reading a little more about the place, I booked a weekend right away. The grounds are nice, the views are beautiful, and the people (and dog) are very friendly.
Cave B-4.jpg Cave B-2.jpg Cave B-6.jpg Cave B-1.jpg
We ate dinner at Tendrils (the restaurant there) Friday night, then spent the rest of the evening drinking wine and watching the sunset.
Saturday morning we got up around 8am and were surprised to find that we were the only guests up. We were the only people eating breakfast at Tendrils for the 30-45 minutes we were there. I'm sure if we weren't going hiking we probably would still be in bed like everybody else.
We drove through Leavenworth and up to the Lake Stuart trailhead. We got there around 11:30 and I think my parking spot was the only one available. There were a ton of cars there, but I'm thinking a lot of them must have been going up to Colchuck. We saw a couple dozen people along the Lake Stuart trail, which I'm guessing was less than half of those out there based on the number of cars.
Right away the trail is beautiful. Sometimes moving along Mountaineer Creek, sometimes further into the woods, and frequently opening up to provide great views.
Lake Stuart-1.jpg Lake Stuart-2.jpg Lake Stuart-5.jpg Lake Stuart-25.jpg
We passed a number of groups before reaching the Colchuck trail junction, including a small scout troop. Up until this point (about 2.5 mi), I was surprised that there weren't really any bugs to speak of. I remember reading an earlier trip report that said the mosquitoes were pretty bad along this trail. Well, after passing the junction that became the case. After applying a liberal amount of bug spray they were pretty manageable though (I did miss a spot on my shoulder and ended up with 6 bites very quickly).
Shortly after the Colchuck junction we came upon a beautiful meadow. The flower of choice there was dandelion, but I was amazed that even those can look nice when they're not in the middle of your lawn.
Lake Stuart-26.jpg Lake Stuart-27.jpg Lake Stuart Flowers-1.jpg
Speaking of flowers, there was no shortage of them throughout the entire hike.
Lake Stuart Flowers-2.jpg Lake Stuart Flowers-3.jpg Lake Stuart Flowers-4.jpg Lake Stuart Flowers-5.jpg Lake Stuart Flowers-6.jpg Lake Stuart Flowers.jpg
Once we got close to the lake, there were a few snow patches here and there that needed to me crossed, but nothing difficult.
Lake Stuart-10.jpg
The lake itself is beautiful - well worth the hike. The sun started to break through right about the time we go there.
Lake Stuart-20.jpg Lake Stuart-13.jpg Lake Stuart-16.jpg Lake Stuart-22.jpg Lake Stuart-12.jpg
We met a couple chipmunks up there that were not at all shy. They're probably used to people with how busy this trail can be.
Lake Stuart Chipmunk-2.jpg Lake Stuart Chipmunk-5.jpg Lake Stuart Chipmunk-4.jpg
After spending a good half hour or more at the lake, we hiked back down to our car. It started to rain just a little as we got close, but that wasn't a problem. We were just glad the thunderstorms the forecasts were threatening didn't happen.
We spent a little time in Leavenworth before heading back to Cave B, then spent another night relaxing on the patio watching the sunset.
Cave B Sunset-2.jpg Cave B Sunset-3.jpg Cave B Sunset-4.jpg Cave B Sunset-5.jpg
Overall it was a great trip. If you don't mind the lack of solitude, the Lake Stuart trail is a rewarding one. I would also highly recommend Cave B to anyone who hasn't been there. It's not the cheapest place to stay, but for a special occasion it is well worth it.
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Hikingqueen Member
Joined: 12 Nov 2007 Posts: 2946 | TRs | Pics
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Looks amazing, both the hike and the place you stayed. Happy 2 years!
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drakonis Member
Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 107 | TRs | Pics Location: Granite Falls, WA. U.S.A. |
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drakonis
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Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:23 pm
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nice pics of the lake. is there a trail to get there from the north end? i went there as a kid with a camp i was wrangled into by my parents. and i remember the large rock at the north end. i have looked at it on google earth and would like to go there this summer for an over nighter. since this is close to the enchantments do i need a permit?? or womthing like that. i have a trail pass. is that good enough? + i dont remember how to get there. all i remember is that we drove on mtn rds for a while then hiked in.
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ArnVikings Member
Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 79 | TRs | Pics
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To get to the Lake Stuart trailhead, you start in Leavenworth. Turn onto Icicle Creek road from Front St. You stay on it for about 8.5 miles then take a left onto Eightmile Road (FSR 7601). Take this for about 4 miles and you'll hit the Lake Stuart trail (the road dead ends at the trailhead).
All you need to day hike it is a Northwest Forest Pass to park (or you can pay $5ish at the trailhead). I don't know about staying overnight. You might just need to fill out a wilderness permit at the trailhead, but you might need something else. Not sure.
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drakonis Member
Joined: 25 May 2009 Posts: 107 | TRs | Pics Location: Granite Falls, WA. U.S.A. |
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drakonis
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Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:24 pm
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thanks for the info. i camped when i was a kid but that was 30 some yrs ago. i have a forest pass. ill check if i can camp there.
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jeremybe Ol' One-shirt
Joined: 17 Jul 2008 Posts: 275 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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jeremybe
Ol' One-shirt
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Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:41 am
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Thanks for the report!
I see so many on Colchuck and I often wonder what Stuart looks like.
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sarbar Living The Dream
Joined: 28 Jan 2002 Posts: 8055 | TRs | Pics Location: Freeland, Wa |
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sarbar
Living The Dream
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Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:02 pm
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Overnights need a permit in advance, Stuart is in the vast Enchantment zone. What I like is to go to Colchuck or Stuart before the overnight system starts each year and get in for free
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