[Backpacker Joe]

This morning I met the Hulkster, Quarky and many others for our "Clean up Lake Isabel" trip. We drove up to the Copperbell mine area and parked our cars and started the hike.

Dorks at the parking lot.

The trail is for the most part a direct line to the lake. I dont know why Sore Feet didnt come as that waterfall you have to climb up to the lake is really something. When we got up there there were some guys who had spent the night and had already gotten rid of some of the trash via a Cessna 206. There was a turbine powered Beaver already there when we got there and soon after our arrival a Kenmore Air Beaver showed up and thats when the fun started.

Turbine beaver on arrival

Kenmore Air Beaver

After a time the Kenmore pilot offered to take anyone who wanted down the lake to the sandy beach spot the planes always use for docking and camping. The ride was a blast. When we got there there was was another US Army painted Beaver there.

Beaver awaiting us at the beach

It didnt take long before there were other aircraft showing up. One was a Republic Seabee.

Republic Seabee

Before we knew it there was a beach full of airplanes.

All the planes at the beach

Beavers at the beach

We piled back into the plane after an hour or so and went back to the outlet area and started picking up what trash was left and loading it on the planes.

US Army Beaver

Proud Owner

Kenmore Air Beaver at the outlet

Garbage getting taken out

Both planes at the outlet

After a time the Kenmore pilot left and picked up a channel 5 news crew and brought them back and we had a little news show being recorded.

WSPA Representative

All in all it was a fantastic day with friends and airplanes. Who could ask for more. Thanks to Brain (the Hulkster) for putting this all together. A major sucess. P.S., watch the 11 news tonight (Saturday) on channel 5 for video of all of us!!!

[Hulksmash]

Well for me this day started last October...If someone told me then that there would be this would happen. I would have said, your melds are not working or perhaps a physiological examination. Even now I'm having trouble the turn out on this one. I tried to count all the people...I stopped trying when i got to 30. Plus all the Sea Planes. We filled the Turbine Beaver full!!!! Seattle Seaplanes dropped by early yesterday and hauled out the job box. I wish i could have gotten a couple of pic of that getting loaded...but i was on the wrong end of the lake when they landed. How did i get the Sea Panes on board....simple. I saw a YouTube video of an airplane departing Lk Isabel, I took a gamble and E mailed the poster a simple request. IN all i think it was three airplane loads. Anyway..here's some more pics.

Q climbing up to Isabel

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Where is BPJ

Q on the falls

The easy route to Isabel

Taxi

Guess who this is

Turbine beaver.

Paddle faster!!!

Bobbing for trash.

Bobbing for Beer.....sorry all empty

Cub

Beaver

Trash on waiting to fly away

They dont make them like this anymore

People and Planes Pano

Seattle Seaplanes yesterday flying away with the biggest single piece of trash.

[Quark]

A huge thanks to Bruce, of Washinton Seaplanes Pilots Ass'n and Kenmore Air - without these fine folks, the trash would still be sitting there. The first order of the day was the fun drive up the road to the trailhead. It was great! (I never saw that "scary tippy" part of the road - was it that little spot near the switchback?) The hike up was stiff, but it was steady. Hot.

Creek diving

Brian (Hulksmash) espied a rubber raft in May Creek earlier this week, so that was extracted, slain & quartered, and hauled up to the lake to be included with the garbage pickup. A second raft was too tangled up in high water to extract at this time.

Lk Isabelle Clean Up - slaying an old rubber raft found in May Creek

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Lk Isabelle - the one that got away - Brian couldn't retrieve yellow raft from creek

I was sorta excited to see the old trail still exists! In the interested of getting there more quickly, the path used nowadays mostly ignores the old trail but for a few sections here and there - but it sure was fun to see that it's intact.

Lk Isabelle - action shot - old puncheon and hikers on it

Lk Isabelle - old puncheon remains

Lk Isabelle - Brian walking on old puncheon

Nice trees and general nice views; great views of the May Creek falls

Lk Isabelle - May Creek and Brian

Lk Isabelle - Brian and May Creek waterfall

Lk Isabelle trail, big cedar

It was awesome to see the seaplanes up close and personal. The pilots were (and probably still are) wonderful folks; helpful and didn't roll their eyes at our dopey questions about their planes. Several of us rode across the lake in a couple of planes. (not in the air - sorta taxied on the water)

Lk Isabelle - seaplane & ridge where sit Dollar Lakes

Lk Isabelle Clean Up - Kenmore Air guys and plane

Lk Isabelle Clean Up - having fun in the seaplane

The beach across the lake that the seaplane people use to camp is clean - no garbage to begin with. All the b.s. was at the end of the lake accessible by hikers. It was fun to watch the interviews.

Lk Isabelle Clean Up - Brian being interviewed by KING-TV guy

GeoHiker's daughters and KING-TV guy

I really enjoyed the day, and had a lot of fun meeting everyone. There were 8 of us in the beginning - we discovered 3 more already at the lake - they did much of the work - and several small groups showed up throughout the day. A big thanks to Hulksmash, our leader for this project. He discovered this lake for himself, loved it, saw that it needed help, and voila! He helped this beautiful lake!

[Sore Feet]

[GeoHiker]

Thanks everyone for the great day. Especially to you Brian (Hulksmash) for stirring up the interest. It was good getting back up there and seeing all the garbage GONE. Bruce (seaplane guys) did an awesome job and are interested in joining up with other hikers at more fly in lakes. We spoke at length about possibly working out a permit system to fly in to some lakes and do a annual clean up. They are very willing to work with us hikers and clean up some of the mess that's out there. Sure was nice not having to haul it all out on your back! My daughters and I were excited to take the ride down lake and back in the float plane. What would have taken a hour or more in a boat was easily 5 mins. Lots and lots of garbage was removed. I would guess 500-1,000 lbs. Much of the work was already done when we arrived, so my hats off to the float plane guys. They hauled out the big contractors box. WTG guys! It was cool to have the news coverage and the first time my daughters have been on tv. They were excited to say the least. Wow, talk about a destroyed road from 2-3 years ago. The last coulple miles have deteriorated into a washed out creek bed almost and very over grown. Great to meet some new NWHikers and sorry we missed you Quark at the hike out, but had to get rolling. BPJ,'s fridge and beverage sure hit the spot!...... Thanks to every one. Here's some of my pics.

Isabel Lk outlet

Tree Huggers

Kent with a burl.

Isabel Falls

Isabel Falls

Turbo power at Lk Isabel

Float plane beach Lk Isabel

Float plane beach

Kenmore Air Harbor taking off.

Girls picking up garbage at the old cabin site.

Memorial on tree at Isabel

Lake Isabel view

The Army has arrived at Lake Isabel.

Some of the clean up crowd.

Sarah and Jessica getting interviewed by KING 5 at Lk Isabel.

Matilda arrives.

Sarah bare footin at Lk Isabel.

Sarah at float plane beach, Lk Isabel.

[peltoms]

Now that is an extraordinary trip report. We talk about cap and trade for co2. This was removing all trash trace in a big way. The falls look cool and what a once in a lifetime to see all those float planes. Any other lakes they could be utilized for?

[Austin]

CORRECTION There is a picture titled "SPA President". I am NOT the WSPA president. Can you change it to WSPA representative. thanks, austin BEFA Treasurer WSPA Member

[wamtngal]

Nice job everyone! I didn't realize this was happening this weekend...sorry I didn't drag myself out there as it looked like a lot of fun. Just saw a story about it on King5 and I think Brian was in the spotlight and also maybe GeoHiker's daughters?

[Slow Hiker]

Saw you on Channel 2 this morning Brian B. Good Job Hulksmash!

[seawallrunner]

I saw the story this morning on the news! I'm up in Canada, btw AWESOME WORK everyone - and huge cheers to Hulksmash for organizing all this. Wow. The wonderful chain of goodness started by an idea, an email... then lots of emails and focused activity. The world is a better place because of all of you. Thank you all for taking action.

[bobbi]

thank you all for your dedication and hard work

[H. Hound]

It was a good day out. Many thanks to Brian for setting this up, and getting a lovely lake cleaned up. 2 big thumbs up for Washington Seaplanes Pilots Association and Kenmore Air for hauling the trash. I don’t think any of us really wanted to pack out the trash.

Site where the bridge used to be.

Slide that took out the bridge, and a section of the road

First sealane

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Pilot and Co-Pilot of first seaplane

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Water taxi

Water taxi

Water taxi

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[Backpacker Joe]

[touron]

What a great collaborative effort! So how cold was the water?

[Hulksmash]

To every one involved. I have to say, with the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association and having so many people hike in..this turned into a really fun day! For that...i have to give everyone a big THANK YOU! to everyone who helped out.