[Highsierraguy]

Hi all! First time posting here, heard about this site from backpackinglight.com. My wife and I have a free week in Washington and want to get a trip in while there . We are there for a wedding in Bow the beginning of August. We have 5-6 days before the wedding to fit in a trip. I know nothing of Washington backcountry, and would love some guidance. A little about us.....we are very avid backpackers. We grew up with our summers in the high country of the Sierra Nevada. We are comfortable on or off trail and really like finding the remote "untouched" areas. We are good with 6-10 mile days on trail and around 4-6 mile off trail days (depending on how rugged the terrain is). We prefer to hike to lakes, river spots and nice views as opposed to peak bagging. I am open to anywhere in the state. More than happy to drive 8+ hours to get to a spot. I have initially been thinking about the Olympic Peninsula or the Northern Cascades but am VERY open to whatever ya'all can suggest. Any help, guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Dan

[Conrad]

My 1st thought, not too far from Bow and not crowded, would be trails on the NW or W sides of Glacier Peak. Darrington area. Meadow Mountain, Fire Mountain, Lost Creek Ridge, North Fork Sauk R. Get Green Trails or USGS maps around Glacier Peak and mapsturbate. Many loop and off-trail possibilities. Searches on this site for specific place names will yield massive first-hand reports. Huge views of Glacier Peak from all around; a major volcano that only hikers see, because it's not visible from any major road. Note that maps over 10 years old will show some trails that no longer exist (e.g. White Chuck R) due to massive floods. Again, search this site for current conditions.

[Highsierraguy]

Conrad...thanks for the tips! Any specific map you'd suggest I get to see the area around Glacier Peak and the trails around it? Thanks Dan

[mbravenboer]

I'd buy a couple of books so that you can get a comprehensive overview of the options: - https://www.amazon.com/Backpacking-Washington-Overnight-Multi-Day-Routes/dp/1594851107 - https://www.amazon.com/Trekking-Washington-Backpacker-Magazine-Woodmansee/dp/0898869048 (has nice maps and photos, but is also a bit out of date) A good dayhike book can also be useful, because typically some day hikes can be connected into a multi-day backpacking trip easily. For example: - https://www.amazon.com/100-Classic-Hikes-Peninsula-Washington/dp/1594859787/ For your planning, get the following maps from Trails Illustrated (and then get Green Trails or use CalTopo once you have focused on an area). - Alpine Lakes Wilderness - Glacier Peak Wilderness - Olympic - Rainier - North Cascades - Mount Baker / Boulder River End of July should normally be a beautiful time of the year, but it's good to have a few options. prepared and then keep an eye on the conditions. In cold years there could be enough snow to make some routes very hard. In warm years, wildfires could already eliminate some options around that time.

[Conrad]

[mehitabel]

I think you would love the Pasayten, on the east side of the North Cascades. Lots of possibilities for longer loop trips and off trail scrambling.

[awilsondc]

I'd consider the Alpine Lakes high route. It combines two trails into a loop with a substantial off trail section. You'd need to study the beta for the off trail portion, but base on your description of your experience I suspect you can handle it. Here are a couple links: gpx track / map Trip report w/ video You'll encounter 17 lakes based on the second link I posted and with the off trail section you'll certainly get that "untouched" feeling, and the views from Tank Lakes are pretty spectacular. 3 days should be sufficient (or 4 if you'd rather take your time) although it's been done in a single day before so you can decide how far you want to push each day. Google Alpine Lakes high route for more info and trip reports (there are many) if you're interested.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Here's a question for the OP: do you want something that feels kinda familiar or something totally different? For a multitude of gorgeous lakes, the best place in WA is the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Some parts of it you might think you somehow are back in CA in the Sierras. If you want a different kind of experience than what you regularly get back home there are all kinds of good options. My favorites are the Glacier Peak Wilderness and North Cascades NP complex/Mt. Baker area.

[Bedivere]

Phelps Cr/Spider Meadow - Buck Cr. Pass/Chiwawa R. loop with a side trip to Miner's ridge would certainly fit the bill. Mostly on trail but lots of spectacular scenery. If you decide to do this one, feel free to PM me for tips on how to find two of the best camp spots.

[Waterman]

[Foist]

Whatcom Pass / Tapto Lakes / Middle Lakes. Deepest, most spectacular wilderness accessible by trail in the lower 48. Lots of off trail exploration around the lakes and Red Face Mountain. If you have 5 or 6 days, that is my top recommendation. But you can't go wrong with the other awesome suggestions on this page. And I second the recommendation to get a good hiking guide book just to give you ideas with photos, descriptions, sketch maps, etc. I will say that if you can go anywhere, I would not opt for the east slopes that time of year. Very hot, flowers mostly gone but no fall color yet, and there could be wildfires nearby making things smoky.

[Highsierraguy]

Wow, thanks for all the awesome tips and suggestions! So I'm thinking maybe the Alpine Lakes high Route. (Ordered maps, and waiting for them to arrive). The other option I am thinking is something in the Olympic Peninsula.... Something different than I'm used to here in Ca. It seems like the Washington coast is so unique we should take advantage of that. Any suggestions for that area? Also wondering about costal kayaking. Are there any remote areas or islands we could kayak around and camp on beaches?

[Bedivere]

I don't know about islands you could camp on. There might be one or two... Most of the islands that you can see from the beaches look like they have very steep, cliffy shores. But, you can certainly kayak down the coast and camp on the mainland beaches. Lots of places to camp along the coast. If you wanted to do a coast hike I'd recommend Ozette to Rialto Beach. Great stretch of coast and can be done in 4 very relaxed days. Biggest problem is shuttling between beginning and end points as they're not very far apart as the crow flies, but quite a ways apart on roads.

[Malachai Constant]

Most of the islands on the coast including Destruction Island are bird refuges and landing or camping is prohibited. In the Straits and Sound there are several islands where camping is allowed and there is an established kayaking trail. The San Juans have several island camps but currents can be tricky unless you are experienced and informed.

[DIYSteve]