[HitTheTrail]

Early wednesday morning we were all packed and mentally prepared to summit Bootjack and Highchair, camp at Cradle Lake then loop out a slightly different route thursday morning. Thick morning smoke in Wenatchee changed all that. After a quick meeting and some personnel adjustments, Steve and I decided to take a chance on better air up the North Fork of the Entiat at Fern Lake. We were partially successful.

Steve approaching the lake

Fern

Steve exploring

Smoke is rolling in

Pyramid in distance

When we woke up in the morning it was starting to look like Wenatchee so we had coffee and skedaddled out of there. Good trip anyway.

Morning moon

Smoke around Pyramida

Smoke in the valley

mid morning

Getting worse

Bad news for high water next spring

A summary of trail conditions: - The bridge across Pyramid Ck has fallen in so a spring/early crossing will be problematic. - The Entiat NF valley trail is powdery dust from horse travel. - The trail up the hill to Fern has been logged out about 1/3 of the way then gets worse. - No sign of fish at all in the lake.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I saw quite a bit of haze from Mt. Pugh today, in all directions, but looking east was probably the worst. Dang it, I thought we were done with that for this year.

[Bootpathguy]

[Dale Wick]

The Fern Lake fish died late last summer (2017). Know one seems to know why. That lake has always supported a really nice population of trout. Very disappointing. Fish floating belly up in the lake. We have seen golden trout winter kill at Choral Lake (near by) but never in late summer like this.

[wildernessed]

Steve is a machine the AQI was unhealthy for the entire area I sat this one out went to the gym then stayed at a Holiday Inn now that is impressive.😷🤔

[podenski]

That smoke really is a drag. Last year I went in on that trail, and bridge was down then already. I was hiking up Pyramid but turned around as it was a day hike and I’d started too late. This year in second week of July I came back via Big Hill trail up on the ridge. This was a much better hike. Even in July there was a lot of haze, but no smoke around Pyramid Mountain. WTA trip report for Pyramid Mountain