[mustang sal]

Desolation Peak, Little Beaver Creek, Whatcom Pass, Chilliwack River and Hannegan Peak Seven day trip that had 5 modes of transportation: car, hiking, motor boat, canoe and cable car. The first two days we rented canoes from Ross Lake Resort, paddled to Ten Mile Island after a lift from the motor boat and hiked up Desolation Peak. The trail is in great shape and the views are extraordinary. Ross Lake Resort picked up our canoes from Little Beaver TH and we set off on a groomed trail to Perry Creek. From Perry Creek to Twin Rocks there are significant blowdowns (198 in 5 miles and then we stopped counting) and massive, massive washouts from Redoubt and Perry Creek. The storm event in November 2021 caused major floods that contributed to these washouts. I want to emphasize that the blowdowns were not just simple ‘step or slide over the big tree across the trail’. There were piles of huge, splintered trees, sometimes as many as ten that had us slithering, climbing, hauling ourselves over and under and around the obstacle. Stream crossings demanded our attention but were manageable. At Perry Creek one of our party was stung by a wasp and experienced a major reaction. Fortunately she is a nurse and had a good First Aid Kit that helped abate the symptoms. We lost most of a day due to this event. Bugs were present but not overwhelming. Trail down Brush Creek was fine and offered an opportunity to cross another stream blowout at Graybeal Camp. The rest of the trip was straightforward and ended with a hike up Hannegan Peak with more astounding views. The old growth cedars on Little Beaver, mountain views, flowers and companionship provided everything we needed for a fantastic, arduous trip.