Saturday, October 22, 2005
Margaret Lake and Mount Margaret
Awakening to a beautiful sunny day in late October in Seattle is like enjoying a root canal. It just doesn't happen. Except for today (no, I didn't go to the dentist). Bella led her faithful family (Sara, Aunt Soosan, and me) on a delightful hike to Margaret Lake, followed by an ascent of nearby Mount Margaret. Whoever named these features must have had a crush on Margie!
The trailhead is reached via the Hyak exit off of I-90. It begins with an ascent along an old road through a clearcut. Sara and I actually enjoyed this section since it was open (nice views to the south, including Rainier), and there was some interesting vegetation (beargrass, lupine). Bella enjoyed a nice poop here. The forest reached higher up was also interesting. The trees are relatively widely spaced giving the forest an open feel. Margaret Lake was nice, but not amazing. Another typical Cascade lake with some nice spots to sit and enjoy the sunshine. Unfortunately the local chapter of Up With People! had reached the lake ahead of us and taken the nice rock that juts out into the lake, so we were relegated to a gravelly patch of trail. After enjoying lunch (yummy Sesame noodles for Dave and Sara, a chunk of cheese eaten caveman style for Susan, and dog food for Bella), we bushwhacked a little around the lake, looking for views to the tarns that lay downvalley of Lake Margaret (relatively unsuccesful). We then ascended back to the trail junction and took the Lake Lillian trail for about 10 or 15 minutes. About 50-100 feet past a scree/talus pile (the only one on the trip) we found a boot path that ascended straight up to Mount Margaret. Bella ran into her old pal Scooter the superdog on the way up! The view from Mount Margaret was excellent, with views of Rainier, the rugged peaks just to the west of us, Lake Lillian and her sister lakes (Lake Lillian looks really cool-its outlet is a 100 or 200' waterfall carved into bedrock), and Mount Stuart to the northwest. The descent went smoothly except for some creaky knees and a dog and human spill on the steep decent of the bootpath to Mount Margaret.
Distance: About 7 miles with the sidetrip to Mt Margaret
Vertical Gain: About 2000' (1300' to jct, 300' down to lake, 400' from jct to Mt Margaret)
Weather: Sunny, 50s, Perfect (this is late October????)
Dog Rating: Zero snarls, some cheese, interest in chipmunks.
