Covell Creek Waterfall is no Secret

An impressive waterfall up Covell Creek just a mile from paved roads is easily accessible by foot. In fact, hikers actually have the opportunity to hike underneath it on their way to Burley Mountain .

Covell Creek Falls, Lewis County, Washington

To reach the waterfall take Highway 12 to Randle and turn south on WA 131 towards Mount St. Helens . About one mile south of Randle, take the left hand fork that travels up the Cispus River Valley . Follow the signs to the Cispus Learning Center and drive about 50 meters beyond the main entrance of the camp. There is a small pull-out on the right and directly across the road is the Covell Creek Trail.

Many early spring blooms graced the trail leading up to the falls.  Here, a trillium calls the forest floor home.

The trail starts out gently through the mature one-hundred year old forest that was created after the great Cispus burns of 1902 and 1919. Stay of the left side of the creek, but don’t be tempted by any of the well-maintained trails turn to the left return you to the Cispus Center . A poorly maintained but well-used one hundred yard portion of the trail will drop you off on what appears to be an old road. Veer to the right and the creek will stay within sound and sight all the way to the 60 foot waterfall. It the meantime, you will be dazzled by several smaller waterfalls along the scenic little creek.

Smaller falls dot the terrain below the main falls of Covell Creek.

The trail is actually a small loop, but a blown out bridge near the start makes the first crossing a little “unofficial”.

The waterfall is hardly a secret due to the generations of Western Washington kids that have attended the various kind of camps at the Cispus Learning Center . It is worth a visit whether you have been there before or not.

GAP Photo

Hiking the High Divide in the Olympics has its Rewards

The Seven Lakes Basin of Olympic National park is a very popular hike due to its beauty and procimity to roads. A 22 mile loop offers varied scenery for every pallet.

Just saying the words "Seven Lakes Basin" in the northwest is a significant spark in a conversation among hikers and backcountry enthusiasts. In the Olympic National Park Wilderness, it ranks as one of the most popular destinations. Part of its popularity has a lot to do with its proximity to the Sul Doc Campground, Resort and falls that draw a world-wide visitation. As we experienced, there is a constant line of day hikers that were headed to either Deer Lake or for the more hearty, Lunch Lake within the aforementioned basin.

The last few steps toward Heart Lake in Sol Duc Park were difficult on the hottest day of 2009.

The cool waters of Heart lake were a welcome sight.

Planning a trip to the basin can be complicated due to its popularity. Campsites in the area are available on a reservation basis and locations like Heart Lake are very difficult to obtain a site any day during the summer. You can call the Wilderness Information Center and reserve your backcountry site up to 30 days in advance, but until Olympic National Park becomes more in tune with actually happens on the ground, there is some flexibility. As someone who writes permits, I found that the crowded conditions on computer did not equal actual use in the backcountry. In what I thought would be a small city each night, turned out to be a total of about two dozen hikers over three days.

Mt. Appleton is the first of many ridges on the 22 mile scenic loop.

My hiking parter was my experienced but pint-sized 11 year old carrying a larger and larger pack each summer.

My other planning conunendrum included not working my 11 year old too hard on any given day. I wanted to keep him to less than six miles a day with a full pack. After I got off work in Forks on Tuesday evening at 4:00pm, we drove the hour to the end of Sol Duc Road, donned our packs and began the unknown (maps are very vague regarding specific distances to the ONP campsites) distance to our 4th campsite up the Sol Duc River. As it turns out, it was nearly five miles up stream which cut the journey the next day to only four miles.

The obligatory photo of an endless number of falls along the Sol Duc, Ridge Creek and later Canyon Creek.

Our first campsite was in the deep wood among magnificent Douglas firs and Western hemlock. It was also the first and only location where a campfire ( tough pill to swallow for an 11 year old but true backpackers understand why) was allowed. We roasted marshmellows after eating dinner in the near dark conditions of the deep-woods.

The first seven miles featured a dark, cool walk in the forest along the Sol Duc River.

I might also say that the next two days will probably go down as the hottest two days of 2009. As we climbed out of the woods into the more exposed meadows of the Olympic montane forest, the heat swallowed us. Our intake of water jumped to nearly a gallon a day each. The last of four miles was extremely tough for Jared as we appoarched Heart Lake and we arrived at our campsite at around 10am only to find it still occupied by the previous night's resident. A lady that was clearly in no hurry to move on.

While waiting for our new friend to depart our reserved campsite, we swam in Heart Lake and hiked "light pack" east on the Cat Basin Trail towards the Bailey Range.

We ended up seeing and visiting with her four additional times during the hike and week.

A grouse escorted her two chicks across a trail along Heart lake.

We spent the day trying to avoid both the bugs (largely black flies) and the heat. The latter was spent by swimming in the lake, but that did not relieve us from the bugs at all. The only true relief was total submergence in the lakes' pure waters. Unfortunately, one can not hide forever. As we visited with other hikers coming the couter-clockwise direction on the loop, they assured us that the "bugs" dissapeered at around 9:00pm. What they forgot to mention was the flies depart, only to leave the mosquitoes. Fortunately, the repellent we carried was actually affective on the latter pests.

The shape of Heart Lake gives it its name.

On Thursday morning we were strapping our packs together and had the first of three really cool wildlife encounters. Bending down, I caught a movement of white out of the corner of my right eye. Down the trail came a mountain goat with her youngster who follwed about 10 meters behind. They took a right on the spur trail right into our campsite. Jared and I yielded the the area and watched cautiously. At one point, the ewe took a couple of steps toward us and as if she were a bear, I yelled to indicate that my line on the ridge had been drawn. I got to thinking, what do you do in case a mountain goats attacks? There are entire books written on the subject with regard to bears and cougars, but goats have always been missing from the discussion! From behind, came more movement as a ram moved restlessly on the ridge above. In a few minutes, all three dissapeered into the canyon below and we were allowed to finish our packing in relative unease.

First Moma.....

The little one....it should be noted that Mountain Goats are not native to the Olympics. They were planted in the early part of the 20th century, but prior to that, glaciers in the Puget Sound area prevented them from arriving from the Cascades.

We departed for what became our most scenic day as well as the most difficult miles of hiking for my young partner. As it turns out, I made a very effective choice by taking the route up the Sol Duc first as it is much more of a gradual gain in elevation. From Heart Lake, there was a 300 foot climb to near the summit of High Divide, but after that point, the trail became a gentle, undulating route (with one glaring exception near Bogachiel Peak) until a steep drop above Deer Lake.

The Olympic Marmont is native and unique to the Olympic Peninsula. It is surprisingly large compared to the Marmonts of the neighboring Cascades. At first I tought I might have been looking at a coyote, fox and eventually a mountain lion.

At Deer Lake, we noticed that the top of the Bear Grass blooms had been chewed off. A deer demonstrated who and how as we folded up our camp on day three.

The views of Mt. Olympus and then the peaks and vallies of the Seven Lakes Basin were tremendous. Jared was especially taken by the Hoh River Valley nearly a mile below us. Unfortunately, a stop to enjoy the scene was tempered by the cloud of bugs that attacked the loitorer. My usual style pausing or even sitting for an extended period of time to enjoy a particularly joyful view was suspended. With this form of expedited travel, we were arriving at campsites much earlier than planned and our arrivial at Deer Lake in the early afternoon was no surprise.

Mt. Olympus could be viewed from nearly the entire route on the High Divide Trail.

Later in the day, we took a swim in the chilly waters and I reveled in the feel of mountain water on my tortured flesh. Better yet, the loss in elevation to a mere 3,500 feet dropped the population of flies to less than nightmarish.

Deer Lake could be seen in the distance, but it was much farther than it looked.

Deer Lake provided an excellent swimming pool in the mid-elevations of the Olympic Mountains.

Friday morning we slept leisurely and departed camp around 8:30am and arrived at the Sol Duc Trailhead at around 11:00am.

Lake Number 8 is one of many lakes in the Seven Lakes Basin and perhaps named with a touch of irony.

Overall, I count the loop as 22 miles even though I have yet to find any reports or maps that are consistent with each other. As advice to other hikers I would say hike clockwise. The trail is in amazing condition and my hat and respect goes out to the generations of Olympic National Park trail crews and enginieers that maintain this incredibly difficult route. On Thursday, we found a crew from the Washington Trails Assocition completeing work in the hot sun that parks service crews had marked as needs. There are several miles between Bogacheil Peak and the junction of the Seven Lakes Basin that could fall off the ridge at a natural whim.

The Upper Bogachiel River Valley of Olympic National Park is one area were the trail is hanging on to the side of a ridge and could be removed at the whim of any natural event.

In our haste, we were never able to visit the Seven Lakes Basin or any of the lakes therin. Thereby giving us the crack in which to plan another trip to the area.

Parting Shot....
Beargrass reflects in Heart Lake along the High Divide Loop in Olympic National Park.

Earn Peace on the South Olympic Coast Wilderness

I am still but a baby when it comes to hiking along Northwest Washington's coastal wilderness. This isn't like hiking in the mountains where at worst, a trail washout may detour your hike and cause delays. On the coast, you intimimately interact with the subject of your worship. The ocean fascinates you, it forms the trail that you walk on and will stop you on a scheduled whim.

I have had two recent hikes on the south coast wilderness which begins south of the Quillayute River. The "north coast wilderness" begins on the other side of the river and continues north to the Makah Reservation near Cape Flattery.

The Giant's Graveyard bathes in beautiful evening light as Jared and I head south on 3rd Beach.

Just east of La Push, the hikes start at Third Beach. It is 1.6 miles to Third Beach itself and then a series of ladders with rope help take trekkers up the steep slopes to cross over Taylor Point. The small head creates a natural barrier to human movement as it juts out into the surf. The rugged trail spends a long mile in the coastal forest, out of sight of the ocean before dropping back to a quiet cove on the south side of the head.

The trail drops to a point just adjacent to a rocky point that requires less than a four-foot tide to pass. There is a rugged overland route, up and over a 20 foot cliff and the Park Service has installed a help rope on the south slope, but one may choose to wait, With secure footsteps and a jolt of adrealene, the passage may be made in the gentle surf as long as the hiker doesn't mind getting wet to the hips.

Passing Scott's Bluff requires a steep climb with a rope help. Jared works his way up the climb above the surf.

The route option is another challenge to less experienced and physical hikers. Scott's Bluff requires a three foot tide to pass, but this statement is important. The rope is your friend. "The rope" is about a 75 foot help up an often muddy 60% slope. Even in dry weather, small seeps turn the clay slopes into mush and make uphill traction problimatic. On Wednesday, my son and I chose to avoid the rope in a driving rain by bouldering around Scott's Bluff during the lowest tide of 2009. It took us about an hour to negotiate perhaps 150 meters over slippery, slimy rocks and boulders before returning to the beach. Several times during the scramble, we vocalized that a repel down the rope probably would have been the better economic choice.

Jared makes progress on the climb.

As a warning, however, there are only a handful of campsites at Scott Creek and all of them were full on Tuesday night when you would think visitation and backcountry use would be at its lowest. Scott's Creek is just the right distance for those that start their hike late in the day We did find a small site farther back in the woods, but it was not the optimal ocean view campsite by any stretch.

Rangers will tell you that hiking on the coast will take almost twice as long as on a regular trail. Two more points south of Scott's Bluff to Toleak Point require five-foot tides or less (which is more than about 60% of the 24 hour day) From Scott's Bluff to Toleak Point, the route is a quick hour at low tide. South of the Scott Creek area is StrawberryPoint and then Toleak Point that looks a lot like its northern counter-part Sand Point (near Cape Alava on the Lake Ozette Loop) geologically speaking.

A Harbor Seal looks for food in a large tide pool at Toleak Point.

At low tide, Toleak offers great tide pools that should be enjoyed. One of my tide pool visits featured a visit from a small harbor seal as hermit crabs curiously crawled to the toes of my boots. An eagle scoped the pools for opportunity from the 60 foot rock that is Toleak Point. Wide beaches attract novice and experienced hikers at the south coasts most popular destination.

An eagle scopes the shallow waters north of Toleak Point for an easy meal.

Getting to Toleak Point is an easy 6.2 mile coast hike that is largely easy, but has challenges for those without overall fitness. Standing on the beach at Strawberry Poit or Toleak and knowing that you are in total wilderness relaxes your entire persona. The farther you get from the Quillayute River, the easier the weight on your shoulders.

World Class Scenery at the Enchantments

It was back in 2006 as I was surfing through the regional wilderness programs that I stumbled onto the web page of the Wenatchee National Forest. It told of a wilderness area that was so sensitive that it was limited to permit entry only. Initially put off by the formality, I wrote off the Enchantment Lakes area of the Alpine Lake Wilderness area as a place I wasn’t really interested in.

Fall colors collide with scars of a forest fire nearly a decade old in Snow Creek Canyon.

This year, inundated by magazine articles and web posts of experiences in the basin, I finally decided that I would have to see it for myself. I went through the permit process which was a mere formality and the cost at $3 per day which includes parking at the trailhead is less than buying a daily Northwest Forest Pass.

The photographer and writer on the trail home on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008.

The catch is this, 60 people are allowed to camp in the greater Enchantments area. Only a small number of those actually get to camp in the highest basin, an area of serene alpine, granite shrouded creeks, ponds and lakes between 6,700 and 7700 feet in elevation. Permits are accepted beginning February 20th and most days of the summer are filled early. When I applied for my permit in early summer, I had two advantages. One, I was going to come after the high visitation season and two, I was going in the middle of the week rather than the weekend. Event then, camping in the upper most basin was not available; That is until I arrived at the Levenworth Ranger District Office to pick up my permit.

Granite Islands protrude above the waters of Lower Snow Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

My strategies were carefully thought out to maximize what little amount of time I had. Most recommendations include a minimum of four days. I had three and a partner whose fitness level might be a challenge. The plan was to hike in, 6.5 miles to Snow Lake and set up base camp. On day two, we would hike up to the Enchantments and wander.

The upper end of Nada Lake quietly wakes up before sunrise.

My mind raced as the information specialist at the ranger district office offered us and “Enchantment permit”, the crown jewel of overnight wilderness experiences in Washington. I knew even my fitness level would be extremely challenged by such a one day endeavor. I was too locked in to my own planning to change entry points that might allow for such flexibility.

Prusik Peak and the Enchantment Peaks (also known as "The Temple") tower over the lake basin of the same name.

As it was, my partner and I slogged to Nada lake, a mile short of our original goal. The trail begins four miles out of Levenworth on Icicle Creek Road at 1800 feet. Five and a half miles and three major switch-backing, elevation gaining, grinding miles later, we arrived at Nada Lake with just enough time to set up camp before dark. This was short of our goal and during high season, this kind of accommodating choice would be frowned upon. Every camp site is spoken for by permit, but on this late September night, we were alone at both lakes.

The long end of Leprechaun Lake in the Enchanted Lakes Basin resides in fall color uner McClellan Peak.

A pile of rocks mark the trail route.




I have to say right up front that fitness levels need to be high for this hike. After traversing the lower portion to Nada Lake, my partner decided he didn’t have the physical capabilities needed for the days hike into the upper most basin, (as it turns out, a very good choice) so I set out at first light. I Passed the Snow Lakes and then to the final 1,200 foot granite face, I hiked and climbed. Some times, granite cliffs with hand and foot-holds were as high as 30 to 40 feet had to be ascended with hand over hand “bouldering”, challenging, but not technical rock climbing. As I approached the rim, the trail became all granite and no soil. It was marked by the strategic piles of rocks.

You have to love the 70-plus percent of silica that is in granite. That makes the rock essentially 70%, rough cut glass, so gripping the rocky trail is much easier than it sounds. Anyone that has done any hiking in the Sierra-Nevada (Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Sequoia) can probably relate.

I had two goals for the day. One (very child-like I admit) to see mountain goats at close proximity (not ½ mile away like in the Goat Rocks Wilderness) and two, to catch some glowing gold Western Larch and add them to the photo possibilities of my late season visit.



The trail went between thick stands of golden larch.







The first goal was met the moment I crested the top of the rim when two Mountain goats were right in the middle of the trail picking lichen off of the rocky surface. There was no getting around them so I waited and moved slowly. Eventually, I followed them on the trail to a place where there was space to safely get around with minimal disturbance.

These Mountain Goats were on the trail as I approached Lake Vivian in the Enchantment Lakes.

The second goal was right in front of me as I wandered the Enchantments; A series of ponds and lakes that were inter-connected by a small stream that ran from the Upper basin near Isolation Lake to tarns and small water boddies to the lowest at Lake Viviane. At that point, the water dropped in dramatic fashion clear down to Snow Lake on its way to the Wenatchee River via Icicle Creek at Levenworth some 7,000 feet and 10 miles down stream. There were so many angles, so much art to compose that it was with near sadness that I had to consider how little time I had to spend there. Sometimes I was driven to near tears by the awesome beauty and at least one time I thought how my camera will seem worthless after this trip, because it captured the pinnacle of beauty on this one trip.

The fall color of Western Larch contrast the pure waters of Lake Vivian in the Enchantment Lakes.

Now I consider the lessons learned. The first of which is respect the time needed to truly experience this place. Planning and obtaining the needed permits is essential. I would suggest entering the Enchantment Basin via the Stuart Lake Trail after staying the night at Colchuck Lake . The next morning ascend Asgard Pass and drop into the Upper Basin of the Enchantment Lakes. Spend at least one night among the Enchantments and then drop to Snow or Nada Lake for your last night in the area. Depart via the Snow Lakes trail. Of course this requires a shuffle of vehicles or a full-blown beg for a ride to the Lake Stuart Trailhead, but those are logistical problems that will pale to the overall experience.

Little Annapurma towers above an island in Perfection Lake. Western larch give the scene color.

As I wandered among the pure waters and granite spires, I met and talked with people who had come to see this world class scenery from all over the globe. Three were from England and one camped next to Lake Viviane that hailed from Virginia. In a hushed conversation he told me he was already planning his return trip to this place that cast a very pleasurable spell on him.

A scenic shot of Prusik Peak and Lake Viviane in the Enchantment Lake Basin.

South Fork Tieton River

This is how finding and accessing wilderness trails should be. Kudos to the Wenatchee National Forest! There are great roads leading in and it was no problem finding. There was a lot of recent maintenance on the trail and I suspect a lot of that belongs to the Backcountry Horsemen, but it looks like other crews as well. Clearly, this trail is maintained for the horsemen. I saw a total of 8 while seeing only two hikers. The trail itself is in good shape except for the way the horses turn the tread to a fine powder. It’s like walking on dry beach sand for the better part of 9 miles. In other words, I used a few muscles that have not been properly exercised this summer.

I caught a photo of this fast moving and rare mountain wildlife.

Keep in mind, the Conrad Meadows are an active grazing allotment and that means the presence of some free range cattle. Look to avoid the bulls.

One group of cows I met was right on the trail. They gladly yielded, but a large bull that was resting just adjacent to the path was not so accommodating. He did stand to greet me, but then proceeded to stare my way in a menacing fashion. I chose to be the one to yield, leaving the trail and finding my way through the woods for 50 yards or so until I was out of the attention range of the large animal.

Mt. Curtis Gilbert dominates the landscape above Conrad Meadows.

To reach the Conrad Meadows, take Highway 12 to east of Rimrock Lake and turn onto Tieton Lake Road. Go for about 6 miles and turn south on USFS Road #1000. You will drive for 7 miles on single lane pavement and then the road turns to a wider, but well conditioned gravel road. Signs point the way to Conrad Meadows with little or no required guesswork.

The upper watershed of the South Fork Tieton River drains a portion of the Goat Rocks Wilderness.

The trail starts in the meadows about 4,500 feet above sea level and spends the first 3 miles in an almost flat layout. The early views are stunning. Open meadows with patches of pine and fir provide a foreground for the rugged peaks of the Goat Rocks in the background. The scenes remind me of many photos and post cards that are placed into my memory of Colorado. Unfortunately, the amount of bug-killed timber that dots the lower elevations of this hike reminds me of places all over the west, which caused my mind to consider the debate about how to best manage such resources.
Lodgepole Pines have been killed by the Mountain pine beetle while other trees in the area were hit by the Spruce bud worm.

There is a major bridge were Conrad Creek joins the South Fork of the Tieton River.

After a couple of river crossings, the trail splits and begins a loop around a large cirque that forms the drainage of the South Fork Tieton River. I chose to turn left and go counter clockwise. Immediately, the trail started climbing, switch backing between two smaller creeks. One of them had a significant waterfall that caught my interest, but access for a photo looked pretty tough. About 30 or 40 minutes later of moderate uphill hiking, I found myself on the shores of Surprise Lake. I rapidly took off my boots and waded out into the crisp waters to watch fish jump and take in the spectacle under Conrad Mountain.

A salamander swam right under me during my dip into Surprise lake.

After the lake, there was about 30 minutes worth of brilliant, high mountain meadow scenery as you follow the natural give of the geology. The trail gradually dips into the forest with occasional stream drainages of interest, but largely, only modest flower gardens kept my attention from the doldrums of the slow decent.

A small creek cut a small gorge in the walls of the ccanyon.

Even though the weather was perfect for them, bugs were a minimal problem.
The scenery is great and I had a perfect day of weather. Overall I looked at this trail like an amusement ride where I had to wait in line way too long...there was a lot of hiking for a short period of class A scenery. I would try Snowgrass or Berrypatch before driving the extra hour to Conrad Meadows.

Beautiful Surprise Lake was a wonderful stop.