It has been over 25 years since I have visited the North Fork Snoqualmie
River area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The one and only time I've been
there was on a cool and cloudy summer day in 1993, when I climbed Bare
Mountain with my wife Jeannie and long-time friend Ted. Due to the clouds,
we didn't get many views, and the grueling 20+ mile drive on horrible roads
in Ted's Fox-body Ford Mustang was probably the most memorable part.
That, and a trail hardly seen through chest-high damp ferns. On this second solo hike, I decide to check out the North Fork again, and
attempt to reach Anderson Lake via the unmaintained Lennox Creek
Trail.
The drive to the trailhead is not quite as bad as I remember it, though it
helps having a Subaru this time. There are a few clouds, but it looks to be a
lovely day for a hike, and I snap a few cool pictures on the way up the North
Fork. One thing I failed to plan for was the damage from the windstorm two
days earlier. The fact that I'm hiking early on a Thursday morning means there
are probably very few forest users out this way, and there may be some trees
down. I come across three different logs over the road, one of which is rotten
and movable by hand. The second has fortunately been partially cleared by
someone else, and the third I manage to drag off the road. Note to self: bring
a saw of some sort when on back country roads an hour from civilization. I
make it to the Lennox Creek Trail, which is less than half a mile from the
Bare Mountain Trail. I park at a 20-year-old washout at Bear Creek, and
unsurprisingly I am the only one there. This will be a theme for the
day!
I get a late start at about 9:30, and following the old road is a gentle
stroll. Unfortunately, due to copious rain the day before, all the overgrown
foliage is soaking wet, and soon my pants and shirt are as well. When I reach
the original trailhead, I can tell it's only going to get wetter, as the trail
is actually more of a stream. For about a quarter mile, I follow the trail /
stream over rocks and through mud holes, until it finally breaks out into a
bit of open forest and dries out. The trail is unmaintained, but generally not
hard to follow, and as I understand it, some volunteer trail workers (not
official work parties) brush it out on an annual basis.
I follow some short switchbacks up the side of Dog Mountain, but then come
across a rockslide and make a tactical error. I miss a turn and follow a
series of white flags across the slide. The rocks are very slick and unstable,
so it's quite slow going. After the flags rocket straight up the opposite side
of the slide, I decide this can't possibly be the trail, and retrace my steps
back across. I scramble around for another 20 minutes on the near side, trying
to find the trail, but this proves fruitless as well. After about 40 minutes
of delay, I head back downhill and find the switchback I missed about 30 feet
back. Flags (usually plastic ribbon tied to trees) can be helpful but only if
they're going where you are!
I later learn that the white flags mark the route to Devil's Canyon Mine. On
this trail, one must follow the yellow or pink flags to reach Anderson Pass.
The detour was discouraging, but I'm happy to be back on the real trail.
At least I get some great views of Goat Mountain from the slide. Note: on my
way back down the trail I see three previously unnoticed flags on a post at
the trailhead - pink, yellow, and orange. Next time I'll have to take a
Sharpie to label the flags for future adventurers. The route is pretty sketchy for about 20 minutes as I ascend a very steep,
narrow section, scrambling across a rather large waterfall.
Finally, the trail mellows out as I enter some nice old-growth forest,
passing huge boulders as I climb ever higher up the side of Dog Mountain.
There are a few blowdowns, some of them quite large, but none are especially
difficult. One would need a 5-6' felling saw to take out some of the larger
logs across the trail, but it's hard to say if any official maintenance will
reach this trail again. Lennox Creek has been left far behind, and far below
in the valley. I emerge from the woods into some heather meadows, with crystal
clear pools draining across the trail - this is just a small taste of what is
to come. The switchbacks are done now, and the trail makes a beeline across
the upper flanks of Dog Mountain, heading straight for Anderson Pass, which
can be seen in the distance.
The trees thin out even more as the trail heads straight across large granite
slabs and meadows of heather and alpine grasses. Wildflowers must be in
abundance here in the spring and summer; for this fall hike, most of what I
see is water, water, everywhere. It runs over granite, fills tranquil pools,
and splashes over and under rocks. My supposedly waterproof hiking boots are
now making a squishing sound, indicating that my feet are going to be wet the
rest of the day. I later realize that the water probably wasn't coming in
through my boots - rather, my soaking wet pants combined with my socks to wick
the water straight to my feet. This would have been a good hike for gaiters,
or at the very least some waterproof pants. I'm rather new to this "hiking
with pants" thing - have always been a shorts-wearing sort of guy.
At times the trail seems to disappear entirely, but some well-placed cairns
and a few pink ribbons here and there mark the way. The pass in the distance
is a clear destination, and cross country travel here is a pleasure. Sometimes
the trail is little more than a slightly worn bit of moss or an exposed root
or two. After skirting around some huge rocks, I make a short steep climb to
Anderson Pass, the high point of the hike today. The pass is in the trees, but
I can see Treen Peak and Mount Garfield as soon as I descend a few steps, with
Anderson Lake just below me. It's a steep drop down a rockslide to the lake,
so I follow a faint path that contours down more safely.
The path isn't long, and a more pink ribbons help me find the way.
Unfortunately, it disappears entirely about halfway down to the lake, ending
in the middle of another huge rockslide, albeit one not so steep. It's
decision time - I've already hit my planned turn-around time of 1:30 PM, and I
estimate it will take an additional hour to make my way down to the lake and
back up. On this lonely trail, I decide to play it safe and have a bite to eat
and make this my official turnaround point. I'll return to Anderson Lake
another time. There are several other off-trail lakes in this area anyway, so
this will be considered a successful recon mission.
I climb back up to the pass and head for home. The way back goes much faster,
and despite my wet feet, I greatly enjoy the waterfalls and views along the
way. The tough, steep section and the trail/stream combo seem to fly by. Just
past the official start of the trail, I notice another flag leading into the
woods and decide to check it out. Only about 50 feet from the trail, there is
an enormous waterfall as Lennox Creek tumbles down the mountainside into a
canyon. It's difficult to get a good picture due to the terrain, but this is
an massive waterfall and should not be missed if you check out this
trail.
I make it back to the car earlier than expected, having taken slightly under
three hours from Anderson Pass. I haven't seen a single soul all day, and
there is no one else parked at the Lennox Creek Trail or the Bare Mountain
Trail as I depart. This is truly a wild place, but route finding and
bushwhacking are not generally needed. I will definitely be returning, but
will bring someone with me to share in the adventure. My trusty Forester
takes me out on the hour-long drive back to North Bend just in time to catch
the sunset at Mt. Si - a rarely seen view of this famous prominence.
Stats
Time: 7 hours
Distance: 10.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2700'
Other People Seen: 0
Alpine Lakes Mission
Lakes visited: Anderson (from afar, doesn't count yet!)
Total lakes: 16 (unchanged)
Percent complete: 5.3%
Photos and Videos
360° Photo: Anderson Lake Overlook
360° Photo: Dog Mountain Gardens
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