Sept. 17, 2011. Trail #1064. 8 mile Round Trip to Copper Lake. ~2400 ft elevation.
When I spoke with Candy & Ado on Friday night, I could hear a little trepidation at the idea of picking me up at 6:30 am Saturday morning. However, right on schedule we were packed up and driving off to the West Fork Foss Creek trail head. After a few false starts trying to find coffee (and an explanation of that odd phenomenon – coffee stands where there is quite a bit more barista than uniform) we stocked up on triple 16oz lattes in Monroe. From there it was a quick drive up to Skykomish and a relatively smooth 5 miles of gravel (despite the absence of shocks) to the trail head.
Candy and Ado at the West Fork Foss Creek Trailhead
It was surprisingly busy when we arrived, and it turned out that a large WTA volunteer work partywas assembling, with plans to work on a new section of trail near Trout Lake. We hit the trail, and quickly reached the Foss River, where we crossed via a large log. A few years ago I took this hike with my friend Charlie – on that trip we lost the path crossing the river (which was running under the gravel) and ended up hiking up the stream bed all the way to Trout Lake. This time around the trail was obvious and as we made our way up we passed some wonderful monster trees.
Awesome tree along the trail.
We took a little breather once we reached Trout Lake, chatting with a few groups that were heading up the trail, or out after a night in the wilderness. The lake was like glass, reflecting the forest on the far shore. I took a quick look around but could not find the local forest throne – I guess a little more exploration is warranted to expand the collection. With a little rest and some breakfast (I had sandwiches with Clara’s awesome homemade jam) we started up the next section of trail heading for Copper Lake.
The calories were essential as we began to climb through countless switchbacks. The trail passed through a jungle of damp brush and angled up along Foss Creek. We happened on a huge tree which had fallen across the trail. Despite the usual effort to move it out of the way, we ended up passing underneath.
Tree Movers!
This is pretty heavy...
The climb continued up with a fairly stiff elevation gain. Sadly, the berry harvest was pretty minimal, providing only a few small and tart berries – I have the feeling the bears will be a little slimmer this winter. As we rounded a corner the falls from the Copper and Malachite Lakes outlets came into view. The falls cascade over a sheer granite face, dropping several hundred feet, then flowing down through the forest to Trout Lake, skirting along the path. Seeing the falls provided additional incentive to keep trekking up as we realized that Copper Lake was just beyond the top…
Falls below Copper Lake
We soon made our way up to the falls, crossing the outlet from Malachite Lake, and hiking up the final half mile or so, reaching Copper Lake at close to 4000ft. It started to drizzle, so we found a spot under some trees along the lake shore. We dined in the usual high country gourmet style, feasting on bread, cheese, carrots, lettuce and a cup of Trader Joes Instant Miso Soup. After a half hour sojourn at the lake, we trekked back down relatively quickly. Along the way we met the WTA trail party – tested out their newly finished handy work and were back at the car within ~ 2 hours. This was a very enjoyable second trip to the lake, and I look forward to the next time when I might push on to some of the other lakes in the chain.
Copper Lake
Thanks so much for inviting us along
We had a great time!!