We spent two more days hiking and playing in the northern Cascades. This national park is vast and largely only accessible through backcountry hiking. There are seemingly endless mountains to explore and nooks and crannies of lakes to discover. I’d love to come back one day.
Our first full day we opted for a gentle hike along Thunder Creek. I’m not sure why it’s called a creek as it was wide and deep, but the thunder part makes sense. The water was gushing by fast and loud! It the calmer spots it was a milky teal color, in the active spots clear and cresting.
The path followed the flow of the water through an old growth forest. Every step brought us to another giant, standing tall and strong, reaching for the blue sky and sun. I hugged one and my arms fully outstretched didn’t even make it halfway around. It’s just magnificent that they are so large, and so old. It’s amazing what happens when we protect land. These trees are a testament to that.
The ferns here are plentiful and monstrous as well. They blanket the forest floor in all shapes and sizes. They seem to be the rulers of the understory.
And then there is the big leaf maple. The leaves are at least a foot wide in places. They cover my face and make my hands look tiny. They are numerous where the forest is regrowing after a fire as they are able to soak up sunlight typically blocked by the towering evergreens. But sometimes they grow tall too, weave like a snake to reach that light.
Our hike ended at the bridge. We spied a bird’s nest of moss down below and heard a few babies chirping away. The momma flew in and out fast, feeding her hatchlings bugs. We gave them their space and went down to a sandy river beach for a snack.
As we sat there, my mom discovered how the momma bird was feeding her young. This tiny black bird would perch on a branch overhanging the river. Then she’d plop right into the water, ride the current, and dive down! We’d wait for her to pop up down river, but this strong little one would fight the current and pop up UPSTREAM! If she’d caught something good, she’d zoom off to the nest where the babies were making a cacophony of noise. Then she’d do it again, and again, and again! Her determination, strength, and skill were amazing. I could have watched her all day. I later learned she is an American Dipper. I’m in love.
Alas we did finally have to head back. On our walk back, caught up in admiring the height of the trees, we were surprised by a doe and her fawns coming up the trail. She was walking right towards us, her two tiny babies following right along. She stopped and stared, ears twitching, eyes contemplating. We moved off to the side and thought for sure she was going to walk right by us. But at the last minute she jumped up into the woods, calling to her children to follow. One fawn did, but the other went too far down the trail and couldn’t see a way up. It looked left, right, and then sprinted by us down the path. They all reunited on the other side, and I’m sure a conversation was had about future encounters with humans. What a special experience for us.
A full day of nature being lovely, mothers being badass caregivers, and heart filling time outdoors. That night my cousin Rachel arrived from Seattle, ready to join us on the next adventure!
The next day we set off for Thornton Lake. Rachel graciously drove us the five miles down the bumpy dirt road to the trailhead. We set off into the woods, following the flat trail for the first two miles through forest full of wildflowers. And then we arrived at the switchbacks.
Up, up, up they went. Fresh wild blueberries gave us excuses to stop and forage, letting us rest as we enjoyed their tart juiciness. The trail was challenging for some, so we moved slowly, but without complaint. It was a beautiful sunny day.
After what felt like an extraordinary long time, we reached the viewpoint. It was worth it. Thornton Lake glistened down in the valley below, a deep blue twinkling in the sunlight. Epic gray peaks rose before us, snow fields still covering them here and there. We sat down to a much deserved lunch break and soaked in the view.
Not feeling quite done yet, Rachel and I decided to continue on to Trapper’s Peak. It was just another 1,000 feet of elevation gain, no big deal. My parents said they’d meet us at the car!
So away we went, bouldering and scrambling up the trail. At time the path was narrow, drops on both sides, just swing a leg over this rock and a careful step down. It was a great adventure. We crossed two snow patches and watched the trees disappear as we ascended to the pinnacle.
Once on top, what a marvelous view we had. Mountains in every direction, a full circle of peaks. We were privileged to be up there alone, absorbing the immensity of the park and its peaks. We bopped around, appreciating every view, looking down to see where we came from and the two lakes beyond. Another fabulous day to be alive.
Sadly we did have to climb down, the day was passing by and we had my parents to catch up to. We hustled down (as much as you can through steep boulders) but didn’t miss an opportunity to eat some more blueberries along the way. We really tried to catch up to my parents, but I guess we spent too much time on the peak. I’m not really going to apologize for that though.
We found them at the car, resting and just a little worried. Mostly hungry. So we packed up the car and quickly headed back, a late dinner and shower eagerly awaiting us. It was a full day, but Rachel and I weren’t done yet.
After a delicious dinner, we drove over to Diablo Lake for sunset. The sun glowed behind the mountains, casting a golden sheen across the sky. As it dipped lower, the clouds were painted pink. And then just like that the sun was gone, the lake grew dark, and our beds called us. Full hearts.
Tonelli's Travels 