#explorestuff

I know, I know.  It’s been weeks, or months :(, since the last post.  I have no one to blame but myself (this is Max by the way). It’s not that there haven’t been hikes to post.  It’s that life has gotten in the way of actually posting them.  With the last few months being focused on finding jobs and a place to live, we haven’t done a great deal of hiking, and those that were done seemed to take a low priority in actually being written about.  But now I can wait no longer (and have run out of excuses), so here it is: the first in a three-day posting series of hikes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of Northwestern Washington.  Aren’t you excited?

Denny Creek was mentioned to me by a friend has being a pretty terrific hike.  It’s relatively close to Seattle, pretty challenging, which wards off the masses, and has some great scenery and lakes, which are my favorite. It’s shares an exit with a sister hike that will be posted in the coming days, Granite Mountain Fire Lookout. While a peak ascent needs good weather for great views, lakes don’t necessarily need sunshine and cloudless (or high cloud) skies.  So on a foggy and chilly Monday morning I dropped Linda off and work and headed into the west Cascades.

The hike starts out easy enough with a decently flat trek up to the creek the hike is named for, Denny Creek.  I was there at low tide as it hadn’t rained in a couple days, but I can imagine how impressive the running creek would be after a good rainstorm.  I was able to walk up the creek a ways on a few very, very large boulders, and it was quite calming to watch and listen to the creek. But this was only a stop along the way to my final destination, a glacial lake.

The views of the valley and the foliage along the way were quite stunning, as the maples had just started to turn a bright shocking orange on their annual pilgrimage to deep red. What I wasn’t expecting to see was a waterfall, which shocked me as I turned a switchback.  Dramatically flanked by beautiful fir trees and orange maple leaves, it was a welcome addition to what was already one of the more beautiful places I’ve been.

After ascending the gorge, I kicked into switchback gear and headed back into the trees.  After circumnavigating the peak, through dense trees, I started a quick uphill walk before coming into a fog-laden gorge of which water and trees were barely perceptible.  Mesmerizing is an understatement.  It was amazing to watch the fog roll of the lake.  It was close to 40 degrees at the lake and I was glad I thought to bring light gloves and an extra jacket.  While I ate my lunch I watched the fog slide across the glassy water and begin to clear.  As the day warmed (very slightly) the fog lifted to reveal a beautiful, clear, deep blue lake, surrounded by more beautiful firs and maples.  This was Melakwa Lake, and it was amazing.  

I took my time wandering around the lake and came to find on the far end what is Upper Melakwa Lake. Much smaller, and feeding itself into the main body, it was dramatically set into the valley as if placed there purposefully.   Its entry to the main body was quite beautiful as well.  Creating a mini bubbling creek through a narrow gap in the rocks, it filled the main body and allowed the two lakes to coexist peacefully. 

 As cool air began to creep through my layers, it signaled my time to get my body moving again to generate some heat. So I bid farewell for now to these sister lakes and made my way back down the valley retracing my steps to Fannie waiting, who was waiting to take me on my next adventure.