Day 12 of Lupe’s 3rd Summer of 2021 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast!
10:27 AM, Austin Pass, Heather Meadows Recreation Area – A later start than it should have been, but that wasn’t Lupe’s fault. Coming to the North Cascades in Washington had finally paid off as far as escaping the wildfire smoke that hung over the rest of the American West, but even so, skies weren’t blue. Rain last night, then fog this morning.
Overcast, but at least the fog had finally lifted. Beyond a pond next to the parking lot, Table Mountain (5,742 ft.) was in sight. Whether that would last, or fog would return, was anybody’s guess.
Would be a lot better, if we had some sunshine, Loop. Still want to try it?
We’re here now, SPHP! Better take what we can get. Let’s give it a shot!
SPHP glanced at the posted trail map.
Alright, then! But let’s give the sky a chance to clear up before we get to the Table Mountain trail by taking the Chain Lakes trail counter-clockwise around the mountain. That’s the long way. Will take us quite a while.
Fine with me, SPHP! So, where do we go from here?
That way! Down to the visitor center, Looper.
The visitor center was closed. Near it, displays were mounted on a rock wall overlooking the beautiful valley NE of Table Mountain.
Huh. I don’t get it, Loopster! Late Tuesday morning in mid-August, and the visitor center is closed? Why?
We passed Mt. Baker Lodge on the way up, SPHP. Maybe this is just a ski resort area?
Hmm. You might be right, Looper. Winter’s probably when the big money is here. Quite an extensive trail system, though. I would think the visitor center would be open since it’s located by all these trails, and not over by the lodge or ski lifts.
No sign of the Chain Lakes trail, but a paved Fire & Ice trail headed SW. Maybe that was the way to go? Loop followed it down to a viewpoint overlooking upper Bagley Lake, but by then it was clear that the Fire & Ice trail was just going to loop back to the visitor center.
Turning around to head back up to the visitor center, SPHP spotted a use trail leading over to a little ridge to the N.
Guess I’m not the only one that’s confused! Bet that use trail will get us down to the Chain Lakes trail! C’mon, Loop, let’s try it.
Worked great! Lupe was soon on a maintained trail that did lead down to the Chain Lakes trail, accessed via a stone bridge over Bagley Creek.
After crossing the bridge, Lupe took the Chain Lakes trail W (L) along the N shore of Upper Bagley Lake. She came to one rocky section, but most of trail was flat and super easy.
Once past the lake, the trail began slowly gaining elevation. A remnant of a big snow field was melting off to the L. Soon a rock slide appeared ahead. The trail went right through it.
Beyond the rock slide, the Chain Lakes trail entered the upper valley. Bagley Creek was only a small, tumbling stream up here. Lupe never had to cross it, but she did cross several tiny tributaries flowing over the trail as it began switchbacking higher.
After switchbacking NNE up a steep slope, the Chain Lakes trail turned NW, now destined for Pass 5300 between Mazama Dome (5,800 ft.) and Table Mountain’s N Ridge. Views improved steadily during the long trek higher, but the sky remained as cloudy as ever.
12:34 PM, Pass 5300 – The Chain Lakes trail topped out more than 100 feet above Pass 5300 on Mazama Dome’s SE slopes. A shame it was still so cloudy! This was a very scenic area. Popular, too! Several groups of hikers were distributed about the region, and more were on the way.
About time for a chocolate coconut bar, isn’t it, SPHP?
That it was! Climbing a little above the trail, Lupe chose a boulder as a perch. SPHP shared the requested chocolate coconut bar with her.
On a clear day, the American Dingo would have enjoyed a spectacular view of Mount Shuksan (9,131 ft.) well beyond Upper Bagley Lake, but only the lower slopes could be seen now. Part of what had to be Table Mountain’s summit region was visible to the SSW. Looked only a few hundred feet higher. No way to get over there from here, though. A 200+ foot high cliff ran all along the mountain’s N face.
Views W of the pass were the most surprising, in fact, shocking, of all. Lasiocarpa Ridge (6,521 ft.) and Coleman Pinnacle (6,403 ft.) were in sight, but there was no sign of Iceberg Lake, largest of the Chain Lakes.
Holy moly, Looper! I should have looked at the topo map more carefully!
Why? What’s wrong, SPHP?
Iceberg Lake is way down in a deep valley! Had no idea we were going to have to lose so much elevation! Here we’ve climbed all this way from Upper Bagley Lake only to have to lose it all again. Going to be a lot more elevation gain and loss on this little jaunt than I realized.
Well, not really. That was an exaggeration. Finally consulting the map, SPHP saw that the Carolina Dog was going to have to lose a little over 600 feet to get down to Iceberg Lake, half of what she’d gained on the way to Pass 5300 from Upper Bagley Lake. Still, 600 feet was nothing to sneeze at. It would all have to be regained soon enough.
For the moment, it was no big deal. Descending W of Pass 5300, losing 600 feet went smooth as silk on the good trail. Nice and easy! Lupe had barely started down when part of Iceberg Lake did come into view.
On the way down, Lupe lost sight of Iceberg Lake as the trail entered a heavily forested region. She’d lost nearly the entire required 600 feet when Hayes Lake, a smaller one N of Iceberg Lake, came into view.
Lucious, ripe blueberries were thick in this region, resulting in a delay as SPHP became entangled in the blueberry trap.
Come on, SPHP!
I’m trying, Loop, but they’re so scrumptious!
SPHP wasn’t trying very hard. Nevertheless, Lupe eventually prevailed. The Chain Lakes Trail continued WSW between Hayes Lake and Iceberg Lake. With the exception of one glimpse of Iceberg Lake, all the views were of Hayes Lake. Side trails went to Iceberg Lake, but they were all closed for restoration.
Beyond the gap between Hayes Lake and Iceberg Lake, the Chain Lakes trail turned S. Although only slightly W of Iceberg Lake, trees continued to block the views. SPHP was beginning to worry that Loopster never was going to get a good look at Iceberg Lake when, near the S end of the W shore, she came to a clearing.
And there was Iceberg Lake, deep green, mirror smooth, nestled at the foot of Table Mountain (5,742 ft.). Magnificent!
From Iceberg Lake, the trail turned SW before curving S again to cross the outlet stream, one of the main sources of Wells Creek. Nearby, this stream flowed into Mazama Lakes, two small lakes very close together.
From the S end of the smaller lake, which was little more than a pond, Wells Creek plunged into a deep canyon to the W.
Sounds like a big waterfall down there, SPHP!
Sure did! The little stream made quite a roar as it exited the tiny lake. Would have been fun to go take a look, but if Lupe still hoped to climb Table Mountain, she needed to press on.
Whether climbing Table Mountain would even be possible, though, was increasingly in doubt. The Chain Lakes trail crossed a big rock slide as it left Mazama Lakes. Looking back, fog was sweeping in.
Gaining elevation again, the Chain Lakes trail became increasingly steep as Lupe continued past the rock slide. Fog came and went, but returned more and more frequently. A rounded ridge or hillside could sometimes be seen ahead. When Loop got there, the trail turned SE.
The map showed a W route up Table Mountain somewhere not too far along this next trail section. Should be on the L. SPHP kept an eye out for it, as Lupe went through a forested stretch. Sure enough, she soon came to some kind of a trail that started up a steep slope on the L. No signage here, and the side trail was covered with branches, apparently to discourage its use.
Hmm. Maybe not such a good idea? Sticking with the Chain Lakes trail, Lupe kept going.
Upon leaving the forest, a long stretch of trail could be seen curving up to a much bigger open ridge. Views should have been spectacular along in here, but Loop enjoyed only occasional blurred glimpses of what was across the valley. Most of the time, she just trotted on through the fog.
Upon reaching the next ridge, Lupe came to a 3-way junction. By now, about the only thing that was clear was that the American Dingo wasn’t going to get to climb Table Mountain. No sense in expending that much effort in a dense gray fog. However, she could still go past Artist Point to Huntoon Point (5,247 ft.), which was lower, and also had a trail to it.
What do you think, Looper? Want to tag Huntoon Point? Not going to see a thing, but at least it counts as an ascent for the day.
Huntoon is kind of a pointless point, aye, SPHP?
Afraid so, Loop. Your call. Doesn’t really matter to me.
The Carolina Dog was in favor. Turning R at the junction, she’d only been going a few minutes, when a friendly young couple appeared out of the fog. Fortunately, SPHP stopped to chat with them. Right away they set SPHP straight. This wasn’t the way to Artist or Huntoon Point.
This was the Ptarmigan Ridge trail. Artist Point would have been a L turn back at the junction. They were heading back that way right now.
The fog suddenly cleared. The young couple was right! Artist Point and Huntoon Point were visible along a ridge more than a mile E.
Fog immediately swept over the ridge again. The vision vanished, and so did the young couple, eager to be on their way.
Nice to know I’m in the good paws of such an experienced navigator! After all these years, can’t you even read a map, SPHP?
Oh, hush, uppity Dingo! You know how it is! Easy to get lost in the fog. No visual clues, and fog always makes it seem like one has gone a whole lot farther than is actually the case.
Especially when the fog is in your brain, SPHP!
No doubt! Well, whatever. I plead guilty. So what? Get over it. C’mon! Onward, Puppy ho!
Lupe went back to the junction, and this time headed for Artist Point.
Traversing a steep slope, the trail was flat now. Progress was rapid. Soon it seemed like there was less fog. Artist Point kept appearing and disappearing from view. Now and then, Lupe could see across the valley.
It was meant to be. Loopster wasn’t far from Artist Point when a rough trail appeared going up the slope to the N (L). At this precise moment, the sun broke through the clouds. Wonder of wonders, blue sky! SPHP paused to check the map.
This is it, Loop! Start of the Table Mountain trail!
I thought we passed it way back there, remember, SPHP?
That was the W approach. This is the E route. If it’s going to turn sunny, we can still go!
Looking up, the nearly vertical E end of Table Mountain was in sight. Two people were up there! Winding their way down the mountain, they were going pretty fast.
C’mon, Loop! Let’s go talk to them!
Setting off on the rough side trail, a short climb got Lupe up to a clearing on a ridge. Turned out that there was another 3-way trail junction here. Maybe a good spot to wait for the 2 hikers.
An older couple soon appeared. They were happy to chat. The trail up Table Mountain wasn’t as difficult as they’d been led to believe. Despite constant exposure on the way up, the trail was good. Plenty wide, just have to be a little careful. Once on the summit plateau, the rest is easy. Absolutely gorgeous!
No one at all left up there now! Oh, and one more thing. No pets, due to some loose rock and the exposure.
And with that, they were on their way.
What? No pets! Lupe had seen lots of dogs on the Chain Lakes trail. No one had a problem with them.
Tough break, SPHP! Guess you’ll have to wait here. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back! Might want to brush up on your map reading till then.
Hey, now! They meant you, not me, crazy Dingo! You’re the pet. Besides, they said not a soul is up there. Might well be true, as foggy as its been. Let’s go sneak a peek at what’s involved.
Sure enough, Lupe passed 2 no pets signs in the forest before emerging where she had a clear view of Table Mountain’s E end. Both signs were old and almost falling over. SPHP wasn’t impressed.
Doesn’t look like they really care, Looper. We came more than 1,000 miles for this, and won’t be bothering anyone. Let’s have at it.
The trail up was awesome! Loose rocks? Yes, some, but Looper didn’t make any of them tumble. Mostly solid rock. Exposure? Yes, but the trail was always 3 or 4 feet wide. It wound ever higher in spectacular fashion. Soon the American Dingo was looking down on both Artist Point and Huntoon Point.
A bigger climb than it appeared, but it didn’t take that long for Lupe to reach the end of the exposed part of the trail. As the terrain leveled out, the trail curved W around the S side of a hill. Instead of following it, Lupe climbed the hill. A couple of minutes got her to HP5553.
4:30 PM, HP5553, Table Mountain’s E summit – Wow! Incredible! It was another world up here! Table Mountain had a much more alpine feel than the Chain Lakes trail did. Lots of rock, patches of snow, blue-green tarns. A few trees, mostly along the steep S edge of the mountain. The broad summit plateau stretched nearly 0.75 mile to the true summit at the far W end.
Lupe stood at the absolute high point of the E summit next to a small cairn. A taller one rested nearby on a lower rock formation. The older couple was right! Absolutely gorgeous up here! Only one disappointing development. Blue skies had been a fleeting phenomenon. None now. Whole sky was gray again, all the higher peaks hidden in the clouds.
Oh, to have been here on a clear day! Why had the sun appeared, then forsaken the Carolina Dog? Mere glimpse of Mount Shuksan (9,131 ft.), and no sign at all of Mount Baker (10,781 ft.).
It was what it was. Lupe was going to have to make the best of it. Still awesome up here! At least the local surroundings were all visible. Far better fortune than she’d been resigned to half an hour ago. Along the S edge of the summit plateau, the Table Mountain trail wound W toward the true summit.
Looks like fun, SPHP! C’mon, let’s get there before the whole mountain is socked in again!
Lupe headed W, picking up the trail again shortly before reaching a low spot where a big snowbank was melting away. Clearly, a frosty frolic was in order! Looper ran off to complete the mission.
The whole trek W was a grand time! A rumpled summit plateau made for a fair amount of up and down along the way. To Loopster’s delight, the Table Mountain trail actually crossed more snowbanks. By the forest along the S edge, it circled past a shallow tarn. Beneath the moody sky, there were rocky ascents and declines as wisps of fog sailed by.
Lupe had a blast exploring both on and off trail. The final rocky ascent to the true summit region at the W end of the plateau began all too soon.
Near the end, SPHP lost the trail again, making a short, but very steep scramble necessary.
Not much farther now! A last push higher, and the terrain began to level out. A forested high point was visible along the S edge of the mountain. At first, it appeared to be the true summit, but getting closer, a similar hillock obviously a bit higher appeared even farther W.
By now, Loop had rediscovered the trail, which continued on toward the second high point.
5:26 PM, 48ºF, Table Mountain (5,742 ft.) – Foggy. Lupe stood on a flat rock at the top of a rise only 10 or 12 feet higher than the surrounding territory. A few trees and stumps took up much of the space on Table Mountain’s true summit, which was only 10 feet in diameter.
No indication of a survey benchmark, despite one shown on the map. No registry, or even a cairn. Under current circumstances, two small tarns to the NE at the base of this knoll were the only view.
Paw shaking time, Loopster! Congratulations on your successful ascent! Never would have believed it only a little while ago.
Thanks, SPHP! Might I take this opportunity to mention that paw shaking time is also chocolate coconut bar time?
SPHP found a spot to sit down. Showing true dedication while curled up on SPHP’s lap, the Carolina Dog did her best to lighten the pack of any lurking chocolate coconut bars, a project completed in jig time.
Born on a W breeze, fog streamed by, intermittently hiding even the nearby tarns to the NE. Occasionally the view opened up. Huge valleys were visible then, but not the surrounding peaks. A small tarn could be seen way down on a flat region to the N.
Conditions eventually improved. Far to the W, a bright patch of yellow sky appeared along the horizon. End of the clouds? Yellow brightness slowly grew, as if coming this way, but never seemed to get any closer. Then, suddenly, the lower glacier-clad slopes of Mount Baker cleared.
Beyond the two tarns to the NE, another heavily forested high point looked to be about the same elevation. The possibility that it might be the true summit couldn’t be ruled out from here.
We ought to investigate. Ready to do a little more exploring, Loop?
Already tired of sitting, the American Dingo was all for it. Going around the W end of the two tarns, she headed for the competing high point. SPHP kept an eye on Mount Baker, hoping more might be revealed.
Over at the competing high point, Lupe sniffed about the highest ground to the extent possible, but the forest was so dense that it was difficult to maneuver. Couldn’t see the first high point at all from here, so it really wasn’t possible to tell if this was actually the true summit, or not.
No survey benchmark, no cairn, not even a path into this thicket! Don’t think this is it, Loopster.
Farther NE, more high points were visible out on open terrain. Lupe ventured that way. Fun and interesting territory, but definitely lower.
6:19 PM, Table Mountain – Returning to the consensus true summit, the American Dingo sat on the highest rock for the final time, Mount Baker still partially on display beyond her. Sadly, time to go.
Table Mountain has been a blast, SPHP! So glad we got to come here. Nothing against Huntoon Point, but this had to be better!
Yes, it’s been fun, Looper. Funny how things work out sometimes. The only brief sunny moment of the whole day at the right spot made all the difference. Never would have happened without that encouragement.
The fun wasn’t over yet! Lupe had the whole return along the length of the entire summit plateau to look forward to, followed by that awesome snaking exposed route down off the mountain.
SPHP kept an eye on it, but Mount Baker’s summit never fully emerged from the clouds. Still some gorgeous views of the rest of the mountain, though, in the evening light. Lupe sniffed and ran to her heart’s content on the magnificent plateau. Progress was rapid going E, since it was mostly downhill this way.
7:29 PM – The sky was about as clear as it had been all day long when Lupe reached the official start of the Chain Lakes and Table Mountain trails at Artist Point. The giant parking lot and the road leading up to it from Austin Pass were new, open today for the first time after repair.
Perhaps why only a few vehicles were here this evening? Lupe went over to join the small crowd gathered to see Mount Baker at sunset. Sherman Peak (10,160 ft.) was visible from this perspective, too.
Just in time! Two minutes after reaching Artist Point, fog came boiling up out of the valley to the S. The show was over. Sherman and Baker vanished in an instant. The fog was so dense that SPHP had a hard time finding the road leaving the parking lot.
The rest was easy. A pleasant brand new road hike all the way down to Austin Pass. Lupe was soon below the fog. She wasn’t far from the end, when the clouds to the E fled, revealing Mount Shuksan (9,131 ft.).
The Chain Lakes trail and Table Mountain! What a fantastic, memorable day! No doubt would have been even better, if the skies had been blue. Lupe had been lucky, though, and had gotten to see almost everything.
In any case, there can’t be too many Carolina Dogs that can say they have ever seen Mount Baker from the glorious, fog-swept summit of Table Mountain! (End 8:25 PM, 51ºF)
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