Washington Page 5, Central Cascades: Alpine Lakes Wilderness , Interstate 90, US Highway 2

This page includes hikes and views which are accessible from the highway corridors of Interstate 90 and US Highway 2, in the central Cascade Mountains of Washington.

Climate & Geology: Washington's latitude lies in a transitional belt between sub-Arctic northern forests and warmer drier regions. Moist temperate air masses sweep onto the west coast and hit the spectacular Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, dumping heavy rain on the windward (southwest) slopes, creating dense temperate rainforest. The mountains wring the air dry, creating extensive rain shadows to their east and northeast, such as in the desert lands of Eastern Washington, irrigated by the mighty Columbia River. Washington's soil varies from shallow forest layers to windblown sand and agriculturally rich loess with basaltic outcroppings. Rocks vary widely, with tectonic uplifts of andesite, argillite, or granite in some ranges. These and many other factors have created a tremendous variety of scenery, native plants and wildflowers in Washington, which you can experience by getting out of your car near Interstate Highway 90 or US Highway 2.

Above (horizontal image): Little Annapurna, golden larch trees, Enchantment Lakes, Alpines Lakes Wilderness Area, accessible by trail from Leavenworth, Washington
Below: Yellow larch forest in the fall, beneath Little Annapurna, Enchantment Lakes, Alpines Lakes Wilderness Area, Washington.


Left (vertical image): Little Annapurna, golden larch trees, Enchantment Lakes, Alpines Lakes Wilderness Area, accessible by trail from Leavenworth, Washington

Below right: Icicles at Alpental, Snoqualmie Pass, Interstate 90.

Above: Prusik Peak and larch trees in fall, in the Stuart Range, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, Washington.

Left: Dogwood flowers (Latin name Cornus), Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

Above right: Snow & ice saucers formed on rocks in Commonwealth Creek, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, Washington. Commonwealth Basin makes one of the best snowshoeing trips in the Snoqualmie Pass area along Interstate 90. The route follows the Pacific Crest Trail or a steeper route paralleling Commonwealth Creek.

Below right: Early November snow covers Ingalls Pass and impressive Mount Stuart (9415 feet, second highest non-volcanic peak in Washington). We hiked ("post-holed") through one to two feet of snow, which motivated us to buy snowshoes for next time!

Left: Box Canyon Creek, on the hike to Rachel Lake in Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
 
 

Below: Mountain Goat and Mount Daniel. Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, Washington.


Above: Mountain Goat at Robin Lake. Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, Washington.

Chikamin Peak (left) and Lemah Mountain (right) seen from Polallie Ridge, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, in the Cascade Range between Interstate 90 and Washington State Highway 2. (I also have a wider panorama including more peaks to the right/north: Overcoat Peak, Summit Chief, Mount Hinman, Mount Daniel)

Left: The Western Coral-Root is saprophytic or parasitic on roots with large, coral-like rhizomes underground. Latin name: Corallorhiza mertensiana (Orchidaceae, Orchid Family). I found this 12-inch high, pink (and red magenta) colored orchid on the hike to Rachel Lake in Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. You can find the Coralroot in moist coniferous woods in Eastern and Western Washington, blooming in mid to late summer.
 
 

Left: This plant is a species of Pinesap (monotropa hypopithys L.), which has a cluster of 3-10 nodding pale yellow, tan, or sometime reddish flowers on a single stem. This plant is saprophytic and doesn't use chlorophyll.   Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

Left and below right: The Columbia Monkshood flower, Latin name Aconitum (Buttercup Family), with a fern in the background. Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

Above right: A camouflaged Crab Spider (Family Thomisidae) kills a bee in this thistle flower. Crab Spiders can change their coloration to match the flower within 24 hours. They are widespread in Washington and other states.

Surprise Lake:

Above:  Surprise Lake in Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, near Scenic, on US Highway 2, Washington.

Above: orange butterfly.

Granite Mountain, in Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area:

Below: Granite Mountain Lookout (5629 feet elevation), from where you can view Mount Rainier 42 miles to the south. Located in Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area, Granite Mountain is a hike of 8 miles with 3800 feet elevation gain, accessed from Exit 47 of Interstate 90.


Above: Mt. Rainier seen from 42 miles away, from atop Granite Mountain.


Above: Three Tiger Lily (also known as Columbia Lily, Lilium columbianum) flowers on Granite Mountain.

Mushrooms in Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area:

Left: Closeup section of a Coral Hydnum mushroom (Hericium coralloides) [taken from the image below right]. Wenatchee National Forest.
 
 

Below right: Two Admirable Boletus Mushrooms (Boletus mirabilis), each about five inches across, in Wenatchee National Forest, Washington.

Left: Tiny brown mushrooms appear to form a condominium over green moss, Wenatchee National Forest.
 
 

Left: Underside view of Gomphus Floccosus mushrooms (common name Woolly Chanterelle; a relative of the true Chanterelle, belonging to the Cantharellaceae family), Wenatchee National Forest.

Below: Beautiful backlit orange mushrooms (maybe a false chanterelle / Clitocybe aurantiaca?), Wenatchee National Forest.

Interstate Highway 90:

Left: Mason Creek tumbles across the Ira Spring Memorial Trail (near the Mason Lake trailhead), in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, off of I90 Exit 45.

Above right: Upper Falls in Twin Falls Natural Area, Ollalie State Park, makes a short and rewarding hike near Interstate 90 Exit #34. (Pictures of Lower Twin Falls also available upon request.)

Left: Beargrass flower stalks on the Ira Spring Memorial Trail (Mason Lake trailhead), Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (June 14, 2007), off of I90 Exit 45.

  

Below right: Snowshoeing to Kendall Peak Lakes, Washington.

Below left: Five-Finger Fern (or Western Maidenhair; Latin name Adiatnum pedatum aleuticum), in Twin Falls Natural Area, Ollalie State Park, in the Cascade foothills of western Washington.

Below right:  Snowshoeing to Kendall Peak Lakes (9 miles, 1700 feet elevation gain).

Above: Snoqualmie Pass ski area and Interstate 90 in the winter, seen on the snowshoe trip to Kendall Peak Lakes.


Above: Kendall Peak (5675 feet elevation) in winter.

US Highway 2:

Left: A glacier Lily on Johnson Ridge in late June, on the hike to Scorpion Mountain (9 miles, 2900 feet round trip), a hike in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Skykomish, Washington.

   Above right: A bicyclist stops to pet a horse, with nice views of the Cascade Mountains near Sultan, on US Highway 2, in Washington.

Above right: Beargrass flowers on the hike to Mason Lake (7 miles round trip, 2500 feet gain), with Mount Rainier in the background. This hike is accessible in Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest, at a turnoff near Skykomish on US Highway 2.

US H2: Lake Serene & Bridal Veil Falls Trail:

Above: Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2, near Index, Washington.

Below left: Bridal Veil Falls tumbles from the outlet of Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington. Seen from the footbridge.

Below right: A smaller falls near Bridal Veil Falls terminates in a log-spiked pool on the trail to Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.

Left: Carol pauses to admire Mount Index on the trail to Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.

Below right: Bridal Veil Falls tumbles from the outlet of Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Above: The trail to Lake Serene passes through lush temperate rain forest, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.


Above: Large old growth trees line parts of the trail to Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.


Above: This fern grows in a notch of a tree on the trail to Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.


Above: Sun backlights the leaves of a Big Leaf Maple tree on the trail to Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.


Above: Many ferns grow on the trail to Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.


Above: Five-Finger Fern (or Western Maidenhair; Latin name Adiatnum pedatum aleuticum), on the trail to Lake Serene, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, accessible from US Highway 2 near Index, Washington.

US H2: Carne Mountain Trail:
By hiking Carne Mountain in mid-October you can see the beautiful golden larch fall colors at their peak. The Carne Mountain trail steadily ascends 3600 feet in 7 miles round trip. On October 28, 2006, we were about a week or two past the best larch needle colors. Carne Mountain is located north of Lake Wenatchee (a side trip from US Highway 2) in Wenatchee National Forest, where the Chiwawa River meets Phelps Creek. You can also hike up Phelps Creek to beautiful Spider Meadow, which I haven't visited yet.

Above: A hiker passes golden larch trees on Carne Mountain, in Wenatchee National Forest.

Above: Fortress Mountain, Chiwawa Mountain and Spider Gap are seen behind Phelps Ridge in Glacier Peak Wilderness Area.

Above: This view from the flanks of Carne Mountain into Glacier Peak Wilderness Area includes: Buck Mountain (left), Liberty Cap, Fortress Mountain (middle right), Chiwawa Mountain and Spider Gap. (Panorama by Tom Dempsey stitched from 6 images.)

Above: This view from the top of Carne Mountain into Glacier Peak Wilderness Area includes: Buck Mountain (left), Glacier Peak, Liberty Cap, Fortress Mountain (middle left), Chiwawa Mountain (middle), Spider Gap, Sevenfingered Jack (sharp peak on right) and Mount Maude (with white glacier on right). Phelps Ridge runs from the lower left to the middle of this image, with Phelps Creek Valley in front of it, and the Chiwawa River Valley behind. (Panorama by Tom Dempsey stitched from 8 images.)

Above: Glacier Peak (10,541 feet) rises to the behind (west of) Buck Mountain (8573 feet).

Above: These larch trees have dropped their needles in late October, revealing a view of Buck Mountain (8573 feet).

Above: Hiking on Carne Mountain among golden larch trees, within view of Buck Mountain, in Wenatchee National Forest.

Above: Orange-yellow larch needles on Carne Mountain frame this view of Buck Mountain, in Wenatchee National Forest.

Recommended hiking guidebooks: The "100 Hikes" series or the latest hiking books published by The Mountaineers, Seattle.

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Washington Map:

Washington Page 5, Central Cascades: Alpine Lakes Wilderness , Interstate 90, US Highway 2

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Index to Washington:  Page 0: Highlights ~ map ~ 1 ~ 2 ~ 3 ~ 4 ~ 5 ~ 6 ~ 7

• Page 1: Seattle Area: Seattle ( fireworks , Space Needle & EMP , University of Washington ) ; Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island
• Page 1a: Seattle Aquarium 
• Page 1b: Volunteer Park Conservatory 
  
• Page 2: North Cascade Mountains : Mount Baker , Mount Shuksan , Sauk Mountain , Anacortes , Grasshopper Pass , Maple Pass , Rainy Pass SR20 , Hidden Lake Lookout , Sahale Arm , 2a: Skagit Valley Tulips
• Page 3: Whidbey & San Juan Islands: Deception Pass , Ebey's Landing , Fort Casey , Meerkerk Gardens
• Page 4: Mountain Loop Highway: Glacier Peak , Mt Pilchuck ,  Green Mountain , Gothic Basin  , Lake 22 , Walt Bailey Trail , plants, flowers, insects , southern Mt Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest
• Page 5: Central Cascades, Highway 2 & Interstate 90:  Alpine Lakes Wilderness (mountains, larch, mushrooms) , Surprise Lake , Granite Mt , Lake Serene , Carne Mountain
• Page 6: Southwest WA: Mt. Rainier , Goat Rocks , Mt. Adams , Mt. St. Helens
• Page 7: Olympic Peninsula: Lavender Farms , Olympic National Park , Port Townsend , ferries , Mount Townsend rhododendrons

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