Day 4
10.08 miles, 1647ft gain/2427ft loss.
The tents, after a few showers and wind from last night, seem dry this morning, which is a relief. Eager to get going, for it’s a long hike out followed by an even longer drive to Pendleton, we pack up and leave, and it’s perfect timing. We no sooner get going, and the grey mist we awoke to starts raining lightly.
Pass the big lake just below us; we see on the opposite shoreline the biggest group of people I’ve ever seen in the wilderness, 13 of them. Below the lake, we see their campsites scattered everywhere, like a tent city sprawled out.By the time we reach the junction by the lower lake, the steady rain has stopped, thankfully, but the grey continues.
Just past the lake camps along the shore, as we begin our upward ascent to the next pass, we come to a small, almost perfectly round lake at 2 miles, which almost looks man-made, with gravel banks that slope down to the water all around, as if carved out.
The trail side hills across a large scree field gradually heading uphill to a high point along a ridge just past the round lake, at 3 miles. Then it’s back into the trees, just as the rain pelts us again. Even though we‘ve entered the relative safety of the canopy, on downhill switchbacks, the combination of wet with the cooling wind, means it’s time to put raingear back on.We pass occasional groups of people on the trail, giving proof that this is a popular hike, as well as large groups of mountain bikers.
“…and someone has “corrected” the sign with a magic marker…”
At the 4.72 mile mark, we reach a trail junction with Germania/Washington basin, and someone has “corrected” the sign with a magic marker, striking out the basin part, and inserting lake…We follow the signage right, to follow the way to Washington Lake. Now, after a slight downhill, it’s another long, upward slog through trees and grasslands until we reach the trail junction at Washington Lake Creek, at 6.4 miles. The TOPO map only shows one trail leading up towards Washington Lake, but here, at the creek crossing, is a sign that points the way south to Germania creek, and north to Fourth of July Creek trail, the trail we choose to follow, along trail #109. The other trail we just came in on is signed as #203, which is confusing…Anyway, turn right, and head north here…
The weather is gradually improving and raingear is no longer required. A large meadow here at the creek crossing with good sightlines to the surrounding peaks, cause us to break out our cameras.We reach Washington Lake at 7.1 miles, a large alpine lake hemmed in by a large ridge on the eastern shore, and this is the ridge that separates the Chamberlain lakes from this one. At the northern edge of the lake is a small grassy area with a beach that looks to be the camps for this lake.
Just past the lake we reach our last pass, Washington Pass. And head downhill to Fourth of July Lake, another pretty, small lake bounded on three sides by grassland and copses of trees, with Patterson Peak looming large on the eastern edge of the lake. Hard to believe we stood on top there just two short days ago.All the way back to the truck, we continue to pass groups of people, I feel as if I’m at Mt. Rainier national park, there’s so many people.
“…Heading down the road, we’re greeted once again with a hearty chase by the great whites…”
It’s good to be back at the truck and drop the gear. Heading down the road, we’re greeted once again with a hearty chase by the great whites, which results in one getting a face full of tire, and the other chasing us onto the bridge, that is, until he ran out of room on his side, and decided to abandon the chase…
The rest of the drive to Pendleton was pretty uneventful, until we were south of Baker City, where off in the distance we could see dark clouds forming, and sheets of rain descending below them. As we approached the storm, suddenly we were hit by the winds being forced in front of the storm, and to say they were fierce would be an understatement.
“…and a whole herd of tumbleweeds going the same speed as us it seemed, where flying across the highway…”
All kinds of debris was being blown across the road in front of us, and a whole herd of tumbleweeds going the same speed as us it seemed, where flying across the highway. As they hit the fence on the other side, they weren’t stopped by it; instead they passed right on through, like hitting a giant cheese grater, dicing them into smaller pieces.
We watched a huge tumbleweed, the size of an easy chair, sideswipe the car in front of us, causing the occupants to lean to one side, as if they were going to avoid it. It was a surreal scene, debris and tumbleweeds blowing across the highway as if stuck in a Jetstream, and it was pretty hilarious, until the rain hit. It was a true gully washer, and within minutes, the gale winds stopped but were now replaced by a steady onslaught of water, until small streams were washing down the highway. Wipers on high could barely stem the tide, and we passed several cars that just gave up, and moved to the shoulder to let the storm pass. Greg tried passing one car, that hit a huge pool of water, and sent a wave crashing into the windshield as surely as if we’d just driven into a lake at 40 mpg. I’ve never been driving during a storm like that, it was pretty amazing.
In the end, it was one of the best trips we’ve ever been on, I now have a new admiration for the wonders we saw on this trek into the White Cloud Mountains. So many lakes among massive granite peaks, it’s hard to imagine. And, after driving past the impressive peaks of the Sawtooths, it only whetted our appetite to return, and explore more of what Idaho has to offer.