23 September 2015, Wednesday

Last night some other hikers came into camp around 9pm. O & I lay in
our tent as they stomped around and shone their headlights at our
tents. They seemed a bit disconcerted that our tents and our kitchen
were so spread out. I finally put on my jacket and went out to greet
them. I offered to make room on the bench we were using as our
kitchen counter, and told them to set up their tents anywhere they
would like. They were grateful that I had come out to talk to them.
They didn’t want to intrude. They had hiked all the way up the
Dosewallips trail, (the next valley over) and bushwacked over an old
unused trail across a high notch in the arete between the Dosewallips
and the Duckabush River drainages. They reached Marmot Lake (our goal
for today) about 6 pm and hiked down to our current site. They had to
have covered over 25 miles, some of it unmarked, some of it blocked
by downed trees and some over loose glacial rubble. I was impressed!

This morning we are up, as usual, around 7. The two other hikers are
already up and having a quick breakfast of oatmeal and protein
powder. O chats with them while I am packing up the tent. The older
hiker who, we were gratified to find out, also refers to himself as a
geezer, is 79 years old!! His young hiking partner is 72. I feel like
a teenager!  They’ve been hiking all their lives. The 79 year old is
very proud of his grandson who thru-hiked the PCT this year. They are
soon on their way, over LaCrosse Pass and back down the Dosewallips.
That’s about another 25 mile day.

The four of us enjoy our leisurely breakfast, glad that we all like to sit still about as much as we enjoy moving. We have matzah brei, then we pack up and head uphill. We only have about 5 miles to go today to Marmot Lake, but there is considerable elevation gain. We climb over
a few more giant logs along the trail. I’m getting a little better at
this. We tromp through meadows and through more amazing northwest
woods. Our path is mostly upward, but we descend at times to cross
more tributaries of the Duckabush. We stop for first lunch just
after another ford necessitating water shoes. Maybe it’s because it
is a shorter ford, but the water doesn’t seem quite as cold.

As we walk, we pass a sign informing us we are above 3500 feet and no
fires are allowed, only camp stoves. The scenery is becoming even
more fantastic. We finally arrive at Marmot Lake, a pretty little
lake with an island in the middle. We are not sure where to camp so
we all head in different directions to find the best site. K & I
come upon the “privy” which is really not very private. It is a
huge plastic box out in a fairly open area, albeit screened by some
bushes. One has to climb up a high step to reach the “throne.”
There do not appear to be any nice campsites nearby. S & K hike
further up the trail and return after 20 minutes or so with news of a
beautiful campsite up the hill. We all go check it out.

The campsite is perched in a little saddle on a rocky hill above Marmot
Lake. There is a beautiful view of the lake from the campsite, and in
every direction, views of high peaks. There is still snowpack
visible on some of the north-facing slopes of the mountains. A few
clouds are passing over as we all agree this as an ideal spot. We set
up our tents in a light rain and a stiff breeze. By 3 pm camp is
nicely arranged. We decide to leave our packs behind and hike to
LaCrosse Lake, about 2 miles away. The 25 mile hikers had told us not
to miss it.

We have more elevation gain and pass through rocky alpine meadows with
small streams and scattered ponds. We see a rainbow down the
Duckabush valley as we reach our highest elevation. It takes a bit
over an hour to get to LaCrosse. The walk is well worth it. We sit in
the sun and gaze at the green water and surrounding mountains. We
could have spent an entire day there, but our dinner is calling:
bechemel mac and cheese.  As we return across the meadows K
notes some brown bumps on the opposite slope. A view through
binoculars confirms another herd of elk.

We get back to camp in a misty shower. Two women have camped in the next
saddle over. They have trouble controlling their tarp in the wind. We
manage to set up our tarp. It is a nice hang. While the mac and
cheese is simmering, K & I prepare a batch of chocolate mousse
for dessert. Dinner is a great success. We all turn in, warm from
dinner and tired from our hike.