Hiking Stuart Lake

Summer is winding down with the beginning of school this week for all of us Oregonians, and as we make our way into the fall, I am feeling very fortified with Nature from all of the wonderful excursions we managed to squeeze in during the month of August. A few weeks back we traveled up to visit my folks in Washington, to enjoy some time together seeing their place and all the fruits of their retirement. We were also fortunate to get in a day hike with my Dad up to Stuart Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which was a real treat because my partner had never been there before and I was excited to show him one of my favorite backpacking areas. 

Just the guys and I went on this adventure, heading out early in the morning leaving my daughter to have some girl time with Grandma. We arrived a the bustling trailhead, read over the fairly strict Alpine Lakes Wilderness guidelines, and hit the trail. It was about five miles of uphill climb, with stunning views of Mt. Stuart once we popped out of the forest through some meadows. 

Along the way we encountered some treats like thimbleberry and wild huckleberry.

The lake was a real treat to arrive upon, with Mt. Stuart reflected in the crystal clear waters and a border of  fir tree spires. It looked like most of the other hikers were passing through on their way up to the high country, so we were able to find a nice rocky peninsula all to ourselves.

Once we got to the lake, my son wasted no time in jumping in for a swim. It was a hot afternoon, perfect for dipping your feet in the water while enjoying a picnic lunch.

There is nothing more rejuvenating than spending a little time in the wilderness just kicking back…

And being silly!

I have a lot of good memories of hanging out by mountain lakes with my parents on backpacking trips during childhood, so it was some good deja-vu to sit on the rocks with my dad and watch my son splash around in the lake. We made our way back down the trail at the end of the afternoon, to a delicious meal cooked by my mom and tales of the girls’ day on the town. It was a fun family visit and another excellent wilderness adventure.

Here are some driving directions to the trailhead and a link the Washington Trails Associations’s website:

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/lake-stuart 

From milepost 99 on US 2, on the western edge of Leavenworth, follow the
paved Icicle Creek Road (Forest Road 76) for 8.4 miles, turning left
onto Eightmile Road (FR 7601). Continue for 3.8 miles to a large parking lot and the trailhead.