Ross Lake Beaver Loop
June 17th-23rd
by Jonathan Adams
Trip Beta:
North Cascades National Park
7 day loop hike (26.5 mi) paddle (20 mi)
High Point Beaver Pass 3620' Elevation Gain 3500'
Maps Green Trails No.15 Mt. Challenger, No. 16 Ross Lake
Ron Creech, Jonathan Adams
Day 1
The day has finally come that I have been preparing for. I hope the planning for this multi sport trip and all 28 meals will pay off in the field. It's so nice to start the trip with decent weather. Picked up Ron in Tacoma, tossed the gear in the van and headed north. We arrived to the Marbelmount Ranger Station where we registered for our backcountry permit and proceeded to Colonial Creek Camp Ground. We secured a beautiful sight on the Lake, organized gear, ate dinner, and settled into bed.
Day 2
In classic Cascade Style we woke to a drizzle. Oh well can't let the rain beat you. Ate French toast and fruit for breakfast. Sorted gear, packed the kayaks, and shoved off. After a few hours of paddleing, we stopped at Hidden Cove for lunch. The rain had stopped by now and the clouds were lifting a little, but the surrounding peaks were still socked in. Once at Ross Dam we boarded the portage shuttle that delivered us to the up lake side of the lake. We paddled past Ross Lake Resort, hugging the west shore. The afternoon winds, picked up turning Ross Lake into a choppy mess. Fortunately the wind was to our backs, propelling us toward our destination. By 5:00 pm we arrived at Big Beaver Landing. We selected a sheltered camp sight and unload the kayaks. I prepared dinner while Ron built a nice warming fire. We gracefully slipped into our evening slumber.
Day 3
We woke to a break in the rain. This was so nice considering the yard sale of gear we had in camp this morning. Making the kayak to hiking transition took some sorting of gear but by 11:30 am we are off and moving. We had about 10 miles of trail hiking to Luna Camp today. The tail passed through several groves of magnificent old growth cedars. Near the rivers edge we took a break to refuel ourselves. To our delight the mountain huckleberries were out and we picked a few right off the bush. I must admit they could have used a few more days to ripen. Finally we reach our camp in the woods along a creek, set up camp and prepare dinner.
Day 4
Sunny skies again this morning, a rest well deserved. Today we gain the remainder of our elevation to Beaver Pass. We moved slowly trying not to break a sweat. An occasional opening in the forest canopy revealed the lower flanks of Luna Peak, a mountain located in the wild and remote Picket Range. By early afternoon we reached Beaver Pass. After some scouting around we found the perfect spot. This camp had flat tent pads, with a fire pit surrounded by log benches. Off to the side two huge trees stood at the bank of a small swift moving creek. Quickly we pitched our tents, and set things out to dry in the afternoon sun. In the evening, Ron and I went out for an evening excursion. Our mission was to ascend slopes high enough to get us above tree line to see the surrounding peaks. Needless to say we ended up bushwhacking long enough to feel that we gave it a good shot. We decided to return to camp and build a fire instead. As dinner wrapped up and the glow of the fire waned, the moonlight made her debut. A moon two days from being full cast her shadow through the limbs of the big trees. This was truly an awesome spectacle.
Day 5
We broke camp and headed down the pass into the Little Beaver Drainage. At Stillwell Camp we stopped for a snack, and filter water. After lunch we came to our first river crossing. The old bridge had blown out and the park was in the process of building a new steel bridge. A detour, lead us to a log that we crossed with no delay. We noticed a nice spot along the river and decided to bask in the sun, and soak our feet. By now a shift in the weather was apparent. The clouds were transforming from white puffballs into dark towering masses, so we gathered our things and continued. The further down valley we traveled the more intense things became.
In several spots the trail entered moist, lush zones where the foliage was 8 feet over head. We had to beat back the brush to even see the trail. The humidity in this world of green was like being in the Amazon Jungle. From high above, on the North side of the drainage, many massive rock slabs and gullies penetrated to the valley floor, creating a route for the years snow melt and rain water to collect and drain to the valley below. The result was extensive sections of blown-out trail, creating some difficult route finding through the brush and creek crossings.
By mid day the afternoon build up was complete. Counting the seconds between the drumming of the thunder and the cracking of the lightning, indicated the storm was 7 miles away, and moving in fast. I told Ron now was the time to put our heads down and pick up the pace. Arriving to camp before the deluge was critical at this point. Our pace quickened along with the frequency between thunder and lightening. The wind picked up, mixing the stagnant, humid air with the cool air from the storm. At first you could hear it up in the forest canopy next it hits you, those heavy drops. Camp did not seem to be arriving fast enough.
Finally we arrived to Perry Creek, a tributary of the Little Beaver. It was obvious that a high volume of water had rushed down through here. Boulders were strewn all over, along with mounds of forest debris. We carefully picked our way through all this mess and arrived on the other side. Just as the rain began to pour, I spotted an old log shelter. We dashed for cover, praising those who built it. As the rain came down we smiled knowing we would be dry tonight.
Day 6
In the morning it was not raining anymore but the trees were still dripping. No matter we just sat back and enjoyed the dryness of the shelter. All we had to do today was hike 5 miles out to Little Beaver Landing and meet the water taxi at 5:00 pm. We spent the day lounging and eating. By noon it was time to begin packing up to leave. We hiked out slowly, enjoying the freshness of the forest following the storm. We scared up a bear and watched it scurry into the thicket. After this we made sure to talk loudly before entering brushy sections again. Good thing we did, because it wasn't more that 5 min later that we witnessed a second bear running off into the woods. By 3:30 pm we were out and back to Ross Lake. The water taxi arrived on time and delivered us back to Big Beaver Landing. Thankfully all the kayaking gear and food we left was still intact. Yet again we spent another night eating, sitting by the fire, and solving the world's problems.
Day 7
Today was a spectacular morning, blue skies and no wind. Began a leisurely breakfast around 6:30 am, followed by breaking camp and organizing the gear for the return paddle. Repacking was not so bad considering, we had much less food to squeeze into the kayaks. We pushed off into the glassy water around 9:00 am. It was not before long that we were stopped to bob around in the lake. It was simply beautiful. The peaks that were shrouded in fog were as big as life. There reflection in Ross Lake was stunning. We took many pictures.
Made a quick stop at the Ross Lake Resort to check it out, and then paddled to the portage ramp were we would take the truck back over the dam. Camping out in the wilderness not seeing anyone was nice, because once at the portage we were greeted by over 20 loud and active school kids preparing for a trip of there own. It was time to leave. Arriving on the other side of the dam, we got back into the kayaks and paddled through Diablo Gorge. Once exiting the gorge the wind was blowing steadily into our faces. The mellow conditions from earlier in the day were over. For about an hour we paddled hard, soon arriving back to Colonial Creek Camp Ground. We loaded the kayaks and gear and beat feet to the nearest hamburger joint. All in the entire trip went flawlessly. The weather, scenery, and company all seemed to blend wonderfully into a memorable trip.
For more info on Ross Lake Kayaking click here
