- Lupine covered every meadow this August day in 2008.
Lupine fields & blue sky
Alpine meadows awash with lupine, snow fields, mountains, clear mountain air, drifting light clouds, and the Pacific Crest Trail to show you the way. Doesn't get much better than this. The Pacific Crest Trail through Washington State's Goat Rocks Wilderness travel left to right behind these lupines, then doubles back behind the far snwo patch decorated ridge in the distance, taking you right to left, where it arrives at Elk Pass.
Friday August 15th, 2008 I packed my backpack and drove to the Scatter Creek trailhead up the North Fork of the Tieton River (the road is about 8 miles on the east side of White Pass in Washington State).
I began my backpack at 2:15 pm, late in the day for me, but I wanted to take advantage of the small window of good weather to visit the Goat Rocks Wilderness.
Four and quarter miles up trail 1118 I intersected the Pacfic Crest Trail (still called trail 2000 by many). The junction of 1118 and the PCT is called Tieton Pass.
From Tieton Pass I headed south on the PCT to the half mile long dead end trail that leads down into McCall Basin.
I visited a nice couple with three beautiful pack horses and a dog, who were camped in the basin, then set up my new Northface tadpole 23 backpacking tent for one. It turned out to be a great little tent.
I camped within sight and ear shot of the North Fork of the Tieton River about 1/4 mile downstreams from a waterfalls.
That evening I took my Canon G9 and hiked a mile up to the upper McCall Basin (which is lovely). I hiked the length of the meadow and then to the top of the waterfalls that enters the basin. Great scenery. Flowers, deer, and snow fields everywhere.
Saturday August 16th, I left camp with a light day pack at 7:15 am. A fellow solo backpacker (from Gig Harbor) camped near me at McCall Basin joined me on the day hike.
We hiked through aromatic fields of lupine to Elk Pass, roughly 3.5 miles from our campsites in McCall Basin.
We spotted a big billy goat near Elk Pass and kept our cameras going constantly with the far off vistas and the wildflowers, marmots, meadows, snow fields, boulder fields, and everything else that caught our attention along the trail.
At Elk Pass we met a couple from St. Louis who were doing the "whole thing" - - that is the Pacfic Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. At times they put in 30 mile days. They were in great shape and obviously knew what they were doing.
From Elk Pass we hike over a mile toward Old Snowy Mt. where we could look down on the last saddle before the Old Snowy Mt. traverse of the PCT (two routes possible).
A herd of mountain goat were below us. Most were hard to photograph since they were on the snow and a long way off. A nannie and kid grazing in a lupine covered meadow offered us the opportunity to get a good "goat" photo in the "goat rocks".
The waypoint for the end of our day hike is (approximately): N46 31 25
W121 27 14 at just under 7,000 feet.
This position was exactly one mile by the lower PCT crossing of Old
Snowy Mt. from the position I day hiked up to on the last day of July
in 2008 (from Chambers Lake) and I could easily see where I had stood
just a couple of weeks ago across the way.
We returned to McCall Basin camp to find it hot and the mosquitoes intolerable (for me). I broke camp, shouldered my backpack and by 3:45 pm was making my way back to my truck at the Scatter Creek trailhead.
I reached the truck at a little before 7:00 pm, happy for the wonderful country I had visited once again, and very happy to be out of the mosquitoes.
I had hike 9 miles with a day pack and another 6 miles with my backpack, which was plenty for me for the day. I couldn't imagine the St. Louis couple who were putting 25-30 miles a day in, with full packs.
Comments and faves
Scrambler27 added this photo to his favorites. (42 months ago)
Scrambler27 (42 months ago | reply)
Beautiful photograph, Oldmantravels.
oldmantravels (42 months ago | reply)
Rich - - thank you! The Goat Rocks Wilderness seemed awash in lupine this year. They not only make a pretty sight, but their fragrance is a pleasure to experience as well. OMT
wldrns, jaythom256, and Coop Photography added this photo to their favorites.
Coop Photography (39 months ago | reply)
Nice! There is tons of lupine flowers. That must have smelled nice :) It is interesting to see so many flowers in full bloom right next to snow. Great capture!
oldmantravels (39 months ago | reply)
Cooper - thanks. It was one of the best lupine years I have seen in the high country. OMT
azucargeminis (catching up slowly...) (37 months ago | reply)
Beautiful colors !
* I saw this great image in:
www.flickr.com/groups/dream2009/ *
oldmantravels (37 months ago | reply)
azucargemini from Yokohama - - Thank you! These trail side flowers were not only pleasing to the eye but filled the high mountain air, with a sweet fragrance as well. OMT
davemunroe4 (36 months ago | reply)
Great shot - I love the contrast between the flowers in the foreground and the snow in the background
davemunroe4 added this photo to their favorites. (36 months ago)
oldmantravels (36 months ago | reply)
Dave - - thanks! The Pacific Crest Trail crosses right across the top of the snow covered ridge, so you get to see the lupine fields from the top and you get to hike through them, when the PCT curls down around and through them. The Goat Rocks Wilderness in Washington contain some dramatic scenery and lots of wildlife (elk, deer, bear, mountain goat, pika, marmot, etc.). OMT
jaythom256 (34 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Goat Rocks Wilderness, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
filip.molcan, sf_rumans, AZderek, .betsy.anderson., and copperhorse added this photo to their favorites.