Pinnacle Lake
07/29/2006

4 Miles round Trip
1100 Feet Elevation Gain

Pinnacle Lake Trailhead

Backpacking, Hiking, Camping, or the REI garage sale?

Well, due to the lack of tent space and weather forcast for Sunday, Callie and I went to the REI Alderwood garage sale. I picked up a couple pairs of pants and a filter for Callie. The filter is pretty cool. You just fill the bottle, and the water is filtered as you suck it out of the straw. She was really excited about it, so I used it as a motivator to get her to go for a hike. "Do you want to USE it now?"

We got home and dragged Scott out of bed around noon, packed up, and headed toward Verlot to hike to Independence and North Lake.

As per the recent news articles about the murders of Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden on the Pinnacle Lake trail, it was recommended that hikers check in at the ranger station before hiking along the Mountain Loop Highway since the killer was still on the loose. We stopped, discussed the conditions with the ranger, and decided to head to Pinnacle Lake instead. The kids weren't scared and I didn't want to let some criminal tell me where we can and can't hike. I wanted to take back that damn trail.

Sign at the trailhead

The trailhead wasn't completely deserted. Two other cars were parked there, the only two cars I saw the whole way up. A Crime Stoppers poster adorned the sign at the trailhead. It was completely out of place, and I wanted to tear it up, but thought the good that it could bring was more important than my anger. The crime scene tape along the road didn't please me either.

Huge hemlocks and cedars line the trail

Regardless, we strapped our packs to our backs and headed up the trail, wary of our surroundings. Both kids hiked close by me, not because they wanted to, but because I insisted.Gradually climbing, the trail is quite rocky, blocked by roots, and narrow. Just the way we liked it. Huge trees of various species watched over us, and the salmonberries provided a nice treat. A short portion of the trail is devoid of undergrowth, but that is passed quickly, and the life sprouts up again.

Mmmm, salmonberries!

What a beautiful hike, and one that I can't believe I've overlooked for all these years. It wasn't in my "Best Hikes for Childeren" books, my hiking bible for trips with my kids for the past couple of years.

The trail is quite muddy in places

At one of the switchbacks, we met the first hikers we'd seen that day. They were coming down and promised that is "sure is pretty from the top." At one of the switchbacks, the trail seems to continue forward, and we spend a good few minutes bushwacking until Callie remembered that she saw the real trail back where we came from. She got a new nickname for that. "Pathfinder." She said she already had enough "forest names" and I asked her to choose her favorite. She told me that you can't choose your own. So, "Pathfinder" it is until I think of another.

"Pathfinder" climbing up the trail

Callie had to really climb over some of the blowdowns, but had fun doing it. Scott just trudged along, not saying much. They were getting really tired, and I promised them that we were close. I saw the top of a ridge, and assumed the lake to be on the other side. A tiny lake was there, but not big enough as I derived from my map. They really wished it was, though. We crossed the only other hiker we saw that day. A gentleman who couldn't hear what I was saying came around the corner and said we were about fifteen minutes away. I looked at the kids and they wanted to press on.

"Butt" rock

The trees open up to a sub-alpine meadow filled with heather, glacier-polished rocks, and krummholz. I'm not positive they were, but wanted to say "krummholz." Both kids were excited and almost began running when they saw a small, grassy tarn. Again, I thought the real Pinnacle Lake was farther on. They didn't seem to need or want any more than "Pinnacle Pond," as they called it, but kept going in fear of my consequences.

Sitka Mountain Ash

Pink Mountain Heather

At last, Pinnacle Lake came into view. The bugs did too. Callie claimed one large, flat rock, and Scott claimed another. Mount Pilchuck's shoulder stood at the southwest side of the lake. My DEET was distributed (actually traded for food from Scott, and a sip from the new filter from Callie) and applied. It worked amazingly well, as the cloud of bugs lifted. They still hovered near our faces, but didn't actually land or bite. And the DEET gave an interesting flavor to the peanut butter Clif Bar Scott gave me.

Almost there

Pinnacle Lake

Pinnacle Lake shore

Scott sat and ate and pondered the beauty, while Callie filled her water bottle. I checked out the small pond at the outlet. We realized we only had about forty-five minutes until we had to leave as to get back before dark. Our plans for swimming changed when we felt the water and saw that it was lined with submarine logs and a huge drop-off. Since I've become quite a connoisseur, I checked out the backcountry toilet. I didn't get a chance to use it though.

Backcountry Toilet

Outlet of Pinnacle Lake

The time flew by and we had to head back. We all were sorry we had to leave such a beautiful place. I think Pinnacle is my new favorite lake.I don't think that I took any of the beauty for granted that day. It really pissed me off that it was ruined for Mary and Susanne and all the other hikers who are now afraid. Don't get me wrong, I was a little scared too. The more I thought about it, the madder I got. It's like a murder in a church. I was constantly looking around, worried that my wonderful day could be ruined. Worried that my kids might not be able to tell their kids about this day. Seeing all the flagging tape along the trail and just imagining what it could be marking.

Callie at the lake

Scott really is happy to be here

All of the sudden, a foreign sound comes from behind me. I spin around. My first aid kit had found its way out of my pack and I reach down to pick it up. As I put it back in my pack, I realize my maps are missing. And my camera filter. And my hat and towel. Probably $100 worth of stuff. Upset by the fact that I was startled...that I had any reason to be startled, and the loss of my gear without time to retrieve it, I ranted a bit and cut my losses. I didn't want to leave the kids alone to run up to find it (it could be over a mile away), and didn't have time to take them back up with me. My headlights on my truck had just gone out, and I needed to be home by dark. Callie started crying, since she tries to take responsibility for everyone's problems.

Rare photo of me

We did have just enough time to check out Bear Lake for a minute. The shore was grassy, but campsites were available. I'll file that away for future reference. Although the weather was overcast, I'd lost my stuff, we were hiking where two wonderful women were killed while enjoying nature's beauty, and Callie's knee hurt, I am so thankful that we were able to do our small part to take back that trail.

Bear Lake