Thom and Oscar hanging on a tree on the side of the mountain
We had to wander a little off trail to find this
Skagit River is pretty dry down there
5 or so miles didn't even faze Oscar
Must. Get. In. The. Shot!
Lake 22, the goal of the hike
Okay, so hot according to Pac NW standards. The sun was out.
Cascade Mountains
Cascades
Lake 22, northeast ridge of Mt. Pilchuck
The dense old growth canopy and the profusion of moss cast the first mile-and-half of the hike in deep greens and browns. The trail has a series of steady switchbacks from the get-go, which roughly follow the course of 22 Creek. The creek's waters flow from Lake 22, the destination of the hike.
The terrain surrounding Lake 22 was set aside in 1947 as a natural research area to study the impact of human use on the forest. After emerging from the cool dampness of the old-growth forest the trail leads up a talus slope. Hikers are rewarded by views of snowcapped peaks (only one in August) and the Skagit River (but it was fairly dry).
