The Portals hike

The Portals keep calling to me, especially as the end of high country hiking season is approaching. The weather report for yesterday looked good and the road to Artist point was still open so we drove up an hour earlier than our usual start time and hoped we could hike to our destination and back before nightfall.

My husband and I had made it all the way to the end of the trail to the Portals in 2016, you can read about that trip HERE.

I did the hike by myself in 2020, you can read about that solo hike HERE

Photo of how far I got in that trip below.

The last time I was there we backpacked to Goat lake and did a day hike to the Portals in 2022. I wasn't blogging during this time period so no post to share. I really wanted to get to the Portals again but my Cancer treatments and Plantar fasciitis had really changed how I was hiking. I was in an immunotherapy treatment program during the time of this hike. I was done with chemo and radiation treatments, but a recurrence was discovered. After some genome testing results found that I was msi-high my Dr. suggested we start immunotherapy. We began that in May. I had a positive response to immunotherapy, it was successful in destroying my inoperable tumor and by July I had a clear scan. I continued receiving Ketruda infusions as a maintenance routine every 3 weeks. As a result of all of these health issues I was much slower and we believed I wouldn't be able to get there as a day hike again, so he sweetly planned a backpacking trip so we could split the distance up and have success getting to the end of the trail. It was bittersweet as I really wanted be able to do these longer hikes as day hikes and that didn't seem to be my future. A photo collage of that trip is below. That was a great trip and I'm very thankful that he planned that for me. *note: I stopped receiving Keytruda infusions in Dec. 2022 and have had clear scans ever since.

Yesterday the weather forecast was correct, it was a beautiful day. Our starting temp. was 38 degrees.

My husband signing in at the register.

Mt. Baker is in view for this first mile of the trail.

Entering the wilderness area. We've seen goats before in the green area below, but not on this hike.

At our trail junction. The chain lakes hikers take a right turn and the Ptarmigan ridge, Goat lake, and Portals hikers continue straight.

We ascended through fall colored blueberry bushes and rocky areas.

Nice views of Shuksan as we made our way up.

Baker with Coleman Pinnacle.

One of the long rocky sections

Basalt Columns

Happy Scoutina got to roll in snow. 

At Goat lake there is a nice full view of Baker and the Portals.

Looking down at Goat lake.

Love these full expanse views of our mountains.

Making our way up and past Goat lake.

The trail leading to the climbers camp and the Portals beyond.

After going up a steep rocky section we made it to the climbers camp.

A nice view of the Portals. 

Heave frost at the climbers camp.

We spoke with hikers coming towards us as we made our way up the trail and asked them what the conditions were for the last section of the hike, most said there were sections with snow and ice. Going up wasn't bad but coming down was tricky with the ice. We chose to stay put at the highest point of the climbers camp area and have our lunch. A strong cold wind was blowing so we put on our layers. I ended up with 4 layers to keep me fairly comfortable. We found some shelter behind some rocks to help keep the wind away. I was strangely content to call this our ending place for the day, but It's a tricky ascent and descent on a good day so I was ok to not test how we or Scoutina would descend with ice, remember she's always attached to my husband with a waist leash bungee harness. Hiking the trail seemed easier than I'd remembered. It had only taken us 3 hours to get there. I was filled with emotion as the last journey we'd had here I was thinking I'd never do this as a day hike again, so the happiness I felt at being there again was very large. We stayed and enjoyed the views and the area for about an hour until the cold got to us. 

Scoutina enjoyed the views during lunch.

As we started down the trail we spied a herd of goats. They grazed above us as we walked by. I made a collage of the photos.

Making our way towards Coleman pinnacle.

Back to Goat lake with it's wonderful green color.

My husband was visiting with someone we know that we happened to see on the trail and I loved how he looked with Baker behind him. I joked with him that his fuzzy white hair with the sun shining through it reminded me of the goats we had seen on the trail😂

Almost back to the parking lot and a view of Shuksan as the evening shadows were beginning.

A grouse was flushed by our dog. Thankfully she was leashed and no harm was done. Scoutina was very excited about it though. The grouse seemed to not be very upset by her, after it was flushed out of the bushes it just stayed on a log and watched us.

We took our time hiking out since we'd gotten there so quickly. Even with our slow poke pace going down we were still at the car by 6pm. I was pretty dissapointed after not summiting Hannegan peak on Monday so yesterday's hike helped my spirits soar. My dreams and hopes were filled 100 fold.

Yes, pizza was had at Chair 9 on the way home.

Trail rating: moderate (I guess because this trail is at a high elevation to start)

Total miles: 11

Total ascent: 2078 feet