Our son's fiancée is on vacation this week and said she would like to accompany us on one of our adventures. Since we're ticking off our Summer "high country" bucket list hikes, we stuck to our schedule and chose Lake Ann from our list of remaining hikes. I hope she didn't feel like it was more that she'd bargained for. I also misrepresented the hike to her and said it was not very rocky. There was concern because she had a long recovery after a high ankle sprain this year. I'd only hiked it twice and both times were a few years ago. My memory of the trail was definitely not correct. There are rocks and rocks and rocks. Oops sorry.
You can read about that first trip in 2015 here: Senior Trailblazers hike to Lake Ann and then on a backpacking trip from Chain lakes in 2019 HERE.
Monday was the day she picked for us to do our hike together. After looking at the weather forecast we decided not to rush away in the morning yesterday as it was supposed to get a bit better later in the day. When we began our hike the clouds were low and I wasn't too hopeful for any views.
The clouds were moving in and out, so I was hopeful for views. This was the theme of the day in my head "hopeful for views".
It's nice to have someone else along who takes pictures.
Me after pausing to retie my shoes.
The fall colors were beginning to show.
The first Swift? creek crossing.
Choosing my steps carefully
The trail crosses Swift creek again at the Swift creek trail junction. This is where the PNT hikers turn. We saw a PNT hiker on our way up to the creek. A friend of his was hiking with him to help him to connect one of the sections he'd had to skip because of fires.
The creek here is a wide shallow creek in an open area, you can see it here in this video.
I thought this rock was interesting as we made our way by it.
After the creek crossing the route becomes uphill and much more rocky and the clouds thicker.
There was a slight break in the clouds and we could see the saddle.
After going over the saddle, we kindof had a view of the lake for my bucket list photo.
Making our way to our lunch destination that again we hoped would give us a view.
Here's our view of Shuksan
This photo taken in 2015 shows what our view should have been.
Scoutina enjoying the views.
Mel B with a view of the lake after the clouds moved out for a brief time.
As the clouds moved in and out we did manage to get some peek a boo views. A waterfall from a glacier came into view.
Two tents below us and at the base of the Shuksan trail. As were were hiking uphill near the saddle we passed several climbers that were making their way down the trail, some had summitted some had not. We also passed a woman that was hiking barefoot. She did the whole hike barefoot. We were amazed and mystified by her.
The glacier began to be visible.
I also spotted a snow heart shape on the side of Shuksan. I zoomed in for the photo.
After eating lunch and waiting on the views we began our trek back.
We got more and more views as we made our way down, letting us see some of what we'd missed on our way up.
The Pika were calling all day in the rocky areas aka everywhere😄. We saw two Pika, but I was only able to get a photo of one.
I saw another snow heart in the distance as we made our way back to the trailhead.
I liked how these fallen trees had framed my husband and Mel B as the hiked in front of me.
A look back before we began the last uphill in the forest.
Finally the last stretch before the trailhead.
A view from the parking lot.
Heart rocks on the trail. Surprisingly few or I was concentrating on not falling on the rocks I was walking on. The rock on the right was found under the flowing water of Swift creek.
As we drove by the ski area, this wonderful view of Shuksan appeared.
We got our mountain view afterall💓
Even though it was in reality a very rocky surface, she did great. Now to get her up there on a clear day & better views.
Trail rating: Moderate/Hard
Total distance: 9.4
Total ascent: 1986 feet
