Golden Lakes Loop Backpack

At the start of October I got pulled into a Fall family backpack trip with nephews Eric and Joe, niece Stephanie and sister Julie. We hiked three days and 24 miles along the Golden Lakes loop trail in the northeastern Cascades. It was gorgeous hike of moderate ups and downs which passed four alpine likes. Most impressive was the countless numbers of larch trees which had turned golden for the fall.

On our first night we camped at Boiling Lake. At the campsite we were surprised to find a metal fire pit along with a makeshift picnic table deep in the backcountry. Another surprise was that we were allowed to make a campfire. During a summer there was a burn ban across the state. The night was bit cold, but we were prepared and slept mostly comfortable. The next day we hiked to Martin Lake and enjoyed another fire and slightly warmer night.

Hiking with the family was fun and somehow we all went without our spouses. For years Eric has been a proponent of ultralight backpacking and had outfitted everyone but myself with some of the lightest possible gear. I recently got a lighter pack and was packing light at around 30 pounds, but anything over 20 pounds is heavy for Eric. Despite my