For Rachel's final outdoor activity before returning to college, we planned a backpacking trip with her aunt Julie and cousin Eric to Image Lake near Glacier Peak. The weather for the hike wasn't looking good, with heavy rain and thunderstorms predicted. I was a little nervous whether Julie and Eric would still want to go, as they are hardcore hikers, but fortunately, Eric suggested switching the trip to the Wallowa Mountains in northeast Oregon. It was a six-hour drive to get there, but we'd avoid the storms.
After an early morning start and a long drive, we arrived at the town of Joseph near Wallowa Lake. The touristy town served as a hub for wilderness adventures, including the trailhead for our hike. We hiked six miles to a fork in the trail where we started our multi-day loop of the area. After a few more miles, we reached our first campsite at Horseshoe Lake. This would be the first of many alpine lakes we would see along the trip. There was no fire ban, so Eric was able to build a campfire for us to enjoy at night.
The next day started with a tour of the surrounding lakes, including Lee, Lilly, Douglas, and Moccasin Lakes. We also took a short detour to the beautiful Mirror Lake, where Julie and Eric braved its glacier-fed waters for a swim. After our fun at the lakes, it was time for some suffering as we traversed our way up to the 8,500' Glacier Pass. Outside of mountain climbs, I had never backpacked that high before. It was an exhausting climb for both Rachel and me, but at the top, we were rewarded with a great view of Glacier Mountain and Glacier Lake.
We descended to the lake and set up a scenic camping spot. Everyone but me took a swim in the frigid lake. There were numerous mountain goats in the area. Rachel was very excited to see them—almost to the point of ignoring the nearby pikas, which had originally been her favorite mountain animal. The goats got a bit intrusive around Julie's tent, and she even had a brief scare when one attempted to charge at her.
The next day we headed back via a long descending traverse to Frazier Lake. There was a little bit of rainfall on the way down, but not enough to lower our spirits. From there, we continued on through flower-filled meadows and back into the forest, where we finished the loop part of our hike. After that, we ended our trip with a long six-mile hike back to the trailhead. Overall, it was a spectacular trip filled with many pristine alpine lakes to experience. Kudos to Eric for suggesting it as an alternative to our original destination.
