Big Heart Lake Backpack

A long-time neighbor of my family loved to reminisce about a backpacking trip he took in the 1960s, where he was dropped off by a floatplane in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. From there, he spent a week exploring several lakes in the area. This summer, I was finally able to visit this mythical area with my sister and Rachel. We started at the oddly named West Fork Foss Lakes trailhead, near Stevens Pass. Our goal was to reach Big Heart Lake, which was only 8 miles away, but with over 3,600 feet of climbing, it was a bit of a chore. There were numerous blown-down trees, which made the hike more challenging. Also, the trail was particularly rough, with roots and rocks to be found at almost every step.

Despite the challenges, we got to see three lakes along the way, with more off in the distance. Most of the lakes were surrounded by cliffs, with limited shorelines. It's like they didn't want to be visited. We eventually made it to Big Heart Lake, which again had limited access. It was hard to even get a full view of the lake, but it was still beautiful. We found a decent campsite on a cliff above the lake and settled down for the night.

The next morning, we went on an excursion hike to try to find Angeline Lake, the lake where our neighbor had been flown to. For a while, it seemed we would never find it, but eventually, we found a peek-a-boo view of it from a cliff. It seemed totally inaccessible, with cliffs and boulder piles making up the shore. It's hard to imagine getting dropped off there and then finding your way out, but I guess we modern folk aren't as tough as the old-timers.

We returned to camp, packed up, and headed back down. Halfway down, we made a short detour to Lake Malachite. This time we were able to reach the shore, but had to pay for it via a short but punishingly steep hike. Overall, it was a gorgeous hike with numerous lakes to see. The myth proved to be true, but the area was not the most inviting, which makes the story of our neighbor's trip the stuff of legend.