Rachel Lake 9.23 - 9.24.17
Some people from Aaron’s soccer team wanted to go on a backpacking trip. They figured out a weekend in late September that worked for everyone, and surprisingly the weather was suppose to be good. They settled on Rachel Lake, a moderate approach with options to go exploring farther at Lila Lake, Alta Mountain, or Rampart Lakes. We left Seattle about 9a and drove out to the trailhead. The parking lot was full so we parked along the forest service road just outside of it. After gearing up, Aaron registered the group and we set off on the trail. We went at a pace I could keep up with, although I did lead out front for quite a bit of it. We stopped here and there to take pictures, the group was 8 people in total.
One of the waterfalls we passed along the trail
I hadn’t done the trail since Nov 2014 when I had hiked up Alta Mountain, and before that I had hiked to Rachel Lake for the first time in 2009. Maybe half of the group had done the trail before so it was new to some at least. It was a nice, cool day. I stayed in my long sleeve shirt as we followed the trail through the trees and then through the open meadow sections. The trick about the trail to Rachel Lake is there is very moderate gain during the first half or more as you slowly head up Box Canyon, all of the real gain is at the end.
View of Box Canyon
We passed a few other people on the trail as well, several other groups with what looked to be backpacking packs on too. Right before we reached the steep portion of the trail we split into a fast and slow group, the slow group going at my pace. There were a couple of large groups coming up behind us so I figured our faster people could get to the lake and claim some camp spots for us. I had stayed home a couple days earlier with flu like symptoms after getting my flu shot so I figured I wouldn’t be moving too quickly as I was still recovering a bit.
Fall colors along the trail
The hike up was very nice and we chatted a long the way. Fall colors were just starting to appear and we got a couple good views of Hibox Mountain and Box Ridge on the way up. The beginning part of the trail is mostly dirt, especially through the trees. As the trail steepens it’s mostly tree roots with some dirt thrown in which makes for a lot slower hiking, both on the way up and the way down. Finally I recognized part of the trail as being the last bit before reaching the lake, we made it!
The very clear water of Rachel Lake
We walked down to the lake to enjoy the view and then debated on which direction to head to try and find our group. We decided to head left (south) around the lake and after a couple of minutes we found them. There are lots of little trails around the lake and lots of camping spots, we saw several tents set up already. Aaron and I decided on a spot down in a low area hoping to stay out of the wind while everyone else found their own spots. It was our first time to finally use the new tent we had gotten two years prior - super light weight at about 3lbs total.
The whole crew at Rachel Lake
We gathered down on the rocky beach to hang out for the rest of the afternoon and evening, sharing snacks and drinks. The wind was surprisingly cold so we bundled up in down jackets and hats a lot sooner than we were hoping for. It was suppose to be a low of 40ish so I didn’t think it’d be that cold early, but that wind. I finally boiled some water for my mountain house meal at about 5. I wasn’t necessarily hungry but I was ready for the warmth I’d get. As the sun was setting around 7 I did manage to get a game of cribbage in with Kelsey. At that point I had had enough cold and got ready for bed, happy to crawl into my 15 degree bag.
Rachel Lake with the morning glow of the sun lighting up the ridgeline above
I slept great overnight and we woke up about 7am the next morning so we could head out and get to a bbq that afternoon. Since we had to get up earlier than the rest it was just Aaron and I on the hike out. Heading down the steeper bit over the tree roots was slow progress, but we made it out in just under 2 hours.
[Left] Halo around the sun on the way out. [Right] Waterfall along the Box Canyon Creek
Despite the cold wind, it was a fun weekend out in the mountains - and Aaron’s first official backpacking trip! He’s done a lot of overnight trips while climbing but doesn’t go camping for the sake of camping, hence this was his first backpacking trip.
GPS track here
Trail through Box Canyon to Rachel Lake