A Lifetime of Adventure
by Gene Wheeler
I’m a Seattle native born in 1942 and my family spent most vacations during those early years camping and hiking. I continued camping, hiking and later horse camping throughout my life. Many of my favorite places are in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
My first trip to Lake Dorothy, located in what is now the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, was in 1950 when it was a nine mile hike up the Miller River. Today the hike is less than two miles with the help of a Forest Service road that ends near the wilderness boundary line.
The trail approaches the lake at its outlet and then follows the lake about a mile to the meadows at the far end. It’s a beautiful lake featuring islands, pristine forest and plenty of opportunities for camping. At one time there was a cabin and just beyond that a lean-to near the meadow end of the lake, complete with a dugout canoe. My parents used the cabin and canoe on several occasions, but the canoe and cabin were gone by the time I made my first hike there.
On my first few trips into Dorothy, I could still see insulators and wires on trees that at one time had provided communication to the cabin and I remember seeing the remnants of the dugout canoe lodged underwater in a logjam, but today there is no evidence of either. The trail from Lake Dorothy continues up over a ridge and down to Deer Lake and Bear Lake which are smaller, but very nice and are good lakes for fishing and camping. I used to hike to these lakes from the Taylor River side, hiking up to Snoqualmie Lake and then continuing up to Deer and Bear. There was a nice lean-to at Bear Lake and the sight of the roof up ahead was always an exciting relief when hiking up there on cold, wet, foggy days. The lean-to is now gone, but the beauty of the lake remains.
There once was a cabin at Pratt Lake. My dad used the cabin on more than one occasion, but there were only a few remaining wall logs left when I first hiked into the lake. It’s a good hike with plenty of scenery and some mild challenges.
In later years I’ve discovered equally spectacular places in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness accessible from trails on the east slopes of the North Cascades, especially up the Icicle Creek Road* just outside of Leavenworth.
The best hiking books identify numerous trails, lakes, and points of interest in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. But sometimes exploring a wilderness area can be even more fun knowing some of the history of the area. The Alpine Lakes will provide years of exploration and fun for adventurous outdoor enthusiasts.
Note: the upper portion of Icicle Creek road is currently inaccessible due to washouts.
