Lost Lake to Echo Lake Loop - Norse Peak Wilderness

Almost six months ago, the "walking buddies" decided that we would do a weekend backpacking trip in the summer. I chose the weekend of July 12 and 13th. My suggestion was to hike up the Deep Creek trail to the ridge and then pick a camping spot somewhere near Noble Knob.

After doing some day hiking up the Greenwater river to both Lost Lake and Echo Lake, I decided that our weekend trip should be to Lost Lake. I also decided that we would hike from the Greenwater river trail head instead of using the (steep) Deep Creek trail.

As the weekend approached, I got a text message from Patti saying that she had fallen and tweaked her hip. She would NOT be going on our planned hike!
I was saddened, but glad that Patti was looking out for herself.

I sent a text message to Debbie, wanting to confirm that she would still be going.
She was. In addition, I got another bright idea.

What if we hiked to Lost Lake on Friday evening?
On Saturday, we could hike up to Noble Knob, along the ridge to Corral Pass, and then down the Greenwater River trail to Echo Lake. We could camp there on Saturday night, and then head back to the Greenwater River trail head on Sunday morning. Debbie thought it would be a good idea. I was elated!

Debbie arrived at my house at 2:30 and we arrived at the Greenwater River trail head at 3:25.
The day was sunny and warm.

Bob and Debbie ready to head up the Greenwater River trail to Lost Lake

 Of course the trail up the river crosses five times on log bridges. It was beautiful.

Debbie crossing the Greenwater River on a log bridge.

 As we neared Lost Lake, there were fields on beautiful wild flowers. It was breathtaking.

Fields of wild flowers near Lost Lake

When we arrived at the lake, we were the only ones there!
We picked a prime camp site right on the lake shore and quickly made camp.

Our camp site at Lost Lake

 The evening was perfect. There were hardly any mosquitoes or bugs. This was our view... amazing!

The view from our camp site at Lost Lake

 This was my view from my tent. It doesn't get any better than this.

View from my tent looking out over Lost Lake.

On Saturday morning, we both woke up early and were on the trail by 6:30 AM.
I had warned Debbie that the first two miles were going to be difficult.
The trail gained over 1600 feet in less than two miles.

Here is a map of our loop hike:

On the way up, we surprised two elk. They quickly disappeared into the forest.
Since Debbie knew that this part of the trail was going to be very difficult, she told me to "hike my own hike", so I hiked on ahead, hoping that Debbie would have the energy to make it to the top.

The trail was not easy, but it soon broke out into sub-alpine and alpine forests.
The views were amazing.
Noble Knob was right above, with fields of wild flowers blooming everywhere.
I was in heaven!

Noble Knob looms over the trail.

Morning sun shines through the trees with wild flowers growing along the trail.

Fields of wild flowers and awesome views.

I told Debbie that I would wait for her when I got to another trail junction.
I sat down my pack.
A raven soared overhead, catching the air currents.
There were humming birds and butterflies.

And, finally, Debbie. She made it!
I was so relieved.

AND, the best part of all?
She found her trail name!
She calls herself, "Turtle"!

Junction of the Lost Lake, Noble Knob and Dalles Ridge trails. Debbie is almost there!

Bob at the trail junction.

 As we crossed over the ridge, the impressive Mount Rainier stood out in all her glory.

Mount Rainier

As we neared Corral Pass, Debbie realized that we had cell phone service again.
She called her husband, and I sent a text message to my wife, Valorie.

Near Corral Pass, this was an amazing view of Mount Rainier.

As we walked down the trail towards Corral Pass, we met three young men who were riding cross-country bikes down the trail and were headed to the Ranger Creek trail. As it happens, we met them right at the point where the Deep Creek trail joins with the Dalles Ridge Trail.

Junction of the Deep Creek trail and the Dalles Ridge Trail.

Shortly after that, we met three men who were headed up the trail, carrying what I first thought were fishing nets. Instead, they were out to hunt for butterflies!

From Corral Pass, we headed down the Greenwater River Trail.
By this time, it was getting hot, and we were so glad that we were headed DOWN the trail, not trying to climb it. We passed several streams along the way.

Debbie crosses a stream near a waterfall on the Greenwater River trail.

 The trail was made much more difficult by several huge fallen trees that had not been cleared from the trail.
At these places, we either had to climb over the logs, squeeze under them, go around them, or in some cases, crawl on the ground under them. It was very tiring and made harder by a full back pack.

By mid afternoon we arrived at Echo Lake.
On my prior hike, I noticed a wonderful camp site right along the Greenwater River before it enters the lake.
We made camp there.

Echo Lake

Our camp site. Debbie raises her arms in victory. She made it! I am very proud of her!

We had a good evening and shared a good meal.
I had brought some wine, which we enjoyed by a small camp fire.

On Sunday morning, we arose early and were on the trail shortly after 6 AM.
The sun is so beautiful as it streams through the forest.
These were pretty pink flowers (?) along the trail.

Beautiful pink flowers along the trail. Could they be some type of mushroom?

 The trail down from Echo Lake passes several waterfalls.

Greenwater river waterfall.

My shadow on the trail in the morning sun.

Debbie walks the trail in the magic of the sunlight.

Debbie completes her hike as she arrives at the Greenwater River trail head. It was 9:30 AM.
We had traveled 36.8 miles!

Debbie arrives back at the trail head

What did I learn?

• Don't be afraid to challenge yourself, but be clear with others about the challenge. I told Debbie that the hike up to the ridge would be difficult. She never gave up and made it to the top. AND, in the process, she found her trail name: Turtle!
• I am learning how to setting up camp more efficiently. When I get to camp, I first replenish my water. The next step is to start heating my water for dinner, because it takes about ten minutes to get two cups of boiling water. While that is happening, I set up my tent, along with my air mattress and sleeping bag. By then, the water is heated and ready to make my dinner.
• The "leave no trace" philosophy includes bring out the used toilet paper. I found it is easy to do, especially by using the technique described by "Lady on a Rock".
• Refilling a Sawyer Squeeze water filter bag is difficult. The bag is flexible, so it does not easily fill by putting it under the water or in the stream flow, Instead, it is easier if you use another plastic bottle to dip the water from the stream or river, and then to pour it into the bag.

This was one of the most memorable hikes I have ever taken.
The weather was unbeatable, with blue skies and temperatures in the 70s.
The camp sites were perfect... close to water, great views, and isolated.
There were very few bugs...of course, there are always bugs.
My hiking partner now has a trail name, and I love it! The "turtle" was victorious!

Ranger Creek to Dalles Ridge Trail

The Ranger Creek Trail is near Mount Rainier National Park, a 30-mile drive from Enumclaw, Washington.
I highlighted a map of my walk today, which ended up being 16.7 miles round trip.

The Ranger Creek trail and a portion of the Dalles Ridge Trail

I drove highway 410 from Enumclaw to Buck Creek, crossed the bridge, and parked in the lot immediately to the left of the road. A forest service pass is required to park here.

Turn off to Buck Creek from Highway 410

I walked back across the bridge over the White River and headed down to a small trail that heads up into the forest. The trail would be easy to miss, so I took a picture of how it looks from the road.

The start of the trail leading to the Ranger Creek Trail. The trail starts just after the "Pass with Care" sign.

The day was rainy, and I was worried about how far I might get up the trail. However, there was just a sprinkle as I started out, and even fewer drops once I was in the forest, so all was well.

The trail is very well maintained, basically because it is often used by mountain bikers. I only saw two on my trip, but I presume on a sunny weekend, there would be more.

Sign at the top of the little trail leading from the highway. Ranger Creek is 1/4 up the hill.

Start of the Ranger Creek Trail, about 1/4 mile up from the highway

 One common trait of the trail (if trails can have traits), is that it constantly gains altitude. However, the nice feature of this trail is there are numerous switch backs, so the grade is quite manageable. There are only a few sections that I call "huff and puff" sections, since I have to pause frequently to catch my breath!

At about 3 miles, there is a short spur trail leading to a rocky viewpoint. Of course, being a rainy day, this is all I saw. But I hear that the view of the White River valley is spectacular from this spot. This would also make a good turn-around point for a shorter day hike.

Rocky Viewpoint - kinda cloudy today. Also, the rocks were slippery!

 After another couple of miles, the trail reaches the site of the boy scout log cabin. The cabin appears to be very well made and would make a great destination for an overnight hike. There is a fire ring (with rocks) just outside the front, and several places for candles inside. I stopped here for a bit to rest and get a bite to eat.

Boy Scout log cabin on the Ranger Creek Trail

 Behind the log cabin, the trail continues to rise through the forest. At this point it starts to get into beautiful sub-alpine trees, which are really pretty in the fog.

Sub-alpine forest above the Boy Scout log cabin

I continued to where the Ranger Creek trail joins the Dalles Ridge Trail. I was hoping to get close to be able to see Noble Knob and the trail to Lost Lake, but I ran into several very steep and slippery snow fields. Since I did not have an ice axe, and did not have micro-spikes, I felt it prudent to call this my turn-around point.

Snow and icy patches on the north side of the slope blocked my path.

 On the way down, I met a couple of mountain biker headed up, who appeared to be in great shape and were enjoying their ride. I also spotted this work of art along the trail. Someone left their painted rock showing a camp fire, a blue monster (?) and someone running away. It had the date, 3/13, but no year. I also found a cell phone just laying on the trail. It's battery was dead, but I'll try to charge it. If someone reading this blog can identify it, it's yours!

Forest artwork on a rock. The rock is kinda in the shape of a heart!

 As I returned to the road, I noticed that the flowers were loving this wet weather!

Flowers along the trail

This hike is a good conditioning hike. In clear weather, I can imagine the views are spectacular.
I hit the trail at 7 AM, and was back by 12:45. A great trip for just under five hours!

Norse Peak Wilderness - Echo Lake

Total Walking miles this week (6/2 - 6/6): 61.5
Total Training miles today (6/7): 25.7

With my hiking buddies both busy today, I was on my own. What to do...what to do?
I loved my hike last week to Lost Lake so much that I decided to head on over to Echo Lake.

Echo Lake is in the Norse Peak Wilderness

I arrived at the trail head at 6:15 and headed out on the trail.
It was a sunny day, so the forest was spectacular!
See my post for Lost Lake to see the driving directions and sights to see prior to the fork in the trail to Echo Lake, which is about 1/2 mile past Greenwater Lakes. The trail drops down and crosses Lost Creek.

I am crossing the bridge over Lost Creek, on my way to Echo Lake

Echo Lake feeds the Greenwater River, and the trail follows the river as it cascades through forest and cliffs along the way. The trail is easy to walk and offers occasional views of waterfalls and fast rapids.

Greenwater River

About a mile from the lake, the trail climbs in earnest! I had to pause several times to catch my breath and replenish my water. There were only a few small patches of snow on the trail. In another week or so, it will all be gone. About 1/8 mile before the lake was this fantastic reflecting pool.

Reflecting pool on the way to Echo Lake

Echo Lake is amazing.
It is surrounded by forests on all sides, and is fed by the Greenwater River at its south end.

Echo Lake

Since the lake sees a lot of use, there is even a toilet for use by the campers!

Toilet at Echo Lake

The trail follows the shoreline to the south end, where it joins with the trail to Corral Pass. The south end also has a horse camp. It also has another jewel. There is a campsite along the river that is awesome.

South end of Echo Lake.

Greenwater River as it flows into Echo Lake.

I followed the trail around the lake to where it branches to the Arch Rock trail. There are a couple of potential camp sites there as well.

On my way back, I discovered how popular this area is on a sunny weekend. I must have said "hello" to over two dozen folks headed up to the lake to camp. In addition, at the Green River Lakes, there was a group of thirty adults taking a break for lunch. I also passed a group of thirty grade school children out on a field trip. I took a picture of the parking lot when it returned.

The parking lot was full upon my return. There is another parking lot, and it too was full!

Here are a few more pictures of this amazing hike:

First glimpse of Echo Lake from the trail

Campsite at south end of Echo Lake along Greenwater river

The Echo Lake trail follows the Greenwater River. It is a very steep drop to the river in some places.

This mushroom is called a "conk". Some people take them and paint on the white surface.

Many flowers are blooming this time of year.

The Greenwater river is spectacular as it cascades through the canyon:

If you are looking for a great hike, THIS is highly recommended.

It took me 3 1/2 hours to get to the lake from the trail head. And, round trip, having stopped for lunch and hiked around the south end of the lake, it took me 7 1/2 hours.

Note: Be aware, if you camp overnight, you need to get Forest Service permission, because this lake is in the Norse Peak Wilderness.

Lost Lake - Norse Peak Wilderness

Friday, May 30
Total Miles: 14.1

Awesome, Amazing, Unbelievable.
These three words must have come out of my mouth over fifty times during this hike.

The hike to Lost Lake in the Norse Peak Wilderness starts just off of forest service road #70. This road is about two miles east of Greenwater, Washington off of highway 410. It took me 50 minutes to drive to the trail head from my house in Black Diamond.

Forest service road #70 is paved all the way to the start of the Greenwater Lakes Trail (#1176). There is a nice parking lot with a rest room. Of note, they charge a daily $5 fee to park there (maintenance fee), and a Forest Service recreation pass is also required.

Map of the trail to Lost Lake

The turn off from Forest Service Road #70 is well marked. It is about 9.2 miles from highway 410.

It is an easy hike to the Greenwater Lakes. The trail follows the Greenwater river and has several wonderful bridges that cross the river. It is a lovely hike through dense forest with many little streams and ferns along the way. There is a slight elevation gain, but I would consider it an easy hike.

One of several bridges over the Greenwater River

The Greenwater Lakes are lovely. There were geese feeding in the shallows. The water is an amazing blue.

Greenwater Lake

Geese feeding in Greenwater Lake

From the upper Greenwater lake, the trail follows the river for another mile to the junction with the Lost Lake and Echo Lake trails. The Lost Lake trail heads south (uphill).

The elevation gain on the way to Lost Lake is modest, but steady. I did not find it very difficult, and I was carrying a 28 pound pack. After another mile and a half, the trail passes Quinn Lake. It is a beautiful turquoise.

Quinn Lake

As the trail nears Lost Lake, it starts to break out of the mature forest. There were small patches of snow on the trail in places. The alpine views were breathtaking. 

Open fields near Lost Lake

Lost Lake is beautiful. Across the lake can be heard the roar of a water fall. 

There are several great camping sites along the lake. However, since this lake is in the Norse Peak Wilderness, an overnight wilderness permit is required. I sat in the sun for a while, sent out an "I'm OK" message on my new SPOT device, and ate a bite of lunch.

A few more glimpses of the scenery:

Trail to Lost Lake.

Massive giants tower overhead

Vine maple reflecting the sunlight.

Wooden footpath over a marshy area

Forest ferns

Amazing rock formations along the Greenwater River

On the trip back, I saw over a dozen people heading up the trail. It seems most were headed to Echo Lake, so perhaps that will be my destination on another hike soon.


This has to be one of the BEST hikes I have ever taken. It is highly recommended!