Trip report by: Alicia
"I would definitely recommend this trip to a friend."
I went on this trip in 1998 as a 13-year-old with absolutely no backpacking experience. My partner was only 4 years older and also with no backpacking experience. Sure, we'd read all the books and been hiking and camping numerous times, but nothing can quite prepare you for your first backpacking trip..although, if we had gotten in shape before we went (at least so we could lift our 40-lb. packs), it might have been easier. :) Although it is a very rewarding hike, I would not recommend this for a first-timer.
Photos: [Top] Chiwaukum Lake; [Middle] Ewing Basin; Glacier Creek; [Bottom] Larch Lake and beyond. Photos by Alicia.
Day 1
The trail starts as Chiwaukum Creek Trail, then passes the Glacier Creek junction before finally switchbacking up to Chiwaukum Lake. Chiwaukum Creek is beautiful; large boulders churn the water as it rushes down. A 5-mile-long first day takes you up 1200 feet and to a few campsites.
Day 2
From there the trail crosses that junction and 3 creeks (one of which must be forded). There are a few campsites, but we found this area to be muddy during the early parts of the summer with a 99.9% mosquito infestation rate. Bug repellent is a must if you want to survive. The trail then switchbacks up the side of a mountain, then descends into beautiful Chiwaukum Lake. From experience, I must point out that swimming is not recommended - even if that snow on the other side seems innocent enough. Walk along the lake for 1/4 mile till the trail winds down into several campsites. This makes for a 2100 foot climb.
Day 3
There are many areas to explore around Chiwaukum Lake. I am told that the Mormon Lakes are very nice, and that a cross-country trip to Honour Lake and/or Jason Lakes would be a nice experience. But we decided to use Chiwaukum Lake as our base camp and head up the trail to Larch Lake and Cup Lake. The trail winds through beautiful Ewing Basin. At one point, we lost it in dwindling snow patches and ended up following an animal trail. Luckily, the trail ended up right at Larch Lake. Although it had been around 85 degrees F the previous day, up above 6000 feet the wind chill made it much cooler. A few campsites dot the lake on one side, but like I said, it is windy up there. For a visit to the always-mostly-snow-covered Cup Lake, scramble up loose rocks and hope you can find a different way down. There is no trail, but a look at the map should point you in the right direction. On the way back to Chiwaukum Lake we found the actual trail and decided to follow it. That d! ay we had a total climb of 1000 feet and a round trip of 4 miles.
Day 4 and 5
The trip back took us 2 days. On the 4th day we saw people for the first time since we'd started out: a group of 3. That night, we had a thunderstorm. (*hint* don't expect a $30 tent to keep you dry) On our last day, we quickly headed down, not quite escaping a coming rain.
Directions: Take Stevens Pass (HWY 2) till about 11 miles west of Leavenworth. Turn south onto the Chiwaukum Creek Trailhead and park. A permit is required...they do check for it.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.