Fall is in the air, the air is cold and the leaves are turning colors and we set out to see some fall foliage!
Took a drive up to the Blue Lake trail to see the larches on Sat Oct 11. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Everett and we knew it was going to be packed, so we took the laid back approach and ended up getting there around noon. Those clear blue skies certainly pop!
Before parking at the trail we drove a quarter mile down the road to the Washington Pass Overlook. Great little rest stop with a goodly amount of restrooms and a short paved walk to some remarkably great farscapes of the Liberty Bell spires and surrounding mountains . Look at those views!
Parking wasn’t bad. There were cars lined up Highway 20 but we managed to catch a spot near the front as some early morning hikers were heading out. The hike itself was relatively easy going, though the misting of snow over everything was certainly a sight. So many people on the trail though! About as busy as Rattlesnake on a sunny Saturday! Once we got to the lake there was definitely a line for the choice spots.
Coming back down the trail we encountered a bit more mud in the covered areas but otherwise it was still an easy enough hike to manage. It was cold in the shade so glad I wore my long-johns! Other highlights were the flock of Canada Jays fluttering around the trailhead looking for dropped snacks and looking extra fluffy and cute. It turns out they’re from the same corvid family as crows and blue jays.
This was an enjoyable and unchallenging hike to view the golden larches of fall, and the trail density definitely showed it. That said it’s great having an easily accessible hike like this available just a few hours from Seattle & Everett. I think noon was a great time to hit this trail and there were even people still starting their way up when we were leaving.
Did you manage to get out and see those golden larches this year? Any other larch heavy hikes I should earmark to check out next year? Let me know!
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