Checking off the box for a long hike (nominally 43 miles) for Cleo, and checking off the box for a scramble with sweet camp views for me. Dougald MacDonald Feb 5, 2015 National Park. Simply one of the best vantage points I have personally seen, taking into account a month long trek through Alaskas Chugach range and numerous trips on Mt. Elevation. The last two few miles down to the East Bank trail has only small trees across the trail. Devils Dome Loop, Washington Score Swiss-Alps scenery without the trans-Atlantic flight. 4.20 out of 5 . Devil's Dome Loop Wednesday, Jul. 5 Type of Hike Multi-night backpack. That means one of your days will be at least 14 miles long, which is probably easiest to do on your way out for more downhill. Difficulty: Strenuous. If not using one you should absolutely hang your food properly. Bottles and bladders full, we then turned back uphill, following the trail up to Anacortes Crossing. Turn left and follow this trail along the lake shore south. For much of the trip, the trail stays pretty high on ridges. Sep 7. Bring bug repellent! The next day required another 1000 climb up to Devils Dome which lived up to the hype for a fabulous 360 view of the North Cascades looking into Canada. Trail closures are listed in each area drop down area below. Devils Dome Loop: Trailhead 2000', high point (Devil's Dome): 7000' Horse, hiker: 9/26 Devils Dome Loop re-opened. I love multi-day backpacking loop treks and the Devils Dome Loop in the North Cascades turned out to be a jewel. The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. It was a bright full moon night and I had no Problem coming down the winding roads. The trail maintains a much gentler grade than the past several miles. Plus, real or imagined, I'm guessing this parking lot is "safer . Visual kei artist list. I didnt realize that Devils Dome had such a nice view of Jack and Crater. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi there! Soon we fell asleep, not shortly before I woke up to a moon-less night and decided to play with some astrophotography. This should not be the law, but in my experience, it often happens that way. Rating. I had trouble with them in both my campsites. Distance: 39 miles according to the Gaia GPS map above, 41.5 according to my National Geographic topo map, and 43 according to other trail reports online. Trip Report By. Devils Dome-Jackita Ridge is a very strenuous backpack of 25 miles with 8,150 feet of gain. Length. Change). There is a sign off to the left, which is where you want to head. We passed on the far encounter with the park rangers who believed the curious traveler to be a black bear. But as with thru-hiking (hiking from point A to B without return), you have to keep your mental game up. I did this loop going counter clockwise starting f. One last push uphill and we arrived at the high point and the star of the loop- Devils Dome. Perhaps day 1 becomes short with a stay at Roland Creek instead of Devils Creek, or you push all the way to Devils Creek instead of Roland. It definitely hit the spot. Jackita Ridge Trail over Devil's Pass and back down to Ruby Creek. Mile 0.0 - The path leaves the trailhead and shortly crosses Granite Creek on a nice bridge. Snow . And you wont find me on any trip without my camera! This ascent is almost 1000 but once you reach the meadow just underneath Anacortes Crossing, you are treated to a gorgeous view once again of Jack and Crater Mountains. Gary Zink. The dome is also fairly large so regardless of the traffic and fellow backpackers, there is plenty of space to spread out and find your own little camp perched up high on the summit. The trail starts at the East Bank Trailhead. Devil's Dome Loop is a 43-mile backpacking loop. There is ample water along every section of trail (longest distance without maybe 4-5 miles from Dry Creek Pass, which has water, down to Ross Lake). We began our first day at the East Bank Trailhead, barely finding parking in the pull off area. 11.4 km. We, however, opted to camp about 500 below the actual dome to be more protected from the wind and found a flat section right before the final ascent turns into a series of switchbacks. Sometimes I almost wished I were running this like the two trail runners we saw. We woke up this morning, and well that magical view we had was now a cloud of smoke. Trailhead 3000', ridge above lake is 5000', Thornton Lake 4500'. Jack sort of looks a bit like Shuksan and it was really confusing! It is . Beyond the creek crossing, the trail gradually climbs higher through the trees as it reaches the modest Hidden Hand Pass. Type of Hike Multi-night backpack. Our tax identification number is EIN 91-0900134. The trail then begins descending, and what was a pretty well graded and pleasant trail gets quite a bit rougher, with lots of brush overgrowing the trail and some steep descents. Did you run clockwise or counter clockwise? Baraboo, WI 53913 More Details. Copyright 2023 Exploring Wild, All Rights Reserved. It took us longer than expected because of the route finding and overgrowth/blowdown. Please do let me know how it goes when you do it. Choose the other campsite and adjust your itinerary. Current trail conditions are reported by rangers and trail crew, and updated as frequently as possible. Eventually the trail opened up to a meadow where Cleo had last camped at. The latters broad Nohokomeen Glacier fills your camera viewscreen like a scene straight out of Switzerland. The distance and vertical are very similar to the Timberline Trail but the the effort was far greater. Maple Pass Loop. After Anacortes Crossing we soldiered on to Devils Pass, a little over 2 miles away, traversing another ridge on our right, more patches of lupine with indian paint brush and columbine intermixed and more views of Jack Mountain. Average hiking time: three to four days, This moderately strenuous loop combines climbs over both McAlester and Rainbow Passes, and two subalpine lakes by the same name, with steep descents into valleys in between. Loop; Difficulty: Easy; The Cascades Trail, one of the most . I had to drag them slowly up each switch back to the top of the dome where Cleo was waiting for me. 28.5 - Trail crosses Devils Creek on a spectacular bridge which spans high above the turquoise water of Ross Lake. Devils Dome loop is located within Pasayten Wilderness with the tail end of the hike entering into the North Cascades National Park as you descend down to Ross Lake. Continue Reading. Make sure and look for recent trip reports on water too; we went early enough that we were soaked all day, but I know by August that many of the streams dry up when the snow is gone. The meadow is an excellent place to drop packs for a bit and enjoy the breathtaking view. If youre unsuccessful with your first choice of permit application, you can still salvage your trip with these options: This one is easy. The days are shorter and the nights are cold - plan ahead and pack accordingly. My weary feet were done. Devils Dome Loop spans two different land management areas, the Ross Lake National Recreation Area (part of North Cascades National Park) and the Pasaytan Wilderness. Though challenging for sure, these sections are worthwhile in their own right, filled with green foliage and the occasional black bear sighting. Our interest was the Alpine views, so the quick shortcut down along the lake to the East Bank Trail (736) wasnt robbing us. As the trail enters a cirque, 2 miles past the intersection, it begins to climb slightly. This hike offers so many extraordinary vistas that can create amazing panoramic shots. I couldnt have been more stoked to have made it for the night. Self-issue permits are available at the kiosk in front of the Wilderness Information Center. We were carrying enough water to make it to Granite Creek, which turned out to be our choice for a campsite after about an eight mile day. Posted on September 7, 2021, in Adventure, Backpacking, North Cascades, Pacific Northwest, Washington, Wilderness and tagged backpacking, Devils Dome, North Cascades National Park, Pacific Northwest Trail, PNT, Roland Creek, Ross Lake. However, 4000 mostly straight up does kick your butt. Absolutely, but full of heavenly ridgetop camps, North Cascades vistas, and surprising solitude. This would require gaining upwards of about 4000 of elevation over 8.5 miles. COVID Update: As of July 2020 the Marblemount station is closed but rangers are processing permit applications in the parking lot. lakeview deli menu dingmans ferry, pa; winston james francis The only complication may be camping along the Ross Lake section of this trail. For me, it isnt counting every half mile Ive done, but just keep hiking till the next bend or ridge. On Devil's Ridge, NE face of Jack Mountain behind. The trail switchbacks a couple of times before leveling out and continues north, around a small ridge. We did not hit the trail until 7pm so night hiking was required. Luckily, most of this uphill slog is tucked underneath shaded canopy. Well this is one of the best loop hikes I have done. You can check out some other campsites to make the loop more reasonable for you! Absolutely breath-taking views, Greg. Trail Conditions Minor obstacles posing few problems . This loop is a breathtaking and beautiful multi-day (3-4 day) trek where you continually climb up and down, then repeat, repeat and repeat once more. Ive had the pleasure of hiking the Arizona Trail, Colorado Trail, John Muir Trail, Tahoe Rim Trail, and countless shorter amazing trails throughout the US and abroad. Here are a few of the most popular camp locations, and their mileage when hiking clockwise from East Bank Trailhead. There were definitely signs of trail clearing, removing troublesome limbs and fallen trees, but the brush itself was very thick. Posted by ghsmith76. There is a lot of climbing (3300' of total climbing). Both the boat camp and stock camp offer water sources, one being the lake and the other a small stream. Photos (47) Directions. 31.0 - Side trail leading down to Rainbow Point Campground We filled up on water again at Nickol Creek. We coming up a little hill and suddenly saw what both thought was a bear in a field. Washington Trails Association is 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This lower elevation trail is usually snowfree by mid- to late-June. The last day required us to descend down to Canyon Creek which was rather easy considering the number of switchbacks. The last couple hundred feet of the climb consisted of a straightforward trail to the summit. The walking is nice, easy, and there are views throughout since the trail stays right on the edge of the treeline. Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ We were about 20 yards away. We disembarked at Hidden Hand Camp just off of the Ruby Arm at the southeast side of Ross Lake. Hood features two connecting roads that loop around the slopes for easy entry to many elevations, while the ski resort lift systems make navigating the sidecountry a smooth affair. I researched this route, hiked it, and reviewed a number of other trip reports as part of writing this guide. Bikepacking & TouringTrips and RoutesGear and TipsTrip Planning Workbook, Hiking & BackpackingTrails and TripsGear and ClothingTips and AdviceTrip Planning Workbook, Adventure TravelExplore by RegionCamping and OutdoorsMindful Travel. On the north side there is a campsite about a quarter mile up a steep trail from the stream. (Note that Ross Lake maps show other campsites in the area but these are boat-in only.). 27.0 - Trail intersection with the East Bank Trail. Then, youll swear youre in heaven, enraptured by views over alpine meadows jammed with summer paintbrush, columbine, and lupine and dotted with stately firs and larches. The trail over to Granite Creek was one of the most pleasant and beautiful stretches of hiking that I have ever experienced. Some views to the mountains to the north and the eastern flank of Crater Mountain as the trail descends slightly. 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