Come join us for two separate backpacking trips in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington State. The first section consists of a 33 mile loop through the southern portion of the Wilderness featuring a stunning third afternoon and night at Spectacle Lake. Our second section will be a two night event to the famed Chain Lakes. This is prime blueberry and huckleberry season in the Cascade mountains, so bring your appetite. A word of caution. This adventure will take place during the fire season in Washington so we may have to be flexible about our itinerary. The trip leader is aware of several alternative backpacking hikes that are nearby. Depending on smoke, fire, and accessibility, the trip leader will seek input from the group about desirable options, but the trip leader will make the final decision about changing the itinerary. The Alpine Lakes Wilderness was established by an Act of Congress in 1976. The southern edge of the Wilderness is located about 60 miles east of Seattle. The Wilderness extends south-to-north between the two busiest highways that cross the Cascades, I-90 and U.S. Highway 2. Reportedly, the Wilderness contains over 700 lakes and ponds. We'll only visit of few of those. Below is the expected itinerary: 8/15: You are responsible for booking your flight to arrive in Seattle on Saturday, August 15, 2026. You will also be responsible for bookiing your hotel in Seattle and renting a car for transportation to and from the trailhead. I will set up a group chat on Whatsapp to assist you with sharing a hotel and rental car with other members. We will leave early on the next day for our first trailhead. Day 1 (8/16): Our backpacking trip will begin at the Pete Lake trailhead. We'll aim to arrive at the trailhead by 10:00 a.m. We'll hike about 4.5 miles along mostly flat terrain to Pete Lake. Here, we'll break for lunch. We will then hike about 6 miles that includes a relatively steep ascent to Waptus Lake where we will camp on our first night. Waptus
