For more on Lake Angeles and Heather Park, see our Lake Angeles web page.
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08/03/10 - Lake Angeles - 2010

We made it back up to Lake Angeles for the first time this year. The lake is as beautiful as ever, and the sun as brilliant. Most of our pictures looked like the new Star Trek movie, full of lens flare. The water looked inviting, but cold. We stayed dry this time. Maybe next climb we'll give it a try.

Still some snow on the hillside

Bright logs and bright water

Shooting stars

Keywords: lake angeles

07/22/10 - Seen on the Lake Angeles Trail

We saw these spooky indian pipes on the Lake Angeles trail. They are always way too early for Halloween.

Spooky indian pipes

Keywords: lake angeles, flowers

06/28/10 - Lake Angeles Trail Update

We're doing a lot of updates lately, largely because a lot is happening. Summer means another season of local produce and another sesason of access to the high country of Olympic National Park. The Lake Angeles Trail is one of the first trails we explore, if only because it is open for most of the year, especially if we take our snowshoes. Now, of course, the trail is shoe ready, and from what we have heard, there is only a bit of snow left around the lake. (Yes, we really have to get up there, but we have to get back in shape first.)

For other news, the Pacific dogwood is out, the trilliums are passing, and the park service has removed that big tree that was blocking the start of the boardwalk about 700' above the parking lot. Stay tuned as we Kalebergs start checking things out, or check out the park service's trail reports.

Pacific dogwood

The trail repair team from a few weeks back - note the chain saw at the ready

The cleared trail

The rude bridge

Another flower we really should look up somewhere

A fading trillium, its petals turning pink

Descending into the mists below

Keywords: high country, lake angeles, summer, trails, trillium


Two trilliums of many

05/22/10 - Lake Angeles Trilliums

The trilliums have been marching up the Lake Angeles Trail. They were blooming down towards the start of the trail, but ten minutes up the trail, there were none. That has changed. They are flowering just fine even up towards the little bridge. That would be around 2600' above sea level, though we tend to think of it as 700' apl - above parking lot.

Keywords: trillium, lake angeles, spring

04/29/10 - Trilliums on the Lake Angeles Trail

We've already noted a number of trilliums at the lower elevations, but now we've seen a few up around 2,000 feet, on the Lake Angeles Trail. Right now, they are only blooming near the trailhead, but they'll be opening up at high levels soon.

All kinds of flowers

Some kind of orchid

Another trilium

Keywords: flowers, lake angeles, trillium

03/31/10 - Good To Go Pastries

We've been watching our weight in an attempt to pare down some of our winter fat, but we were sorely tempted by Good To Go's pastries. They bake every day, but Fridays and Saturdays are special. Eric goes all out, and the danish and croissants appear. We'll probably break down as soon as we get back into fighting trim. As the high country clears this spring, we are going to need fuel for climbing. The calories we'll burn climbing Klahane Ridge or up to Lake Angeles have to come from somewhere.

Bear claws

Croissants

We aren't sure, but they sure look good

Keywords: good to go, high country, lake angeles

03/18/10 - Lingering Winter

There was a touch of snow on the Lake Angeles Trail the other day. Apparently winter is not quite over, at least not until the 20th, the first day of spring. On the positive side, someone has removed the Christmas ornaments from the tree not far from the bridge. That's a definite sign that winter is passing.

Lingering winter

Keywords: christmas, lake angeles, spring, winter

03/02/10 - Return to the Lake Angeles Trail

We always like the Lake Angeles Trail. It is only ten minutes from town. It offers a good hard climb. You can keep going all the way up to the lake, or you can turn around at a lower elevation. The lower reaches tend to be clear most of the winter, and when they are not, they make for good snowshoeing.

This January, the road collapsed just before the park entrance, so not only was Hurricane Ridge out of reach, but the Lake Angeles Trail was cut off as well. When it reopened, we made our way up a thousand feet or so.

We found the trail is in great shape. There were a few more logs down, but nothing hard to get over or around. In fact, little had changed. Even the Christmas ornaments that someone had put up were still there. It was like coming home.

The creek

Freshly fallen

At least we took down our tree.

Keywords: christmas, lake angeles, winter

01/15/10 - If The Creek Don't Rise ...

With the recent rain and warm weather it looks as if the creek has risen.

At Morse Creek, we use that almost horizontal branch on the left as our benchmark. The waters are usually a foot or so below its bottom, but with the recent rise it is well over the top.

On the Lake Angeles Trail, the little rivulets, often dry, that cross the path are full of water. Ennis Creek, the stream under the log bridge, was roaring.

The Dungeness River was in full fettle. The little side channel visible from the Dungeness Dike Trail, which is often empty in the summer, is a veritable torrent.

That's the view downstream from the railroad bridge.

There's lots of water under the bridge on the Lake Angeles Trail.

The Dungeness River is roaring as well.

Keywords: dungeness dike trail, lake angeles, morse creek, weather

01/07/10 - Christmas on the Lake Angeles Trail

It looks like the park elves were busy this Christmas on the Lake Angeles Trail. They decorated one of the trees - and there are lots of trees on the Lake Angeles Trail - just a bit before the little bridge. We often climb the Lake Angeles Trail this time of year, though not all the way to the lake, so it's nice to have a bit of Christmas spirit to break up the hard climb.
P.S. Some day we have to blog about our book of Christmas illuminations, A High Country Christmas.



Keywords: christmas, lake angeles

12/03/09 - Another Tree Down

There's another tree down on the Lake Angeles Trail. This one was quite a piece of lumber. Mind you, this isn't really news. Trees fall in the forest all the time, though quite a few choose late November or early December. There were a few trees down on the Spruce Railroad Trail at Lake Crescent as well, but both trails are still passable.

Keywords: lake angeles, lake crescent, spruce railroad, trails

09/24/09 - Lake Angeles Trail Salamander

Olympic salamanders are all over the place. We ran into this little feller on the Lake Angeles trail. Unlike slugs, salamanders can be pretty hard to spot, and it seems that every other twig looks something like a slug or salamander. Still, it pays to watch where one steps on the trail.

We love the crazy geometric background

Keywords: lake angeles, salamander

08/20/09 - Lake Angeles in Season

Just a quick note on Lake Angeles. Come on up; the water is great. If you want to have a good long climb and a refreshing swim at the top of it, now is the time to take the Lake Angeles Trail and take a dip in the lake. The water is cool, but it is as warm as it is going to get. Don't wait for winter.

Lots of people out enjoying the lake

Great looking fungus

The lake in summer

Keywords: lake angeles, summer

08/08/09 - Frogs at Lake Angeles

Some time back we mentioned the frogs peeping up at Lake Angeles. We didn't see them back then, but we saw one of them on our last visit.

One of the frogs of Lake Angeles

Scenery

Corn lilies in bloom

Keywords: lake angeles, flowers

07/27/09 - Klahane Ridge and the "Kick in the Ass"

Usually by the time we reach Klahane Ridge via the Switchback Trail we are so exhausted that we take a rest, turn around and head back down. But, now and then we continue along the trail that leads down to Lake Angeles. This trail heads along open mountainside, generally covered with wildflowers, and then into a series of "rooms" delineated by trees and rock formations, each carpeted with its own display of alpine blossoms. If you get up to Klahane Ridge and you have the strength, it is definitely worth walking another ten or fifteen minutes and climbing the additional hundred and something feet to explore these amazing gardens.

We were discussing this part of the trail with a fellow hiker one day, and she knew exactly what we were talking about. "That's the little extra kick in the ass", she said, and given what it takes to go on after climbing the first 1400 feet or so, we understood her exactly. If you don't think you can handle the climb, you can still enjoy our pictures.

One of the "rooms" with its magic carpet

One of the "towers"

More magic carpet

A carpeted glade

A carpet with a view

The open slope abloom

Spectacular scenery

Keywords: flowers, klahane ridge, lake angeles

07/10/09 - Two Notes on the Lake Angeles Trail

  1. The human urge to decorate is unabated, despite the collapse of the housing bubble. The little footbridge near the start of the trail is taking the brunt of it. It started with a few rocks along the side of the bridge, but now the artistry has spread.
  2. It is hard to capture the beauty of this trail in an ordinary photograph since so much of it flows from the height of the trees. It's like being in a cathedral. You can take perfectly good wedding pictures with a simple camera, but it takes a bit more to capture the grandeur of the space. We only have a simple camera, but Photoshop's Photomerge feature can build a vertical panorama like the one to the right.

A misty day on the Lake Angeles Trail

This footbridge is starting to look like Ediz Spit. Check the rock art decoration.
  

Keywords: lake angeles

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