Heather Lake

Location: North Cascades – Mountain Loop Highway

Length: 4.6 miles roundtrip

Elevation: Gain/1034 ft. Highest/2430 ft.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 3 hours

This trail is a great for getting back into the swing of things as the grade is gentle and it is one of the first to thaw out. I would compare this hike’s popularity and accessibility to Lake 22. There is a lot of melt off making for a muddy trail. I had a misstep crossing a stream and was thankful I brought an extra pair of socks. One frustrating thing we witnessed was fresh spray paint on a stump and on the snow with graffiti markings.

The last third of the hike was all snow that was still packed firm enough to be solid to walk on. The lake was still frozen over but not safe enough to walk on. I really don't recommend walking on frozen lakes around here anyway. We brought our GSI dualist pot and MSR stove to have hot soup at the top, which was very welcomed by our freezing hands! The snow was so peaceful, insulating the vast space of the lake. I imagine this hike is a nice opportunity to see snow for those who do not have experience snowshoeing or participate in winter sports.   

Amazing ultra light stove set up!

We saw this marking on a stump as well.