My high school friend Alex is one of the people who really opened my eyes to backpacking. When he moved to WA in 2019, just three hours from my home in Portland, I was looking forward to resuming our adventures. Our last backpack was Death Canyon to Static Peak in the Tetons back in 2011.
Unfortunately, the pandemic, a thesis paper, major wildfires, and a surgery all got in the way of those plans. It took until this summer to get a trip on the books. And what a trip it was. Together with Alex’s dog Ruby, we did a point-to-point hike between Snowgrass Flats and Packwood Lake, summiting Old Snowy along the way. I don’t think that either of us was prepared for the spectacle we would get from those ridges. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Not pictured were five mountain goats, several pikas, and a bull elk with an impressive rack. Alex is a biologist, so I got to learn a lot about the local flora and fauna.
We camped at Snowgrass Flats, and then at Packwood River. The biting insects were thick at Snowgrass Flats, but less so everywhere else. Wildfire smoke was visible in the distance. Fortunately, the air seemed pretty clear where we were. There was no water between a trickle from a snowfield just before Old Snowy and a stream a few miles after we’d descended into the trees. We were getting a little nervous by that point and if I were to do the hike again, I’d probably bring a third water bottle.
Packwood Lake was picturesque and free of speedboats and amplified music, with Mt Rainier at one end and Packwood Canyon visible at the other. With several lakeside group sites, it would be a nice weekend destination in itself.
A lot has changed over the last decade. We’re probably not as energetic and eager as we were back then. And we’re both a lot more serious about sun protection (even if it means wearing a goofy hat). But it turns out that we both still enjoy a good backpacking adventure. And so does Ruby, who performed admirably despite refusing her kibble at almost every meal in favor of some tasty sticks.