Rainy Pass to Stevens Pass, 1979, page 4

Lyman Lakes from Cloudy Pass

Tuesday, Day 3
September 18, 1979
6:30 PM, Lyman Lake

I spent all day climbing up out of the Agnes Creek Valley and saw two people today – a ranger at the basin below Suiattle Pass, and a guy on top of a Cloudy Pass. The trail just went up and up and up, but the pay-off was worth it. There is a splendid view of Glacier Peak from Cloudy Pass, which is about 500-feet higher than Suiattle Pass. I was delighted to discover that when I head off to Image Lake I won't need to descend all the way back down to the basin where the PCT the trail meets the the Cloudy Pass trail. There's a spur trail that cuts off from the Cloudy Pass and contours over to Suiattle Pass.

Some clouds came over Glacier, but were pretty much broken up by the time they got to Lyman Lakes basin. This lake is something else! It's huge. At least the main lake is. Then there's the splendid waterfall leading up to two higher lakes, one of which feeds directly from a small glacier. All three are a milky color, not too appetizing for drinking or bathing, but pretty neat for photography. The meadow leading to the upper lakes is incredibly beautiful.

Lyman Lake meadow

I'm trying to decide whether to stay two nights here or not. The campsites are basically crappy – located well away from the lake, up on a heavily wooded hill. And the bugs are horrible. I sure am glad I brought my bug juice. These bloodsuckers are agressive, even if they aren’t as plentiful as they undoubtedly are earlier in the season.

I guess I'll see how it goes tonight. The ranger I met down in the basin said there have been no bears reported in the area lately, so that’s encouraging. Last night I heard something twice prowling around my tent area. I don't know what it was and I don't want to know. But it sounded large.

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