Right now I'm only getting about one "real" day off every 2 weeks between school and internships. Inevitably, I dedicate this day to homework. One of my instructors then told me I had to get outside and get some vitamin D.
My husband also got his fishing license and wanted to go do that, so we decided to go to Squires Lake so he could fish and I could hike with the dog.
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Squires Lake to Alger Alp
Parking Permit: none needed
Distance: 4.5 miles round-trip
Elevation gain: 1200 ft
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To get to Squires Lake, you want to take I-5 exit 242 to Nulle Roa and head East until you see the trailhead on the left-hand side of the road. It's a decent turn-out with lots of parking.
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| And an accessible privy! |
Squires Lake park itself is fairly nice on its own, with a loop trail that wraps around the lake and an off-shoot that leads to a nearby beaver pond.
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| Helpful map! |
It's a quick warm-up to get to the lake, with plenty of steep switch-backs, but it's not too long.
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| The husband climbing with his gear. |
Fun fact, the first time my husband went fishing, he called me freaking out slightly. He had just recently moved to the area.
Hubs: "There's something rustling in the bushes nearby and it makes a weird sound."
Me: "It's Sasquatch."
Hubs: "I think it's getting closer."
Me: "Sasquatch is coming for you."
Then in the background of the call, I heard a
weird sound.
Me: "Did that sound just happen again?"
Hubs: "Yeah. What is that?"
Me: "I really don't know, but I think it's Sasquatch."
Eventually I found a matching sound clip online. As it turns out,
beavers make really weird noises. Go figure.
Anyway, back to our hike. We reached the lake, and from there we went our separate ways. The husband headed left to go clockwise around to the other side of the lake.
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| Squires Lake. |
I in turn went right to head south. To get to Alger Alp, you want to follow the Pacific Northwest Trail for a bit. Part of it intersects the park. I turned on South Ridge Trail, following the white paint marks that are indicative of the PNT.
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| Trail markers |
You'll quickly come to a short "viewpoint", but it isn't much.
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| "Viewpoint" |
Keep hanging right on the trail, and you'll eventually leave Squires Lake Park.
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| Goodbye, park! |
The trail follows the ridge you're on south, and has much better sights than the "viewpoint" that's in the park.
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| This is better! |
The trail is more primitive than what is in the parks, but it's still easy to follow. When in doubt, just keep an eye for the white paint marks.
Eventually, you'll break out into a clearing of an old skid road.
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| Old skid road |
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| Looking back at where the trail breaks out |
You'll still see PNT trail markers, but since we're going to the summit you now want to pay more attention to the roads you're on instead of the trail. Though you won't see it at first, you're starting out on Road 1300.
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| Some people make their own trail markers. |
You'll want to follow the road until you find Road 1000. It should be the third left. There are several junctions, and they all look the same, so just pay attention to where you're going.
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| Just don't veer off the wrong junction. |
When you meet 1000, take it up. It should lead you around some nice rocky cliffs.
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| This is Road 1000. It looks like all the other ones so pay attention to signage. |
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| Rocky bits. |
There are some nice peek-a-boo view of the foothills to the east, including the patchwork clear-cuts that dot this part of the landscape.
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| Logging! |
It's a nice, steady climb all the way up as the road coils around the hill. At the top, relax at a viewpoint to take in views of Skagit Valley and Blanchard Mountain.
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| View! |
My cell phone camera didn't quite cooperate, making it look hazier than it was, but I could see all the way out to the Salish Sea and Fidalgo Island.
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| Behold the view! |
In the pic below between the two foreground hills, you can
just make out Mt. Erie and Sugarloaf in the distance.
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| Hills! |
On the descent I saw a bit of Mt. Baker hiding behind some clouds.
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| My phone decided to photograph the blue sky, too. |
On the descent don't forget to turn back on Road 1300 to head back to the lake!
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| If you get lost in thought you might miss it. |
Back at the lake, I met back up with the husband.
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| Gone fishin' |
He actually caught a fish. I think it's a trout? I don't know fish.
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| It's some sort of gill-bearing creature. |
It was quite edible. The dog kept trying to snack on it as we hiked back to our vehicle.
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| Something fishy |
I did not permit the dog to lick me on the drive home.
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