There’s this pipe dream I have, to take Blaise and Laine when they’re 16ish on the Washington section of the PCT. The hiking, no problem. I absolutely love hiking. I can easily see myself hiking 20 miles each day, maybe even longer. Problem is, I don’t like to camp. I don’t even know how to start a fire. My definition of camping is staying in a cabin, with heat and electricity. It’s roughing it when the cabin doesn’t have running water or a bathroom inside. This is a major step up from before kids. Back then, I called anything three stars or fewer camping. HAHAHA. Oh how times have changed. Funny enough, I’ve been craving camping in a cabin—I just booked a two night stay in early November at a Washington State Park. The first days we could squeeze something in between all the things. The cabin has no bathroom.
But there are no rules on how to PCT. I’m verbifying PCT. And making up words while I’m at it tonight. Maybe there’s a way to hike for miles, meet up with Brian at a rendezvous spot, and then hit up a hotel for the night?! And the next day, he could drop us back off at the rendezvous spot?! Repeat. Again, pipe dream. Nothing has been thought out more than the simple idea of taking Blaise and Laine on the PCT as teenagers. I haven’t even looked at a map to see where the trail goes in Washington. Nor did I know a section of the PCT was so close to home—well, an hour away—until August. When I made the plan to hike Mirror Lake.
The original plan wasn’t Mirror Lake. It was to hike Monte Cristo Ghost Town. We scratched that since it was already mid-morning and Monte Cristo is about a two hour drive from home. And given it’s eight miles, with kids, starting early afternoon, we figured it would put us back at home too late. A friend had suggested Mirror and Cottonwood Lakes as a kid-friendly hike, and this popped into my head when we nixed Monte Cristo. But of course, I like to make things complicated, and instead of doing the easier, 2.2 mile hike, hitting both lakes, I found a hike to Mirror Lake via the PCT, totaling 7 miles roundtrip. Sold. We packed lunches and loaded the kiddos in the car, and set off for the hour drive to the trailhead.
Thankfully I had screenshotted the hike directions because I had no service up that rocky road. After driving nearly an hour east, we exited just past Summit at Snoqualmie, and drove along the roads with all the second homes probably. Beautiful homes, and some that look like they’ve been around since before it became a hot spot to build or buy. Just past the homes, the road heads up into the mountains, where it becomes a rocky road. For miles. I think we had to drive about five miles on the unpaved road. So. Slow. It felt like it took forever to reach the trailhead.
There’s no parking lot but enough room for cars to park alongside the road. And there were quite a few for an area that isn’t well marked. We kind of guessed we were close based on milage and parked cars. Sure enough, we were right. There is no fancy board with trail information like most WTA hikes have at the start. Just measly little metal posts with signs of what is and isn’t allowed on the trail, and a PCT crest logo. Again, thanks to the screenshot we figured which trail—both marked with a metal post—to take. Baby had brought her compass which totally helped! The directions said to head south on the trail. And with the help of Baby’s compass, we stood on the wrong trailhead realizing it wasn’t heading south. We crossed over the rocky road and started at the other trailhead. The hike was starting.
We must have gone about a half mile before we ran into anyone. It was a man and woman, who looked like they were PCT hikers. Their backpacks were loaded with gear, they looked like a good night of sleep and shower were needed, and the guy had a makeshift Strassburg sock getup on one of his legs, which Brian noticed. (I sometimes wear Strassburg socks to bed when my heel pain is at its worst. They totally help.) And they both looked like they’re in incredible shape! Like those who are hiking 2,650 of miles from the Mexico-California border. They were focused and passed by quickly. The kiddos did their kiddo thing for the first mile or so, wanting to climb all the things and have their pictures taken. It was about two miles in when they focused on just hiking.
The trail was relatively quiet the entire way to Mirror Lake. We passed maybe nine people total, so like four groups of people. The trail took us from the standard PNW tree-filled trail, to a rocky section, with a rock slide above and below, through small valleys with ponds, back into tree-filled sections, and then eventually to Mirror Lake. The elevation wasn’t bad going, because the trail goes down to Mirror Lake, with a few switchbacks. The kids kept asking how much longer, and I gave them the standard mom answer, “We’re almost there.” Almost there could be three miles, one mile, or a quarter of a mile. I mean, they can ask all they want but it doesn’t change that we’ll get there when we get there. I did tell them the mileage left, so I didn’t withhold information from them. Even still, one mile could be two hours with kids, haha.
Finally, the lake. We knew it was coming close because the PCT trail meets up with another trail, the 2.2 mile route that hits both Cottonwood and Mirror Lake. There’s a wide open space where the trails converge, and a tree with signage for Mirror Lake and the other trail. We turned right and set on the trail to finally get to the lake. The trail is up above the lake, not right along its shore. Brian kept suggesting we head down one of the many paths to the lake, to get the kids situated and fed. Laine and I disagreed. And because Brian never says no, we continued on to a spot on the shore. It was the perfect spot. The spot Laine and I wanted. Brian can’t complain, haha. It was right on the water with ample rocks for sit spots as the kiddos’ wilderness school calls them. We parked and ate lunches and snacks—because Brian is a snack dad and brought several.
Between eating and nosing around the shore, the kiddos were here, there, and everywhere. There was another family with two young kiddos when we arrived. It seemed like they had been there a while and left maybe 10 minutes after we arrived. Just in time for another family with two young kiddos to arrive. It was a hot spot. Maybe 20 minutes later, we packed up and decided to head back. Baby wasn’t thrilled, she was tired and tried to convince us to ride in the hiking backpack (that’s a nope). But we had 3.5 miles to trek back to the trailhead.
Brian went ahead with the kiddos so I could nose down a few of the paths to the lake, to see different views. I caught back up with them where the trails converge. There were two 20-something young gals who were adorable. They asked Laine to take their picture and then they started to follow us from the one trail to the PCT, and they asked if they were going the right way. The one young gal said they aren’t hikers, and they didn’t know what they’re doing. Haha, they were doing just fine. I asked which trail they started from and they said the other one, so I said not to follow us then. They were fun, and I love that they both had brand spanking new hiking boots. Like full-on hiking boots, up past their ankles. I feel like they were like, let’s hike! And then went to REI and were sold gear they probably don’t need because they said they were new to hiking. Or maybe I’m wrong. Either way, they were living life this day and it made me happy for them. To be young again!
The hike back was uneventful. The goal was to get to the car without stopping much. Maive went back and forth from wanting to walk, to wanting to be in the hiking backpack. She’s so cute, she knows she has to walk on the inside any time there’s a ledge. And she points this out every time. Before walking next to the ledge, while walking next to the ledge, and after walking next to the ledge. “I walk on the inside so I don’t fall.” yep, kiddo. Safety first, then teamwork. (This is what we used to say Leilah would say—our sweet pup who was waaay cuter than she was smart. A Pineapple Express quote which I didn’t realize that’s where we got it from until I just Googled. Makes sense though, timing is right.)
Eventually, we made it back to the car. We passed another family with two young kiddos, both parents carrying young kids in hiking backpacks. Last year when we hiked Heybrook Lookout, I carried Maive the entire way up, Brian carried her down. Hiking back down, an older gentleman gave Brian some go you comment. And I was like, I carried her up! In my head, silently. I thought the same thing when the other dad wearing a toddler made some commiserating comment to Brian. Brian wasn’t even wearing Maive at the time, he only had the hiking backpack on. In fairness though, Brian took most of the Maive wearing on this Mirror Lake hike. But I did wear her for a mile or two on the way to the lake. And it made me realize how out of shape I am these days.
Fun trees along the way. And a Birds aren’t real! tag, haha.
Pretty plans and flowers, and some ‘shrooms.
Views along the trail.
Sibling love, haha. Laine won’t like that comment on a picture under her and Saige. Blaise and Baby were on the hunt to find rocks in shapes of all the states, to make a rock map at home. Baby is really into geography these days, and Blaise is a geography whiz.
Success, we made it back to the car. Everyone did great; there was minimal complaining. It was past our normal dinnertime so as usual, we ordered pizza for pickup on the way home. The kids all had special requests but Brian told them we ordered surprise pizzas—that the pizza joint will just make whatever, that we had no idea what we’d get. They bought this, which is kind of odd to me because they listen to everything. But they didn’t hear me place the order on the phone, in the same car?!
The pizzas were ready as we rolled back into town. Instead of eating there, we grabbed them and drove the two minutes home. It was nearing bedtimes after everyone ate, and the kids all had activities the next day. Summer camps, gymnastics, and whatnot. Thankfully they were all tired and went to bed without much complaint. Brian and I called it a night also. Considering most of the family hikes to make me happy, I think it was a successful outing. And I think they even enjoyed the day. Maybe.
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