8/2, Saturday. Left Seattle after lunch. Hwy-2 was a bit slow but not congested.
Tonga Ridge TH is over 4000', the car made all the elevation via a ~10 mile gravel road. The road surface isn't too bad, possible in a regular passenger car. There were already 8 cars parked there.
The trail goes up for a short while, and then on a rolling ridge in the trees. The first view is on a short spur to the north. Too cloudy today to see Glacier Peak. Met 2 parties of hikers coming out.
About 2 miles in, there's a side trail left going up to Mount Sawyer.
It's 3/4 miles and 680' up to the summit. The trail is easy, very gradual after the initial 5 minutes.
It zigzags over a huckleberry slope. The higher you are, the better view to the south: Mt Daniel and Hinman are the most.
Met a couple hiking down.
The last big is somewhat rocky, but the nicely made trail makes it very easy.
There are 2 flat spots to pitch a tent. No 360° view. Walk around for views to different direction.
A bit hazy today, especially to west and north. Otherwise, great view.
Met the young couple who parked in front of us.
Ate some huckleberry. Most need another 2 weeks to ripe.
Wasted a few minutes to look for a way down on the ridge. No track, too brushy.
Took the same way down to the main Tonga Ridge trail.
A nice slope filled with bracket fern and fireweed, then trees again.
In less than a mile, walked into a huckleberry meadow.
Here, you'd need a GPS map. Too many side trails, more than what's marked on my map.
After a few minutes, it's a steep uphill, which leads to another huckleberry meadow, mixed with some plants looking like waterlily. Must be swamppy a month earlier.
By the time I was here, mosquitoes were on to me. It was already 7pm.
Then another uphill, before dropping down through woods to Fisher Lake.
Very large, pretty.
My partner had already secured a nice camp site, and was fishing when I arrived.
A little buggy at this hour (7:30pm), no fish.
Repacked a day pack with food+water, fishing gear, headlamp. We headed further east for Semaphore Lake. We passed through 3 more camping parties. The next site is the best, large, good view of the lake. I went to take a photo of the lake, and one guy told me that they went to Semaphore Lakes earlier today: good fishing at lower lake, no fish at upper lake. The trail gets faint after the outlet of Fisher Lake. There are a couple of ribbons. We didn't have too much trouble finding the track (none on my map). It basically circle the bottom of Jumar Mountain.
The upper lake is also very pretty, quite big.
It even has a small island. A tent on the island.
A red inflatable at the far end of the lake.
No more track to the lower lake. Probably need boulder hopping.
My partner caught a cut throat trout, while I was washing nearby (it was muggy today).
The guy on the boat rowed back to the island. I heard him saying good fishing at the other end. I didn't see any fish here.
We put the fish in a plastic bag, and headed back. It was already 8:30pm, and getting dark.
Half way up, we lost the trail. With headlamp, we bushwacked maybe 10-15 minutes, got back to the trail right near the outlet. A short adventure.
Back at camp, I fried the fish in the newly purchased pan, while my partner took another swim.
Only added salt. It was very good.
What a splendid finish of a day.
Almost 10pm, when all is cleaned up. No more mosquitoes. I spent quite sometime trying to hang our food (together with the fish bones), without success. No loose rock, so I used a shoe. But no good tree limb for me to throw the rope without fear of getting my shoe stuck. Gave up. Star wasn't good, half moon, light beyond the ridge to the south. Warm night. Still air.
8/3, Sunday. Packing up a little after 8am. Sunny, more clouds.
I forgot my earbud and hiked back to look for it. Didn't find it :(
As we hiked out, the clouds got thicker and lower.
No view, but much cooler than yesterday afternoon. Again, no wind.
Met 3 parties coming in. The first couple had fishing gear.
56°F at the parking lot. 11am.
Still got stuck in the Goldbar traffic. Not too bad: extra 35 minutes.
The congestion started in Goldbar.
While stuck in the queue, snapped a photo of this Haystack Company in Sultan.
They sell antique and decoration. According to Google review, they also operates an Airbnb.
