Tour Ross Lake Traverse In The North Cascades | Visit United States of America

Accommodation

Top-of-the-line tent, backcountry sleeping pad and multi-day backpack High quality, synthetic sleeping bag (professionally laundered after every use) – or bring your own.

Guide

A professional, knowledgeable, certified North Cascades National Park hiking guide

Others

Use of trekking poles All entrance fees, permits and passes Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone You will receive a Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and kids to a lifetime discount of 10% off any Wildland Trekking hiking trip after your first one!

Meals

All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day

Transport

Comprehensive, roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Seattle and back

Not included:

Flights

Flights are not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included

Others

Clothes, raingear, and footwear (Oboz hiking shoes and boots recommended) Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1

Shuttle to the trailhead: 3 hours

Hiking Mileage: 7.5 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet

This multi-day North Cascades National Park hiking trip begins with a pick up at your hotel in Seattle, and then a scenic drive into the North Cascades. When we arrive at the trailhead, we’ll get our packs and gear sorted out and hike along Ruby Arm. Small inlets, glacier-fed streams, and moss-covered old growth trees will accompany us. We’ll turn away from Ross Lake for a few miles, climb moderately to cross Hidden Hand Pass, and then find our our camp for the night at May Creek, where your guide will prepare the first of many delicious backcountry dinners.
Day 2 Day 2
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2

Hiking Mileage: 8.5 miles

Elevation Gain/Loss: Minimal

Day two takes us along the edge of Ross Lake for many miles—dramatic views of deep blue water and peaks across the lake will accompany us as we traverse north to Lightning Creek. The elevation change on Day 2 is minimal, as we’re hugging the lake all day long, but the views are spectacular, and we’ll watch for fish jumping and eagles flying over the lake.
Day 3 Day 3
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3

Hiking Mileage: 13.6 miles

Elevation Gain/Loss: 4,400 feet

We will spend two nights at Lightning Creek and attempt too summit Desolation Peak as a day hike. It’s a big hike, but we’ll leave our heavy gear behind and take only daypacks. After a pleasant 2 mile jaunt along the bank of the lake, we’ll start climbing quickly, and won’t stop till we reach the top of Desolation Peak at 6,102 feet. It’s a challenging hike, but the 360 degree views are stunning, and the historic fire lookout at the top—where Jack Kerouac spent 63 days in 1956—is a welcome respite. After a nice break we’ll head back to camp for a well-earned dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Day 4 Day 4
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4

Hiking Mileage: 6.4 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet

Elevation Loss: 400 feet

Leaving the sometimes busy Lightning Creek behind, we’ll switchback steeply up and get some final views of this section of Ross Lake, before dropping into beautiful Lightning Creek valley. We’ll make our way up Lightning Creek until we reach our campsite under some towering cedar tree. Our night here will feel very different from the wide open panoramas of Ross Lake—we’ll be tucked away under giant trees and get to appreciate the rugged and wild forests of the North Cascades.
Day 5 Day 5
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5

Hiking Mileage: 5.5 miles

Elevation Gain/Loss: 800 feet

Day 5 will take us further up Lightning Creek, through more old growth forest, and then up over a small pass. We’ll end the day by hiking out a small spur trail to Hozemeen Lake—a beautiful blue-green lake framed by the granite tower of Hozomeen Mountain. On our last night out we’ll keep an eye out for black bear, deer, elk, wolves—and this close to the Canadian border, maybe grizzly bears! We’ll eat one last delicious dinner, enjoy the reflections in the lake, and then get a good night’s rest.
Day 6 Day 6
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6

Hiking Mileage: 4 miles

Elevation Loss: 500 feet

Our last morning will be bittersweet—we’ll leave the solitude of Hozomeen Lake behind, and wind our way through the forest until we begin descending back towards Ross Lake. As we approach the bank, we’ll get new panoramas, looking west and south across Ross Lake. At just a few miles from the border, we’ll have reached a place that’s accessible only by foot, or by a very long and circuitous drive through Canada. It will be strange to see people again after the solitude found at Hozomeen Lake, but we won’t linger long. We’ll get picked up by a water taxi and boat all the way back to the south end of the lake. We’ll return to the vehicle, bid farewell to Ross Lake, and drive back towards Seattle, where soft beds and warm showers await you in your hotel.

6 days tour

Ross Lake Traverse In The North Cascades

This tour includes:

Not included:

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Itinerary of your trip Ross Lake Traverse In The North Cascades

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Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

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