这个周末山里的天气又成问题，爬Sahale的计划恐怕要到明年了。去San Juan岛骑车在日程上也放了有快两个月了，一直被优先级更高的活动压着，于是就决定这个周末成行了，虽然天气预报上看天气并不那么理想，40%的降水概率。

虽然San Juan群岛是northwest的一个旅游热点，我们在northwest这些年却没去过。San Juan群岛主要有四个大岛，我们选择San Juan岛的一个主要原因是Friday Harbor的轮渡下来以后走两个block就有个自行车店可以租拖斗，我们需要一个拖斗装camping用具。Gear的准备和我们每个周末的backpacking没有太大区别，东西不用在背上背，所以重量上可以稍微放宽松一些。我们把东西都塞进了一个45升和一个30升的day pack，睡袋用垃圾袋套上，sleeping pad挂在包上。

周六一大早，装上车开到Anacortes的轮渡，把汽车趴下，背上包，推着自行车上轮渡。行人和自行车可以在汽车之前上轮渡，渡船的头上有几个放自行车的地方。轮渡8:55am出发，行程一个小时。一路上晨曦中的San Juan群岛很美，渡船两边经常有海豹出没，航线穿过一群郁郁葱葱的小岛。渡船到了以后，行人和自行车最先下船。Friday Harbor看上去是一个典型的海边旅游小镇，街道两旁云集着小餐馆和各种导游booth，特别是观鲸的tour。天气似乎不像预报的那么糟糕，10点钟已经是阳光明媚，太阳照在身上有点暖洋洋的，海风吹不到的时候还颇有点热。我们推着自行车，自行车的后架上绑着睡袋，走到Island Bicycle。我事先就给他们打过电话，询问了他们租拖斗的情况。装上了拖斗，把背包和睡袋放进去以后先在旁边的停车场转了两圈适应一下，因为以前没骑车带过拖斗。我们事先做的功课不是特别充分，whale watching tour没有预约，因为已经不是旅游旺季。于是我们就在上路之前打了个电话询问了一下情况，预约了一个第二天上午11点的5小时的从Roche Harbor出发的kayak tour。

从自行车店出发大约是10:30，我们选择了顺时针绕着岛骑。岛上旅游旺季已经基本结束，路上车不多。已经是秋日的阳光，虽然很明媚，已经没有那么毒。咸咸的海风吹在身上还颇有些凉。短袖的jersey有些不够。在Oregon住了6年，我们都被Oregon美丽的海景宠坏了，一直抱怨Washington的海岸太差。San Juan岛让我开始改变了这个印象。很久没有到过海边了。上次大概还是在东岸的Cape Cod了。我们一路走走停停，下午三点多钟到了Lime Kiln State Park。这个公园也叫Whale Watching Park。顾名思义，一定是鲸鱼经常出没的地方。以前也见过一些鲸鱼，不过都是非常远，用望远镜都不怎么看的清楚。所以也没报太高期望，只是跟大家一起在海边晒晒太阳。过了一会儿，灯塔旁边人头攒动，大家似乎都很兴奋，我们凑过去顺着大家指的方向看，果然是有数头鲸鱼不时的跃出海面。顷刻间，观鲸船都从四处涌了出来，不知从哪儿还冒出一堆kayak，纷纷向鲸鱼的方向冲了过去。我们只能在岸边远远的看着，我掏出500mm的炮筒毫不吝啬的喀嚓了一堆片子，直到鲸鱼们都远去。我们一共看到了4-5头鲸鱼。其中有一头还spyhop了几下，就是把脑袋越出水面。San Juan群岛最常见的是虎鲸(Orca, or Killer Whale)。它们常驻在加拿大的Vancouver岛和Washington州大陆之间的水域。每年的5-9月三文鱼洄游的时候他们在河口附近活动频繁。

看完鲸鱼，就准备一路骑到我们的营地了。路上有一连串的上下坡，拉着拖斗非常费劲。不过一路上秋色配上海景非常的美。中间还有一个小插曲。从Lime Kiln公园出来，发现自行车倒了，前轮的气门嘴别在了bike rack上断了。不过我现在换胎已经是轻车熟路了，10分钟换好了胎就上路了。我们的营地在San Juan County Park，公园不大，有20个左右的car camping site。旺季的时候需要早早预订。我们到的时候5点左右，虽然不是旺季，但是所有的site也被占满了。不过他们专门开辟了一块给hiker/biker/kayaker的营地。很大一片地方就我们俩。营地条件很不错，一大片的草地对着大海，背后是山，对面隔着海峡是Vancouver岛，左前方是Olympia半岛，半岛上的山还盖着白顶，不知道是去年的残雪还是今年的新雪。营地还有picnic table。我们已经很久没有享受过这么腐败的营地了。做完晚饭，暮云已经沉到海面了，夕阳照在上面金灿灿的。大家都走到沙滩上看落日。

海边的晚上不冷，至少比山里暖和多了。太阳下山后，对面Victoria华灯初上。 我们钻进帐篷美美的睡到第二天早上阳光打在对面的山上才起床。吃过早饭，慢慢悠悠的一路往Roche Harbor骑。路上有一个Alpaca农场。我们路过的时候Alpaca们可能刚起床，懒洋洋的围着一圈吃草，只远远的拍了几张照片。

Roche Harbor在San Juan岛的西北角，背靠着一座小山包，所谓港口无非是两排船坞，停靠着一些快艇。我们的kayak guide是个叫Blake的小伙子，给我们讲解了一些基本的kayak操作后我们就上路了。这是我们第一次玩sea kayak。不过有white water的经验就简单多了，港口附近的风浪很小，天气也很好。我们的路线是环绕Henry Island一圈。沿途Blake给我们介绍野生动物，主要是鹰和海豹。这个季节的鹰不多，基本都离巢去抓三文鱼了。海豹们懒散的在石头上晒着太阳。偶尔一两只扑通跳到水里抓鱼吃。

1点钟左右，我们停靠在岸边准备吃午饭。我们正在吃的时候，Blake拿起望远镜往海面上张望着，很兴奋的告诉我们看到了鲸鱼。我们纷纷拿过望远镜顺着他指的方向看过去，果然看到一些水花，附近有一些观鲸船。Blake通过radio询问了一下船上的向导，得知鲸鱼们是朝我们的方向游过来的，而且是super pod（San Juan岛附近有三群orcas，他们一起出动的时候叫super pod）。我们立刻决定放弃午餐，全速划过去看鲸鱼。 我们赶到的时候四周有不少船围了一大圈，中间至少有10几头很活跃的鲸，我们都不知道该看谁好了。鲸鱼们都游得很快，其中一群很快就游到了我们附近大概50米的地方，这一群至少有3-4头，大家竞相跃出水面，尾巴打出水花的声音听得清清楚楚。其中一头好几次大半个身子都跳出来，黑白相间的身体看的很清楚。可惜没有抓到跳出水面的镜头。

很快鲸鱼们就向南游远了， 看样子方向是我们前一天看到它们的公园附近。Blake告诉我们那儿是一条河的入海口，有大量的三文鱼出没，它们一定是去吃鱼了。看鲸鱼耽误了一些时间，也使我们偏离了预订路线很多，剩下的路程我们赶了赶，回到Roche Harbor还是有些晚了。换好衣服装好车已经是4:40，我们奋力用了全力一路赶向Friday Harbor，终于在Island Bicycle关门前2分钟赶到，把拖斗还掉。回到轮渡时间还早，我们在轮渡对面的小餐馆吃了顿晚餐，正好渡船就来了。渡船回来的路上正好是日落时分，暮色很美，太阳落下以后银色的月光照在海面上，提醒我们快到中秋了。

本来这个周末要爬Sahale，但是天气又不好，只好临时改计划爬Dragontail。周五的时候做功课的时候Sunny又说Dragontail不是个好主意，碎石太多，推荐Little Annapurna。我们本来也无所谓，改就改吧。于是临时又稍微做了做功课。Enchantment Lakes那块地方也算是熟悉，功课做起来也简单。计划从Stuart Lake进出，一共10-12个小时，出来的时候要走夜路。我们的底线是，天黑(7:30pm)之前一定要回到Colchuck Lake的北岸。

周六早上5点，我和白菜从Redmond出发，在Leavenworth的麦当劳买了点早餐，到Stuart Lake Trailhead出发的时候8:45am。前面一段到Colchuck Lake都是维护得很好的trail，4.5哩，上升2200尺，走了1小时50分钟。过了上次我们游泳的地方，就没有trail了，从湖的北岸到南岸都是巨石。需要在石头上面翻上翻下，很消耗体力。一哩左右的路程走了40分钟。过了Colchuck Lake就顺着小溪向Aasgard Pass上，这里到Aasgard Pass直线距离是1哩左右，海拔提升2200尺，非常陡，而且没有trail，基本都在碎石上scramble，经常走一步往下滑半步。1点左右，我们到了Aasgard Pass上面。我们下到Upper Enchantment Lake旁边补了些水，吃了点东西。

1:30，继续上路。Enchantment Lakes这一块基本没有固定的trail，在湖和雪地之间找路走，所以走得很慢。走到了Little Annapurna的东北山脊附近，我们就开始顺着山脊上了。山体基本都是大块花岗岩，这就是和火山的一个大区别了。靠近山顶的地方有一片雪，但是可以避开。估计春天的时候雪会不少。从山脊下面到山顶上升800尺左右，走了40分钟左右。到山顶的时候是3:15左右。Little Annapurna的山顶是一大块很平的地，有几堆很大的排得很整齐的石堆。山顶的南面却没有山坡，是一面悬崖。山顶的风景很不错，近处能看到若干湖，Dragontail Peak和Mount Suart。远处能看到Mount Baker和Glacier Peak以及North Cascades的群峰。南面能看到Rainier的北坡。当时Rainier的半山腰有一层很厚的云。

花了些时间拍照吃东西之后，我们留下了一个塑料瓶，装了一支笔和几张纸，做登顶登记。不少山都有这样的登记，我在别人的游记里了解到Little Annapurna没有，于是就带了一个来。4:00，我们开始下撤。我们决定走一条直线下到Upper Enchantment Lake，沿着西北坡走。这条路基本也都是大石块，有一个地方要上一大块雪地比较难走，需要一个class 5的move，下面不是非常暴露，但是如果我们失足会摔得比较惨。过了这个move上了雪地之后雪面很硬，坡度很大（30-35度左右，滑雪场黑道水平）。我们只能用冰镐在雪面挖出坑再用脚踩。不过雪地并不宽，很快就穿过了。回到Aasgard Pass是5:15左右。下Aasgard Pass异常痛苦，跟上次的经验一样。膝盖和大腿的压力都非常大。下到Colchuck Lake的北岸正好7:20，跟我们定的底线时间一致。后面的路都是维护好的trail，没有scramble，而且我走过两次，其中一次还是在黑暗中。所以不怕抹黑。我们在湖边打了水，吃了点东西，休息了一下酸胀的膝盖，拿出头灯就开始撤了。回到停车场9:50。回到Leavenworth的麦当劳买了点吃的就上路了。今天走了18哩左右，海拔上下至少5500尺，强度还是不小。

09/08/07, Saturday morning, we left Redmond at around 7am. After we turned off from Hwy 2, we made a stop at Plain, a tiny village with one general store. We fed ourselves with sanwiches and coffee. We then drove off to Phelps Creek Trailhead. The Forest Service roads around here are a rather complex web. I’m glad I read the driving directions carefully and I had a map with me. The last one hour of driving is on unpaved roads. Some sections are very very rough. All-wheel-drive high clearance vehicles are recommended for peace of mind. There are many well built campgrounds along the way. If we need to take off from the trail head early next time, we would camp here. As I can recall, the last two camp grounds are Nineteen Mile and Alpine Meadows, for future reference.

At 11:30am, we take off from the trail head (3500 feet). After 3.5 miles, the trail crosses Leroy Creek. We arrived the south end of Spider Meadow (4800 feet) in 5.5 miles, at 1:00pm. There, we had a little snack and chatted with a couple who were on their day 8. We asked a little about the trail condition. There are a bunch of campsites at the south end of the meadow. There is also a map of campsites here.

The trail leads to the north end of the meadow in about 1 mile. It corsses Phelps Creek near the end. The water is very low late in the season. But I have read trip reports early in the season saying that it’s hard to cross. If it is the case, camp here and cross it in the morning. The trail begins to climb after it ascends into the woods. About a quater mile to half mile later, there is a turn-off to Phelps Basin. The elevation here is about 5300 feet and there is a sign. This is the last chance to camp before Larch Knob. The trail ahead is steeper and Larch Knob is colder and windier. If you want a comfortable place to stay overnight, this is where to stop.

The trail then switches back on a steep slope that brings us to 6200 feet, almost out of timerline. There is a toilet sign pointing to the right. On the left, there are a few trees with a relatively flat area, enough for 3 or 4 tents. This is the Larch Knob campsites. This area is very dusty. However, access to water is very convenient. Spider Glacier is within 100 feet away. The trail to the toilet leads up the hill. Up on the hill, there is a larger meadow that can accomodate more tents. I suppose it’s less dusty and windy. However, when we got there, it was already taken.

We camped here at around 4pm. Yes it took us more than 4 hours to get here. But do not get me wrong. This is not a tough trail. Actually it is quite easy. It is very well maintained and flat till the last section, which is not that bad either. We took it very slowly because I had not recovered from a brutal 6-hour mountain bike ride on Thursday and we totally had no time pressure.

The temperature drops pretty soon after the sun moves over the valley. Lack of rest and deprived of sleep, I felt asleep even before it got dark. It was pretty gusty in the night. I can hear the wind blowing into the gap making high pitch sounds.

We were on a very loose schedule, so we didn’t get up till the wind dwindled. We took our time to cook breakfast, waiting for the sun to climb over the ridge bringing warmth to our campsite. We left the campsite at around 9am and hit Spider Glacier. The glacier has degraded so much that it is mostly just a snowfield. The snow is a little hard and sliipery in the morning. But in general it is not steep nor exposed. An ice axe prooved useful, but a pair of trekking poles would also do a good job. There is no deep snow in the late season. Gaiters are not needed. Spider Gap is at 7100 feet. The climb up took us 1 hour. Then we descended on Lyman Glacier, on the northwest side of the gap. The total descent is about 1200 feet, half of which is on the snow. This is the far end of the glacier, there is hardly any ice, but mostly snow (at least it is the case in the season). There are too many exposed rocks for glissading. Do not attempt in late season. Below the snowfield, it’s a moraine with the galcier retreated. Be careful with the loose rocks. The easiest way is go toward a small knoll below the snow, pick up the trail marked by cairins from there. The trail follows a small creek runnin into Upper Lyman Lake.

At the lakeshore, the view is stunning! You can see the whole Lyman Glacier, with its snort on the edge of the lake. The snort forms a high ice wall by the lake, heavily crevassed, glowing ligh blue. Ice chunks are floating on the green and blue lake. Chiwawa Mountain is towering up the lake. The tip of Glacier Peak and Lower Lyman Lakes can be seen on the gap, but totally blocked from here. You need a very wide angle lens to capture the scene. Or forget about the camera, imprint the beauty in your mind. I’m sure it will stay there for a long long time.

We wandered around the lake for about an hour and headed back at around 12pm. The snow becomes softer with the sun shining on it. By 1:30pm, we were back at our campsite. We broke camp and left at 2:30pm. We didn’t meet anyone till we got to the meadows. For the whole morning, we were the only two there. The whole glacier, lake and the mountains were owned by us! We got to the south end of the meadow at 3:30pm and sprinted the last 5.5 miles in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The timing was perfect. We didn’t have to drive the unpaved roads in dark. We also had enough time to drive to Leavenworth for a dinner. In general, this is a perfect 2-day trip with moderate difficulty. It can be easily done by even beginning backpackers. The reward is very high. The only downside is the approach of driving on the unpaved road and the first flat 5.5 miles, which are a little boring.