Oregon Hikers

I wondered about the fire. This was the fire that killed those 3(?) firefighters. I was there in June, the fire broke out in September I believe. Incredibly beautiful pics!

Great larch color, and amazing terrain up there! Pictures of Scatter Lake and nearby area are just jaw-dropping.

I think you really timed your trip perfectly.

miah66 wrote:Well that was abrupt...I was hoping for more pics and narrative in this fascinating story! I had the fortune to camp out there along Twisp Road at Poplar Flat a few years back. Head to this link to see what lurks up the other fork of your trail! <br abp="847"><br abp="848">Thanks for the report, hope to see/read more!

Yes, I get a bit long winded at times . I was curious what I missed up in Twisp Pass, so thanks for that link. Also wondered about the date of the fire damage I saw. It's unfortunate any time these folks lose someone doing that dangerous work. My sympathies to their families.

romann wrote:Great larch color, and amazing terrain up there! Pictures of Scatter Lake and nearby area are just jaw-dropping. <br abp="789"><br abp="790">I think you really timed your trip perfectly.

Thanks roman: I put the dates on this stuff just for future reference, though I'm sure it varies year to year. I was surprised how much of both the Sawtooths and Cutthroat areas were prime time. I was very happy about that .

Thanks Bosterson: For merging this trip report. I may edit some more now that it looks like an actual report. I haven't had my photos posted on photo sharing site for some time. I used to, but didn't use it much. I am just uploading from my files. So again thanks for the help and info.

Wow! Thanks for the trip report. Those are some wonderful photos. I have an affinity for those trees, as well, and, in fact, we were in that area at the same time as you. We thought maybe the trails with larches accessed off Twisp River Road were past prime, and didn't go there. Boy, were we wrong. Those photos of the Scatter Lake hike are amazing! You timed it perfectly!

Also, I have not been to Copper Pass, so it is really great to see some photos from there! We have hiked to Twisp Pass and then from there, we followed an old abandoned trail / went cross country another couple miles toward Stiletto Mountain to Stiletto Lake, another gem of a lake with larches. We have also hiked to the former lookout site on Stiletto. Your report reminds me that on some fall day, I want to put it all together and loop through Copper Pass, Stiletto Lake, and the former lookout site.

That fire happened August 19, last year. On that day, we were hiking to North Lake, from the Trailhead for Twisp Pass/Copper Pass. We came back to the car and found a note on the windshield from the ranger saying a fire had started and we could no longer leave through Twisp River Road. A tragic day for those young men fighting the fire. Such a terrible day.

mountainkat wrote:We came back to the car and found a note on the windshield from the ranger saying a fire had started and we could no longer leave through Twisp River Road. A tragic day for those young men fighting the fire. Such a terrible day.

No Kidding? How else can you leave? I do recall a couple of questionable roads leading above a few of the campgrounds on the other side of the river. Boy, hopefully you had a good road map and a 4x4!

Thankfully, we did have several great road maps, a 4x4, and a full tank of gas. The ranger's note also told us where the fire was and advised us to leave on Buttermilk Rd. (and really, it was the only way out for us besides hiking). We were the only ones at the trailhead that day, but, we caught up to a group of local ladies who had just hiked to Scatter Lake and we drove our cars out together. Buttermilk Road climbs the ridge south of Twisp River Road (good hiking from there, too), and then it connected with a road that brought us to Carlton, south of Twisp. It was crazy to see that fire from the ridge opposite to it as we drove out.