Glen Alps to Indian via Ship Lake
by Bill Wakeland, Scree

July 14-15.  While the rest of us moved up to Glen Alps, Don Hansen delivered his pickup to the Indian Creek trailhead and my wife provided taxi service back to the parking lot, from where we got away at 9:30.  The hike up south fork of Campbell Creek trail and up and across the Hidden Lake outlet creek to Ship Lake Pass (4000') was rather uneventful except for worsening weather and a cold breeze.

Willy Hersman had joined us for a day hike, and he and Don were emerging from the fog descending the Ramp (5240'), as the rest of us went up they then did the Wedge.  Rain turned to snow and the fog lifted enough to afford some views over Ship Lake and to the east.  Our junior climber, Peter Mitchell, age 9, made it virtually to the top leaving his mother, Mary, behind.

We were happy to return to the pass and then down the steep 1500' slope to Ship Lake valley, and out of the wind.  Good tent sites were found on the lichen just north of the smaller lake.  Fashion rain gear award for the day went to Mary for her black garbage bag with armholes.  And the neatest stream crossing was by Peter - Don threw him across to two catchers!

Weather moderated for dinner, after which several of us walked up to Ship Lake, spotting some more sheep (there were many along the Ramp earlier) and learning there were some 6" trout in the stream.  The next morning was clear and we got a late start after lazing around in the sun and after I made a short scramble to photograph three young rams above camp.

The walk around the point into the next valley leading to Indian Creek Pass was beautiful, in a lush and park like setting with many flowers blooming amid the brush clumps and alpine hemlock, columbine, paintbrush, tundra rose, geranium, etc.  We came across a recent sheep kill, probably by a grizzly known to be in the area recently.

We started down the Indian trail from the Pass about 1 p.m. and got to the trailhead in well under three hours, a distance shown on the sign as 8 miles. There were several stream crossings, one of which most waded and the others were on logs.  Inducements to a rapid pace and short stops were hordes of black flies, mean little b----.  Terrain gradually changed through zones of open alpine, willow, alder, and eventually large hemlock and cottonwood.  Trip mileage was 19 or 20 miles including the Ramp.

A good hike and a good group.  Besides Don, myself and the Mitchells were Chris Erickson, Doug Knutson and David Judish.