Salmon La Sac TH
Polallie Ridge Trail -> Waptus River Trail
Hiked June 19 2020
Start time: 9am
End time: 11pm
20 total miles

My husband and I took off a week to celebrate our would-have-been wedding/CoronaMoon so we decided to take advantage of a free weekday and push our day hike limits. Wow, what a trail to do it on!! TLDR: Polallie Ridge Trail is still covered in 3-5 feet of snow for at least 75% of the trail (details below). Do not recommend for a few more weeks at least.

Quick overview: our plan was to start our loop by hiking the Polallie Ridge Trail up to Waptus Pass, then picking up the Waptus River Trail after getting to Waptus Lake. It technically should have been an ~18 mile loop, but issues with navigation tacked on two additional miles.

The Polallie Ridge Trail runs between the Waptus River Trail (to the east) and the Cooper River Trail (to the west). The split is now clearly marked and only takes a few minutes from the trailhead, just keep your eyes peeled for trail signs. The Polallie Ridge Trail immediately picks up elevation and is a tough but enjoyable lung burner for the first 2 miles. You then pass a small talus field on your way into denser woods, and that's where the "fun" begins. From 2 miles to essentially the very last segment of the hike, the trail is almost completely covered in several feet of snow. The trail is impossible to follow without a navigation tool and due to the steep nature of the trail there were several portions that were sketchy because of the soft snow and postholing. Microspikes would have been somewhat helpful for the slopes but not much help on the flats/bushwhacking because of the snow condition. I broke both of my (cheap) trekking poles within the first 4 miles. The snow melt followed the trail, making it nerve-racking to follow, since we were constantly postholing over water. At the very end of the hike we noticed trail blazes in the form of a large chunk cut out of a noticeable tree but not sure if this would have helped us navigate. Cairns were non-existent after the 2 mile mark. Diamond Lake was about 90% thawed out, but the areas around it snowy and marshy, so we took a wide bearth. Same for the small pond you pass a few miles later. Thankfully we got a respite from snow at the old lookout and at the ridgeline but it didn't last for long. Even without snow the trail to the top of the old lookout was very hard to follow since there are lots of game trails through the brush. Normally we would have turned back with conditions like this, but we weren't in a rush, the weather was perfect (mid 70s-80s), we had plenty of food, and felt good about navigation, so on we continued. But it definitely took a toll; we averaged about 1 mph during this section of our loop. Despite the challenges, this hike was spectacular--the views were incredible, the solitude immense, and we saw no signs of other hikers other than a few very faded boot tracks. The 360-degree views at the lookout and ridge are unforgettable, and we even got a great look at Mt Rainier.

Luckily the last mile or so of the Polallie Ridge trail is pretty snow free and we got to Waptus Lake around 7:15pm, in time for a quick snack at the lake before continuing on for another 9 miles down the Waptus River Trail. Note if you do this loop, there are not great on-trail lake views; you'll need to either go down to the Quick Creek camps or the east side of the lake for a nice viewpoint/snack spot.

The rest of the loop on the Waptus River Trail was pleasant and unremarkable, none of the river crossings were very challenging, water was never above knee height. Recommend leaving your waterproof hiking boots behind for this one--put some body glide on your feet and wear trail runners, accept your feet will get wet and embrace it. For details on this trail there are plenty of trip reports to read. It was quite busy and there were lots of groups coming in even as night fell. The lot was full on our way out at 11pm.

Birds to listen/look for: wood thrush, varied thrush, northern flicker, gray/Canada jay (a pair followed us!), western tanager, Wilson's warbler

We decided to try this hike - up Pete Lake Trail, Waptus Pass to Waptus Lake and back via Tired Creek.  Near mid-June with variable weather and deep snow conditions at Waptus pass it didn't pan out. We opted to return down the pass the way we came and camp near Pete Lake.

As for the trip in detail: The hike up the Pete Lake was fairly smooth. A ton of people hiking this trail this time of year and the parking lot was overflowing with cars by 10:30am. On the trail, you'll encounter numerous small stream crossings that are manageable by hopping rocks or crossing a downed tree. Waterproof/resistant boots help. Lot's of mud pits to walk around as well. At Pete Lake, where the Waptus Pass trail begins, we saw a bunch of tents and it seemed to be at capacity by 1pm. I do appreciate that it seemed many families and beginner backpackers are giving this trip a shot.

We zipped up Waptus pass.  A steep 1 mile climb, entertained by beautiful waterfalls roaring alongside the trail. I was getting optimistic that there might not be snow at the pass.  But once at 4100 feet, the snow crept in (2020 was average snow year).  By the time we hit the first stream crossing, about .5 from the pass, the whole area was covered in several feet of snow and the sparse forest made it very difficult for route finding.  

At that point we decided to have lunch up there, return to Pete Lake and find some spot to call it a night.  As anticipated, there wasn't anything available and MORE backpackers were streaming in. We headed back to the car hoping to find a spot on the way back - we did. Overall, the snow pack made the Waptus Lake trip from this side untenable and Pete Lake is a friendly, traffic jam.  

Builders of the Polallie Ridge trail evidently did not believe in switchbacks. The view of the trail going straight up the hill ahead of you will have you thinking you should have done more squats to prepare for this hike.  Trail is in good shape and most blow downs have been recently cleared which was much appreciated. We had Diamond Lake to ourselves on night one. Day two was cloudy all day so we missed the mountain views. Lots of early wildflowers out. The trail gains and loses a fair bit of elevation on the way up from Diamond to the summit, then loses a bunch going down to Waptus Pass, which is marshy with many mosquitoes this time of year. Bug nets were necessary.

We dropped packs at the pass and after scouting about for a bit found the trail to Escondido Lake. Be warned that signs are posted high on trees, facing in one direction so you may not see them. GPS came in handy. The blow downs mentioned in a previous trip report have all been cleared. Trail to Escondido is in good shape. Again, there are meadows around the lake. Too buggy for this time of year, but it looks like hunters use the camps in the fall. There is one very nice hiker sized camp right at the lake. The trail takes you to the meadow not the lake. Cross the meadow to find the lake.

We came back to the pass and camped near a creek then headed down the Quick Creek trail in the morning. There are views on the way down. Trail is in good shape and clear and well switchbacked. Upon reaching Waptus Lake, we took the quarter mile trail to camps along the lake and stopped to enjoy the sun on the water.  From there the Waptus River trail completes the loop. There are some gentle ups and downs with pretty river views along the way.

Probably won’t do this loop again as there are better ridge walks, but if you are looking for solitude this is the spot. We saw only 2 parties in the 2 days on Polallie Ridge. I would also go up Quick Creek trail to reach the ridge.

One night backpacking trip starting from Salmon La Sac. We headed up the Cooper River Trail at a quick pace arriving at the road crossing to Owhi Campground. We moved through the camp area which can get a bit confusing with the social trails and walking through peoples camps basically. Probably had been better to just walk the road to Pete lake TH.

A lot of cars at the TH and passed by a few groups along the trail. Stopped for lunch at the lake with many people already camped out there. I forgot how beautiful the views of Chikamin and Lemah were. 

We then started our way up Waptus Pass. It was obvious immediately that not many people had made their way up there this year. Trail has some steep switchbacks that are often exposed to the sun, we stopped often in the shade when we could. At approximately 4000ft we started to hit patches of snow and a lot of mud/standing water on the trail. None of these were difficult to step alongside or over. Ran into a couple at the pass that was headed toward Polallie Ridge from Waptus.

The descent into Waptus was steep on some loose rock but we got down pretty fast. We found a nice spot at Quick Creek Camp deciding not to bother with the Horse Ford. Saw maybe 6 people on the other side from us. A nice breeze kept the mosquitoes away for a bit until later in the evening.

It was a beautiful moonlit night with fantastic temperatures. I opted for no rain fly which was great. Heading out around 830am the day was already heating up. Mosquitoes were out in full force for about halfway down the Waptus River trail pushing us to move along faster. Mud and some running water at points along the trail.

Overall the entire trip was a fantastic loop at about 23 miles and 3600ft gain. None of the obstacles along the trail were enough to cause any real issues. Only saw one other person along the river until we got to Salmon La Sac.

Before jumping into the details, I would like to mention that this hike was magnificent and worth every step! Here're some details:

We did 2 days and 1 night backpacking trip. On our DAY 1 we hiked Waptus River trail. By the time we've arrived to the PARKING lot (10 AM on Saturday) there were no parking spots available; however, we've been lucky to see a guy leaving, so we took his spot. 

Waptus River trail is flat and easy with beautiful diverse scenery: meadows, burn trees, mossy trees, streams, and river. Just very picturesque trail! There are many open fields on the way, so I do recommend to take a SUNSCREEN; however, if you are not sensitive to the sun, you should be fine without it. 

The most amazing, fun and challenging part of this trail is RIVER CROSSING. We took water shoes, swim suits, and a small towel with us, so we felt very comfortable crossing the river; however, it's up to you whether you'd like to carry some extra weight in your backpack. We crossed the river around 4 PM, and the river was about 30 - 32 inches high. Slippery boulders, heavy backpack, and strong stream made river crossing a bit difficult, yet manageable.  I'm 110 lb, and the stream felt pretty bad to me considering my weight, so I needed my husband to follow and support me, but he felt very comfortable and stable. HIKING POLES are useless while you are crossing that river; however, they are extremely helpful in crossing multiple small streams you've seen on the way. I highly recommend to refill your water supplies right after you cross the river, because water in the Lake (that we were hoping for) is shallow close to the shore and has lots of debris. We ended up coming back for water.

1/2 mi after the River you'll see the Lake. I suggest to make it your final destination point for the day. We went a couple miles further, and there was nothing exciting, so we stayed overnight at the Lake. If you are into watching sunset and sunrise, they are gorgeous there. 

There are several campsites along the lake. We stayed at the first one, right where trail meets the lake. As i mentioned, there is no good water source at that site, so you either need to refill at the river crossing, or go further along the lake. Our campsite was pretty windy. We had to put our tent far from the water. Campsites further along the lake are not that windy, but the views aren’t that dramatic either.

Btw, for those who don’t want to cross the river, there is another campground on the other side of the lake, right after junction with Waptus Pass Trail.

SUMMARY (DAY 1):

1. Take hiking poles for stream crossing
2. River crossing (30 - 32 in deep) involved
3. Sunscreen and bug spray are recommended
4. Flat, easy, yet picturesque hike

On our DAY 2 we decided to take a different route: Waltus Pass - Pete Lake - Cooper Lake. A few times we lost our way, but we had downloaded maps, so they helped us a lot. Make sure that you ether DOWNLOAD A MAP before your trip or print a paper one because navigation may be difficult.

The beginning of this trail is very challenging and steep, especially considering heavy backpack. The trail is very open too, so I highly recommend you to take SUNSCREEN and PLENTY OF WATER. Right after the steep part there is a fun and beautiful snow part :) The trail has lots and lots of patches of packed snow that is not hard to cross, but prone to pot holes. Hiking poles are very handy. There are also multiple streams coming after melted snow. Be careful and stay safe while crossing those streams and snow patches; use maps (because of snow and lack of hikers' steps you may not see the trail). 

Then we went to Pete Lake. It was amazing! Super charming and relaxing! The perfect spot to rest and have lunch :) Refill your water there orin a stream right after lake - there are not many good sources until Cooper lake.

Our final point was large, beautiful and refreshing Cooper Lake - the perfect place to relax, enjoy its beauty, and refresh your tired feet in cold water before last 4 mi remaining to the parking lot.

By the way, along the entire way MOSQUITOES WERE TERRIBLE. My husband and our friend used bug spray and were fine, but I decided to try not to use it. Well, if you are not sensitive to mosquitoes bites, it's manageable; but trust me, it's better to have it :) 

SUMMARY (DAY 2):

1. Mosquitoes are terrible
2. Download maps or print a paper one because navigation is difficult
3. Sunscreen and plenty of water are highly recommended since majority of trail doesn't have lots of shadow
4. Lots of packed snow that is manageable to cross
5. Very steep first part of the trail 

Overall, we made a great loop: challenging, diverse (river crossing, snow crossing, diverse scenery), and picturesque, which I highly recommend.