For the times that we live in, with a need to physically distance ourselves for everyone’s wellbeing; we have hikes like this. The most recent registrants at the trail head were hikers two weeks ago. Our day was gloriously filled with flowers, was mostly sunny, and need I mention it, we didn’t see a soul.
Bear Pot is a primitive camp site with a fire ring and not much else. We arrived early the night before and spent our evening listening to squirrels and evening bird calls. Mosquitos were an annoyance but a smoky fire or bug-spray will keep them at bay.
What is remarkable here is the diversity of this trail. There is an accumulative 1800’ of elevation gain as you roll through the Okanogan Highlands. Lodge Pole pine forest one moment, then a mature, park-like fir/ponderosa forest the next, and lastly sub-alpine rocky hillsides smothered in flowers. An old sheep herder’s cabin was fun to visit as was the now-gone fire lookout summit.
The trail is remarkably easy to follow but don’t wear your white tennis shoes. If the weather has been wet at all (as it has been), the trail turns into a narrow stream in many places. Moose and deer traffic make the trail full of wet holes. Moose, you say? Yes, moose. We didn’t physically see any (they were distancing) but their tracks are very evident and one moose’s crashing through the brush and into water was unmistakable.
The flowers are fantastic. We identified ~60 specimens.
A note to navigators should you hike this trail. Several map sources, GaiaGPS and Day Hiking Eastern Washington, by Romano and Landers among others, show the trail after the cabin in the incorrect place. This isn’t a problem (as the trail is easy to follow) so long as you turn west (right) onto the Thirteen Mile trail when you reach it. The left fork goes eastward.
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