Did a two night water-taxi organized backpacking trip from Hozomeen to Lightning Creek. Figured with the border still closed, we'd have the place to ourselves, we did. The only factor would be the mosquitos. One step off the water taxi and they were waiting for you. The worst seemed to be at Ross Lake at the Hozomeen dock/campsites. They were a pest most of the way to the lake which forced our group to keep moving at a faster than normal clip.
We were rewarded with a tranquil lake and profound silence. Nice to have the campsites established with fire pits and comfy tent areas. At sun down, the highlight of the trip: howls of the Hozomeen wolf pack echoing across the lake. Owls, loons...all kinds of wildlife making this one of the wilder backpacking settings I've been in. Fishing was unproductive.
Following a night at the lake, we headed south to Deer Tick campsite for the night and then onto Lightning Creek for pickup. The trail is clear and meanders through a forest for most of the way. Mosquitos are still hanging around but less so. There are some wonderful old growth stretches with massive trees. Nightmare camp - despite the name - looked like a nice spot to settle down. Deer Tick, where we had the permit, was less intriguing but had a nice fire pit above the creek. Again, nobody to be found. The trail from Deer Tick to Lightning had a noticeable climb to it. Thru hiking this trail from north to south seems like the way to do it because you get the nice capper to the trip with views of Ross lake and surrounding Cascades. Plus the ability to take a dip in the lake while awaiting the taxi.
Great, stress-free trip.
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