We arrived at the Heather Meadows parking lot shortly after 11:00 a.m. on a partly sunny Tuesday morning. The drive up was clear of snow, as was the parking lot, although there was snow along the road edges and on the ground around the parking lot. There were only about a dozen vehicles in the lot. The toilets at the trailhead were clean and well stocked.
The Mount Baker Highway is closed above Heather Meadows, but the road surface was clear of snow as it continued up past the barrier. We couldn’t tell how far that was true, but one intrepid skier packed his skis on his back and road off up the road on a mountain bike, hopeful of finding some skiable snow.
From the Heather Meadows parking lot we hiked out the west side of the Bagley Lakes Loop trail and then continued up the Chain Lakes trail to Herman Saddle. The trail was initially clear of snow but very wet. Much of the trail bed was running with meltwater, so we were hiking up a stream more than a trail. Fortunately, we were wearing water resistant hiking boots because dry hiking was impossible. The lakes were not frozen and many small streams and rivulets were coursing down the rocky bluffs along the west shoreline. We were grateful for our hiking poles as we maneuvered over the steep, rocky sections after the junction where the Chain Lakes trail leaves the Bagley Lakes Loop.
The snow depth increased as we climbed and full snow on the trail started at about 4500 ft elevation, a little over a mile from the trailhead. The snow was very soft and wet, degrading into slush close to the ground, and parts of the trail were acting as run-off streams. This made for very wet hiking conditions and necessitated careful stepping to avoid slipping and/or getting truly soaked. The snow deepened as we climbed and transitioned from slushy to very heavy snow. We put on microspikes to minimize slipping and that helped a lot. The trail had been broken by several previous hikers and was not hard to follow all the way to the saddle (see photo).
Across the upper avalanche chute, snow falling from overhanging trees had produced lots of rolling snowballs and wheels, but there was no sign of a significant snow slide. However, across the valley on the north face of Table Mountain we could see two significant slides.
We stopped at the top of the saddle to take a long lunch break and enjoy the gorgeous views and Mounts Baker and Shuksan (photos). We met one hiker coming down who, like us, had gone only to the saddle. Tracks leading further along the Chain Lakes trail indicted that at least two hikers had continued for at least a short distance that way. However, the valley looked dark and uninviting and, given the trail conditions, we opted to go back the way we had come.
The snow was even softer and wetter on the way down, and the flowing water deeper and faster. Even with microspikes and hiking poles, it was slow going.
At the junction with the Bagley Lakes Loop trail, we turned right and hiked along the east side of the lakes. That trail is more open and flatter and, although wet, was easier going than the west side. About halfway along there was a lovely waterfall where water was cascading over vertical columnar basalt pillars (see photo). We stopped to admire this and then realized that the trail went right through the liquid cascade. We made a detour by climbing down below the falls and stepping across rocks, getting only a minor shower in the process. Clearly the waterfall is not normally so vigorous.
My overall assessment would be to avoid the hike up to Herman Saddle until the snow either melts or transitions into full winter conditions. The Bagley Lakes Loop is certainly doable but be prepared for wet and muddy conditions and the challenge of the waterfall. Skiers note: We did not find any snow deep enough for skiing anywhere along our route.
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