This backpacking trip took 9 Chemeketans into the heart of the Indian Heaven wilderness in southwestern Washington, a magical land of extinct volcanic craters with more than one hundred alpine lakes. We hiked past about a dozen of these, plus several gorgeous meadows. There were lots of ripe blueberries available to snack on as we strolled. Mushrooms were also abundant, with some king boletus as big as a dinner plate. Because of all the lakes, the Indian Heaven wilderness has a reputation as “mosquito hell,” but the timing of the trip was perfect as we did not see a single one!
From left: Jacque Dodds, Katy Dockter, Joanne Fitzgerald, Debi Gile, Sue Helback, Tina Hayworth, David Anderson, Michael Gilles.