Larch Quest

Tree Island, Headlight Basin, Heather Maple Pass, Blue Lake, Goat Peak, and other discrete mountain venues draw us like moths to a flame, just to walk among them and feast on their cinematic displays of color. It’s a ritual, a pilgrimage, and often too crowded with ogling hikers, but it’s still worth making the trips. It’s all about the Larches, the western Larch (Larix occidentalis), which grow up to 170 feet high on north-facing slopes between 2,000 and 5,500 feet in elevation, and the lovely subalpine Larch (Larix lyallii), growing up to 70 feet high, typically in cold snowy conditions on bedrock or talus outcroppings between 5,800 and 7,500 feet in elevation.

The yellow-green needles of spring give way to a breathtaking yellow-amber in the fall, late September, and early October, before their needles fall. The bare branches of winter define the ‘deciduous conifers’ and enable them to survive. The temperatures where larches grow get too cold for winter photosynthesis so the trees protect themselves, saving resources by not producing needles in that season. Additionally, the bare trees are more resistant to defoliating insects and wildfires.

The green color of chlorophyll masks the other colors in the Larch needles and the brilliant yellows only show when the chlorophyll is drawn into the tree with the dropping temperatures. This produces the ‘big show,’ the stands of subalpine trees flashing in the sun, and draws a plethora of hikers on the annual ‘Larch march’ just to be a part of the ephemeral event in the brief window of time before the needles fall amidst the incoming snows.

I try to be among them when I can, often mid-week and early for a bit more solitude. Everyone has their favorite places and I haven’t seen them all. But over the years have been lucky enough to be a witness to their breathtaking beauty. Here are some of those moments.

Tree Island: It’s the informal name of a granite outcropping that hosts a stand of subalpine Larches partway up the arduous trail to Aasgard Pass, an arduous gateway. In my opinion, the trail up Aasgard is more than a grueling ascent to the Enchantment Lakes Basin, it is one of the most beautiful parts of the whole journey. Yes, it is strenuous with meandering paths and loose rocks where you’ll find yourself head down navigating relentlessly upward. But if you stop frequently and look up and around, and you really must, you’ll find that it is heartbreakingly beautiful. In fact, despite the drudgery of the ascent, it is my favorite part of the journey. The daunting, sharp form of Dragontail Peak provides a visual backdrop for the fragile Larches, that when wearing their fall mantle of yellow-gold, stop you in your tracks.

Headlight Basin: We had hiked the Lake Ingalls Trail to experience the golden larches in Headlight Basin. Having been to the lake before, it was not our objective. The larches were the big show. We hiked to Headlight Creek, took photos from several vantage points, and hiked out. Since we encountered snow, the scenes were strikingly beautiful, even with the overcast skies. The mantle of white added an extra visual dimension to an otherwise dry landscape and helped showcase the Larches. As we walked amongst them, we reached out to touch. Their needles were feather soft and we felt lucky to be in that moment.

I took three virtual reality spherical panoramic photos of the larches at Headlight Creek and on a rock in Headlight Basin. They are variations on a theme and provide a cool immersive experience of the subalpine Larches. They can be viewed at these links at 360cities.net. Be sure to click the full-screen icon as you roll over the upper right of the photo for best viewing.

Trailside Larches by Headlight Creek: https://www.360cities.net/image/trailside-larches-by-headlight-creek-alpine-lakes-wilderness-wa-state

Alpine Larches from Headlight Creek: https://www.360cities.net/image/alpine-larches-from-headlight-creek-alpine-lakes-wilderness-wa-state

Golden Alpine Larches in Headlight Basin: https://www.360cities.net/image/golden-alpine-larches-in-headlight-basin-alpine-lakes-wilderness-wa-state

Heather Maple Pass: This hike is pure magic! We left the Rainy Pass parking lot trailhead at 10 am and started up the trail clockwise. It is not that steep and breaks out to views fairly quickly, after a thousand or so feet of elevation gain. And then, the views are dramatic and the fall colors brilliant. The huckleberries are on fire. As you approach the final switchbacks up to the pass there is an expansive panorama of golden larches and every few steps, I just stopped with my mouth open. We paused for lunch and more photos at the pass and headed down over Heather Pass and back to the trailhead. It was a banner day in the mountains with wisps of clouds, fair temperatures, and no wind or bugs. Larches were happening and would probably improve into next week. As we descended, we passed what seemed like hordes of hikers coming up the counter-clockwise route. It happens this time of year.

I took two virtual reality spherical panoramic photos of the larches on the Maple Pass Trail on the way to the pass. They provide a cool immersive experience of the trailside subalpine Larches, so check them out. Here is the link to view them in a pano viewer at 360cities.net. Be sure to click the full-screen icon as you roll over the upper right of the photo for best viewing.

Trailside Larches, Maple Pass Trail: https://www.360cities.net/image/trailside-larches-maple-pass-trail-north-cascades-wa-state

Alpine Larches, Maple Pass Trail: https://www.360cities.net/image/alpine-larches-maple-pass-trail-north-cascades-wa-state

Blue Lake: We left the parking lot at 9:20 am and started up the trail. It was very chilly. The trail parallels the highway for a while before switch backing up towards the lake. Leaving the lower wooded section there is an expansive panorama of golden Larches and every few steps I just stopped in awe. The scenery is that good! At about 6,000 feet the scattered snow now covered the trail completely and there was snow all the way to the lake. We hiked up a knoll on the west side of the lake, the further to explore a hidden tarn, and then hiked up the east side ridge for more views. We took our time and photographed the magical snowy scene as more snow began to fall. The gnarly trees were absolutely stunning against the views to Liberty Bell and Early Winters Spires.

I took a virtual reality spherical panoramic photo. It provides a cool immersive experience of the snowy views from the side of Blue Lake. Here is the link to view them in a pano viewer at 360cities.net. Be sure to click the full-screen icon as you roll over the upper right of the photo for best viewing.

Blue Lake, West Side Vista: https://www.360cities.net/image/blue-lake-west-side-vista-okanogan-wenatchee-national-forest-wa-state