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Ingalls Creek, Alpine Lake Wilderness, WA
September 2006


Synopsis

    We spent 2 nights at Ingalls Creek camping about 2.5 miles from the trailhead. One day we took a day hike up Cascade Creek Trail to County Line Trail and back down Falls Creek Trail. The total loop hike was roughly 15 miles with a total elevation gain and decent of approximately 3,000 ft in 2 miles each way– that’s steep! Cascade Creek Trail was hard to follow at some points and we ended up straying away from the trail and had to scramble up a steep rocky side. Another couple we met on the trail did the same thing – there was a bit of rejoicing when we all made it to the top of the ridge.

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Pictures

Ingalls Creek was still flowing strong at the end of summer.
The views of the Stuart Range from the Cascade Creek Trail and the Country Line Trail were amazing.

We saw the usual mountain birds.  It was fun seeing the Dippers on the creek.  I always enjoy watching their behavior as they ‘dip’ in and out of the water.

Most of the flowers were pasted their prime, but there were still some flowers around the streams and bogs.  Ingalls Creek Trail would be excellent in the spring for wildflowers.

Some of the wildlife we saw

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Bird List

Osprey -1
Red-tailed Hawk
Sooty Grouse -1 (I wasn’t sure on the id, since it was badly lit and high above us on a open rocky slope, hidden by some alpine trees, but it seems to be habitat for Sooty Grouse, perhaps a little too open for Spruce)
Belted Kingfisher -1
Northern Flicker
Hairy Woodpecker
Empidonax sp. - 1
Warbling Vireo - 1
Clark’s Nutcracker
Steller's Jay
Common Raven
American Robin
American Dipper
Townsend’s Solitaire -1
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wren
American Dipper - 3 immature
Cedar Waxwing
Townsend’s Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Dark-eyed Junco

Other Critter List

Douglas Squirrel
Yellow-pine Chipmunk
Gopher Snake (?) – it was roughly 4 inches long with the body patterning of a gopher snake, but it had a black head. We didn’t get a good picture of it before it slithered away.
Western Fence Lizard
Cascade Frog & tadpoles
Bat sp.
Fish sp.

Notable Flowers/Plants

Alpine Aster
Indian Paintbrush
Harebell
Mountain Bog Gentian
Cotton-grass
Stonecrop
Pinedrop

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Information

Located: Alpine Lake Wilderness, managed by the Wenatchee National Forest, Leavenworth Ranger District. 
Directions: North of I-90, North of Blewett Pass (Hwy-97), turn west onto Ingalls Creek Road.  Trailhead is at the end of the road.
Required permits: Northwest Forest Pass or Golden Eagle Passport or day pass offer at the ranger stations or at the trailhead & a self-register overnight backpacking permit at the trailhead (free).
Information on the trail and surrounding/joint trails
Washington DRG Maps: Wenatchee – Blewett, Enchantment Lakes and Mount Stuart

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page updated: 3/18/08