Mount Baker as you hike pass Mazama Lake

A month ago, I finally made my way out to the Chain Lakes Loop. Located 3 hours away from Seattle, it is definitely one of the most iconic hikes to do in Washington state. Prior to this trip, I bailed out on two solo backpacking trips due to various reasons: 1) do I feel safe sleeping out there alone in the backcountry? and 2) my body was just not in shape to complete the two hikes. I still get relatively anxious when it comes to solo backpacking. And sometimes, I do think about my own safety out on the trail. But at Chain Lakes, you have nothing to worry about it. On a nice weekend, this trail will be swamped by people and families. If you are looking to tackle your first solo backpacking trip, I highly recommend this as the climb is gradual and you will see lots of people on the way.

Before the trip

I settled on doing the loop on a Saturday because I knew it was going to be popular. I was totally ready to deal with crowds because this was after all going to be my first solo backpacking gig. Since we are going through unprecedented times due to COVID-19, please have some sort of face covering ready (a mask, neck gaiter, a bandana and whatnot). You will be passing a lot of people on the way. With winter coming in full force, not so much, as the road to Artist Point does close (although there are many ways to access the trail still). Before you leave for the hike, review the Leave No Trace principles and the Ten Essentials as well. The weather does fluctuate a lot in the mountains. When I did this hike, I experienced the high 80s in the morning and temperatures dropped to the low 40s at night. If you are planning to spend the night in the backpacking, pack accordingly. Just because it’s blazing hot during the day doesn’t mean it’ll be the same at night.

I live in the Seattle area. I really mean that I live about 10-15 minutes from downtown. The drive was about 2 hours and 45 minutes. With traffic, it could easily be 3 hours. It’s not a short drive so grab your coffee or tea or kombucha before you hit the road. Google Maps does give you the correct directions that takes you all the way up to Artist Point so I can attest to that being a reliable source. I also downloaded the map through Gaia GPS the night before. I like to use Gaia because the maps become downloadable offline. Actually, even with Google Maps, you can define an area and download maps for offline use as well. I highly recommend doing this before setting out on a hike.

Getting to the Trailhead

I woke up at 6am in the morning but it took about almost 2 hours before I decided that yes, I am going to do this trip. I checked Washington Trail Associations (WTA) and AllTrails but I wasn’t getting updated information on whether Artist Point was open or not. So I did plan my entire trip around assuming the lot wasn’t open.

I parked at the Austin Pass Picnic Area. When you take a right to the picnic area, take another right when you see the bulletin board. There will be a small parking lot with a viewpoint and a privy. If Artist Point isn’t open, your best bet would be to use the bathrooms here. There is another bulletin board near the viewpoint that outlines all the trails in the area. It also rates the difficulty of each hike. I knew that I was going to take the Bagley Lakes Trail for a bit before I make my way towards Herman Saddle. To get onto the Chain Lakes Trail, take the steps down to Lower Bagley Lake and stay to the left. You will see Table Mountain to the left. The trail becomes easy to follow once you find yourself heading towards Table Mountain.

As mentioned, this trail is extremely popular. I got to the trailhead at about 11am. The lot wasn’t full so that was a good sign but what I didn’t know was the Artist Point parking lot was actually open.

The hike

I chose to hike this trail counterclockwise because I didn’t want to climb the notoriously steep Wild Goose Trail in the beginning. I started my trek from the Bagley Lakes Trailhead and that means I would have to tackle Herman Saddle first. By taking this route, you will get almost all of the elevation gain out of the way in about 1.2 miles until you hit Mazama Lakes. The climb over Herman Saddle on a hot day. Although the switchbacks made it a gentler climb. Having a 25-30 lbs backpack definitely made it a lot harder. Nonetheless, after getting to the top. Everything becomes worth it. You honestly get one of the best views of Mount Shuksan overlooking lower and upper Bagley lakes.

Wipe your tears, refuel, and just sit back and relax. You deserve it all.

View of Mount Shuksan after the climb over Herman Saddle - take a breather and take in the view

Descending to Camp

Once you feel energized again, it’s time to descent to the lakes. There is a small lake on the way and I don’t know what it’s called. But that’s not Hayes Lake. For Hayes, keep pushing through for another half mile or so. The campsites are to the left. There is a spur trail that is well marked. If you are not staying overnight, this is also a good path to get down to the lake and take a dip in one of them. I did spend a good 30 to 45 minutes looking for a camp spot. I got to the lake at around 2pm and all the established and designated camp spots were taken. I found one on durable land that’s close to the pit toilet. If I were to hike this trail again (which I did about 2 weeks later), I would definitely get an early start and try to look for a designated one.

After having a close bear encounter at Mount Rainier National Park a couple weeks ago, I decided that I will cook my meal on the lake. It was around 5pm by then and I pretty much had the lake all to myself. When I arrived earlier, I saw a lot of folks swimming in the lake and also doing some fishing. I don’t fish but it might be a good spot to try your luck as well. I sat by the lake for at least 2 hours - made dinner and drank a beer by the lake. Nothing beats that type of gratification and peacefulness. I was also feeling exceptionally blessed because I finally made it out to my first solo backpacking trip. It truly meant a lot to me. I felt like the tough climb over Herman Saddle was totally worth it. It was even more worth it because I knew the hike out was going to be a piece of cake.

I also met a really kind family that treated me like I was part of them. They knew it was my first solo trip and tried to do everything they could to help me feel ‘at peace’ even though at that point, I was just so thankful to have been able to find a cozy spot to call home. I spent the rest of the evening overlooking the lake during sunset. Hayes is not the most ideal spot for sunset but you still get peeks of orange and purple light in the skies hovering over the mountain range afar and also, some of that light reflecting onto Mazama dome as well. To get a real good spot, hike back up to the main trail and straight up. This direction takes you towards Mazama Lakes but stop about 0.2 miles in. You will see Iceberg Lake coming in full form. Table Mountain ignited in violent shades of pink, orange, and red. I didn’t know of this spot until the next morning but I knew this was going to be the spot for an epic sunset. No matter what you end up doing, it’s fine because I felt truly satisfied watching sunset at Hayes. Plus, the family that I mentioned, they had the cutest dog ever!

The morning after

The next day, I packed up camp at around 7:30am in the morning. I did some an hour or so watching the sun rise above the horizon. I love backcountry mornings because it also feels so quiet and tranquil. I made a quick cup of coffee and just sat for a moment until the sun had fully risen. I bid farewell to the nice family not too far down from me and started my trek back towards the Austin Pass Picnic Area. I passed by Mazama Lake. Here is when you will start to get a peek of Mount Baker. On the way in, I didn’t get to see any of Baker but the hike out was all about Mount Baker. As you climb past Mazama and up to the ridge, Mount Baker is quite literally in your face. As you continue to climb, Mount Baker remains truly by your side. The trail gets a little bit rocky here and you will have to climb up a few larger boulders but nothing challenging. I saw a lot of kids and dogs completing this hike. Just watch your step. It’s tough because of the views here. About 1.2 miles out, you will start climbing uphill - basically back over Table Mountain to get back on the other side. You will reach the junction that either takes you back to Artist Point or to the right, you can extend your adventure and head out to Ptarmigan Ridge.

I opted to return to my car. At this point, you’ve left Baker behind but Mount Shuksan returns to the scene. As you hike back to Artist Point parking lot, soak in the views to your right as you hug the ridge. Mount Shuksan becomes your biggest cheerleader as you hike the last mile stretch of this trail. Once you get back to the Artist Point lot, here is when things get a little tricky. I know some people simply take the highway back to their car at Austin Pass but I took the Wild Goose Trail. To locate the trailhead of that, head to the right of the privies (which remains close as of Sept 2, 2020). You will hike on a trail for a short section before reconnecting with the road. Cross the road and keep proceeding down. You will reconnect with the road one more time before signs for the Wild Goose Trail show up again. From here on, it’s a steep way down back to Austin Pass. There are some makeshift stairs but at this point, they’re not even stairs anymore. Trekking poles did come in handy during this section as I underestimated how steep it was. I saw a lot of people heading uphill. I was glad I was able to deal with the switchback climb up Herman Saddle instead of the Wild Goose Trail.

I was back at my car by 10:30am. Overall, it was wonderful 2 day, 1 night trip to Chain Lakes. Despite how popular and crowded this trail becomes as the day goes on, I don’t regret it a single bit. If you’re looking for solitude and having the trail all to yourself then this isn’t the trail for you. But if you are looking for an easy beginning backpacking trip, I highly recommend it. You’re almost always around people. I didn’t encounter any wildlife on the way in or out and even at camp.

Some things I’ve gathered to hopefully help you plan your hike better:

There are two options for camp - 4 sites at Hayes Lake and 4 sites at Mazama Lakes.

If you hike the loop counterclockwise, you will get to Hayes first. This is a very popular area to camp. I don’t condone breaking the rules and whatnot. But if you do find yourself unable to find a camp, you can always look for a dry spot with no signs of vegetation and always camp on durable land. No campfires are allowed at both lakes and definitely don’t camp within 200 feet of the lakes.

Don’t get deterred if you can’t find the perfect camp spot - the whole point is really to sleep in the great outdoors and enjoy the tranquility. Hayes Lake is much larger than Mazama. However, the sunset doesn’t really exactly hit Hayes the one it hits Iceberg. And honestly, there isn’t a bad spot to camp at either lakes.

Stats from my Gaia GPS recording:

Total Distance: 6.97 miles roundtrip (from the Austin Pass Picnic Area)
Total time: 5 hours (including lots of breaks and looking for a campsite)
Ascent: 1711 feet
Rating: Moderate