No Sheep but Plenty to Love on our Hike to Sheep Lake

Posted on August 7, 2023 by

27 Comments

I’m not sure where the name came from as there were no sheep to be had.

But every time we crossed Chinook Pass to the other side of the mountains, Bob had noticed the trailhead and the hikers ascending, so we finally made the hike to Sheep Lake our destination.

Starting at an elevation of 5,430 feet, just past Mt. Rainier National Park, this lovely hike to Sheep Lake was less than 4 miles round trip and had everything.

From the ridge on the first section of the narrow trail, we saw the highway far below and vistas east into Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest.

The wildflowers were plentiful

and we were welcomed by a gnome.

After a while we entered under the forest canopy and stopped to eat our lunch in the shade,

before continuing up to the lake.

The lake was small and still and lovely, surrounded by jagged peaks and meadows.

Bob carried his flyrod and tried his hand at fishing,

and was rewarded with a Brown Trout, which he released.

While he fished, I wandered about with my camera and came across a bobbing bird, a Spotted Sandpiper, I believe. It was getting food for its young, which I saw peeking out from the shrubs.

It did its own kind of fishing in a mud pond where butterflies came to rest – rather like sitting ducks I thought – and unlike Bob, did not practice ‘catch and release.’

After we had our fill of the lake, we headed back down the trail, wondering why both directions couldn’t be downhill; it was so much easier. 🙂

On our way we stopped to watch this little chipmunk eating berries in the shrubs.

Back to the truck with wobbly knees, we found a view of Mt. Rainier just around the corner. I was shooting into the sun, so it was too bright to get a good picture (but still worth a try.) And it was mostly swallowed up by clouds even though it was sunny everywhere else; the mountain makes its own weather.

There was only 400 feet elevation gain on the trail to the lake but starting at 5,430 feet meant we were still high in alpine country, on this stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail, and so felt quite accomplished.

And that’s all for today.

~ Susanne

Category: National Parks, TrailsTags: , , , , , ,

27 Comments on “No Sheep but Plenty to Love on our Hike to Sheep Lake”

  1. Wow, the views up there are so beautiful, Susanne! Thanks for sharing this beauty. ❤️

  4. A wonderful spot for a great hike. Thank you for sharing your adventure.

  6. What a fantastic walk with beautiful views, interesting wildlife (I love the cute chipmunk!) and a rewarding destination. Plus, you seem to have had perfect weather for it 🙂

    • Thanks, Sarah. It was a perfect hike for us with a little bit of everything. I loved seeing the chipmunk munching on the berries, and Bob was happy to catch a fish! The weather has been great here all summer, good for hiking, sunny but not too hot.

  11. I had no idea you might spot a sandpiper at that elevation. It made up for the lack of sheep. Charlie and I hiked into the Mt. Hood forest one time and encountered cattle drinking from the lake we were visiting. We seemed to coexist after we each got over the surprise of the other.

    • I was surprised too. I had to look it up, and confirmed the markings and bobbing behavior indicated a spotted sandpiper. I also learned they are indeed in the national park area near water. The unexpected makes a hike even better. 🙂

  12. I’m all for both-ways downward paths, there should be more like that 😉. At least, it seems like it was well worth the trek. And it does look like a gnome on that log.

  13. Pingback: Reflections on a Lake over Chinook Pass – Cats and Trails and Garden Tales

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