Youth activity: Mountaineers Adventure Club
Seattle MAC - Backpacking Trip - Ancient Lake
Beginner level backpack for MAC members to try out gear and hopefully find the sun in this beautiful desert area filled with wildflowers, birds and geological features.
Contacts
- Sat, May 7, 2022 — Sun, May 8, 2022
- Seattle Youth Outreach Committee
- Youth
- Adults, Youth
- Easy
- Easy
- Mileage: 14.0 mi
- Elevation Gain: 1,750 ft
- High Point Elevation: 1,200 ft
- Pace: 1.5-2 mph
- 2 (7 capacity)
- FULL (2 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
We will start at the Lower Ancient Lakes Trailhead. *Note that you need to input "Ancient & Dusty Lake Trailhead" into Google Maps in order to get to the correct trailhead. "Ancient Lakes Trailhead" will misroute you.
From I-90 take exit 149, turn left onto SR 281, and drive north towards Quincy and Wenatchee. In 5.6 miles turn left onto White Trail Road (aka 5-NW) and drive 7.8 miles to 9-NW (note: after 4 miles White Trail Rd swings north & may also be signed U-NW).
Turn left on 9-NW and drive west. In 2 miles the pavement ends and the road becomes Ancient Lakes Road. Follow it down onto Babcock Bench and drive 4 miles to the trailhead.
Discovery Pass is required to park at the TH.
Prerequisites: Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course/badge preferred. Attendance at at least 1 MAC hike throughout the year prior to backpack trip and attendance at Backpacking Skills Workshop on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
Nearly flat short hike to "ancient lakes" (trail prizes to those who research the geographical history in advance and are able to correctly explain why or why not these lakes were present 200 years ago). Eastern Washington spring hike to try out gear and backpacking ideal for those with less or no backpacking experience but open to all MAC members. 2.5 miles to camping area near lakes and waterfall and then afternoon 2 mile roundtrip hike to ridge overlooking nearby lakes with stunning spring wildflowers, views and fascinating geological features.
Required Equipment
10 Essentials and backpacking gear. Detailed packing list to be posted later in the year. Note that water in these lakes is potentially unsafe to drink (irrigation runoff) so we will be carrying all of our own water.