Cranberry Lake, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Cranberry Lake trail head

Cranberry Lake is part of the Anacortes Forest Lands system.  We had not hiked this trail before but stopped here a few weeks ago to check it out.  That day we walked just a little way and made a plan to return and walk all around the lake.  It is about a 2 mile RT loop.  There is a port-a-potty in the parking area.  A short way in, the trail branches off with one branch going up and the other staying low right next to to the lake edge.  

 

Our first mistake was thinking that the low trail would be even and level all the way around.  We left the trekking poles in the car by accident and were not far from the car when we noticed we didn't have them.  Okay, this should be short, mostly level and no problem without poles, so we opted not to go back and get them.  We made it all the way around but we will not do this again!  

 

 

 

Not far from the start of the trail, the northeast corner of the lake

 

 

Canada geese

 

The trail was about this close to the edge of the lake for most of the loop

Reflections in the lake, about half-way around

 

 

 

At the southern end of the lake

 

Huge lily pads, not in Cranberry Lake but in Big Beaver Pond along the detour route 

Yes, the views of the lake, the wildflowers and birds are wonderful.  Yes, the lower trail does follow the edge of the lake mostly all the way around.  There was a slide or trees down in one section and a detour rerouted us up and around the bad place before returning to the normal lakeside trail.  The worst part; however, is the trail condition.  Bob described it as a scramble without vertical gain.  About 80% of the trail is full of roots and rocks, narrow, steep ups and downs, almost impassible without poles.  Bob had to provide his hand to help me in many of these places.  We were slow going, it took us about an hour and a half to go half way around.  This is not a trail that I would recommend for senior citizens, especially without poles.  

 Where the upper trail rejoins the lower lake trail there is a great improvement in the majority of the remaining trail condition.  Although in one place we had to hang onto three trees to get down a particularly rough section most of the return trail was much better than the other side. 

 

 

We saw at least a dozen calypso orchids at Cranberry Lake and another dozen at Heart Lake

 

 

Sedge going to seed

 

Chickweed Monkeyflower

We were not sure what this was until we checked it out in Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest by Mark Turner & Phyllis Gustafsson.  This is our go-to reference book when we cannot find plants in any other book or online. 

 

 

Camas

On the return portion of the loop we came upon a hillside meadow filled with blue camas and sea blush with one chocolate lily way up at the top.  The rocky ground was similar to Goose Rock where these same flowers are also found. 

 

Sea Blush

 

 

Wildlife for the day, small garter snake swimming in the lake

 

We also saw a Great Blue Heron very close by but it was flying, stopping briefly, and flying too fast to get a good picture. 

 

Count for the day:  2 people, no dogs

Heart Lake

Twinberry

After leaving Cranberry Lake we drove over to Heart Lake and walked along a much nicer trail for a little way.  The Heart Lake trail is an out and back not a loop.  There is a large parking area and a boat launch.  A few people had set up folding camp chairs and were fishing at the launch area.  The outhouse was roped off and looked as if it was getting a cleaning before opening for the season.