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7	Dumbbell and Sand Lakes Loop

	RATINGS	Scenery 6 Difficulty 6 Solitude 6
	ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE	11.3 miles
	ELEVATION GAIN	1,550'
	OPTIONAL MAP	Green Trails White Pass (No. 303)
	USUALLY OPEN	Mid-July–October
	BEST TIME	Late August–early September; early–mid-October
	AGENCY	Naches Ranger District (Wenatchee National Forest), 509-653-1401, fs.usda.gov/ recarea/okawen/recarea/ ?recid=58395
	PERMIT	No permit required. Northwest Forest Pass required.

Highlights

The southern William O. Douglas Wilderness is a relatively gentle landscape of countless lakes, wonderful meadows, and attractive forests. Perhaps the area’s most outstanding feature, however, becomes evident only from very late September through mid-October, when the millions of huckleberry bushes lining its lakes and meadows turn bright orange and red, putting on one of the better fall-color displays in our region. Fortuitously, this is also a time when crowds are few and the mosquitoes, which can be voracious in July and early August, are nearly gone. Late August to early September is also a nice time to visit, as the lakes are reasonably warm for swimming and you can feast on all those ripe huckleberries.

Getting There

From I-5, 67 miles north of Vancouver, Washington, take Exit 68 and travel 85 miles east on US 12 to White Pass. Continue east another 2.1 miles, then turn left into the signed Dog Lake Campground. The unpaved campground loop road passes the signed trailhead on the right after 0.1 mile.

GPS COORDINATES N46° 39.274' W121° 21.621'

Hiking It

The trail starts in a relatively open midelevation forest of mixed conifers with plenty of huckleberries, fireweed, grouse whortleberries, and numerous other low-growing flowers and shrubs scattered about on the forest floor. After just 0.1 mile of uphill hiking, you reach a fork at the start of the loop.

Bear right onto the Cramer Lake Trail and follow this wide, horse-pounded path as it traces a gentle course 1.2 miles to a camp immediately before a bridgeless crossing of North Fork Clear Creek. There is usually a log you can scoot across here (you might have to go upstream a bit to find one that’s comfortable), but if that is missing, the creek crossing is generally an easy calf-deep ford. (Make sure you familiarize yourself with the proper way to safely ford a creek.)

After crossing the creek, the trail makes a gradual uphill traverse of a mostly forested hillside and then turns north and wanders gently uphill to Cramer Lake at 3.2 miles. The trail stays in the forest, so far back from this good-sized and attractive lake that it is easy to walk right past it without noticing. The lake is worth a visit, however, so watch carefully and follow any of several sketchy trails that branch right and lead to this forest-rimmed gem. It has a fine campsite at its northwest end.

Just beyond Cramer Lake is a junction at the southeast corner of a lush, grassy meadow. Watch for deer and elk here, especially early in the morning. This is only the first of several forest-rimmed meadows you will visit over the next few miles. All of these meadows feature plenty of wildflowers in mid- to late July and bright red and orange huckleberry bushes in early October. Keep straight at the junction and walk around the southwest side of the small meadow, coming to a second junction immediately after crossing a tiny creek. Turn left and climb a little more before catching a glimpse of large Dumbbell Lake. Unfortunately, this glimpse is all you will see of this scenic lake for some time, as the trail stays in the forest well back from the lake; instead, you pass several small but attractive ponds. After 0.4 mile you pass two unsigned but obvious use paths going left. These lead to well-located but somewhat exposed campsites near the northwest end of Dumbbell Lake.

The main trail finally approaches Dumbbell Lake at its northwest tip, where there is a (faintly) signed junction for Long John Trail. Go straight and follow a gentle path past more ponds and meadows 0.3 mile to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Turn left (south) on this wide and well-graded trail, and walk 0.3 mile to beautiful, meadow-lined Buesch Lake. The trail skirts the north and west sides of the lake, passing a short side trail that leads to an exceptionally nice campsite above the west shore.

The PCT now climbs away from Buesch Lake, gradually ascending 0.8 mile to a broad pass with two shallow ponds before coming to a signed junction with the faint Cortright Creek Trail. Keep straight on the PCT and go gradually up and down 1.6 miles past tiny ponds and small meadows to a fine camp at a large and scenic pond just to the right (west) of the trail. From here you go downhill to a junction beside Sand Lake. The water in this lake recedes dramatically by late summer, reducing its attractiveness.

Keep left at the junction, still on the PCT, and after 0.6 mile come to a wide and heavily used side trail that goes right 80 yards to Deer Lake. There is a large and comfortable camping area above this nearly circular lake’s northeast shore.

The PCT continues east from Deer Lake, gradually losing elevation as it follows the hillside above the tiny outlet creek of Deer Lake. About 1.1 miles from the lake, you come to a junction where you turn sharply left on Dark Meadow Trail. After 0.1 mile this path crosses a tiny creek in a meadow and then turns east and goes up and down 0.5 mile before descending to the junction just above Dog Lake Campground and the close of the loop. Turn right to return to the trailhead.

The PCT leads past Buesch Lake in the William O. Douglas Wilderness.

photo by Douglas Lorain