Trip Report

The camp was scheduled for Hinton Lake but because there was too much snow on the Skyline trail for pack horses to travel it was changed to Vogel Lake. This lake is found east of Mink Lake and was reached by an eight mile hike in from the Cascade Lakes Highway. It was a fairly large lake rather shallow and with an island in the middle of it which had the remains of an old fireplace still standing. We enjoyed the lake very much, no fishing here, but adequate swimming, and lots of flat ground along the lake shore for setting up tents. It was most interesting to watch the mist rising from the lake every morning.

There were numerous other lakes in the area, some reached by trails, some just by going cross-country. Packsaddle Mountain was climbed from the area by a trail hike, then cross-country. No snow was around, mosquitoes were an annoyance, but the weather was fine most of the time. The first week it rained on us one night, then was cool and damp the next day and night. The second week we were fogged in one morning but it soon dissipated. Another evening a thunder storm passed over us just giving us a few drops of rain.

Attendance varied from two to eight. Peter Cecil and Helen Smith met the packers, Chuck Wetzel and Bill Stout, Friday night with the supplies and equipment ready to be packed in on Saturday. The Macdonalds came in on Tuesday and Paula Vehrs with Mary Bridgeman came in on Wednesday. Paula left the next Tuesday taking Peter with her and then the Macdonalds left Wednesday, thus leaving Helen and Mary to finish up the camp and have things ready to be packed out on Sunday, August 10. Those in attendance were: Mary Bridgeman, Peter Cecil, Christine Erickson, Allethe, Colin, and Stuart Macdonald, Helen Smith and Paula Vehrs.