Weekender: Scottish Lakes High Camp

By Rebecca Agiewich

Imagine this: you walk out of your cabin on a crisp, clear winter morning and step into the cross-country skis or snowshoes waiting on the porch. Then you ski right from your doorstep into some of the most gorgeous wilderness you’ve ever seen.

This skier’s paradise exists at Scottish Lakes High Camp, twenty miles east of Stevens Pass. Perched on the edge of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness at 5,000 feet, High Camps offers an unforgettable adventure to snow enthusiasts who really want to get away from it all. You can also visit in fall to see the larches in their golden glory.

Getting there

The adventure starts before you even get to High Camp. Guests are picked up in a parking lot just off Highway 2, and shuttled up a private 8-mile road: the first leg of the trip via van or SUV, the last on a the back of a snowmobile.

As you get closer the views proliferate. The meadows, peaks, and wide-open slopes of the Chiwaukum Range bloom before you. Upon arrival at High Camp the world of honking horns and looming deadlines you left behind will already be a distant memory.

Your home at High Camp

Home away from home at High Camp is one of nine rustic but comfortable cabins. Unfurl your sleeping bag, put it on one of the bunk beds, get your woodstove burning, and you’re ready to explore.

Wildflower Lodge is the cozy beating heart of High Camp. Skiers gather here before and after a day of snow play to compare notes and sip hot chocolate next to the fire. On Saturday nights, all guests are invited to a potluck happy hour/dinner in the lodge, which usually overflows with delicious food. During the other nights of your stay, be prepared to cook in your cabin (which includes a gas stove and fresh water from the lodge).

The wood-fired hot tub and sauna are also popular après-ski activities. Stepping into the outdoor hot tub on a twenty-degree evening is an unforgettable experience, made even more so by the world-class stargazing you can do as you soak.

The trails

Ah, the trails. Along with the great hospitality extended by High Camp owners Don and Chris Hanson and their dedicated staff, the trails are the real attraction at High Camp. Twenty-seven marked trails and 16 marked slopes take you into pristine wilderness bursting with breathtaking views.

There are routes to challenge the most adventurous backcountry skiers and gentle trails that are perfect for beginners. And you’ll have them mostly to yourself since only a limited number of people are up at High Camp at any one time.

I always ski to McCue Ridge when I’m at High Camp, which offers one of my favorite panoramas in the Cascades. This four-mile round trip ski or snowshoe from High Camp rewards you with breathtaking views of Glacier Peak and other rugged summits to the north. You can also see the snowy Chiwaukum Range to the west and the coulees of central Washington far to the east.

But don’t take my word for it. Go to Scottish Lakes and see McCue Ridge for yourself. Or better yet, find your own favorite trails amid the 35 miles of meadows, ridge-tops, and silent, snowy forest.

If you go

Scottish Lakes High Camp: www.scottishlakes.com/

Learn what to pack: www.scottishlakes.com/trip-planner/winter-packing/

Read about the winter trails: www.scottishlakes.com/trips-trails-tours/winter-trails-routes/

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