Jade Lake

This shot of Jade Lake, looking south onto the surrounding peaks was taken mid-morning, just a short walk away from the campsite. The GPS coordinates I've included are precisely where it was taken. Trail Length: 21 mi. Elevation Gain: 4500 ft. To reach Jade Lake, first begin at the Deception Pass Trailhead (47.5443, -121.0973). The road to reach the trailhead has a fair amount of potholes, so take your time on the way up. You should be okay without 4WD, but make sure that your vehicle has a good amount of clearance because there's some very deep puddles that you'll have to drive through. Once you're on the trail, there's a mostly flat 4.5 miles where you'll pass Hyas Lake. Shortly after that, you'll begin your climb up to the junction of Tuck and Robin Lakes and the Pacific Crest Trail. Take the PCT and make your way toward Marmot and Jade Lakes. The following 4 miles is fairly steep, but very easy to follow to Marmot Lake. You'll descend about 700 feet into Hozbizz Basin and then ascend about 900 feet to the lake. To make your way up to Jade Lake, take the path alongside the east side of Marmot Lake until you start ascending up a scree field. Make sure to look for cairns to guide you because there are a lot of offshoots that you can mistake for being the correct trail. This section involves a fair amount of scrambling, so be sure to watch your step and take it slow if need be. There's about a mile climb before you'll reach No Name Lake, where you'll hike a mostly-flat section for about a half mile before reaching Jade Lake. Some words of wisdom: This area is notorious for absolutely brutal mosquitos. If you can, bring a head net and do not skimp on repellant. Your experience will be quite tainted if you don't come prepared to battle these little guys. They're some of the worst I've ever seen.