|
Bacon Creek formally begins its journey to the Skagit River by cascading immediately from the outlet of idyllic Berdeen Lake in the form of a rather scenic 282-foot tall waterfall set in a slot canyon-style recess in the bedrock. The falls are made up of seven tightly grouped individual steps, with no more than about 10 linear feet between each one – sometimes significantly less – so that when viewed from below it appears more or less as one continuous drop. The narrow alcove which the falls occur within also serves to obstruct views of the falls from all but a head-on angle, but as the falls twist slightly counterclockwise as it descends, the upper tiers are a bit less visible from where the lower tiers can be clearly seen. Below the falls Bacon Creek meanders through a large meadow pockmarked with wildflowers and the summits of Hagan Mountain looming above to the north (and apparently frequently populated with bears as well).
Bacon Creek at this point in its course is significantly smaller than at its mouth, however the stream is continuously fueled by multiple sources upstream which allow the volume to remain consistent throughout the year. Berdeen Lake, immediately above the falls, is one of the largest alpine lakes in the state of Washington and often remains entirely frozen until August. Additionally, two modest glaciers on the east face of Hagan Mountain provide an ample inflow to the lake when (or if) the winter snowpack melts off.
- Upper Berdeen Falls is the Unofficial name of this waterfall.
Upper Berdeen Falls is located immediately downstream from the outlet of Berdeen Lake in North Cascades National Park. There are no trails into the area and viewing the falls in any way will require at least two days of difficult cross-country hiking. The best views of the falls are had from the large meadow at elev. 4630’ between Berdeen and Lower Berdeen Lakes. The least obstructed views of the falls are had from the south side of Bacon Creek near the terminus of a large rock slide area. The upper part of the falls can also be observed up close from the top on the north side of the outlet of Berdeen Lake (the route which climbs up from the meadow to the lake is found on the south side of the outlet).
|
