Day 6

Ferry Lake

We had a free evening so we decided to do another one-nighter and stay fairly local. Of course we wanted to check out something new...somewhere we've never been, so we chose to head out to a group of lakes and campsites just south of Republic, WA. We figured we'd pop the tent and stay at the the place that looked best for us. First stop - Lyman Lake. Pretty spot, but there was already a group of campers there (and only about 4 spots), and the lake was off a cliff and hard to get too. Jeff had brought his fishing gear this time so we wanted to get a bit closer to the water.

Lyman Lake

After Jeff had carefully planned the route using Google Maps at home, we took a very little-traveled road to the next area to check out Ferry Lake and Swan Lake Campgrounds. As the path grew more narrow, it was also closing in on us, masked from all the tree branches and bushes over the one-lane road. Good thing Jeff carried a little hatchet with us. At times, we barely squeezed in.

On the other side, the road opened up into a lush, green old forest. There were lots of side roads, but we obediently stayed on our path. At one point, the road we were supposed to take was gated with a NO TRESPASSING sign (and a guard on duty). Not knowing where we were destined to end up, we stayed on the main road and hoped it would get us to Ferry Lake.

...and it did! I fell in love with this spot as soon as we pulled in. The camp area was down a small hill from the parking area where we would be sleeping for the night (a downside), but everything else was perfect. The spot was on the lake with two downed logs jutting out into the calm water (fantastic spot for sitting and fishing). There was a separate level area ideal for our two chairs and a small table. The fire pit was ready to be lit with a fresh-cut pile of wood stacked next to it. And...there were loons! A whole family (mother, father, and two very young juveniles).

We didn't pop the tent and set up camp right away, however. First we traveled to the next spot, Swan Lake Campground, to weigh the options. We didn't even know this place existed, but it was being well used; a bit crowded, actually. Like a flash, we jumped back in the FJ to hurry back to Ferry Lake to grab up the perfect spot before it was gone.

The perfect spot

Ready for the evening

Western Tanager

Nothing like camp food (Chicken Korma, cous cous, and Palak Paneer)

A little Crib by the fire

Quirkle (This one takes a lot of space.)

We played games, made dinner, went for a little walk around the lake during a brief rainstorm (it lasted like 10 minutes), and then hit the hay for night 6 in the RTT. We slept to the occasional mellowed wail of a loon, and woke up to a glorious morning. If you've never camped with loons, you might be interested in watching this short Cornell video about their call and what it means. What I love best about loons (even more than their many awkward sounds) is the way they own the lake. You rarely find more than one family of loons on one lake, unless it is large enough to create different territories. I love loon lakes!

Mama loon and her young

I love these little one-nighters for many reasons, but the best part is planning a short excursion on the way home, followed by a nice lunch somewhere new. We stopped at Long Lakes, which also had a cute, little handful of camp spots right on the water. We'll be going back here, for sure. They had two intriguing mile or mile and a half trails around the chain of lakes, that I am sure are super birdy, and a cool old water pump that worked!

Once back on the paved road, we headed north to Republic to eat lunch and have a beer at the Republic Brewing Company. We had been there once before, but never knew they had this cute outdoor seating area that looks like it could seat about 50 people. That's quite the spot for a tiny little town like Republic. We were the first people there (hence, the empty seats), had a noon-time beer 😏, and then walked to the local Mexican joint for some yummy lunch.

and a disco ball

Recap of Day 6

Lyman Lake Campground - We may go back someday, but it is small and not close to the water. I also didn't like the fact that the previous campers had left trash all over the place.

Ferry Lake Campground - A hidden gem...can't believe I'm sharing that...but it is just too good to keep to ourselves. If you are in the area, check it out. We also really appreciated that fact that the forest service, most likely, had chopped dead wood and stacked it up by all the fire pits. There was plenty of small, dead wood lying around and up for grabs for starting the fire too. Loons were the icing on the cake!

Swan Lake Campground - This looks like a popular destination. Locals from Tonasket or Republic may go there often. The lake had motor boats, so not as peaceful as the other lakes, but if a camp out with friends is what you are looking for, this could be perfect.

Lessons Learned - Google Maps got us to Lyman Lake, but we had to detour around a bit to get to the next spot. And, the road conditions were unpredictable and maze-like at times. Shortly after returning home we bought a collapsible, portable hand saw and a set of county road maps that includes all those little roads.

So far, I think this was my favorite RTT adventures!