Josephine Lake (4,681') is located 5.25 miles from Stevens Pass in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It lies in a steep-walled bowl under the PCT - Icicle Creek Trail junction. The PCT heads south up Stevens Pass Ski Area to a crest, then drops down the backside to Lake Susan Jane within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It rises back to a ridge over Josephine, where the Icicle Creek Trail splits down to the lake.

The Icicle Creek Trail splits off the PCT, then rises and drops over 250 rugged feet to the lake's open outlet area

Josephine Lake covers 22.5 acres and is periodically stocked with Golden Trout

The PCT winds methodically up to a saddle on the spine of Stevens Pass Ski Area, where it dives down the Aquarius Ski Run with great views across Milk Creek

It generally takes a minimum of two years for stocked fish to reach a harvestable size

Did you know? In the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie NF, you're allowed to pick up to 1 gallon of berries per day (limit 5 per person, per year) with a free use permit

The Icicle Creek Trail rolls past several heather-ringed ponds before making the sharp descent to Josephine

Clear slopes on the backside of Stevens offer rangy views across Milk Creek into the interior mountains

Lake Susan Jane (4,595') is located 4 miles from Stevens Pass, just before the PCT steepens up to the Icicle Creek Trail split

The scientific name of common heather is 'Calluna vulgaris'; 'calluna' is from the Greek word 'kallune' which means 'to clean', a reference to its use in broom making

Josephine's outlet area is open, level and grassy with plenty of room for anglers to cast

Pacific Northwest wild blueberry varieties include Velvetleaf, Dwarf, Oval-leaf, Bog and Alaska

The Stevens Pass Ski Area averages 460" of snow per year, with a 105" average annual snow pack

The Icicle Creek Trail splits off the PCT and continues approximately 7 miles to Icicle Creek Road with access to the Chain Lakes Trail along the way

Golden Trout were once considered a unique species, but today they're considered a subspecies of Rainbow Trout

The Stevens Pass Ski Area covers 1125 acres of skiable terrain

In 2006 the American Ornithologists Union split Blue Grouse into two species: dusky and sooty grouse; despite this new distinction, they're similar appearance and habitat make them difficult to tell apart

Berries are quick to occupy disturbed / cleared lands, which accounts for the inordinately high concentration of berries across the Stevens Pass Ski Area