Trip Reports

This was a great hike for a Saturday on Memorial Day weekend. We encountered a couple of blown down trees on the trail but they were easily passable. There is a lot of snow on the trail the last 1/2 mile or so. We had yaktraks so the going was made a little bit easier on the snow. Be sure to bring treking poles too.

Good conditions. Not too muddy.

forecast was uncertain but the mountains called us so we returned to the post-apocalyptic iron goat trail after many years since our last visit-recovering from injuries so the even terrain was appealing

we don't usually go to this spot later in the summer when more destinations higher up are available. but it was outstanding today this may have been our best hike there.

one brief rain shower as soon as we put on our coats it evaporated and we had a good chunk of sunbreaks and looks at surrounding peaks

the waterfalls & wildflowers are great up there right now!! the surrounding hillsides still have snow so it's a spectacular time of year to do this trail-we saw only a handful of other hikers

high above the sky valley betw 2500-3000' this trail is meticulously maintained and much of the views are close in so it is great even on an overcast day.

went to windy pt overlook 3.25miles from the martin creek trailhead with no issues there are a couple easily passable blowdowns and only one small patch of snow on the trail it said on nf website the wellington trailhead road is inaccessible

some bugs near the wet areas but the breeze is usually good up there so not bad

the road is clear and my sedan made it no problem to well marked trailhead with privy just a couple rough spots in road no big deal.

On our way to Winthrop for the long weekend we stopped here to stretch our legs. Easy walking- cLear trail to neve camp. Mileage in Craig Romanos book seems long for how it felt. We also did the .9 mile nature trail near the trailhead. Total miles: 6.4. Felt like 4.
Two calypso orchids, one fading trillium and some bleeding hearts perked up the trail. We heard an osprey and a grouse.
Perfect first hike of the season. Not even that crowded!

This hike starts right off the pavement at the south end of Sullivan Lake and adjacent to the Noisy Creek campground (there's a small marked trailhead with free parking; at the Sullivan Lake day-use area there's a fee).

The first two miles climb steadily and offer periodic views of the lake. Today, this is the section where I found some nice morel mushrooms.

The Noisy Creek crossing can be tricky, but someone has placed some logs across to form an informal bridge. I hate water crossings, but I managed to do it with a full pack and without plummeting to my death (an irrational fear I have).

From this point, the serious climbing begins. I also started to encounter snow about a mile beyond the creek crossing. The snow gradually became deeper until it was close to knee-deep in spots. It quickly became apparent that this wasn't lingering winter snow--it was snow that has fallen in the past week or so. Poor little wildflowers were peaking out in places, looking more than a little shocked at the sudden return to winter conditions.

The view from the summit was as incredible as I remember it being, but I didn't linger--the winds were strong and it looked as though a storm was about to hit. I was concerned about the possibility of an afternoon thunderstorm, so I changed my mind about camping out. That made it a 14-mile dayhike with a 40-pound pack...a good way to test my legs in the early season, I suppose.

There are a few trees across the trail, but it's not bad. Even at the summit the snowfall was fresh (covering up the spring grass that was trying to make the best of a bad situation); if the weather ever warms up again, I think the snow will melt off quickly.

By the time I found the trail head (which was a bit of adventure in and of itself), I only had a little over an hour to work with, so only managed to go in for 35 minutes and then returned. Only a few small trees, which were easy to climb over, blocked portions of trail. No overgrowth as of now to report. I'm hoping to return tomorrow to do the entire trail. I moved here from Colorado, and it's nice to see a healthy forest! (Not littered with beetle kill)

Because I had trouble with GoogleMaps directions, I'm including these:
From Winthrop- West on Hwy 20. Go approximately .7 miles, turn right onto Twin Lakes road.Go 1.3 miles, turn right onto Wolf Creek. Go 3.0 miles, turn left onto L. Fork Wolf Cr Dr.. From there stay on the main dirt path, following signs for Wolf Creek Trail, which is 4.4 miles up into the hills. Trail head is at dead end of dirt road. Hope this helps!

Mount Dickerman trail is actually in pretty good shape. A bit sloppy, a few minor blowdowns, but overall surprisingly good. We started a bit late in the early evening with a goal of making about 45 switchbacks thinking we'd hit snow. We made it about half way up (60 switchbacks?) ... about 2 miles and 2,000 feet before starting to see our first patches of snow. Water on the trail before this was a good indication :). We started to see more big patches of snow a bit further up, and due to time decided to turn around. I suspect we might have been able to go another couple hundred feet up before hitting consistent snow and needing equipment. Gorgeous trail as always, can't wait for another month or two and getting to the top through all the spectacular wild flowers.

Another Mailbox peak trip report...Ha not much to say here that has not already been said other than there is now no more snow to speak of on any part of the trail up to the top. Some snow patches here and there off trail. Not much else to say, the trip reports are good way to keep track of how many hikes I have done so this report is more of a personal measure than to be of much help for anyone. Only saw 8 people on a friday later afternoon hike not bad...When are they going to open up that parking lot?? looks pretty done to me! Another good mailbox outing, until next time.

Wow, this was a fantastic hike today. The gravel part of Mtn Loop is in bad shape, but the access road to this trail is great. There are lots of blow-downs on this trail, but they are generally easily stepped over. A few require some ducking and clambering.

The trail register is not open yet, so I registered the trip with my wife. Parked and started up the trail at 05:15, anticipating some rain.

Other than the blowdowns, the trail is in great shape, and is a lovely gradual hike. I took the upper trail on the way in. I missed the turn around mile for the goes up the hill, and ended up going down the old wagon trail to MacIntosh Falls.

There is plenty of water available along the trail, after about mile two on the upper trail, and all along the lower trail.

Arrived at the lake before 8AM, and took the trail around the lake about halfway, until I was wet and tired of bushwacking. Back out the lower trail. No bugs, no snow on the upper trail, a bit of snow on the lower trail, but no snowshoes required. This is one of the nicest, gentlest trails I have been on. Great for a low-energy day!

Never having done this hike before I was blown away by the massive water flow, with the water hole, by the huge ancient trees, and by how quickly I-90 went from "right there" to "way down there." I was also thrilled to finally hear a Pika again! I don't know if they hibernate, but I have been waiting for months to hear that cute little squeak.

The trail is clear until about 3,100 and then patches of snow until 3,200 feet. There the trail is covered and I didn't continue due to the steep angle. So, my hike ended at just under 6 miles round trip and just over 1,200 feet in gain.

The trail is in great shape. Had beautiful weather with a light sprinkle of rain for about ten minutes. Was surprised there wasn't more hikers with it being the start of the holiday weekend(but I'm not complaining!) Lots of wildflowers in bloom.

Entered new trail head off Middle Fork Road out of N. Bend, just past entrance to Mailbox Trail. Limited parking. Wonderful new gradual trail with ups and downs. Several log benches provided for relaxing. Hiked approx. 3 miles to new bridge over river. Great place to stop for lunch w/ a couple of log bench seats. Some overviews along the way, with lots of colorful moss and large boulders. Rough trail beyond.

Road to trailhead is newly cleared with firewood neatly stacked at the side. Cleared lots of smaller blowdowns to the wilderness sign at 2 miles (3800'), then after another half mile started hitting some snow patches, but they soon turned into solid snow around 3 miles (4300'). Then went straight up to 4600' and started traversing where I thought the trail might be, but I hadn't been on this trail for a while so gave up. Sun came out for about ten minutes and I could see across to the ski lifts on Shuksan but otherwise a foggy/cloudy day. Trail is in beautiful condition with lots of seasonal creeks running (take care on snow bridges up higher). Also drove up the road towards the Hannegan Pass trailhead but hit some snow patches about .5 miles shy.

Started at Heather Lake at 945am under a high overcast.

Really neat trail, lots of water, lots of rocks, make for great visual interest. After some pleasantly open second growth, dove into the old growth sections. Wow. Gotta love the megaflora. One moderately large blowdown at about 1.5 miles in, but pretty easy to negotiate. Patchy snow starts at about 1.25 miles, and the trail is fully snowed in at about 1.75 miles. Occasionally tricky to follow, even with a gps, as folks seem to have wandered a bit leaving no definite trace. But really, just head toward the clear sky. The lake itself is completely snowbound; the surface perhaps half-thawed.

This is a gorgeous lake basin, nestled under Mt. Pilchuck. I can't wait to come back and see it clear. Looks shallow enough that by August I expect a nice warm swim. The trail around the lake is completely snowed under, but that means it's easier to just sort of wander. Watch out for the downslope edges of buried boulders - there are air pockets there waiting to swallow you, and they're getting near the surface. The boardwalk is exposed on the far side of the lake, near the obvious avalanche features; some very pretty, tiny lilies blooming over there.

My gps made this 4.9 miles and 1215 feet of elevation gain in about 2.5 hours.


I then drove about a mile and a half down the road to Lake 22, just because it was close, and I was feeling good.

The trail to 22 is much better maintained, but loses a little something for that. Although it was nice since i spent so much time not looking at the trail and looking up at the massive cedars. Old growth here? Oh yeah. Less water on the trail, more of it cascading down falls and rock faces in 22 Creek, which was booming spectacularly. First snow patches at about 2 miles, full snow by about 2.4 miles. The trail here was much easier to follow, and rather less dodgy, than at Heather. Some small blowdowns, but all easily managed.

Lake 22's basin is in some respects more impressive than Heather's. The waterfalls into the lake were bigger, and Pilchuck seemed more imposing. But the lake's surround - the trees and slopes - just wasn't as affecting. I do intend on coming back to see it without snow, and to do the circuit around the lake, but it just didn't seem as wonderful, as giddy and breath-taking as Heather. But that may just have been down to mounting fatigue. Guess I'll find out later in the year. Lake's surface is at least three quarters covered still, and the evidence of past snow slides on the far end is really kind of scary.

My gps made this hike 5.1 miles, 1317 feet elevation gain, in about 2.25 hours.


Total for the day then: 10 miles, 2532 feet elevation gain in about 5 hours. And one mind refreshed. Bleeding hearts, trillium, salmonberry, false lily of the valley, false soloman's seal, bog lily all blooming along the way on both trails. No bugs yet, no sunburn, no rain, and hardly any people.
Note: mapped trailhead location situated about halfway between the two actual trailheads.

Other than the rotted log blocking the roadway about a mile from trailhead, Miller River Rd is in good shape. Not to worry, we cleared enough room for a Jeep to get thru ;). Ten am, and we were the first ones at the trailhead, surprising for such a popular hiking destination. The trail gentle climbs through forest alongside the creek, need to crawl over a blow down, and contiue on until you cross a wide foot bridge. After that, the incline increases, but nothing major. A lot of logged stair sections & boardwalks along the way. We ran into about a foot of soft snow at the entrance to the lake, too soft to safely continue onto Bear & Deer lakes. Saw a lot of wildflowers & only 7 other people on our way down,plus NO RAIN. Highly suggest this hike for beginners & lake lubers. Enjoy.

Just want to add to the prior trip report; FS RD 2095 road clear and gate is open to drive to TH, it had been cleared by the contractor on the 23rd. Contractor also reported Mt. Loop is clear and open but did not verify.

Approximately 5 minor blowdown's on trail with minor erosion near the creeks. Pugh is significantly ahead of last year for melt out. We also stopped at Stu Jack based on time, there is plenty of good snow up on the top. Snow from 4K is soft and wet but great for glissading on the descent.

The North Fork Sauk River road (Forest Service road 49) had been closed at roughly the 4 mile mark due to road slumpage...this is no longer the case. The road IS OPEN, even though the closed signs remain and the Forest Service website still says otherwise.

From the TH to the Pilot Ridge trail junction there are ~ 18 downed trees. A few of these will have to be climbed over, but most are a non-issue.

From the Pilot Ridge trail junction to the Mackinaw Shelter there are ~ 10 downed trees. None of these pose any real issue and are easily navigated.

From Mackinaw to the snow line there are ~ 3 small downed trees.

The route is essentially snow free to ~ 4400', where patchy to mostly solid snow begins. A few patches remain before Mackinaw, but they are hardly worth mentioning.

There is a fair amount of water on the trail, with multiple spots where the trail is basically a creek.

Skalabats Creek may be a ford for some. All other creeks can be stepped across.

Camps at Red Creek and Mackinaw are snow free and in pretty good shape.

The Pika are out...you've been warned!!

Cheers!

Trail was in great shape. If you do this with kids, have them count the benches on this trail (13). The trail starts next to the campground and is almost 2.5mi round trip. There are no views but alot of big old growth trees that were spared logging years ago.

Janet and I headed east again for another wildflower hike. After the 90 degree day we had last weekend north of Wenatchee the mid 60s forecast sounded great. I was out the door at 5:10 am and we met in Monroe at 6:00 am. Mist and light rain across Stevens Pass. Sunshine in Leavenworth. We cruised into the Ingalls Creek parking lot at 7:55 am and by 8:10 we were on the trail. I was surprised to see a dozen cars in the lot. Lots of backpackers spending the weekend up the trail. It was chilly at first though that did not last long. Wildflowers began immediately. I hiked this trail for the first time in 2011. fantastic flower show that day. A pretty good one this day too. Some balsamroot at the start though it is starting to fade. The Indian paintbrush was blooming all over. Red, orange, and yellow varieties.

The trail is easily graded and very fast to hike. That is if you are not constantly stopping for photos. Plenty of lupine in bloom. Ball head waterleaf too. Spring flowers of the deep forest like trillium, vanilla leaf, and false Solomons seal. Lots of color all day long. The creek is loaded with spring melt. At times it is close and roaring. Within a mile or so we met the first group of backpackers coming out. I was surprised to find folks nearly back to the trailhead at only 9:00 am. With an early start we were in my hurry and took many photo stops. With the slower pace I expected faster hikers to catch up and pass us. It never happened.

We kept looking for all the calypso orchids seen on my first visit. It took awhile but soon we began to see them. The trail is mostly in forest with occasional breaks into the open. It worked will to warm us up and cool us down as needed. There are quite a number of campsites along the way. Short side trails lead to camps or just to the edge of the creek. We took advantage of several of these on the way back. A short distance before Falls Creek Camp the trail comes near the creek where the creek has gone wild over the years. Bare rocks and numerous braided channels tell of a flooding creek that tore out most everything in its path. Much different than the forest along most of the creek.

At Falls Creek we dropped to the creek crossing bridge that leads across to the Falls Creek Trail. The logs are largely submerged on the far side. Not the place to cross this time of year. Back on our way we crossed a rocky avalanche prone creek area where slide alder is most of the vegetation. A good view up to the big waterfall above. The route climbed to where we turned around last time. here is a good view down to the creek and across to a hillside of bright green larch trees. this open spot had balsamroot in bloom. Last time we found a big garden of shooting stars. This time we were too late. A few shooting stars were hanging on but most were done and gone.

Since we had lots of time, we chose to go on a little farther. To this point there were half a dozen trees down across the trail. One was a paint to get over or under but boot paths went around most of the rest. We found more downed trees on this final section. The trail goes into a burn. I think it is the one that burnt up the Crystal Creek drainage a half dozen or so years ago. We stopped about a half mile short of Crystal Creek. There is a big campsite on the creek that made for a good break spot. Our turn around was just over 7 miles up the trail.

Coming back a short way we heard and felt a pounding of the creek. A short off trail exploration showed the spot where the creek was forced into two narrow channels by big rocks. Back at the shooting star spot we finally met some folks hiking in. We met several other groups before getting back to Falls Creek. Some clouds blew in keeping the temperature down. The whole hike was very comfortable in shorts and short sleeves. As mentioned, we stopped several times on the way out. Nice spots right on or above the creek. It's a shame that the long drive did not allow for even more time sitting by the creek. Finally in the last few miles we saw a few groups heading in. All in all, the crowds were far less than I was expecting.

It was about 4:30 pm when we reached the trailhead. There were only half a dozen cars left in the lot. For the day we covered about 14 miles with 2200' of gain in 8:20. We took 4:30 hiking in with many photo stops and 3:35 hiking out with several breaks. If there is an easy 14 mile hike with 2200' of gain this is it. It is never steep and the tread is mostly soft. Easy on the feet and knees. With a stop for dinner at the 59er Diner it was near 8:00 pm when I made it home. A long and very enjoyable day of hiking.

I have posted 33 annotated photos on my website located at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2013" on the left margin.

The weather looked crummy and we didn't want to spend a lot to time driving since we are from north Snohomish County. We hadn't tried this area and had been unimpressed with nearby Lord Hill previously. We were pleasantly surprised to find many well-marked trails. We did a large loop on easy trails. There's about 17 miles total, some for mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking and combinations of the three. It was a pretty good day and we agreed we'd return for another "desperation day" outing.

We came here to enjoy a simple mid-week hike and introduce a novice hiker to Seattle's surrounding forest.

Due to bad traffic in Seattle we arrived later than intended at about 6:30 PM and there were only two other cars in the parking lot. Either this trail doesn't get much weekday traffic or the rain earlier in the day had scared folks off. By the time we arrived the rain had completely stopped and we had a bright partly-cloudy sky above us.

We hiked (slowly) to the marshall hill/wildside junction and made a clockwise loop of the wildside/de leo wall/marshall hill trail. The viewpoints off the de leo wall trail were disappointing, but then Rainier was wrapped in rain clouds on this day and this isn't North Bend. We could see downtown Bellevue and Seattle, and the sound beyond as the sun began setting, which was nice. There was some nice older growth large trees along the trail, and a boat load of ferns. These trails are very, very nice.

As we reached the de leo wall / marshall hill junction we were losing light and shortly after donned headlamps. Three humans and two dogs made it safely back to the trailhead @ 9:45 PM.

There were a handful of small puddles, but the trail overall holds up great to rain.

  Did a short day hike up the Mt. Pugh trail on Monday. Mtn. Loop Hwy. is scheduled to open at the end of the week, so we drove in via Darrington. The access road off the Mtn. Loop Hwy. itself is permanently gated off - large boulders in place on either side of the closed metal gate. So add another 1.5 miles or so each direction on hard packed gravel road.

  Trail is in great shape - the only minor problems were maybe 6 or small trees across the trail, on the long traversing climb to the first switchback. Snow starts above 4500', and is pretty continuous by 5000'. The last couple hundred feet to Stujack Pass are substantially melted out, but it was still mostly easier to stay on the snow. Just below the pass it's a bit unpleasant, with both steep loose rock and snow, but not too bad.

  We stopped at Stujack Pass as it was getting pretty late. Above the Pass, it looked easiest to go up some steep snow on the north side of the east end of the pass, and onto a larger snow slope heading farther up the ridge. There are rocks melted out, but it it doesn't look easy to traverse with vegetation etc. We glissaded down the slushy bowl, and trudged out the long slog downhill.

  There were numerous old, small, wet avalanches in the bowl below Stujack, but nothing looked recent, and there was not much snow left to fall, so I think the risk is pretty slow.

  You'll probably want poles for the snow, maybe an ice axe. We carried ice axes, but never used them. It was very soft and slushy on a warm afternoon.

  A variety of lowland flowers are blooming - Trillia, violets, starflower, Maianthemum, etc, but nothing yet higher up.

This is a very easy short hike to the abandoned Franklin Ghost Town mining site. Finding a place to park is the most difficult part of the hike. Using advice from the "Hiking With My Brother" website, across the street from the gated entrance, (located at 47.301100, -121.952402), and just before the entrance to the one-lane bridge, there is enough space for about two cars. If not, there is a small cemetery just prior to arriving at the gated entrance across the street easily walkable. There is no parking in front of the gate and the land between the gate and the actual entrance a short walk ahead, by the yellow gate, is privately owned but has an easement allowing entry to the second yellow gate.

Shortly after the yellow gate you will reach a fork where the coal cart is located. To the left is the direction of the cemetery and mine shaft, to the right, from what I believe, may be privately owned by Palmer Coal, but I walked ahead there for a few moments to visit some old foundatins. It's a nice easy level walk to the mine shaft along the road. After leaving the shaft, the trail becomes mostly narrow and obstructed by blackberry bushes and vegetation, but still walkable. You'll soon pass the foundation of an old power plant foundation to the right, and just ahead you'll see the first tombstone in the bushes to the right. Just ahead you'll wander into a little overgrown cemetery with a few more tombstones. It's really sad this little cemetery is abandoned and uncared for, but it appears at times the scouts and others tend to the area. From what I read, there are other tombstones in the forest, it is really overgrown and forested in this area. I did not a little trail continue beyond the cemetery, but I did not continue. On the way back to the highway, I noticed a little bench on the river side between the yellow gate and main gate. Just past is a trail going down into the gorge by the river that might be woth exploring. Overall an easy hike, a few little mud patches at times, but a nice little walk on a sunny day. I would recommend reading a little on Franklin before visiting, it has an interesting past and it's hard believing a town once stood there.

Arrived at Ancient Lakes Trail head around 12 pm from Seattle. For first timers, the gist of this route is to follow the cliff band to your left as you enter the trail. Wish we would have known this as we had a minor deviation early on. There are some orange flags marking where the jeep road turns to single track.

We got lucky today as it was windy, making the heat very bearable, the only thing we would have done differently is to have brought more water as we underestimated the aridity?(aridness?) of the desert.

On the topic of water, all new goers should know...

expect the views of the lakes to be beautiful as are the surrounding meadows and cliffs.

However, up close, the lakes are downright nasty. Goose poop ABOUNDS, the water is full of algae, it is not, in my humble opinion swimmable or fit to drink by any means. Even after filtering I was skeptical...

Bring lot's of water

Saw 3 snakes today, 1 bull snake and 1 racer near the trail head, and 1 rattlesnake near the falls.

    We just happened to find the Kraus Ridge trail #275 and were delighted. The 4.4 mile trail is described at “easiest.” It gradually ascends the ridge (700 foot elevation gain) through beautiful old growth forest with abundant spring wildflowers. It crosses forest road 2506 and continues on to forest road 2506.037. We decided not to turn around and hike the trail back to our car. Rather we walked roads 037 and 2506 to where the Kraus Ridge trail crosses road 2506. The two lane track was enchanting with the sun filtering through stands of alder. We then finished the hike by retracing the Kraus Ridge trail to our car. Our pedometer read nine miles.
    It was a beautiful day for a hike. It hadn’t rained for several days, the sun was shining, and it was pleasantly warm. I’d suggest googling “Kraus Ridge Trail 275” to download and print a forest service map of the trail and two roads for an enjoyable round trip hike.

The snow is pretty much gone from the trail, except for a little at the very top, easily crossed. Most of the lake is covered in snow, as is the lunch rock. The bridges are clear, and there are some logs to sit on. If you have never taken this trail, it starts out easy until you get to the large falls. After that it switchbacks up the ridge to the lake basin. There are lots of steep stairs, which, with my short legs, I find harder than the rocky trail. Interesting... on the way we ran into the FS ranger. He was tracking the trail with one of those round wheel mileage counters. We stopped to talk to him, and apparently there is some grant $$ for work on this trail. He said it was not built to handle the high numbers of hikers it now gets, and there was some resource damage happening. I asked if WTA would be working on this trail. He said that the FS was going to contract it out, but there would be volunteer groups working on it too. I spotted a lot of the survey stakes in various places on the steep part. By the way, the loos are still locked.

Another early morning found us at the trail head around 430am. We were looking for a relaxing hike and enjoyed our time. The trail as you may guess is in good shape. We went to the third ledge where we broke out the camp stools, coffee and bacon. Good times even with lots of clouds.

For more on this hike visit http://survivingurban.com/rattlesnake-ledge-am/

Good conditions . Left early. I can find the 1 ,3 and 3.5 mile marker. Does anyone know where the 2 mile marker is? Leave early as the parking lot got full even on a Monday. Trail was clear and slightly wet. Please pick up your litter as the parking lot was strewn with litter which was being picked up by a neighbor who was there as I arrived.

I was up early in Seattle and saw only a few clouds in the sky. But as I turned east on I-90 it was obvious the weather was going to be very different in the Tigers. A heavy cloud cap enveloped the entire mountain, and it looked like I would be hiking the cloud forest today.

I planned my route to include two Tiger trails I had never hiked: a short section of the Hidden Forest Trail going downhill (south) from the TMT, and the section of the 15 Mile RR Grade going east from the Hidden Forest Trail to the point where the RR Grade crosses the TMT near Custer's Bridge. I decided on a long loop route that includes both these trail segments.

At 7 AM I started up the High Point Trail and turned west on the TMT. At the crossing of High Point Creek the bridge still is "out," although signs posted there indicate a replacement is planned for the Summer of 2013. In the interim, trail crews have made the crossing easier by removing some large, slippery logs that formerly had to be scrambled over. The creek itself was low enough for easy boulder-hopping.

As I proceeded uphill on the TMT to the intersection with the K3 Trail, then up the K3 itself, I quickly found myself not just looking up at the clouds, but actually in the clouds, and I would be there for most of the rest of my hike. This was visually quite pleasant.

I took the K3 through to the upper part of the TMT, then took the TMT on across the ridge between the W. Tiger #2 and #3 summits. I continued south on the TMT another 1.5 miles to "Larry's Crossing" and its signed intersection with the Hidden Forest Trail.

I turned downhill onto the latter, a new route for me, and I tried to eyeball a distance of about 1,100 feet, when I would need to be alert for the 15 Mile RR Grade coming in on the left. As I suspected, there is no sign there but the RR Grade trail is obvious enough. The first hundred yards or so are rather minimal, and then the grade levels out into something that might once have been a logger's RR grade. The footpath itself remains narrow, encroached on both sides by very moist plants: bleeding heart, vanilla leaf, waterleaf, fringe cup, salmon berry, tall wild grasses, et al, so my pants cuffs were quickly soaked.

The RR Grade parallels the TMT, with the TMT at most a few hundred feet upslope. But the RR Grade has a much wilder feel than the TMT, and at least the western part clearly gets very little use.

Along the RR Grade I saw two trees, quite some distance apart, with bark clawed off (photos.) On one the scratches were high enough to be a bear's territorial marking. But I was puzzled by the other which had bark removed all the way around from the ground level up to about 2 feet. A bobcat, perhaps?

At one creek crossing along the RR Grade there are signs of flood damage. If there was ever a bridge there it is completely gone now. Today, with the water level so low, there was no problem just stepping across the creek and finding the trail on the other side. But there are signs of impending major trail work, and a few yards east of the crossing considerable steel and wood
materials have been stashed. So perhaps a sturdy, all-season bridge is planned.

I continued on the RR Grade, crossing the TMT then, soon after, crossing Road 4000 at the Paw Print Rest Area. This was a good snack stop, after which I continued on the Paw Print Connector to reach the Bootleg Trail and, eventually, Dwight's Way which took me back to the High Point Trail and my trailhead.

My total distance today was about 10.5 miles with about 2,000 feet elevation gain. I maintained a leisurely pace, made a lunch stop and some photo stops, and finished the hike in about 5 hours. I saw no large critters, and encountered only one other hiker. Despite the heavy cloud cover there was no rain.

My route is less complicated than it may sound, and I had no problem with route finding. But I'd recommend that anyone unfamiliar with the Tigers consult the Green Trails Map 204S before attempting this hike (the 2013 revision of the map is printed on waterproof, tear-resistant material well-suited for use in the Tigers!)

This is my new favorite hike! Flowers galore, meadows, rolling green hills, thin forest, birds chirping, butterflies, lupine/pine scented air. Heaven. There were a lot of junctions along the trail. Lot's of areas to explore. I could see it being easy to get lost. I went left to cross the creek early on, took the next left spur, went up and through a meadow, turned right onto a road, went straight through a four-way intersection, up a bluff, around a cirque, and back down the canyon to make a loop. Two hours total. Never found the cabin. Wish I would've had a map.

A rare Monday off along with what is supposed to be the last day of good weather for the week drew me back out on the hiking trail for the fourth time in just 22 days. Today I would take off up the East Fork Foss/ Necklace Valley Trail (second trip here for me) to the footbridge at the 5 mile mark giving me 10 miles round trip on the day. Today's adventure would be my first foray into a wilderness area this year and bring me up to 30.2 miles hiked in the 22 day span. I had no problems reaching the trailhead off Hwy 2 finding only some bumps and minor potholes along the way. There was just one car at the parking area that belonged to a trio of ladies I saw returning from an overnight trip about 3 miles into my day.

The trail is in fairly good shape and I made good time for the first 3.5 miles where the river meets up with the trail allowing for easier access (this is where I stopped on my previous trip). Along the way there are several creek crossings, blowdowns that get bigger the further you go (climbed over a couple near the end)and just some minor snow patches that won't present a problem in the last 1.5 miles to the footbridge over the river. Bugs were out and thick in places but were not biting today. The creeks were clear and full with runoff, the one just a mile in being the most spectacular. Wildflowers are really starting to come along here the whole length of the trail. Of course there's also lots of moss and trees that get bigger the further up the trail you go. Had lots of peek-a-boo mountain views too including Mt. Daniel. I passed the camp at mile 4.75 and pushed on just a bit further to the footbridge over the river, crossed it, took some pics then went back to the camp for lunch.

I spent a good 40 minutes at the camp with a view of the river and a small peak looking over me. The river was noisy but not loud here and very tranquil. I had lunch, took some pics and just enjoyed the scene. Right as I was leaving I had a couple come up on me. I left them behind and ran into another couple about a mile later coming back and chatted for a bit. That was the last of new hikers I would see for the day. The first couple came up on me going back but cut off at part of the river you have to climb down to see (I plan on checking it out on a future trip). I never saw another soul the rest of the way back. Another great day on the trail with the best hiking of the year to come. Now if only the high country would thaw out soon!

     Outside the Tri Cities, of state 225, near Benton City,WA. This is part of the Columbia Rattlesnake Mountain Preserve a piece of land set aside in 1973. There is a parking area (Discovery Pass Required) and a wooden sign telling you you are in the right spot.
     This is a unmaintained trail. It starts off as a car path with a duel set of tires making the "trail". As it preceedes to the ravine, then canyon, it becomes a narrow, single file track.
     Once you reach the corner of a barbed wire fence the trail splits. Following right, along the fence will lead down into the canyon. The left hand route stays up on the hillside.
     Both are narrow, single file paths. The lower one stays along the bottom of the wash and keeps you somewhat out of the wind. The upper path works the hillside and provides better overviews. Be on the lookout for glacial erratics, misplaced bolders of granite.
     Eventually the paths will converge and take you over the hill side and out onto the "praire" of the preserve.Here the view of Rattlesnake Mountain is unobscured. Turning back from it the view is out over the Hanford Reservation, back into the Tri-Cities, out to Benton City and this hills such as Badger Mountain, Red Mountain, Candy Mountain in the distance.
     The true reward for this hike is silence. Shrub Steppe solitude. It might be broken by hawks screetching overhead. There could be a dust cloud produced by wandering elk or deer (the reservation has a heard). Most certainly on a windy day you will feel and hear its effects. Watch it send a spray of native grasses bending and flowing up, out, and over the rolling hillsides.
     Try to go either early or late and avoid the heat of the day. Take plenty of water there isn't a sip to be found anywhere. Tennis shoes are going to fill up quick with cockleburrs, best to wear hiking boots.
     With a name like Rattlesnake Mountain Preserve the chance to experince snakes looms. Seasons matter. Winter is best, Spring next and finally fall. Once the native grasses grow the trail is even more narrow. Seeing off trail in places is pretty impossible. Just stay alert.
     Timing it right to catch the wildflower blooms is also rewarding here. Usually that's mid to late April.
     Stand alone on untrammeld prarie not too far from a urban landscape!
     

It was a beautiful day at Mt Si, Washington. Started about 10am with some low lying clouds but by 12 it was a clear view at the top. The trail is in great condition and with it being a Monday there was very little traffic on the trail. Some mud puddles remaining and a small patch of snow off the trail before the Haystack. All in all smooth hiking if you don’t mind the incline. We stopped for Lunch at the boulder field joined by a Blue Jay then it was off to the Haystack. The scramble up the stack was good with lots of hand holds. The last few feet at the top will give you a straight shot to North Bend if you lose hold, so please be careful!

Patchy snow commences around 3200ft MSL and becomes solid by 3500ft. As the route follows the old forest service roads, no additional traction is required until reaching the saddle at 4050ft. The eastbound section of the road from that point has several concerning areas where the snow has flowed over the roadbed, providing one with a nice smooth slide down over the side. Some areas were still crispy mid-morning, so kicking lateral steps was helpful, and other areas were fluffy enough to collapse to to solid snow underneath and permit sliding.

The snow around the corner, heading northwest toward the summit, was much deeper. In sunny areas, the top foot was considerably fluffy and footing was bad. Given the exposure of that track, expect melting in the sun and reconsolidation during drizzle. Today the sun was very good packing snow and was forming wet boulders on my slide down.

Take a map on this trail; there are many offshoot roads presumably still in service based on the signage. I would recommend snowshoes for the upper stretches at this point, and a long ice axe if that's your pleasure (the snow was fluffy enough in places that one likely would not have helped). Be cautious of footing and plan your exit strategy before you fall.

There is a main waterfall about halfway along where one could fetch water. Views at the top are excellent on a clear day if you can arrive between the fog events in the valley.

Who could pass up this beautiful day!? Jack & I headed out to Deception Pass; more specifically Goose Rock. There are approximately five miles of trails on Goose Rock offering something for everyone, a great family hike. A word of caution; the map identifies trails by number and the many trail signs refer to trail names only. I generally make it a habit to snap a photo of the trail map at the trailhead so that I have something to refer back to, as needed. However, the trails are well-signed and the Goose Rock area is very small and surrounded by water on 3 sides.

Today there was plenty of parking in the main parking lot; don't forget your Discover Pass! Crossing under the bridge, I headed up the North Summit trail then veered right and headed somewhat steeply down the Lower Forest trail, where there are lots of wild rhododendrons in many shades of pink. The sunlight streaming through the tall Douglas Fir trees was amazing! The Lower Forest trail brought us to the gate for the Cornet Bay Youth Camp (access restricted), from there we went north on the Discovery Trail. This wide, smooth trail was the only spot where we encountered a very small muddy area today. It was near the small pond (or swamp) which was ideal for Jack to take a quick swim to cool off.

We huffed up to the summit which is the highest point on Whidbey Island at just under 500'. There are plenty of signs asking people to stay off the balds and meadows at the summit. Hopefully people are respecting the signs and barriers. After a quick snack and water break for both of us, we walked down the South Summit trail which is steep and narrow in parts. Lots of wildlife on this side of the rock. Jack took an opportunity to go for another swim on the east side then we followed the perimeter trail around to the Northeast Summit trail and headed back up to the top again. From there we descended the same trail we first came up, walked under the impressive bridge and back to the parking lot.

Today we only saw 4 people out on the trails. I LOVE the beauty and solitude that we can find so close to home.

Our hike was about 5 miles in just under 3 hours today; with lots of breaks to take pictures. This is a great hike for kids, but just a word of caution: some of the trails, particularly on the South Summit trail, are narrow will require a bit of handholding.

Trail is in good shape with snow still in places towards the top. You can now make it to the summit without traction devices or snowshoes. Wildflowers and rhododendron flowers should start showing soon.

This is a nice hike, lovely woodlands in the middle of farm country, yet just a few short miles from Everett & Snohomish. The trails are in great shape thanks to volunteers, and it's a good year round conditioning hike, with over 11 miles of trails and lots of ups and downs. I walked about 10 miles with an overall elevation gain of around 1000', even though the highest point I reached was 630' at the valley overlook.
Wildlife abounds here too, and on Monday's hike I saw deer, eagles, snakes, a rabbit and some coyote poop full of fur and bones. Does this count as another rabbit?
While you're up this way, be sure to check out the town of Snohomish for good restaurants, locally grown produce and shops full of antiques and kitschy arts & crafts.

An amazingly clear day brought me to Paradise for a day hike up to Camp Muir. I opted for snow shoed out of the parking lot as there was a lot of boot post holes to contend with for the first 45 minutes. I ditched the snowshoes at the wall up to skyline trail in favor of kicking steps up the steep slope. Amazingly there is not good boot path yet laid out here. After cresting the wall it was a sunny slog up to camp. The route is well wanded and in some places there is a really good boot path already in place.4 1/4 hours up, but this was my fastest time ever. I think most people in boots do it in around 5 hrs. On the way down I donned the rain pants and glissaded more than half the way down. Down took less than two hours. It was really sunny so the snow got really sloppy by 2pm. All in all a great hike with really rewarding views.

We parked at the ranger station and road bikes to the trailhead. The trail was in pretty good shape and a very lush and green forest area. Some of the old trees that are down over the trail are huge and full of new growth. Ranger Falls was very cool and onto the lake. Trillium were in bloom all along the trail, lots of buds on the Salmonberry bushes. We got to Green Lake and a group of women were just leaving as we got there and we found a spot to sit and have lunch on logs hanging out over the water. The sun was nice and warm and we could see some nice size trout swimming about. Also found what looked to be frog eggs. The water was a brilliant green, hence the name Green Lake. Had these little butterflies flying all around. Total time for the Bike and Hike was 5 hours with appx 1-1/2 hour break for lunch and to enjoy the sun.

The hike was about a week ago. I parked by a fellow from new mexico thqt looked like he stole mufflers out of his van.We didnt catch snow until the very top but the trail is wet. The water is great to look at and to taste. Enjoy the hike and hope your muffler doesn't get stolen

To start, you cannot drive to the trailhead because there is snow over the road. There is snow the entire way to the top. It is difficult to hike the mountain in boots. Some folk skied the top and we both skied on the way down. I recommend something celebratory to drink because the hike is a muscle aching nightmare.

Pretty hike along the river, but the trail is almost a bog at points. There were lots of bugs out today.

First hike in Washington. We started from the military trail head that joined the red town meadow trail. Was deserted, spotted just a couple of other hikers. Weather was perfect at a 70C. I would go back to try the Coal creek trail leading to the waterfalls.

We actually rode our horses up this trail. Most of the debris from the windstorm has been cleared and we cleared several other trees that were able to be moved off the trail. We got almost to the end and got into snow that was belly deep on the horses and decided to turn around. Beautiful views and the wild flowers were just coming on. The only thing that was a bummer was that it follows above the highway and you could hear road noise which detracted from the ambiance of a back-country trail ride.

We picked this hike as a leg-stretcher on the drive over the pass. I was worried from the descriptions that our little sedan wouldn't be able to access the road & that we would encounter snow on the trail - but neither (to our delight)!

The road is very clear & seems to be recently graded all the way to the parking area before the "ford" (which could have been crossed by a pickup to drive in a few hundred feet more). Wearing tennis shoes we leaped & didn't get too wet. The trail is in great condition (granted, it had not been raining the week prior). Although a description read that there is no water, there were several streams for filling up water bottles at this point in the spring. Flowers blooming all around! We headed right at the fork to the viewpoint, where we ran into a ranger on motorcycle who was clearing downed trees (we saw none). Only saw those 2 bikes & 4 hikers all day! Just a few patches of snow at the very top, which will melt out quickly. Views of Mt. Stuart were grand!

Did this hike with two other gals and 3 dogs. We got off to a late start and didn't get going on the trail till 10:50am. The parking lot was extremely full by then, but we all kind of dispersed along the trail eventually. We warmed up and very quickly removed layers we came with, as it was quite cloudy that day. Towards the end of the trail there was a ton of snow, but the trail had many footprints leading the way so it wasn't a problem. There were some holes in the snow to look out for, and the lake was mostly covered with snow. The fog cleared up a bit while we were up there, it was cold, but a beautiful sight nonetheless.

Road clear all the way to the trail head. No snow to speak of on trail for the first 2.5 or 3 miles. Snow appears stable through the avalanche areas. One snow bridge is getting thin. Be careful there and mind your footing in the avalanche areas. Otherwise, the woods and the lake are still beautiful.

This trail is exactly what it boasts. It starts steep, and it ends steep. There is switchback after switchback and turns into no switchbacks. I have done Mailbox Peak twice and this hike does not gain as much altitude, but I swear my legs were burning more. The only reason to do this hike is either to train for something or for your view at the top. Their is really nothing to see along the way. Imagine my dissappointment at the top when we reached the avalanche chute at 4100 ft to find it covered in snow. We started out across it for a while but with the steep drop offs and hearing the creek somewhere (couldn't tell if it was distant or beneath us)and not being able to see the lake we decided to head back down. I saw earlier trip reports from later in the year where people were sitting on the ridge above the lake and was robbed of that experience. Now I have to climb up again later in the year just to finish. My legs are not looking forward to that.
There is a little creek off trail maybe a half mile in. You can hear it but cannot see it. We ventured off trail on our way down in search of seeing SOMETHING. We found a nice little tiered creek and in the summer this will be a nice place to cool ones feet.
The snow level is expected to drop to 3000 ft the next couple of days which will present some dangerous conditions at the top. Late spring snow with quickly rising temperatures are the same conditions that killed two hikers late April around North Bend. Best to leave this mountain alone for a while and hit it later in the summer when the snow is clear.

The hike was a great one to start off. Easy walking until the downhill switch backs which are just easy as ever. The trail then levels out and goes through a bog or two and then follows the river all the way to the tunnels. After the first tunnel a landslide washed out part of the trail but it is still crossable. after the second tunnel, the trail gets hairy so we decided that the second tunnel was far enough. Calm trail, no fish caught.

Okay, this was ambitious. We were going for Grindstone Mountain on this one, and I was trying both a new pack and new boots on a very steep trail, in snow, over boulders, etc. The day was iffy weather-wise: predicted mostly sunny, but with chance of rain and snow all day.

And miraculously, everything turned out just fine. We didn't get rained or snowed on. The views were absolutely gorgeous. The boots are my new favorite friends (and my feet are really, really fussy). The new winter pack is really rugged and comfortable. We just didn't make it past the jumpoff point from the Chatter Creek trail (or snowfield, as it was) to the Grindstone scramble due to slogging up the trail through running water, slopping across partly thawed boulder fields, wrestling with slide alder, and route finding. It got too late to justify going for the top, what with one of us needing to catch a plane in the morning.

I carried my approach shoes (and even wore them on flatter snow- they're actually great, grippy shoes) and switched to my new boots when I needed to in deeper, steeper snow. The lighter shoes helped a lot on the really steep sections of Chatter Creek trail (along with ski poles for the overused knees).

Chatter Creek is actually a lovely trail, mostly in trees until right before it crosses the creek and up into the forested part of the basin. There are several blowdowns on the trail, all negotiable. There are two big creek crossings, the first with a good log, the second with rocks and a few beat up logs you might have to rearrange (or just wade through). We saw pretty triliums, paintbrush, and lupine before crossing the creek. Coming back down when it was warmer, we saw lots of butterflies- blue ones and spotted dark ones, only one slow enough to identify was a mourning cloak. And one teeny rubber boa stubbornly trying to sun itself on the trail.

After the creek, the trail climbs up, up, up through the woods. We hit snow patches at about 4800 feet. The snow was good quality: while we had axes and crampons, we used ski poles and kicked easy, firm steps. The snow only became too terribly thin over a boulder field we tried to ascend to the rock band the trail winds through. We found a few holes and looked for an easier route. Oh, and the slide alder is either in plain view, or lurking right under the snow ready to spring up yelling
"boo" and give you a stinging lash in the face. There is water running over the trail in several places as the snow melts. The upper basin area had much more consolidated snow.

Wind was strong, and got stronger as we got to the 6200 foot level where you cut off to do the scramble. A persistent cloud cover hung over Grindstone, so with the late hour, we made a promise to come back a little earlier next year, enjoyed a fabulous view while eating our sandwiches, and turned around.

So here is my recommendation: go a bit earlier in May on a nice weekend, carry a light camp, set up at the head of Chatter Creek basin in the flat area with the tall trees breaking the wind and still allowing beautiful views, and scramble to the summit early the next morning when the snow will take crampons and before the wind kicks up. That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it next year.

Awesome day up the trail. We removed two miles of downed trees until we reached the snow line.

We started at around 0815, and were met with heavy overcast and light rain. Along the trail we found:
- A Make shift log bridge: Roughly a mile in at 071 533 (MGRS)
- Well maintained trails
- Moderately steep inclines begin around 3386ft. 090 528 (MGRS)
- Snow on the trail at 4877ft.
- The snow toward the top is sketchy. Take the more difficult rock path and avoid the snow. I don't think it will hold after a couple more days of sun.
- Low visibility due to fog.
- High traffic during our descent.

We arrived early and had the whole trail head to our self. The parking lot was completely full when we got back. We made quick time to the falls and then decided to visit the upper falls. This requires going off trail and straight up. It turned out to be well worth the effort. The upper falls are breath taking. It also turns out to be a major short cut to the lake. Lake was completely clouded in and snowed over. We could hear major avalanches but could not see them. The trail is in good shape but muddy.

First time conquering mailbox peak and we'll be back! Only view today was of the clouds. :/ The trail was at times easy to lose. The diamond markers were most helpful! Trail was in decent shape for such a popular, unmaintained, boot-worn path. There was mud and snow in spots but both were manageable. As long as you're well-prepared, this hike isn't as tough as some make it sound.

WOW! Far harder than I thought it would be but a great feeling of accomplishment! Muddy and snow - there were people wearing tennis shoes but I would go with boots again for sure. No visibility at the top so that was a bit of a let down but it just gives another reason to go climb it again...even though I have to walk down my stairs backwards today :-)

Lots of people hiking with their dogs - very animal friendly.
Watch the train when you near the top - we went up the snow and rocks but there is a train that goes around that part.

Trail was muddy at places and a bit of snow right before the lake and then plenty at the lake. Lunch rock is still covered in snow :(.

Following our billy goat esque leader we made it up in 1:30, roughly 20 minutes behind him. Passed a lot of people that must have been cold when they got to the lake.

Recommend layers and hiking boots if you wanna hang out a bit and not be cold and wet up there. Was kinda suprised how much snow is still around up there, but I guess even with the warm start to may there was a lot to melt, as per the last couple winters.

We each drank the 22oz beer we hauled up, ate some GORP and fruit and cheese and crackers, then rushed down.

Traffic was snagged on the way back around the U district, as usual, left Seattle at 10am and made it back by about 6:30. Long day, but fun and rewarding.

Lake and walls were shrouded in clouds, unfortunately, although the sun came out on the drive home, as has been the pattern lately.

One day when hiking off 2 we'll stop at the BBQ schoolbus and reptile farm...

Fun day glissading down the chutes today but the track is starting to get spotty in sections. The upper section of the main chute has melted through to the rock wall so a second track is developing, but not very deep yet. The glissading path switches sides a couple times so the boot track up crosses the glissading path. Something to watch out for as you're going up and again as you're coming down. On the lower half, some rocks and gaps are starting to melt out too so you need to keep track of where these are and go slow in a some areas. All in all, still a great day but not as good as previous years and maybe a little past peak (for glissading) for this season.

Road is snow free until just before the upper trailhead. Trail is snow free until about a quarter mile before the bottom of the avalanche chute. Full mix of people today - from groups of mountaineers equipped to assault Mt Rainier to families with small children in shorts. We did just fine with our ski poles and hiking shoes and our dogs had a blast. Snow was soft and wet. No sign of any goats today.

We drove to this park 10 years ago. The giant palm frond fossil fascinated us. We planned to return and hike the lake loop trail (2 miles) as well as the longer ridge trail (7 miles RT) but time slipped away and as sometimes happens, winter storms wreck havoc on the access roads. Such was the fate of this park.

From the closed gate on Canyon Lake Road, it is a steep 6 miles to the trailhead. This distance and elevation was too much for us to do in a day. But thanks to some geocachers, we learned that there was an alternate road and locked gate we could use. The alternate route shaved off 2 miles and most of the elevation gain. We followed the directions provided by the geocachers and parked at the gate then headed up the logging road on our bikes.

Though my husband rode the entire 4 miles to the trailhead, I found parts a little too steep and ended up walking (pushing the bike) about 2 of the 4 miles, but we still made it to the trailhead in just over 1 hour. It was worth the effort of pushing the bike because the ride back was a breeze and took less than ½ hour.

We parked our bikes in the parking lot, read the trailhead sign, and then headed up the trail to find the palm frond fossil. After admiring the fossil, we continued up the trail to the junction and headed right on the lake loop trail. At about 1/4 mile from the junction we came to a stream that was a little wider and deeper than the rest and decided today was not the day to try fording so we retraced our steps to the trailhead.

Next we crossed the lovely foot bridge spanning the outlet creek and hiked a ways on the south side of the lake. We continued around the lake about ½ mile till we came to another steam rushing over the trail and since we were not willing to try fording this one either, we returned to our bikes to head back to our car.

We were saddened to find not far from the lovely bridge the remains of a campfire filled with trash. We were also surprised to find considerable trash (beer and pop cans as well as other items) in this park that supposedly has no vehicle access. We did meet two motorcycles and 1 SUV on our bike ride which made us wonder if the gate on Canyon Lake Road was actually open. On the way home, we drove by it and found it still closed so not sure how the vehicles had access to these roads.

Link for Information about the park:
http://www.whatcomcounty.us/parks/canyon-lk/index.jsp
Link to the route we took: http://it.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=1360263
Detailed directions for the route we took: http://www.geocaching.com/s[…]x?wp=GC3mcdv&Submit6=Go
about 200 feet beyond the gate, take the upper (left) fork, continue to road 5200 and stay on it following the green-arrowed signs.

GC codes for geocachers: GC3MCDV, GC3MCCY, GC3MCBJ

The road into the trailehead is freshly graded and in great shape. Lots of blowdowns in the first mile (although a trail crew is slated for May 21), but clear after that. A bit of snow near the shelter, and some patches on the switchbacks above the shelter. The heavy snow starts just below the first pond, and after that it is still extremely deep, maybe 4 to 6 feet. The first lake has only a bit of melt. You will have a hard time finding the trail at the top unless you have been there before.

I was hoping Lake Dorothy wasn't too busy and as luck had it I had lunch with the lake alone. The trail has a little snow on the way up and it gets more considerable just as you hit the lake. A family of four had left just after I started off from the trailhead and after talking with them they didn't make it past the sign the splits you left to the camping and beyond or to the right to the "Day Use" area. A little route finding for about 1/4 mile got to were the trail was fairly obvious with some good signs that you were still on it. I started to break trail towards Lake Bear but decided since I was along and there was not likely to be anyone following it wasn't the best choice so I turned around and headed down to the lake camping area. One other soul had made it there since it had last snowed, looked like probably last week. There is one blow down that you need to straddle, and another you need to sneak around; if you have limited mobility this trail isn't going to be for you. There are a lot of stairs on the way up. Finally, the bugs are just starting to come out.

The route was manageable in trail shoes although my feet were wet. I had micro-spikes that I wore back down for a 1/2 mile and gaiters, which I didn't use but I probably would have had I been deciding to camp. the road up was fine with a few pot holes. My Jetta made it to the trailhead without event.

This 4.4 mile round trip moderate hike was perfect today. We started our hike at around 12:15 and found lots of people descended, so the way up was not too crowded. Given the lack of shining sun, the cool temps made the hike even more palatable. The conditions of the trail were slightly wet with a few mucky bogs along the way. Nothing too bad, though.

Sign at the trailhead said the boulder lake trail was closed due to the poor conditions of a bridge. Check with someone else before you drive out there.

Arrived around 3PM at the parking lot by the lake, found it completely full and found scarce parking on the roadside nearby.

We hiked up to the first ledge, with a herd of people passing us coming down the mountain, of which only a couple people yielded to uphill traffic. Most people seemed ill-prepared, lacking packs and in most cases not even carrying water (I observed one group that didn't even bother to have their children wear socks under their sneakers). The edge of the trail has become littered with abandoned clothing (probably because folks don't bring along a pack to stash layers of clothing).

Around 4PM most of the herd had made it down and the trail was quite enjoyable again. We hiked past the crowded first ledge and viewed instead from the second and third ledge. Above the first ledge the trail was not crowded at all and we were able to sit and have an enjoyable dinner viewing the valley. It was much windier up this way so we had to put on some extra clothing at this point.

We hung out up top long enough that we nearly had the trail to ourselves as we hiked down. Two dogs and their respective two human companions had a great day despite the mob of suburban trail invaders. It seems on days like this wearing a backpack makes one appear as some kind of park ranger as we were asked many hilarious questions like "How far up does this trail go?" and "Does this trail get steep?".

Great hike and great time of year to do it. No snakes, but sighted grouse and deer.

We were anticipating a very steep hike based on the description, but it was moderate and we had overnight packs. We took our time ascending and enjoyed all the beautiful wildflowers blooming and the great views.

Ran into snow right before the top of the ridge, but was easily managed in hiking boots. We found a level spot below the lookout and spent the night. The wind at the top of the ridge was brutal in the evening and dropped the temp below freezing so plan accordingly if you intend to stay on top for any length of time. The day was sunny and warm, but different conditions at the top.

Wind died down for the night and next morning was glorious with 360 degree views and a great view of Glacier Peak.

Would expect the snow at top to be gone relatively soon. Plenty of water along the trail. Needed long pants to pass through the brush bordering the trail.

On another note - a pair of hikers came down followed by two labs (yellow and black). They had showed up at their camp and followed them down. They reported they were taking them into town to try to find their owners.

Great trail conditions, a little muddy in some parts but, with the right hiking shoes it's no problem. The falls were beautiful. Easy hike, great hike for beginners. We arrived about 10am and left just after 1pm. We enjoyed lunch down at the river. We didn't see too many people on our hike in but, on the hike back we saw lots of people. Many cars at the trailhead.
Can't wait to go back and do this one with my 5 year old son.

What to do? Hawkins Mtn in marginal weather on Saturday or Sunday...head east and further north to a better weather forecast? A message from Jim...what are your plans...want to do Ingalls Creek.

So off we went. Bright and early. Jim up at the crack of dawn and meeting me at the Monroe Smokestack at 6am. We wanted and early start so we could hike at last in to the Falls Creek Trail junction.

We arrived at the TH at about 8am and counted the cars...24. Wow...going to be a busy day on the trail. Good thing for the early start to beat most of the crowds.

The trail is easy, gaining just under 1700' to our turnaround which was about 1.75mi from the Falls Creek junction.

The trail is easy gaining a bit of elevation steadily. Never really steep and never for all that long. Sometimes right next to the creek. Other times well above it. The roar of the creek is ever present. Ingalls Creek is in my top 5 most scenic creeks. I don't mean the trail along the creek...I mean the creek itself. It's gorgeous. It always seems to be cranked high with water. The boulders strewn about it's course adding terraces for the water to cascade over...well it just doesn't get much better than this (one of my other favorites is Boulder River).

Lots of people out and about but all in campsites in the first few miles. We encountered a small group of scouts(?) hiking out pretty early. Wow...such a nice day...I'd lounge around in camp and hike out late in the afternoon.

The flowers start out early...mariposa lilies, some balsamroot, paintbrush, lupine, woodland stars... Further in calypso orchids, shooting stars, ballheaded waterleaf, oregon anemones, arnica, trillium... No glacier lilies though...saw 3 but the rest were crispy. Peak flower season looks like it was 1 week ago.

The mid portion of the trail is pretty interesting. I told Jim I thought the north side was very enchantment-like (lots of big granite boulders, etc). The south side of the creek had the typical debris flows you see all over the Teanaway. Makes me want to pull out my geology book to find out if the creek is along a fault like separating two geologic areas.

We never really did see the crowds we were expecting. The whole day...maybe 8 other hikers. Most of the campers had packed up and left by the time we passed campsites on the way out.

Snow is gone along the trail. Not even one patch all the way up to our turnaround point. Couple of sucking mudholes though. Miss-stepped into one and almost lost a boot.

Bugs...couldn't believe it but got bit twice by biting black flies at our turnaround spot. I hope it's not going to be a bad bug season.

Lots of trees down along the trail. Most easy enough to step over. A few required either a butt scoot under or an awkward crawl over. The rest had new social trails beat in get around the trees. I'd venture maybe a dozen trees down that need to be cut out.

Stats: 15mi / ~1700' gain (round trip)

Teneriffe Falls is one of my favorite waterfall hikes, because the falls are relatively tall, and you can get close to them. It is a moderate hike that provides a reasonable workout without requiring an all-day trip. May is a good time to go, as the falls are running at high volume with spring runoff.

We arrived at 9 am. Good timing, as the school bus turn-around area was already filling up, even on a cloudy day. The day was intermittently rainy, with some sunbreaks. Some folks were going all the way up to Teneriffe. The trail was in good condition, with only one blowdown, which has been there for some time--we used it as a photo prop. The last third involves switchbacks over rocky tread, which can be a bit slippery on a somewhat rainy day.

The falls were roaring, generating lots of mist. Along the way, we saw slugs and wildflowers. Bleeding heart and salmonberry are in bloom. On our return, we could see the Snoqualmie valley, which had been obscured in mist during our ascent.

Still some snow near the top... the last 1/4 mile. It would have been nice to have some micro spikes. If you don't want to carry them you can still make it to the top without any problems.

Otherwise, the trail is very wet. There are multiple stream crossings and sometimes they seem to run down the middle of the trail.

Nice hike and not crowded.

Fun hike! We went all the way to upper falls and felt like it was very
much worth the trek. It is well-built with many stairs and
switchbacks.
You can buy a Discover Pass from a machine at the trailhead too.
It was sometimes slipperly from the recent rain and it sprinkled a
bit while we were there, so I appreciated having good boots and poles.
We got there around 9:45am, and were done in 3 hours. There were many
more hikers on the way down. When we drove off there were also lots of
cars on the sides of the road approaching the trailhead, and the
parking lot was mostly full.

Awesome day for a hike! Road to trailhead is gated at the end of the bridge so overall this adds 1 mile to the hike. Trail in exelent shape to about 2300ft after that lots of old growth blow downs. Made it to the top but had to go off trail to do so. With map and compass you can go strait up the hill and miss most of the blockage. The views at the top were great. Could see all the way to Colonal Bob. Good workout hike, look forward to doing it again.

Wonderful day for a hike! Middle Fork road is easily passable at this point in the year. Trail is still muddy and slippery in places but much of the path is in great shape. There is one river crossing that requires gingerly maneuvering over rocks in cold, quickly-moving water. Crossing would be difficult with children.

After we reached the riverside, which is the turnaround point for the 6-mile version of the hike, we pressed onward another two miles until we reached a large bridge and beautiful waterfall. I would recommend extending your hike and continuing to this point. Be careful with dogs or children on the bridge, however, as there is a portion of the railing missing.

In snow for the last 15 minutes, we did it with just hiking boots but poles or have crampons would have helped.

Cloudy and some sprinkles, but nothing we're not used to in Seattle. Trail follows the river for most of the trip. Unofficial side trail to Otter Creek Falls is well marked by some rock cairns. Big Creek Falls lived up to its name -- it was roaring! It made for a good turnaround spot. With little elevation gain, this makes for a fairly easy hike even though it's 10+ miles.

I was surprised to see so many cars at the trailhead given how difficult this hike is. (Last time I did this trail in September 2012 in the middle of the week and only 4 cars were there when I arrived.) The new parking lot is still closed.
As others have said, the trail was muddy and slippery in places but far from impracticable, with a few patches of snow in the upper forest. Visibility was only a few feet at the summit, no generous views of Mount Rainier this time. It became very cold at the top once I stopped moving; even wearing a sweater and the rain jacket I couldn't make it for more than 15 minutes, just enough time for a snack so I pulled out the poles and scurried downhill.
On a side note, it's amazing how many people were doing this hike in sneakers when it's so easy to slip in the mud with all those wild roots on the trail, and sprain an ankle. I wonder what the rescue statistics are on this mountain.

We took along our trusty itty bitty saw and sawed enough trees off the road to get to the trailhead at Lambert Saddle at the top of the 2904 road. The trail itself was snowfree and had some trees down, but nothing serious. Motorcycles have already been up the trail, so beware trench trail. There were some wildflowers blooming on the trail, but the view was totally obscured in the mist. It was still a lovely hike, and if you can go on a sunny day, the views are incredible!

Great hike if you're looking for something simple with a heaping helping of peace and quiet. The wife and I hiked the 9 mile loop and didn't encounter another soul. Trail was in great shape, just a few lengthy muddy spots along the middle portion of the loop near Sherman Creek.

My only input for those attempting to find this hike, be aware that the posted directions on the trail description are inaccurate. The trailhead is at the intersection of D-4000 and D-4400, not D-5000. Additionally, the trailhead is marked as Mima Falls West, not Mima Portal Trail (you'll run into a sign about .3 down the trail with this name on it). If you reach a large T-junction with D-4400 veering off to your right and the Mima Falls trail crossing right though the junction you have found the right place!

Very little snow at top. It was deep in some areas but did not seem to be a problem for anyone in our group (some wore approach shoes (low ankle shoes), mountaineer boots, and ankle hiking boots. We did not use snowshoes or crampons. The wildflowers were out. We did not see any rattlesnakes and had good views the entire hike. Elevation gain was roughly 4700 feet. Top was exposed to wind, so pack accordingly with warm layers, which are mainly only needed when at rest at the top of the trail.

There are a few stream crossings. Most were done by just walking through the water or stepping on rocks.

Six of us camped at Colonial Creek Saturday night and day hiked Thunder Creek to Fourth of July Camp on Sunday morning.

We were thankful that it didn't rain, but wished the clouds weren't hanging so low.

The trail was great with just a couple of wet spots and a couple of small trees to hop over. The mosquitos (big ones) attacked when we stopped at the creeks. We saw several different flowers, including purple and blonde/white calypso orchids.

We enjoyed our lunch and a bit of view at the camp before heading back.

Next time, we will make it to the pass! We were told that the trail was really flooded beyond the camp, so we didn't bother this day as it was getting late.

Note: a friend managed to find a tick along the trail. It embedded into her neck. The tick extraction was a first for all of us, and it was quite an experience. We were not expecting this to be a tick trail!! My friend is off to the doc today with tick in tow.

It's a nice day hike. The first 2 miles are flat and very easy. The last 1 mile is rocky. You need a good hiking boot. The falls is of great volumne.

Hiked up the roadway by Lake Elizabeth today. The road is clear for vehicles to roughly 5 miles passed the Money Creek Rd-West Fork Rd Jct. After that it's blocked by snow. The hike up is mostly on snow but there are large patches of clear roadway also. The lake itself is approx. 1/2 snowed over, but melting rapidly. One skinny pine has blown onto the roadway, but really poses no obstruction to man nor motor.

Found the trailhead without difficulty, thanks to previous postings: turn in at Camp Sheppard, then turn right to the parking lot. The guidebook trail directions are still confusing -- veer right at the first trail junction is correct, but there is a second one where you must go left.

C-ro's post is correct -- the distance and elevation gain in the guidebook are way off. My GPS measured 4 miles and about 800 feet cumulative elevation gain, to a maximum elevation of just over 3000 feet (vice 6 miles, 2800 feet and 5000 feet in the guidebook). At least the web version of this trail description should really be corrected.

Going counterclockwise, the trail up to the falls is in excellent condition. Crossing the stream below the falls is a little tricky -- the rocks provide footing, but they get wet and slippery, particularly on a damp day like today. Heading down the other side, there are a number of rock slope crossings where you need good boots and careful footing.

Despite the damp day, the trail was basically dry, with no snow in sight.

I have had my eye on Scout Patrol Peak and the few that surround it since visting Gardner , Humpback and Abiel Peaks. The current point in the melt cycle is the ideal time to tackle this and other nearby summits, when the roads are clear enough to allow a decent approach by vehicle but there is still enough snow to ease the bush whacking.

Snow began on Road 5510 at about 3200 feet. Someone powered up to Hanson Creek Trailhead with a 4x4 before about 3 feet of snow melted leaving firm ridges where their tires compacted the snow. I used these ridges to avoid the slush as Auto and I followed the tracks from a few hikers and a dog that has also parked where the snow began.

We left the road just after crossing over to the West Side of the long Northern ridge leading to Scout Peak. Low clouds filled most of the I-90 corridor and light rain came and went all day, which made for some wet bushwacking. We ascended a steep talus field with intermittent snow up to an old logging road, where we returned the East side of the ridge and continued the climb. Staying close to the top of the ridge, we moved through thick forest filled with smaller trees before reaching a shoulder and getting the first glimpse of the summit.

We quickly made it up and were greeted by a short, but welcome break in the clouds. There was little to see through the clouds so I wasted no time before starting out towards Point 4582' to the NW, sometimes called "Little Saint Helens". I dropped down towards the road a little early, when I should have stayed to the top of the ridge to the West. As I began traversing and regaining a bit of elevation I could hear a dog on the road below, probably with the hikers who I parked by.

When we reached the 4-way junction I chose to follow the road marked with a new sign for Hansen Ridge Trail 1020.1. I quickly tired of the slow ascent rate, and Automahn begrudgingly followed me up the steep East face. At the summit we got a few more minutes of sunshine, and some brief views across I-90 of Granite Mountain.

We descended to the East and followed the third road down past Hansen Creek Trailhead, near a large borrow pit that was busy with people engaging in target practice last year when I climbed Mount Gardner. When we reached the road I noticed snowshoe tracks and a set of dog prints that had come from where we parked. These must have belonged to the group I heard earlier. I'm sure they would have been interested to know that a bear was following behind them. The bear tracks I found couldn't have been more than an hour or two old.

~7 miles Round Trip
~3000' Elevation Gain
Snowshoes not necessary, but maybe helpful

More Pictures and Route map @ http://www.jebsjourneys.com[…]-and-point-4582-little.html

Took a quick hike up Mt. Peak (as the locals call it) with the family. This short but mostly up hill hike will be exercise for most everybody. The trail was in good shape, just a little wet in the upper half, making for the need to use caution on the way down. A local favorite.

I almost don't want to tell you about this because we had such a great time having the trails to ourselves. This is a sweet little trail system, however.
Starting at the Cornet Bay Marina, you get some water views and views of the bridge before heading up into the forest. (Don't forget to bring a map-and the map legend as the map is numbered and the trails are named). We pretty much stuck to the perimeter trail and tried to do a big loop so we missed a lot of the inner trails and will be back to explore more.
The trails are very muddy in places and we had one small blowdown to climb over but other than that the trails are in fine shape. There is one steep, but short, hill to climb and descend which was a little slick in the mud but otherwise this is an easy hike.

This trail is no longer available. The road was blocked off completely.

Parking was a bit of a pain, and the road into the trailhead had a ton of potholes. That's all I have bad to say though.
The weather was perfect for hiking. Went with my two kids and our dog and everyone had a great time.

Got out of the Seattle rain and headed east for an early spring hike along the creek and up the canyon. Apparently this is the perfect time to hike this trail if you are a bird watcher. One Seattle man told me he had seen 50+ different types of birds this day. Not sure if I should believe him, but the sounds of many birds were in the air. The trail is relatively flat and has two creek crossings that aren't challenging, but do have risk of getting your boots wet. We had seen previous reports of rattlesnake sitings, but none to day (whew). We were disappointed in not seeing any of the big horn sheep that herd in the canyon. Overall, it was a nice day to be out on a easy desert trail in early spring.

Took the kids on a day hike and decided to stay close and try a new hike so up Baker Lake road we went.
The trail is in great shape, its got that verdant spring green with flowers just starting to bloom. Kids enjoyed all the creeks and bridges..especially the log bride. Stopped and ate lunch at Anderson point and came accross some boy scouts setting up camp for the night. Great company, good weather, and great trail for kids.

We arrived at the trailhead around 8:30am, there were about 10 other cars in the parking area. It was cloudy with a light, intermittent rain and around 58 degrees (f).
This hike is no joke. It is the first hike I've ever done that the hike back took longer than the hike in. It took us 3.5 hours to reach the peak and 3.75 hours to hike back. We were slower than just about everyone else, though. We took our time. On the way back I couldn't help but think to myself "wow, maybe this hike was beyond my limits." During the previous week, we did research and decided to bring trekking poles, which was a great idea. I highly recommend them. Costco currently has some carbon fiber ones for like $30, which is relatively inexpensive, so we picked up a couple pair. So, previous to the hike, I just considered the distance, 3 miles each way, and thought "well, no matter how bad it is, it's only 3 miles each way, I can do that" and we did do that, but, yeah, it was indeed challenging for both of us.
Contrary to recent reports, there is some snow on the trail just below the crown, but it isn't difficult to cross. The clouds stayed close most of the time and the sky was grey, but occasionally opened up to reveal beautiful views. It was chilly at the top and snowing.
It was beautiful. Wildflowers blooming the full length of the hike. The rain was never heavy, but light and somewhat cooling.
We saw several people hiking with full packs; they were training for Rainier. One guy was heading down to Mt. Shasta in California next week. One guy passed us twice. He did Mailbox two times in one day, training for big mountains. It was stunning to consider the stamina these people have developed. I consider myself to be in shape. I stand all day at work, do two miles after work every day, and hike between 6 and 12 miles every weekend and I was at my limit. I will probably be limping for a few days.
This is a beautiful hike, I recommend it to anyone looking for a physical challenge, but please consider your limitations, bring plenty of water and if you can afford them bring trekking poles. I'd love to do this hike again on a clear day as I imagine the views to be amazing.
We got back to the car at 4:15pm and the parking lot was packed and the adjacent street lined with cars. Lots of people. Lots of sore legs this morning. We headed to the Mt. Si Tavern for a much-deserved tasty beverage.

Enough elevation gain to get you breathing mountain air, then views at the top to take your breath away. The payoff is a walk along Icicle Ridge at 3,000 feet, providing panoramic views of Tumwater Canyon to the West and Leavenworth Valley to the East. All manner of wildflowers accompany you all the way up the trail. Spring hikes don't get any better than this.

Length / Hike time: 2-2.5 miles up depending on how far you go on the ridge. 4-5 mile round trip. Took us 90 minutes to get up the trail, with multiple photo stops, and then an hour to get back down.

Elevation gain: 1,800 feet over 2 miles. Generous switchbacks, so it's only moderately steep.

Trail Conditions: The trail is well-maintained and in excellent shape. No mud or snow. Only two blown down trees. The switchbacks take you in and out of the forest at places but overall the trail is mostly shaded with minimal exposure. Trail was fairly busy today with hikers of all ages and paces and dogs of all shapes and sizes, but the switchback knuckles provide for easy passing, and the ridge top walk allows everybody to spread out and take in the payoff scenery at once.

Rocky ledges through forests of huge sage thickets lead up the canyon. Increasing views over the Okanogan valley and down
 to the river ( running at flood stage when we were there)
The trail climbs, and winds above, and below rock cliffs.
Eagles soaring overhead riding the wind, and the sound of aspen leaves whispering, sighing along the creek, and sage accompany the walk.
The trail head is new, and has an official Pacific Northwest
 trail sign. the first large official sign

A short section of trail along the old rail road grade runs from Oroville to the Enlo dam. 3.5 miles aprox. (there is no bridge across the Silmilkameen river at the Enlo dam, so continuing on to Nighthawk, and Loomis along this path is not currently
 possible.
   The lightly traveled Loomis Oroville road is the route of
the Pacific Northwest trail to the highlands. The road meanders along the river, through sage hills. Cattle wander freely,
 and the only traffic we met were border patrol vehicles. The road is a slow sage scented walk, or a peaceful bike ride,
 before heading into the hills at Chopaka Lake cutoff. Someday
there are hopeful plans of continuing the trail along the old railroad grade across the river.

About a year ago, I had read about the Index Town Wall - Lookout Point trail while researching the area, but never attempted it. Then I came across a recent trail report by geezerhiker which re-sparked my interest. Thanks! ^_^

**Please note: Walking to the trailhead requires you to trespass onto BNSF railroad property. So choose to do this hike/climb at your own risk!**

This trail is clearly used by locals and it seems there are many paths to the final scramble to reach the flagpole. The trail was snow free to the top and the route I took had some random cairns when the trail became faint. I tried finding geezerhiker's "pink w/ black dot ribbons" but never found any. The route I followed was short and steep... You follow the trail through the woods and when it comes to a fork towards the cliff face you will want to go left and follow a dry creek bed up. If you go right, you will find a secluded area for rock climbing.

After climbing the creek bed and continuing towards the right back onto the trail, you will come across a couple ropes that go up another trail and then up the cliff wall. Don't bother climbing this, it's not the trail you want. You will continue past this and eventually see a fire pit and another cairn next to another steep rock wall. A few hundred feet past that and you will spot another cairn that is the start of the gully to the top. As geezerhiker stated "you will be using your hands and feet" the rest of the way. THIS IS STEEP! STEEP!

...and the only path to and from the lookout point. Yes, I did reach the top. Even though it was a gloomy day, the views of all the mountains shrouded in clouds was worth it. I watched the rain move across Mt Persis & Mt. Index like a sheet, which was impressive. But as the rain encroached towards my perch, I decided to creep my way back down the steep gully. Halfway down the gully I was startled by a warning siren, but still continued my decent... Does anyone know the siren's purpose in such a small, remote town?

Overnight back-pack from Prince Creek campground to Stehekin. We were expecting to have the place to ourselves, but approximately 60 - 70 other backpackers got on the ferry with us!
The trail starts off with some elevation gain - we aimed for the Meadow Creek shelter. Weather was perfect, about mid-70s. There are a number of creek crossings along the trail. Some of them require crossing logs or unsure footing.
We reached the Meadow Creek campground after a number of other hikers, and finding it full, decided to camp on a bluff above the trail our first night. We did upset a rattlesnake under a log near our tent - watch your step! He moved along on his own.
The next day we hiked past the Flick Creek dock - another day containing many ups and downs. Passed by the Moore Point campground, it looked fabulous, but is in an awkward spot if you intend to hike to Stehekin the next day in time for the ferry. We found the Flick Creek camp also full, but were able to make our own camp off the trail about a half-mile further and enjoyed a campfire on the beach. Only 3.5 miles out to Stehekin the last day, and arrived in time for the restaurant to open. Enjoyed a Corona while waiting for the ferry to arrive.

Beautiful and Warm! Lots of people. Looks like a great place to camp over night but remember your bug spray! I had 9 bites when we left and we were only there for a few hours. The waterfall is really pretty, worth walking around the lake to see up close. The views are fantastic!!

Perfect timing for flowers atop Tronsen Ridge!! The Three Muskateers took the brushy Five Mile Road to the north trailhead atop the ridge on Blewett Pass. Our vehicle was a lonely soul parked in the meadow; we never did see another hiker all day!

Balsamroot and Ponderosa pine were exactly what we expected... and both performed brilliantly!! What we didn't expect was to see the showing of a flower I'd only heard of, but had never seen myself. Tweety's Lewisia presented itself on a bank of soil as we drove to the trailhead. I alerted the driver to stop and get a closer look at this uncommon flower and got a lesson about how this wildflower of the Bitterroot family is unique not only to Central Washington, but specifically to the Wenatchee mountains. It is absolutely beautiful!! Each bloom is special, from one plant to the next... some are pale, some more salmon colored... all are eye-catching! Bunches large and small scattered along the dry, sandy, rocky ridgeline for miles.

We walked for approximately 4.5 miles along the ridge. We climbed on some dramatic rocks for impressive photo ops and stunning views into cracks and crevasses that caused tingles down our spines. Of course, the ridgetop offers views into Devil's Gulch, Mission Ridge to the east, Mt. Stuart, the Enchantments and the Teanaway. It's a great time of year to see the snow-capped higher elevations against the blooming floral displays.

Evidence of last season's forest fires is apparent, though the area most impacted could likely be seen more clearly if you travel from the southern trailhead. I will enjoy the ridge from that direction next time.

Road to TH well graded and clear. First truck in the lot at 7:30 am.
Trail is in excellent condition, crossing rushing water at 1/2 mile in is fairly smooth as quite a few downed logs have been placed across. Awesome views socked in with clouds. A bit of snow begins around 3000' on switchbacks, should be melting out soon. Continued into the wet clouds past the Alpine Lakes sign beginning the descent to Mason Lake when the snow kicks in completely. Unable to reach the lakeshore as deep snow and complete coverage made it too dangerous. Other than missing the last .3 a great hike. Passed only a few others on the way back.

There is still snow on portions of the trail but it is not a hindrance to finishing the hike. Trail is a little bit muddy due to recent rain/snow melt. Suggest waiting a little later in the season to hike.

We arrived at 9 AM and hiked the trail with 70 oz waterpacks. The trail was in good shape except that it was overgrown in places and there were some dangerous branches hiding in the thinner cover in the trees. We saw 3 or 4 snakes that were likely rattlers based on the colors, but they weren't hanging around to be a problem. The area requires a NATIONAL PARK PASS not a Discover Pass as the trail description says and a $5 parking fee. I would recommend the hike to anyone looking for a quick stretch. We were done in just over 2 hours including stops.

Great hike, was really foggy and rainy but staying overnight at the Hut with friends made it worth it. We opted out of carrying our snowshoes, knowing the snow wouldn't be bad until near the top. We had to walk on snow for the last 0.7 miles, wasn't impossible without snowshoes but definitely more of a trek. We were glad we didn't carry snowshoes on our packs for the first 3.5 miles though.

Also keep in mind the 1 Road has been washed out so do not follow the directions on WTA as of May 2013. Follow directions here: http://www.visitrainier.com/[…]/