Mount Dickerman
Sep 25, 2009
by
MtLoopHiker
—
last modified
Sep 26, 2009 11:16 AM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Mount Dickerman
- Region: North Cascades -- Mountain Loop Highway
- Agency: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
- Trails: Mount Dickerman (#710)
- Avg Rating: 4.11
- Why You Should Go Now
- Fall foliage
- Ripe berries
A meadow, one of many.
If you're looking for fall color, this is the place to be! Purples and yellows and reds, and of course, the ubiquitous greens clap you in the eye like a Christmas fruitcake you might actually consider eating this time around. A magical place, the Dickerman meadows are, and they make the long trudge through the dark lower forest so very worth it.
And what a trudge it is. I swear those muthas at the USFS add a couple more switchbacks to the trail on a yearly basis: the last time I counted, there were 56 of them in the lower trees, each one designed to make you grumpier than the last. It's a plot, you see, to keep the noobs from mashing the alpine areas above into dust, and to save all those yummy huckleberries for the stouter of heart.
With an elevation gain of 3800 feet over 4.3 miles, the Mt Dickerman trail is a workout for everyone but athletes. Pulling into the newly-refreshed trailhead at 8:30 am, there was but one other car in the lot, so I knew solitude was afoot. The rangers, to their credit, also cleaned up the privvy during the course of the upgrades, which is no small feat. For those of you in the know, in addition to Dickerman having the pretty alpine meadows, also has the distinction of sporting the gnarliest smelling crapper on the entire Mountain Loop Highway. Also a plot, I'm sure.
But for Mt Dickerman, persistence is key, and the destination is the reward. Before the canopy turns alpine, there isn't much to see. But at the end....wow.
2.5 hours up, 3 hours down, due to frequent huckleberry interludes.
And what a trudge it is. I swear those muthas at the USFS add a couple more switchbacks to the trail on a yearly basis: the last time I counted, there were 56 of them in the lower trees, each one designed to make you grumpier than the last. It's a plot, you see, to keep the noobs from mashing the alpine areas above into dust, and to save all those yummy huckleberries for the stouter of heart.
With an elevation gain of 3800 feet over 4.3 miles, the Mt Dickerman trail is a workout for everyone but athletes. Pulling into the newly-refreshed trailhead at 8:30 am, there was but one other car in the lot, so I knew solitude was afoot. The rangers, to their credit, also cleaned up the privvy during the course of the upgrades, which is no small feat. For those of you in the know, in addition to Dickerman having the pretty alpine meadows, also has the distinction of sporting the gnarliest smelling crapper on the entire Mountain Loop Highway. Also a plot, I'm sure.
But for Mt Dickerman, persistence is key, and the destination is the reward. Before the canopy turns alpine, there isn't much to see. But at the end....wow.
2.5 hours up, 3 hours down, due to frequent huckleberry interludes.
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Pheasant on summit.
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From L to R: Del Campo, Morningstar, Sperry, Vesper
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