Tonga Ridge, Mount Sawyer

The Foss River road off of Highway 2 just east of Skykomish gives access to some wonderful hikes in the Central Cascades. One of these is Tonga Ridge. Most of the altitude gaine is by car. The trailhead offers very little parking and no outhouse. The trail itself canters along for about 2 miles at a very easy pace with soft duff to tread and only moderate undulations in altitude. Mothers with babies on board were casually walking the trail without difficulty. At 2 miles is a delightful meadow and just beyond is the trail up Mt. Sawyer.

This trail starts out abruptly but then gentles out to an upward stroll through vast slopes of blueberries. The brush encroaches on the trail but nowhere blocks it. From the top of Sawyer the views are stunning. Rainier, Daniel, and Hinman line up to the south. West is Mt. Baring and even the Olympics in the distance. North is a grand view of Glacier Peak and Mt Baker peeks out from behind the North Cascades. Because of trees at the summit, you have to move around to get a 360 view but it is worth it. The whole central Cascades is open from the top of Mt. Sawyer.

At the summit are two geological survey markers and a geocache. The upper part of the trail is heavily crowded by young trees and as a result the path is badly sloughing down the hill.