Boulder River
Apr 12, 1998
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Boulder River
- Region: North Cascades -- West Slope
- Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Darrington Ranger District
- Trails: Boulder River (#734)
- Avg Rating: 3.76
Mine was the sole car
at the Boulder River trailhead west of Darrington at 11 am on Easter Sunday. It was showering, but even when the rain relented, large blobs of snow were dropping off the trees. There were two outbound sets of tracks in the inch of snow that had fallen the previous night. The first half of the trail is in good shape. The several downed trees are high enough to walk under. The river was roaring and the waterfalls at the 1.5 mile mark were at full volume. From about the 2 or 3 mile mark, conditions deteriorate. The number of mudholes increases. In a couple of places there is a large bog right at the point where you need to climb under a downed tree. The worst spot is a tangle of logs where a tree snapped the log bridge over a small gully. Further on, a series of trees is down, each each lower than the previous one. At the last trouble spot, a downed tree came to rest about three feet above a log bridge. Only a limbo dancer could get low enough to get under the tree without falling off the bridge. These places can all be scrambled around. Previous backpackers at the camp at trails end (4.3 miles) had erected and abandoned a plastic and stick shelter. I cut the twine holding this creation together and hauled out a ball of junk 2 feet in diameter. Unfortunately there was more trash than I could take out. On the way out, the sun came out and I met at least a dozen parties before arriving back at the now overflowing parking lot. This is a lovely and popular 8 - 9 mile hike through a mostly level old forest. It is great on a spring day, rain or shine, but the upper trail is a test of your tolerance for mud and blowdown.
Document Actions
- Email this page
- Print this
- Share
Forgot your
New user?
