Monte Cristo - The Glacier Peak Area

iked to Monte
Cristo as a scouting trip for a longer hike later this year. The weather was overcast but no rain. I parked at Barlow Pass at 2PM and started down the gated road/trail on foot. The majority of this road is in excellent condition - flat road with small gravel. No real hills to speak of. About 3/4 mile into the hike, there is a patch where a slide removed the original road bed. Any cars that made it past the gate at the trailhead would have to turn around here, but its no problem for foot or bicycle traffic. At 1 mile, you cross the river using two bridges. The first one is in good shape. The second one _looks_ kinda iffy, but is actually in good shape also. Another 1/2 mile down the road, one hits the first big washout. A detour through the woods is required. There is no gravel trail through the woods, so the going is muddy. Bicyclists will have to dismout and carry their bikes for much of the detour. Back on the road you get an appreciation of the great shape it is in. Hiking through the forest was very enjoyable. Soon though, the sound of rushing water gets lounder... At ~2 miles in, I hit the second washout. There was water flowing down the trail for about 1/8 of a mile, then I hit the actual washout where the road disappeared. This is right at the ""Weeden House"" marker. There is another detour through the woods at this point. The start of the detour is a little hard to find - it is on the left just past the Weeden House sign. The detour is another mudfest through the deep woods - a nice change of pace for the observant hiker though. Bikers must dismount here too. Back on the road for another 2 miles or so. You then hit the next mini-washout from a creek. A couple of rock-hops is all thats needed. Signs of civilation begin to appear soon after. Several cabins, a Sherrif's Emergency Radio shack, lots of ""No Tresspassing"" signs. After passing through a nice (slightly overgrown) meadow, where I paused to admire the tall waterfalls on the other side of the valley, I rounded a corner and spotted the end of the trail. A ""Monte Cristo Townsite"" sign and a bike rack are placed just before the broken bridge that leads into town. The bridge is broken in half, but not swept away yet. Some brave souls have nailed boards on the old supports to form a ""ladder"" leading down and then back up the other side. I did not try to cross (it was 4PM, time to head back) but it seemed like it was possible to cross if you had the nerve. I could see old advertising signs across the river and a building or two in the townsite. Clouds prevented me from seeing much of the mountains beyond. After eating ""lunch"" (gorp) and reviewing my Monte Cristo book, I headed back. As I rounded the corner leading back to the meadow, I spotted what looked like a large, brown poddle-dog... Hmmm... maybe not. ;-O The bear was about 100 yards down the trail and headed away from me. I stopped and watched to see if any cubs might be present. After a couple of minutes, the bear spotted me and headed into the bushes. I waited a minute and then shuffled down the path making lots of noise. Didn't see any sign of the bear again but I was much more paranoid on the trip back! All-in-all, a very enjoyable hike. Recommended. Total distance: 10 miles. Time: 2PM - 5:45PM chipa@coolhistory.com