Trip Reports

This is a short, disappointing, but steep, hike. On this day there was plenty of activity and a little slippery from previous night's rain. This write up is for the Cal Magnusson Trail to the summit.

Disappointing in the fact there are absolutely no views along the way (due to the forested canopy) or at the summit. They should seriously consider cutting back the trees and brush at the summit as there would be spectacular views. I'm not a fan of hikes that have no views and you only see ferns and forest along the way - boring!

Easily completed within 60 - 90 minutes depending on your level of fitness and type of activity. Avid hikers should only hike this with a pack so as to get some conditioning out of it or trail run it.

Recommend you do it at least once if you live within 50 miles but not worth the gas money otherwise. If you live within 10 - 15 miles, use it as training ground with a pack or run it.

Stats (from GPS):

Initial Elevation: 738 ft
Peak Elevation: 1796 ft
Elevation Gain: 1058 ft
Distance to summit: 1.13 mile

Left around 3pm and only saw about a dozen people. There is stil snow by the lake and on the boardwalk. There was too much snow to do the loop around the lake for us though. Temperatures are a lot cooler by the lake, so don't make the same mistake I did by not bringing a jacket! Overall it was a beautiful hike.

I really liked this hike. We did both the upper and lower trails to the lake and I have to say we both thought the lower trail was much more interesting & shorter. The upper trail had some nice waterfalls and intermittent mountain views but was mostly pretty mundane and seemed to go on forever. The lake is big and has an exceptional blue/green opal color to it. The peaks surrounding the lake are majestic and have waterfalls cascading down at multiple points. There is an impressive area of old growth trees with some real giants on the trail in/out.

Excellent easy early hike up to the top of mountain with a great view. The road is very rutted and bumpy and I would not recommend it for a low clearance car. First part of trail is getting pretty brushy. Soon you enter the beautiful old growth forest. The trail is in good condition. Spotty snow starts at a low 3500'. Route finding is not too difficult and the trail does make brief appearances to give confidence. Above 4200' it is solid snow to the summit, but by then it is obvious how to get to the top. Views down into the Stilly Valley are superb. Some fun glissades are had on the way down.

This was a great little after work hike. The views on the summit rival the nearby more crowded rattlesnake ledge, although this didn't quite provide the workout of climbing rattlesnake ledge.

The 900 feet of elevation gain passed quite easily, and surprisingly gradual given that it all occurs within a half mile. We kept waiting for a brutal climb but it just didn't happen.

There is some overgrown trail closer to the RR grade. The boxley blowout overlook is completely overgrown and probably better seen in the fall and winter.

I'd wanted to do this hike for a long time but had put it off because the trailhead is somewhat hard to get to or, I should say, to park near. Ironically, the DNR's gated entry point along Tiger Mtn Rd SE is only a quarter mile from the trailhead, and there would be room for two or three cars to park without blocking the gate. But multiple signs proclaim "No Parking" and threaten violators with towing and fines. This image meshes well with the adjoining Mirrormont neighborhood which bristles with "Private Road" and "No Parking" signs. I know some hikers risk it, but I preferred to avoid the problem.

The obvious alternative trailheads are at Tiger Summit on Hwy 18 or at the south end of the TMT, and there is a very long northern approach from High Point. But I wanted to try something more novel. I parked at the glider landing field along Issaquah Hobart Road and began hiking up the Chirico Trail. The first half mile of this trail is one of my favorites in the Tigers, and I hoped I could avoid climbing all the way to Poo Poo Point.

My map shows a former spur road leaving Road 1500 and approaching very close to the Chirico Trail at about the 950 foot level. I knew that, when close encounters happen in the Tigers, boot paths often appear magically to connect them. All I had to do was find the path, if it did exist.

I climbed the Chirico past the first switchbacks, past the bench and up more. At the end of one switchback an obvious trail continues on straight, but it goes only a few feet. That wasn't it. A bit further up a more subtle path appeared on the right. The first few feet seemed minimal, but after 100 feet I was sure I had found the route. A narrow boot path bordered by tall, very moist grasses followed a much wider grade, clearly a former spur road heading downhill at a uniform slope. I was relieved since the alternative would have required several hundred feet of additional climb to access the West Side Road at Poo Poo Point; elevation I would have had to descend to reach Fifteen Mile Creek, then ascend again on my return.
 
Soon, my downward path reached Road 1500 and I turned left to follow the road. As road walks go it's rather pleasant: very green along the edges and in the center strip, and there is little evidence that vehicles pass this way (none did today.) A short way along, the road is joined from the south by a prominent trail not shown on my map, one marked by hoof prints: apparently an equestrian access from Mirrormont.

I continued on Road 1500. Just past a hairpin turn my map shows another former spur road joining Road 1500 and I noted that it, like the spur I had walked down, is overgrown and shows signs of a boot path of its own. I resolved to explore that path later in the day, as part of my return route.

Road 1500 meanders, mostly downhill, and eventually joins the West Side Road. A right turn there soon brought me to a bridge over Fifteenmile Creek, and I was astonished to see a great blue heron rise from the creekside and fly further upstream. The creek seems too small to offer many delicacies for such a large bird.

Another quarter mile along the road an obvious trailhead appeared on the left. There are no signs to identify it but it's clearly the Fifteen Mile Creek trailhead shown on the map. Very old trip reports mention a restroom facility here, often vandalized, and it is depicted on older editions of the map. But it's been removed and there is no sign of it today.

Near the beginning of the trail there are a few mysterious large concrete blocks of unobvious function. But further along an information sign comments that coal was mined here from 1925 to 1940, that the foundation of a "washery" can be seen near the sign, while those blocks near the beginning of the trail are from the foundation of a "crushery." Quaint terms from a bygone mining era.

A short way past the sign the trail forks. The left fork ends a few feet above the creek at a viewpoint for a "waterfall." The fall is not particularly large and the view is partially blocked by blowdowns.

The right trail fork leads further upstream. Another signboard mentions former coal mining tunnels, and a path behind the sign leads to a tunnel entrance closed by a wooden lattice. Water drips from above the tunnel, and an orange sediment of uncertain composition emerges from within.

The trail continues a bit further and ends officially at a railing with a view up the steep-sided canyon. An unofficial boot path with blowdowns, washouts and some mud, continues another 100 yards or so upstream, then bends sharply right and heads up a steep hillside. It looks like a very minimal route, although a set of boot prints indicates at least one hiker has braved it recently. Presumably it would lead up to the Hobart - Middle Tiger RR Grade. I mused on the possibility, but decided it would take me too far off my intended route today and would lead to trails I already had hiked this spring.

So I began my return the way I had come. Near that hairpin turn on Road 1500 I detoured off on the boot path I had noted earlier. The map shows the former spur road ending well short of the Chirico Trail, so I was uncertain what I would find. The road grade does end soon but the path continues as a minimal track, sometimes traversing a steep hillside and occasionally heading a few feet steeply uphill. At one point I stepped over a couple of larger blowdowns and, abruptly, found myself back on an overgrown spur road, but with the boot path now heading downhill. This spur does not appear on my map. It passes through some prickly overgrown areas and eventually I could hear voices up ahead. The path does connect with the Chirico Trail some distance above my morning route, and I descended the Chirico back to the parking area.

This was an unusual hike, covering what for me were new roads and new routes. On the popular Chirico Trail I always encounter other hikers, but elsewhere today I met only a single hiker, on the road near the Fifteen Mile Creek trailhead.

Spur of the moment to wet to go backpacking so lets do a day hike up Petes creek and see how far we get sort of day it was...
   arrived at the trail head about 9:30 am, showery kind of day balmy 60 degrees, perfect for Petes Creek. As we started up there was a shower or two and the trail that is a little overgrown in places had us getting real damp real fast from the encroaching foliage , in another month it will be very thick. the creek crossing which goes underground in summer was still above ground and with slippery rocks a little dicey to cross. There were several blow downs one requiring a little scrambling to cross with broken branches scattered about.
    Now we reach 'the Grade', The grade is an area that starts about a mile below an avalanche slope, it is steep and pretty unforgiving switchback filled hell hill until you reach the top near moonshine flats. The grade is why I'm OK hiking up here on a balmy wet 60 degree day. We made it just short of the intersection to Mulkey shelter and the Col Bob trail from Quinault and were stopped by snow pack. I would guess that there is about a month to go till its passable for those not wanting to gear up with spikes or snow gear.
     All said the scenery was beautiful, bugs were few and the trail is in fairly good shape after its winter slumber. we made it back down to the trusty Tracker in about half the time it took coming up. This is our third trek up here, second from this side, we are yet to see the top due to one reason or another...we will be back...

 Got to the trailhead around 10:30; there were 3 other cars there. The trail up is in good condition (though you can tell it's heavily used), a couple of blowdowns and creek crossings that are easily navigated. Wildflowers blooming along the trail, including -to my delight- glacier lillies. Some snow at the top, but didn't have any problems crossing in my trail runners. The snow was getting pretty soft in places, some postholing seen. The lake was beautiful, a waterfall on the far side. Nice spots to have some lunch. Crossing the logs, I stopped to watch some trout swimming below. Saw a couple of families on their way up as I headed down, and the lot was 1/2 full by the time I got back (1:30pm).

Overall, a nice hike for a weekday.

 

The upper elevation of this trail is aligned with rhododendrons in bloom. The trail is muddy in places, but other than that is in good shape. The river is running fast, and is a mirky gray color.

Our group of eight hikers from the Northshore Hiking Club headed to the east side of the Cascades for a hike off of Highway 97. It is a little over 3 miles up the Iron Creek Road to the trailhead. We parked at a campsite just before the road fords the creek. It is a short walk up to the trailhead and the hike up the Iron Bear Trail to the junction with the Teanaway Ridge Trail. We crossed a few small streams along the way and had nice views when crossing the open slopes. After a break at the junction, we hiked up the Teanaway Ridge Trail to the north. The trail side slopes as it gains elevation with several switchbacks before getting to the top of Peak 5489. We had a 360 degree view from the summit with Mt. Stuart to the northwest and several Teanaway peaks. The bottom half of Mt. Rainier could seen to the southwest.

After eating lunch and taking some photos the group headed back down. We had good weather, not to hot and no skeeters or flies. Did see a few butterflies and birds. Six crows flew over as we were eating lunch, gliding on the wind. The flowers are now blooming, with several different types to been seen along the trail. We saw some Checkerspots butterflies on the Iron Bear Trail near one of the stream crossings. The trail is in good shape, but is getting over grown in spots. Motorbikes are allowed on the Teanaway Ridge Trail, but we did not see any. Note that there is no toilet at the trailhead parking area. Everyone had a good time on this hike with a lot of nice views.

Beautiful day for hike. The trail instructions seem to be wrong (or I missed the turnoff). My GPS said it took us 4.57 miles before we reached the turnoff to Mt. Si, not 3.2 miles like the instructions say. The trail spur was about .88-.93 miles till we got to the front of Mt.Si. Out total hike from the bus turnaround was 10.94 miles.
Once we got up to Mt. Si it was a great view. The bugs were thick so remember some bug spray (we didn't). We only saw three people coming down from Mt. Si, so it was a very peaceful hike up. Although, almost the entire hike is up an old logging road.

Just a brief note to point out that there is still snow on the trail the last 100 yards or so. Based on the cooling temperatures as we approached the lake, I suspect it will be there a while. It is easy enough to get over, but there are a couple of places where people have punched thru it. With good boots and care, you should be fine. A large section of the board walk is clear, providing a great place to sit and admire the many waterfalls coming down the side of Mt Pilchuck.

A great weekday hike to the summit of Teneriffe via the road trail. This was my first trip on this route. There was snow on the trail near the final turn up the ridge back, but it's very manageable. There were also places where water was running across or down the road, but again it wasn't an issue.

The trail through the trees approaching the first peak and in the saddle between the peaks was a little hard to find at times, but heading in the same general direction worked well to get from point to point.

The weather was great for the trip, which I started at 8:00am. There was partial sun, but no real wind. A little more of a breeze up on top would have been nice to mitigate the bugs. I had plenty of repellant on so I wasn't getting bit, but I did seem to have my own personal cloud of diminutive critters following me around.

On the way down, just before reaching the junction to the Kamikaze trail, I met a lady walking two German Shepherds, one of which tried to attack me. This is the second time I've been attacked by a Shepherd on this road. Folks, if you can't control your dogs and can't trust them around other people, LEAVE THEM AT HOME.

I just checked almost every checkbox offered for "issues on trail" -- skip this one.

This route is an abandoned forest road, and for the most part a rather boring hike. The "trailhead" described in the book and on this site is permanently inaccesible and not a valid description at all. There are some good forest road hikes around, but this isn't one of them. You will have to park at the intersection of FR 9020 & the mclellan butte trail, 3.5 miles away, and ~700 feet of elevation below the advertised trailhead in this site and various hiking guide books.

With the exception of an interesting crossing at Harris creek and the single exposed view of Snoqualmie pass at the scree slope there isn't much to see here other than an overgrown, poorly built logging road.

The trail is in great shape. A pleasure to hike right now as it is one big rhododendron garden all the way to the top. A great natural garden with benches.

Let me start off by saying this is the first trip report I have ever written and I'm a trail runner that is just now getting into peak bagging for training so I apologize if this isn't the best report.
This afternoon my friend and I made what we believe is the first 2013 summit of Rooster Mountain or The Arc as its also known. We began by using the traditional route which is the Quartz Creek Trail. The trail was in great condition minus the massive old culvert holes. At the final junction on the QCT the normal way to go is to take a right and begin the gnarly boot path. Every trip report we have read of attempted summits this year spoke of going right and then getting shut down at a large clearing not far ahead. So like idiots we decided to go left towards Lake Blethen but then almost immediately head north off the trail to ascend straight up a gully the ridge line.... bad idea. The next half to three quarters of a mile were some seriously heinous bushwhacking with more bugs than I have ever encountered. It was horrible. After the bushwhacking we hit a near 45 degree slab wall the ascended what appeared to be around 1000' to the ridge line. Do not go this way unless you are extremely confident in your abilities. Not only was the slab long and steep but it was also very featureless and had running water pouring down much of it. Although it wasn't true climbing due to the angle we both considered it class 4/5 (we climb) as it required hands at all time to stabilize and pull up and if you slip... well don't. We finally reached the ridge line and proceeded east over two false summits before the true one that had class 3/4 scrambling to ascend. The last few feet to the summit require some nimble footwork atop the knife edge spine of the ridge with crazy exposure on both sides. We made it! Now we realized we were late to get back to town so didn't linger though the views were amazing. On the way back we descended using a long talus field just to the east of the slab we had used to ascend. Had we known it was there earlier there is no way we would have gone up the slab. At the bottom of the talus field there was a bit more bushwhacking and an army of insects till we met up again with the trail. A quick three mile run and we were back at the car alive and well. Hopefully this report is useful and you can either learn from our mistakes or get a little crazy and use our nutty way.

I wanted to mention briefly that we both practice "leave no trace" and we do not bushwhack if we would be destroying foliage/fauna. Sure we grabbed the occasional conifer for stability but now ground plants beyond the occasional patch of moss died because of us. Happy trails!

We saw potential thunderstorms in the afternoon so we got out early. There was no snow on the trail as the snow level was around 4000 ft. This is a good early season day hike that offers a good climb for a good view of mt. rainier. At the top of the viewpoint you could see chipmunks and small birds eating around the hikers. Luckily the clouds cleared nicely this morning and we had a great view of mt. rainier. The trail itself if you decide to do the loop back to longmire has a tree down across the descending trail, but it is super easy to climb under or over! Overall the hike is snow free with great trail conditions!

     Was a great day for a hike. We arrived at the Carbon River ranger station at about 8:30, picked up a annual pass and drove to the end of the road (old Ranger Station). Was one other vehicle there. We road our bikes up to Ipsut Campground. Road/Trail is in decent shape. Only a couple places where we got off our bikes to walk through some of the areas with the larger rocks.
     Took about an hour to get to Ipsut Campground. Locked our bikes up and began our hike to the glacier. Took a couple pics at Ipsut falls and back on the trail. Didn't see any big game, was a little disappointed as I wouldn't have minded seeing a bear. Oh well.
     Arrived a the glacier a little after noon. Had some lunch in the sun and began our trip back down. Took a little bit of time to go across the suspension bridge, even though we didn't have to.
     Bike ride back was fun (not much pedaling)

started the trek about 2pm. parking lot had few cars, but plenty of open spaces. hit the trail and up we went. for those who are unfamiliar with this hike, the grade is comparable to mount si, but with half of the hike in open area, rather than all of it in the trees. the avalanche chute was no problem, as it is cleared out and the trail continues thru. about 2.75 miles into the hike, a few snow patches needed to be crossed. at mile 3, you either have to start walking in the snow, or just walking along side of it up to the scramble area of boulders. we stopped at the boulders due to the fact ton of snow remained up to the lookout, and we did not have any gear for stabilizing ourselves on the narrow ridge to it. so we had some grub and back down we went. took about 2 hours to get up and about 1.25 to get back down. overall id wait it out a few more weeks and hope the snow clears. it was little icy and slick, but if you wanna make the effort its also do-able, we just choose to say screw it.

We struck out early ready to brave the steep Wagonwheel trail. Luckily it was a cool day and we quickly found great walking sticks, which turned out to be essential in making the climb. With good company and cool weather, the trail was very doable and fun. Great shape overall. We encountered some snowy patches once the trail leveled out, but they were very passable. We loved climbing through different types of forest, from dark and deep to open and grassy. Many different types of flowers were blooming above 4,000ft as well. Wagonwheel Lake is really more of a pond, and we were unable to find any trails continuing up the ridge for better views. Quite a bit of snow still around the lake. Despite the anti-climatic destination, the journey up was beautiful, and well worth the climb. One mystery: a strange whistling sound coming from the treetops in certain spots along the climb. A long trill, all one note, and then a few moments later, a shorter trill on a slightly lower note. Any ideas?

The road report was "clear until two switchbacks before the TH," so I took my poles and spikes and drove up the mountain. You can cut one switchback before the TH by going up a snow-covered hill.

As soon as you leave the TH the trail is clear or partially clear almost all the way to the top of the ridge! I didn't need my spikes until I reached the summit area. The poles were helpful, but not essential.

The weather report was not favorable, but I saw sun early; so I took a chance. There was thick fog in the valley, but it dissipated rapidly. The top of the mountain was clear most of the time.

There were marmots guarding the summit as usual, and plenty of wildflowers to enjoy. I liked the meadows filled with Glacier Lilies and Sorrell. And they were interspersed with Yellow Daisies and Phlox.

I met a Park Ranger leading three hikers up the mountain. They all arrived in a van with government plates, so the rangers must be providing guide service.

This is a good summer hike, and it will get better with each passing day now. The big flower show is likely to occur within the next month. I like Sauk Mtn. because I can get up there early and feel like I'm in the mountains without being shutout by deep snow as many reports indicate.

Found a snow-free and decently maintained road up to the Lake Laura Backdoor trail head for Sunday's solo hike. Having toured and skied up to Muir Camp on Rainier on Saturday my legs were actually feeling surprisingly good. Proceeded up the steep climb to Lake Laura where I hit spotty snow while following the trail to Lillian. Lillian was still completely frozen over and from this point on the entire hike was on snow.

Having lost the trail under the snow, I followed my instincts from here (with just a tad bit of help from my iphone Topo Maps app). I circumnavigated around the East side of Lillian and followed a chute up the NE side of the lake to the saddle. This was an easy route in snow, but once it melts out it will be a lot hairier. Saw some mountain goats along the NW ridge above the lake. Having gained the saddle a beautiful view opened up to West Fork Box Canyon, Box Ridge, Chikamin and Four Brothers.

From the Saddle I traversed East until gaining the Rampart Ridge high point 5870' and....WOW! What an impressive ridge this is! I sat down and had lunch under the sun in 70 degree weather with a 1200' vertical drop 2 feet from my butt. Beautiful views up and down the Gold Creek Valley. PCT looks to be melting out along Alaska Mountain, Huckleberry and Chikamin, although the Katwalk still looks pretty socked in. After lunch I continued traversing Rampart Ridge to point 5697' where I saw another group of mountain goats about 1500' below. From here dropped down east and circled Rampart Lakes. The lakes are still frozen over with the entire basin under 4-5 feet of snow. After circling the lakes I worked my way back to the Lillian Chute and followed my tracks back out.

Overall this was a great hike. Obviously snow is a bit of an issue, but I actually enjoyed it better working over snow. Makes for softer impact and more direct routes. Once past Lillian I saw no one else and no other tracks. Wouldn't be surprised if I were the first back to Rampart Lakes/Ridge this spring.

Final Stats:
8.0 miles
3242' vertical

Equipment needed:
Mountaineering Boots
Ice Axe
Trekking Poles
Didn't need the crampons

wanted to go on a quick hike with excellent views so Kelly Butte was the destination. Trail is in great shape a little snow at the top of the ridge (few patches here and there). Meet a couple on the way up that said they saw a 2 Mountain Goats near the lookout, but they were gone before we got their.

We pretty much had this trail to ourselves.
Some wildflowers starting to bloom (lupine mostly).
Some big blowdowns - all navigable.
Still a fair amount of snow on the upper parts - in places completely obscuring the trail.
Mosquitoes out in full force - and most tenacious. Bring bugspray!

It was a beautiful day to embark on a trip. We had read the 6/3 report so were unsure of road and trail conditions.

The road to the trail is now clear.

The trail still has trees and branches that need to be cleared, but there was nothing impassable. There was however still a lot of snow at the ridge line. A couple were in front of us and they had the right gear, trekking poles and snow shoes. We, unfortunately, did not. After hiking up the ridge line for about a half mile we decided to turn back as the descent was a little hairy.

Highlights: The trail is beautiful and filled with old growth forest, mushrooms, birds, creeks and the drive in is spectacular.

We're looking forward to heading back when the trail to the lake is clear.

If you drive along I-90 ... McClellan's rocky top sticks out and I've always wanted to head up to its peak. Amazing views of all of the other peaks on the west/north side of I-90.

I found the hike to be more like 11 miles round trip.

The first half of the trail up is in good shape and is easy to follow.

The avalanche chutes still have some snow in them but are easy to pass thru.

I made it to the ridge, where the trail takes a hard right turn back towards the top, without much difficulty.

Once you reach the ridge... I went straight up the ridge for a 75 yards or so and then dropped down 100 to 200 feet (varied at times) onto the west slope and into the snow. From here to the top I never really found the trail again. There is alot of firm snow. Needless to say ... route finding becomes difficult. Some type of GPS or map would be important to have with you.

If trail / route finding is not your thing ... you might want to wait another month or so before heading up.

I used hiking poles and had yaks with me but did not put them on.

The road up to Windy Pass was open and snow free, however we encountered snow on the Mt Catherine trail immediately. We had our three daughters (11/8/4) on our annual Father's Day hike and were hoping for reasonably snow free trail. This was the case for the lower part of the mountain. About halfway up we began to encounter firm snow regularly. We kicked steps for the girls and they seemed find that 'exciting'.

The trail work of the past several years was very evident and well done. Higher on the mountain, snow covered the trail (2-3 feet in places) so route finding was still necessary. The final traverse along the north side of the mountain was snow free until you were just below the summit. A large snowfield remained and closed off the path to our younger hikers. A scramble to the summit yielded good views and a snow free summit.

The Cap'n and I had never been up before, didn't quite make it this time. Very late start after a very late night out. The trail isn't really all that steep compared to the many steep trails we've done now, like Old Si, but it's consistently steep-ish for 3 whole miles, which is kind of draining in hot, muggy weather. Had to rest a lot, drank tons of water. Pretty views out across the valley.

Shortly after the lookout finally came into view and we hit the first snow patches, storm clouds blew in, one after another, with a little rain here and there. We repeatedly questioned whether we should keep going, especially after hearing a few peals of thunder from across the valley. We were swallowed by clouds occasionally from this point on.

Cut around a few of the snow patches on a dirt track on the valley side. Strapped on microspikes for the steep stuff. At about 300 feet of elevation below the top, the boot track followed the now continuous snow up along the ridge line adjacent to the boulder fields. Snow sloped deeply toward a bowl to the right with water running out from under, not something I'd trust to be safe. I understand that the summer trail goes that way, but there are no tracks there whatsoever, so I don't think it's okay until it totally melts out, though I really have no idea.

We soon started crossing one extremely dubious snow bridge after another between/next to the boulders. When I realized how bad they were, I started hyperventilating as I crossed. There was sort of a trail through the boulders here and there, but it looked like staying off the snow would involve extensive boulder scrambling, and by now, it was getting late, and we were kind of tired for that sort of strenuous travel.

We saw plenty of other people had come up and down, including a featherweight trail runner that passed us, but I also could see where poles had punched through the voids. Since the Cap'n is truly a giant Viking, both extremely tall and built quite large, we decided that the double dangers of possible lightning strike + chance of a much heavier than average hiker punching through dubious snow bridge and breaking leg(s) resulting in a $4000 SAR rescue = time to turn around and return another day. Excruciating decision, as the lookout was was literally something like 800 feet of distance up the hill in front of us, but a relief to not constantly worry about injury or death.

We'll be back later, after the bad snow bridges melt out and we haven't been out partying all night beforehand. If you go, would advise you to be very cautious on the snow along that ridgeline.

Earlier this year I explored the new Pratt River Connector trail. I followed it up onto the old railroad grade and another mile along it. Years ago I poked around for the other end of this long abandoned trail at the upper end located at Pratt Lake. With a beautiful sunny day on tap I headed out for a day of returning to often visited lakes and some exploring as well. I headed up I-90 to the Pratt Lake/Granite Mountain trailhead. The main lot was mostly full at 8:35 am. It was already warm enough for short sleeves. Reports from the previous weekend showed snow around Olallie Lake and snow on the trail just above the Pratt - Talapus/Olallie Lakes junction. I was prepared for some moderately deep snow on the north side of the ridge dropping to Pratt Lake.

A moderate display of flowers greeted me along the Pratt Lake trail. Vanilla Leaf, plus some trillium, and yellow violets. I did find a blooming wild ginger on the way back. The creeks were no trouble to cross with dry feet in the morning and also in the afternoon. There is not much snow left to melt on the south side of Granite Mountain. I met a few groups coming out and one faster duo with light packs and tennis shoes They did just fine on the snow above.

The trail was snow free to the Talapus/Olallie junction. Just a few minutes farther along snow covered the trail. It was well compacted and only a foot or so deep. After a few tenths of a mile I was surprised as the trail reverted to dirt. Only in the last few tenths before the Olallie inlet creek crossing did snow reappear. It was several feet deep near the crossing but the crossing itself is snow free. More snow on the other side as the trail is in the open. When it shortly goes back into forest the snow disappeared It was bare all the way to the Pratt Lake junction and beyond. At the Olallie Lake/Mt. Rainier viewpoint I could see snow all around the lake. Mt. Rainier was cloud free. I still expected snow on the north side of the ridge. I was wrong.

The junction was snow free. I started down a bare trail on the north side. No snow at 4200' on a shaded north slope in mid June? Much less snow that the past few years. There were a few small snow patches in the forest. Very few. I brought gaiters and never bothered to put them on. Down lower the trail leaves forest. There were some sizable snow patches there. The danger was not sliding or losing the route. It was just post holing over talus fields. After a longer snow section it was bare dirt and rock once again. The night before I checked the map on my GPS. It included the Pratt Valley trail and to my surprise it had a dashed line for the old Pratt Lake trail down from the ridge. I hiked that many times before th longer route was opened. The top was not obvious even with the map and GPS. The bottom junction I knew well. Perhaps I could return on a shorter route without any snow?

When the trail grade flattened snow patches returned. None very deep. They will be gone in a week or two. There were plenty of tracks in the snow. Lots of folks have been down to the lakes already this year. After what seemed like a long time the trail finally reached Pratt Lake. No snow was seen from this point on. The trail is in fine shape. One downed log before the lake. That was it for the whole day except for a big log across the trail near Lower Tuscohatchie Lake. That one has been there for a decade. The trail along the lake is plastered with trillium and yellow violets. They line the trail all the way along the lake. One of the best displays of those two I have seen. I stopped to talk with one returning hiker at Pratt who had easily found the start of the Pratt Valley trail. That was a good sign.

At the end of the lake I dropped down to the outlet. There were two groups at the lake already. I knew the trail was on the other side of the outlet creek. The creek is very wide at the end of the lake. One log jam required a big jump to get from log to log in the middle. I went farther down to another log jam. This one worked. On the other side I found a wall of slide alder. Many cuts and a quantity of blood later I fought my way through. I headed downstream and shortly found the trail. A sign announces "PRATT LK. TR. NO. 1007 - M. FK. SNOQUALMIE R. 10 - TR. NOT MAINTAINED". In fact, at least the start of the trail is in fine shape. I followed it for .50 miles finding many very old cuts of logs. I have now done all of the 20+ miles of the trail from I-90 to the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River trailhead except for about 7.5 miles in the middle. I will have to rectify that soon.

I followed the trail back up to the outlet creek and found that large flat rocks spanned the creek here. I easily crossed with no more blood shed. The trail continued on the other side right back to the main trail. It was still only 12:30 pm so I turned left and continued on towards Lower Tuscohatchie Lake. Lots more trillium and violets along here. Add in a huge number of marsh marigolds in bloom and a few glacier lilies. In short order I arrived at Lower Tuscohatchie Lake. I was the only person at the lake outlet. I crossed the bridge to the site of the old shelter. At the next outlet creek crossing I climbed up onto a big rock on the lake shore. A fine spot to enjoy the lake. I spent nearly an hour there. It was still very sunny but a cool breeze blew across the lake. A perfect place to enjoy a beautiful late spring day.

All to soon I packed up and headed back. It is a fairly long trip to Tuscohatchie but I met several groups coming in. I passed Pratt Lake and hiked through the forest to the start of the climb to the ridge top. At the long hidden junction with the old trail I stopped to take out my GPS. Within 25 feet of the new trail the old tread was easily found. There are some patches of devils club growing in it now. Without their new leaves they were easy to get through. Might be tougher in the summer. I found old puncheon boardwalks that were rotting aways. It had been probably 15 years since My last hike on this section of trail. There was a little snow higher up and I lost the route. Rather than keep hunting around I saw that the route went off tot he left and then back. I just went straight up easy open slopes until I found it again. The junction with the new trail is well concealed. From thee it was just a few switchbacks to the ridge top.

High clouds had moved in and it was warm but not at all hot for my hike down. So nice I hiked slower than usual to lengthen the time on trail. I met four or five groups while heading down but really not that many for such a nice day. I'm sure all the trails to summit views were mobbed this day. A nice long walk to multiple lakes was not. I finally reached the trailhead at about 5:20 pm. I was a great day on the trail. I spent an hour at a big mountain lake with complete solitude. I found the upper start of the Pratt Valley trail. I even hiked the abandoned section of the Pratt Lake trail for the first time in a long time. All in all, a great day for a hike.

I have posted 42 annotated photos on my website located at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2013" on the left margin.

Great Father's Day hike with Bruce and Mikey. We started from the Trail of the Shadows and went clockwise. We lost the map on the way, and were surprised that it took as long as it did to reach the Longmire Viewpoint. I guess as well as Michael did for a 5 y/o, it was still a slow climb. He did an amazing job though for his longest and highest hike ever. We saw varied thrush, hermit thrush, gray jays, we think we heard a pica, and saw lots of beetles. There was a very small amount of snow on the ridge crossing, but nothing to cause us any difficulties. This will become a regular hike for us!

We celebrated Fathers Day by taking the kiddos for a hike up to Nimbus Knob in the Dishman Hills Natural Area. We passed a few other hikers and trail runners on our way up to the overlook. The butterflies and flowers were numerous. On the way out our older children took mom on a extra long hike back to the car which lead through the enchanted ravine and a few other places. This extra excursion allowed for the kids to spot a dear at a pretty close distance and it gave dad a little extra time to run to Starbucks and back with and iced coffee for mom. All in all it was a great day on the trial.

Loved this trail for the foxglove blooming! Nice and cool on a warm day. However, the beginning of the trail was a little unnerving. It was narrow and with lots of undergrowth which made it hard to hear all the mountain bikers coming along until it was almost too late. We decided to come back on one of the wider forest roads to make a loop instead. Lots of buzzing from the electrical lines running above--but also more wildlife to look at there.

Similar conditions as previous trail reports. Snow at about 1 mile from lake. Some steep snow slopes and potholes, still. Snow covers about 3/4 of Jade Lake and the valley above it is completely snow-filled.No bugs, a bit brushy in spots.

This hike is so popular, it's hardly worth a trip report, but here are a few things to know. The trail is very muddy in spots. There is still snow at the lake, it starts just a few hundred yards before the lake. The most snow is on the far side of the lake, remains of an earlier avalanche. If you choose to go around the lake it is possible, just be careful not to posthole in the soft snow. If you want a little peace and quiet, go early. We got there about 8:30 and we were the 2nd car in the parking lot. When we got to the lake, we had the whole far side to ourselves. There were several big groups coming in as we left, and by the time we got back the lot was full and cars were lined up down the road. It's nice to see lots of families out! This was one of our family hikes, a long time ago. Flowers: skunk cabbage, trillium, salmonberry, marsh marigold and blue and yellow violets.

Noble Nob / Corral Pass -
The road to Corral Pass is gated and closed, however I rode my Mountain Bike to the top, encountering some snow above 5,000 feet. The last 1/4 mile was a hike-a-bike, with 100 yard ride-able sections, followed by snow trudges. The trail out Noble Nob is deep in places, and I did not attempt to go but several hundred yards, and was stopped by the snow. Snow was several feet deep across the trail, and soft enough to post hole every 4th step. You'll likely encounter clear spots on good exposure, but remember it climbs to just about 6,000 elevation, and I stopped at 5,700 with too much snow.
On the other side (Ranger Creek/Deep Creek), the trail is clear to the cabin and beyond, and you have some patchy snow over 5,300 feet in the poor exposure areas. I predict the snow will melt out entirely in the next two weeks so Noble Nob will be entirely pass-able mid-July. I'll do it again in two weeks and let you know!

As a tribute to my late Dad, we decided to do a really early hike. The plan was to keep it easy and close to home so Talapus Lake fit the ticket. There were a couple of cars at the TH when we arrived and many more parked way down the road, when we left. The trail is in excellent condition with some patches of snow in the last tenth of a mile or so from the lake. Bridges all intact. The creek was roaring and the forest was just beautiful in the early morning light. Identified several wildflowers along the way and had the lake to ourselves, then headed back. Picked up some hiking debris "trash" on the way out. All in all, a great hike, and my Dad would have loved it.

Did a 4.0 mile or so loop starting from the sky country trail head. Condition of the trail was very good overall. Was a little confused in the beginning of the trail where there is a lot of intersections between the clay pit road and old man's trail.

Started hiking from the Old Man's trail and to Fred's Railroad trail - then on to the East fork trail. Saw the Mine shaft ventilation hole which was grate covered (this part of the trail was dense with trees and swamps around). You cross the clay pit road and then reach the cougar pass trail - you can see the huge clay pit at the end of this road. Then did a loop around Klondike Marsh - saw few joggers along the way. Again crossed the clay pit road to go to the cave hole trail - according to the map there was a cave hole (point of interest) in this route, which I somehow missed :( - looped back to the parking lot via the Nike horse trail.

Trail head is out of snow, but 95% of the trails are under snow. Prepare carefully for snow hikes. Some areas are pretty dangerous, and make sure you follow the footprint most people use.
When coming down, most people slide, and most of the time slide is the only option. You’d better prepare another pants.

This hike was a gut check. It was not the terrain, incline, humidity, or length alone that gets you, but the combination. I read in another trip report that this hike is better enjoyed shortly after snow melt, and truer words have never been spoken. The humidity felt on certain portions of this trail was brutal. If your going to attack this trail bring a second water bladder, the only water resupply, after beginning the ascent, is less than a mile from the peak. However, the views were great, and there were a couple of snowpacks remaining near the top that I was able to lay down on for a nice cool down.

We tried to do this trail the weekend before but didn't find the trail head until after we came back down from trail 1315. When you see the trail head sign for 1315 look to your right. There is a trail that goes down by the river. Once down by the river look left. This is the trail head to 1212.
The day clear, warm and sunny. This is a nice steady steep trail so you'll get a nice workout. There are some spots where the trail is a little overgrown so your legs might get a little scratched up if you're wearing shorts but it wasn't terrible. There were a lot of signs of wildlife along the top. Mainly bear and deer. The flowers are starting to really bloom. Once you leave the river at the beginning of the trail there is no water source so if you bring your four-legged friend make sure to bring a lot of extra water! We went through 3 water bottles for just the 2 dogs. All of your hard work will pay off with the 360 view you get at the top!

Weather: Sunny

Started at 10h30am, turned around at 2h45pm (6000ft).

Snow starts at 4800ft on a rock field. It was safe but I wouldn't glissade due to rocks emerging under the snow, some people did it and got close to hurt themselves.

Once you get on the other side of the mountain (5500ft approx) it gets tricky, most people bail from there. You need an ice axe, we didnt use our crampons since the snow was soft. The reason people bail even with an ice axe is due to the cliffs behind you, not much room for error or time to self arrest.

We turned back because we already felt like we've pushed it, snow was very soft and weather was turning to thunderstorm.

The views are amazing, we will go back, but later in the season.

I arrived at the parking lot around 8:30 am (first vehicle) and took the wooded path to the road. After crossing the bridge I took the first path to the Birdhouse trail. I only saw 3 birdhouses on my way, I don't know if I missed some (very likely) or if some are now missing. The trail was a little steeper than I expected but nothing too bad. The trail comes out on to the trail leading to the balcony so I went to the balcony for a short break. I then headed back to the main trail and proceeded up to the peak.

Approximately 1 mile from the balcony cut-off the trail heading up was a creek bed for a ways. Later on the trail was nicely maintained as someone cut the small tree branches back. Nearing the top were patches of snow on the trail with snow on the summit. Nice views off the back side and look down on Granite Lakes. Unlike some peaks in the area that are all rock, there are still a number of trees so the view is a little blocked but still nice.

I then headed down and past two different couples on their way up. Once down to the balcony cut-off I took the main trail down and passed more people heading up.

I was back at the car by 1:00pm. A nice hike.

Road to the trailhead is in perfect conditions.

A week before I tried (and failed) to hike Rock Mountain because I forgot my crampons and ice axe at home. This time I was smarter and carried my crampons and ice axe inside my backpack all the way to the lake and back. However I forgot my hiking shoes at home and thus was unable to use the rest of equipment. I ended up walking on snow with just my running shoes and microspikes. However Cookie used her own nails as crampons!

Trail is pretty obvious to Virgin lake (and Virgin lake is actually extremely pretty now - quite a destination by itself), but gets tricky last half a mile going down from Virgin to Blanca. There is still a lot of very hard snow and no visible footprints, it is also quite steep, lots of brush, lots of downed wood, lots of holes in the snow and a few bugs. All in all - perfect destination. The way is usually not exposed, but sometimes you hit huge rocks. Unable to find the trail we basically bushwalked down the slope, ended up a little bit too low and later had to scramble back up to the top of a very wet and mossy rock. As a reward we had Blanca lake all to ourselves, not even other footprints on the snow, as all other parties who tried to reach the lake turned back somewhere after Virgin. Lake is still almost completely frozen over though, so no swim.

We wondered why there were no early season reports for this hike.
The answer is probably the difficulty of vehicle access. At the second creek crossing several miles before the TH, water was 16" deep on our afternoon exit. So, a 4WD high clearance vehicle is mandatory.

The trail is in very good condition, following WTA work last year (thanks!). Three large blowdowns above 5000'. Wildflower display is pretty good, best and near peak (?) around 4500'. No snow until 5370', then it becomes deep quickly. We donned gaiters at 5450'. Poles also necessary. Chose not to use Yaktrax. Snow is 6-8 feet deep above 5600'.
Snow is very well consolidated- no postholing if you choose your route.
We didn't see any bootprints in snow or mud above 4000'. As our trail in the snow will probably melt out in a few days, you'll be navigating on your own above 5500'. But it's easy to find your way up to the ridge due to the very open forest. Some bugs, but not biting. Interesting massive anthills (>2' high, 7' long) at TH and 50 yards in on the trial.

2:40 to reach TH from Burien. For most Seattleites this is a longer access than any of the Icicle or Teanaway trailheads.

10 miles to the look out, closer to 3000 ft gain(includes elevation lost and regained).

The trail is in ok shape....you will encounter snow starting at 5200 and pretty consistent up to 6300. There are about 10 blow downs on the trail-some are an easy step over, some require going up around them and one made me take my pack off and crawl under.

The snow is easy to walk in, however, be very mindful of your tracks. Its very easy to get turn around and lose the trail.

We had two in our party go over the trail and down into a ravine...thankful they had cell phones to call back to the three of us and we were able to reach them.

Attempt this trail in current conditions if you are good at finding trail in the snow and pay attention.

Lastly the misquitos where out in FULL force--bring on the DEET!!!!!!

Within the last week or two, the road to the trailhead has been cleared of the huge fallen trees that blocked the road (which were at about .3 miles from Hwy 542). The trail still has many blowdowns across it, but none were difficult to go under or over. Walked through about 100 spider webs, which were really annoying. Snow patches began at around 4,700', and the summer trail was hard to follow (or completely obscured) above 4,800'. Yesterday's snow was consolidated and firm, even icy in some spots. Used crampons and an ice axe, and I wouldn't have gone up without them. Welcome Pass and the ridge is still buried in snow. Went up to the 5,400' point (just to the right/east of the pass). Brutally steep hike, but it was a great workout, and we had some awesome views.

Trail was great! My whole family made it all the way to Big Creek Falls, then we stopped at Otter Falls on the way back. The streams across the trail were running pretty high. We all had wet feet on the way back (except my 7 yo daughter, who I carried across).

Quite a beatiful hike and lake. Lots of fire damage along the way, but this also opens up the views more and so the trail has some stunning vistas beginning to end.

Saw a very friendly marmot who just sat and observed us and didn't seem the least phased by human company. The lake is beutiful and the red rocks on the side are worth a visit.

Highly recommended. No snow on trail.

Where is the checkbox for "Overcrowded"?

We went to Wallace Falls knowing it was a popular hike, but good lord! It was nigh impossible to walk faster than a crawl because we were constantly stuck behind people with small children and/or pets or who were just plain slow! (I'm talking 2 mph slow.) People had no etiquette. If people come up behind you, that means they were going faster than you and you should allow them to pass.

That being said, the trail was.... nice. Nothing wrong with it but nothing to write home about. It's short, flat, easy, and the views were pretty lame, compared to what else is available within a 1 hour radius from Seattle. Would not go back.

Arrived at the parking lot at quarter to eight on Sunday and we were the first car there. The trail bed is in good shape even over a couple slide sections, (thanks trail workers!) It is getting a bit overgrown especially towards the end so long pants are a good idea to keep the nettles from stinging your legs.

Don't pass up the very end where the trail comes up out of the railroad cut and you get a peek out at where the bridge across the river was. If you look carefully through the brush you can see one of the bridge abutments down at river level. The river loop drops you all the way down to river level and a nice gravel bar next to some sizable rapids.

The most intriguing part about the hike is just how quickly mother nature completely hides nearly all evidence of something as huge as a railroad. A few roughly blasted cuts and a couple missing timber trestle areas are the only thing left to pick out.

The trail is in perfect condition, except the last 1 mile, which is fully under snow. Be VERY CAREFUL when climbing on the snow because it is melting! Especially when sliding down, the sliding tunnel may just break because the snow melt! Listen carefully when climbing and sliding. If you hear water, watch out.
When getting down, sliding is the only option in many areas. Prepare another pants. Keep eyes on the trails because the last sliding point is a fall. If you missed that and slide down, it will be extremely difficult to get back to the trail again. (It happened to me today!).

Sunday morning hike with dry trails and no mud holes. Bugs minimal. Beaver sighting on Squires earlier in week but not today. Salmonberries ripe, buttercups and forget-me-nots in bloom.

Not much trail traffic when I arrived. Late morning got busier with families enjoying their Father's Day outing.

While hiking up, we saw about a dozen people go back down and once on top there was a dozen or so people still there--it's a pretty busy trail. Of course, parking lot was full, but we got there fairly late at 12:20pm. The trail itself had 2-3 fallen trees (all easy to step over or crawl under), several springs to jump over (one little bridge is no longer in place) and finally, there is some snow at the very top of the trail and on the lake's boardwalk too. Saw lots of little ones and hikers with dogs too. Amazing views!

This was my first time hiking this trail and I have to say it is easily one of my favorite hikes I've ever done.

We got to the trail head around 9:45 and had to park near the back. The first bit of the trail is a nice little jaunt through a pretty forest area with a couple of tiny streams that were fun to cross (no one even got their feet wet). We decided to head towards Lake Serene first, so we took a left at the sign. Less than half an hour in we hit a bridge with a spectacular view of a waterfall; a couple of yards later we ran into another, smaller waterfall cascading down some rocks. Everyone was feeling pretty good at this point; the hike was amazingly scenic and had been fairly gentle until that point.

It doesn't stay gentle for long. The hike turns towards staircases carved into steep hillside and the trail continues up for quite a while, and it was a bit humid. We took somewhat frequent water stops and enjoyed the expansive views the whole way. After about an hour and a half we made it to the top and it was worth every step. There was a small amount of snow on the trail here but nothing that got in our way. At the top there are two options for trails (Lunchrock and Valley Overlook) - take one and then hike back and take the other, because both are worth it. There were some bugs at the top but they weren't too bad (we weren't even wearing bug spray).

We hung out at the top for a while and soaked in the views of the lake (though we didn't actually soak IN the lake, since it's still covered in snow) and the cool air before clambering down the mountain. I enjoyed the descent - it was a little hard on the toes but not too bad. Some hiking poles might have been nice here but we didn't have them and were fine. We noticed a lot of traffic on the way down and were glad to have started somewhat early.

Once we hit the fork we went right towards the falls. The descent is steep but not very long, so it wasn't too difficult. The falls were awesome, and they had a great view of the surrounding valleys and peaks.

The hike out was nice and relaxing. We got stuck in pretty bad traffic on US-2 heading West, which is pretty common in that area.

There were a lot of kids on the trail (maybe because it was Father's Day) and a lot of dogs. I'm sure that some kids/small dogs can handle the climb, but make sure they are prepared for a steep climb on the way to Lake Serene (some of the steps were at least knee high for me). The falls seemed accessible.

I've always thought the problem with Teanaway hikes is that you don't see the Enchantments or Stuart until you're at the ridge, so this time, we tried the west side of the N. Fork.

The trail starts at DeRoux campground on 1392, ambles up the creek a mile or so, gaining maybe 200', 300'. After the bridge, it veers away up a flood channel and the spur trail 1392.1. Start climing up on long, horse-graded switchbacks. About a mile up was the only water source I saw after DeRoux creek, but it may dry up after the snow melts completely. Views start, with Stuart poking up over Ingalls Pass. Serpentine Barrens appear here and there, and you top out at a pass with great views. A family we saw with 2 girls, 6 & 8, made it this far.

DeRoux Peak goes right up the ridge, Koppen Mtn. 1225 goes left, and starts climbing HARD. Blowdowns, no switchbacks, and loose dirt. Snow starts, steps must be kicked, poles used. The trail is obscure right now, but once it melts, no problem. We went off trail a bit to avoid a snow cornice, and went up a beautiful serpentine barren ridge with bleached snags. Photogenic. About an hour to the top including sweat breaks.

Up on top, great 360 views: Iron, Stuart, Enchantments, Hawkins, Glacier, Daniels, the W. Fork Teanaway, Goat Rocks, Ellensburg & basalt ridges beyond. Rainier was hiding in the clouds. We watched clouds spill over Daniels and onto its glaciers like fog rolling in. Down in the Teanaway, a fire was burning & a helicopter was dropping water, so we called up USFS and asked them if we need to high-tail it out of there, they said no biggie.

On the way back down to the pass, I nearly stepped on a stillborn fawn laying on the trail! It hadn't been there when we passed that way only an hour previously. What a spot to deliver - a steep sidehill at 5800'. So sad, but that's nature. We left it to feed the ravens or the Teanaway Pack.

Other than that, lots of flowers we don't know the names of, & bugs only bad at the very top - fly bites, of course.

My young son and nonagenarian grandfather joined me for a gentle, short Father's Day hike today at P3. All of the above is true, except that this was not a multigenerational hike, and P3 is neither gentle nor short. I went with my regular hiking buddy Jhym-Bob, and we were determined not to repeat the experience we had one year ago on June 16: http://www.wta.org/[…]/trip_report.2012-06-16.8182363019

We arrived at the Ira Spring TH parking lot at 9:30 am to find lots of cars. It was a partly cloudy day. We started down the IST and made our left turn 1/10 mile down the trail where a few tree branches are thrown across a side trail that turns into the woods. This trail can take one to exit 42, Dirty Harry's Balcony, or Putrid Pete's Peak. There are two forks at switchbacks that lead to the former two options, marked by signs indicating the destinations; going to the right and up leads to P3.

We traveled along the initial section of trail, with one peek-a-boo view of McClellan and Kent; otherwise we were deep in the forest. There were a couple black slugs out foraging. Lots of hemlock and fir cones are on the trail. Of the two creeks typically flowing, the smaller one was dried up. The only water source was the larger of the two creeks, near a switchback, about 1.5 miles in. Some of the switchbacks are not absolutely clear, so we marked them with orange tape. There are a few minor and passable blowdowns in the forest.

The trail crossed a small talus field, which has been reported as a possible point of confusion. We marked each side of the crossing with flagging tape and continued into the woods. A short distance later, the trail turns left and up into the alpine terrain. We missed this crucial spot several hundred yards to the west last year. We passed a group descending today that missed to the east. There had been a few markings along the trail in the past that provided little guidance, especially for the descent. We began marking the trail with flagging tape, primarily at turns, to provide a consistent guide up and down the "trail."

The bootpath ascends through the alpine zone, which now has beargrass blossoming. Lupine is starting to emerge, and paintbrush is in bloom higher up. We scrambled on, marking subalpine firs along the way and adding beautiful touches of fluorescent orange to the beargrass meadows. After some time, the beargrass and firs give way to a ridge and talus. Brave little geraniums (robertiana) are blossoming, even at the summit. We marked snags and bushes with our tape, leaving markers every 50 to 100 feet.

We reached the top after 5 hours. Yes, that's how long it took us. We had lunch and enjoyed the views. Rainier went from visible to clouded up during our time in the exposed areas. We could see McClellan, Kent, Washington, Bandera, Defiance, and Webb. In the distance, Glacier and Stuart were visible. I also got my first glimpse of Spider Lake and its secluded alpine valley. We found and signed the storied logbook, carefully stored in a plastic box tucked in a crevice between boulders at the top.

After 45 minutes at the summit, clouds moved in, claiming the views. We began our descent, and the marker ribbons were marvelous! We did not get lost and found our reentry point for the forest trail section after an hour. After another 75 minutes, we were back at the trailhead. We encountered only two other groups during our ascent. We placed one last symbolic orange ribbon on an alder near the take-off point for P3. We hope that hikers find the flagging tape useful for future descents.

To amplify three points made in the previous trail reports:

   (1) This route does not follow a footpath, but rather a lightly-maintained abandoned logging road.

   (2) The access road to the trailhead described on the WTA web-site and in the guidebooks is barricaded 3+ miles before the hike's starting point. This barricade adds 6-7 miles to the trip’s estimated round-trip distance, and a couple of hundred vertical feet to the elevation gain.

   (3) At 2+ miles past the barricade, the access road is washed out by a creek. The road is impassable to vehicles, but is easily crossed on foot.

My daughters and I (ages 11, 15, and 54) enjoyed a splendid Fathers Day hike up Mount Gardner!

The lower section of the trail is on a level track through the forest. At the third creek crossing from the route’s barricaded starting point, the road is washed out. From this point on, the track climbs steadily and, at times, steeply. The views become grander at higher elevations, with Bandera Mountain our constant companion across the valley. Along the way, we encountered minor blow-downs, some water on the trail, and a few lingering patches of snow up top, but nothing that slowed us down. The mosquitoes were tolerable. Except for some tiny blossoms in the shaded lower stretches of the trail, the wildflowers have not yet begun their show. Watch your step, as there’s occasional bear scat on the track!

At about 5+ miles from the barricade, an innocuous-looking blocked-off spur road on the right is actually the route to the top (if you reach the main road’s apex, don’t go down, but instead back-track about 1/10th of a mile to the spur). As shown in the photo posted below, we placed stones in the shape of an arrow directing hikers to the correct route. The Forest Service has apparently torn up this spur so that Mother Nature can reclaim it, but don’t be put off. Stick to this spur road all the way to the “viewpoint” at 3,800’, even where it zigs and zags, as finding your way through the forest is more effort than it’s worth, and also sacrifices two outstanding outlooks over the I-90 corridor.

We had intended to scramble all the way to the summit of Mount Gardner, but opted to turn back when we encountered an enormous black bear about 1/4-mile short of the “viewpoint.” Oh my! Fortunately, Yogi took off when he spotted us at about 100 yards, so we never felt in danger.

I estimate the one-way distance from the barricade to the “viewpoint” to be 6+ miles. With occasional brief stops, we made it to the top in 3 hours. With no stops and a rapid pace encouraged by thunder claps and large rain drops, we made it back to our car in 2 hours. I suspect that others would be challenged to go as quickly.

The barricade appears to deter most hikers, as we saw very few signs of recent human activity along the trail, and encountered only one party on our return to the car. The solitude was blissful!

Because of its low elevation, this is a good early-season trail. Mount Gardner is by no means a 5-star hike, but we enjoyed our time together in the woods, the wonderful views, and our close encounter with nature. Because we never made it to the summit, I may repeat this trip in a future year.

Father's Day Hike. Busy parking at the trailhead. A nice family outing. Trail is in good condition. No blowdowns. Misting water at the falls in sure nice on a warm day!

nice for first mile, there is a tree down, easy to get around though. there is snow on the trail, it's slick in spots, and also soft in others be careful we slid and did a little falling through nothing big though. once you reach the sign that points you off to either snow lake or source lake/ lookout, going up to snow lake on the switch backs gets pretty snowy and the trail is covered in spots, we had walking sticks which helped. i'd advise snow cleats wish we had them, but it's doable without if hiking with care.. we didn't see anyone up there while we were there leave early for the trail, around 12:30 and on our way down the trail it was crowded crowded, groups of hikers, dogs off their leash and kids.. the lake itself is totally still snowed over, but the view from the rock above it totally worth the hike indeed.. there were people who made it up without hiking boots and just tennis shoes, snow was still deep in areas.

Some pictures from this hike: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

This was a really beautiful hike and we found it by pure coincidence. We had been planning to climb Hex Mountain but this morning the weather forecast had changed an predicted thunderstorms in that area, so we were looking for something interesting closer to Seattle. We were browsing through my friend's hiking book in the car, found Myrtle Lake and decided to go there instead.

Since there's no description on the wta website, this is approximately 10 miles return and 2500 feet elevation. If you want to a couple of miles further you can go to Little Myrtle Lake but we did not do this today.

The trail is in relatively good condition, with a few blowdowns, mudholes, etc, so decent waterproof boots are advised. Some creek crossings are a little tricky but overall manageable. You always find some rocks to cross on. About a mile from the lake or so some snow patched appeared and snow got more solid closer to the lake but is very soft and easy to walk on with boots.

The lake itself is very beautiful, the shore still snow covered. We found a nice lunch spot on a log by the shore and stayed until the weather started turning.

The only downside is that it's a little tricky to get to the trailhead. You have to drive all the way along Middle Fork road which is mostly unpaved and then turn onto another road to the trailhead which is in pretty bad shape. Ideally this is done in some truck or 4x4. We did it in a Golf and had to go pretty slowly in parts. It took us about an hour to get back onto the tarmac from the trailhead. However, the remoteness of the trailhead also means that the trail isn't busy. We met two other parties on the way and were on our own at the lake.

The rhodies are just starting to bloom on the trail. Views start early and just keep getting better. From the summit you can see the Olympics, the Cascades, Baker, Rainier, and some other volcano. Glacier Peak maybe?

The trail is in great shape, though it is quite steep. Lots of people out today.

The trail is a bit overgrown but overall in good shape, given that it's not a popular destination. On this gorgeous June day we met less than 10 people.
The waterfall was raging with the torrent from the melting snow, but it was easy to jump across. The snow starts in the upper forest; it's easy to lose the trail under the patches of dirty snow but eventually, sometimes exploring, sometimes following boot tracks, we found our way up to the ridge which was almost entirely covered with snow, except for some parts with southern exposure where the dry trail was revealed. The ice axe helped on the way up, poles on the way down. My partner did not have poles so he experimented with glissading using his ice axe on the way down.

At the top it was pretty warm; there was no need to suit up. We had lunch and then proceeded on the traverse to the rocky outcrop that starts the long ridge that leads to Lundin peak. I wanted to climb those crags last year but couldn't because of bad weather. We scrambled up the rock but didn't get to the highest point; it looked too exposed and narrow to cross safely without gear.

Left the car at the Bowman Bay parking lot around lunch time, and strolled over to Rosario Head.

Nice trail, and despite the crowds at the day use areas, there weren't too many people on the trail (though someone was setting up a wedding on Rosario Head!).

Don't forget to check out the CCC exhibit before leaving!

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/eric.jain/RosarioHeadJune2013
Tracklog: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/329063900

What a beautiful day for a hike in the cascades. We'd never done Bandera before, and were planning to summit. We got to "little bandera" and called it a day though. The views were stunning and the extra effort didn't look worth it (small trail, on and off snow).

This hike isn't for everyone. "A few mild scrambles" is actually a mile of trail that goes up at 45 degrees. It is tiring. Worth the work though!

Just a quick trip report. The trail is in excellent condition. My girlfriend and I are in good shape but the hike up Big Hump gave us a pretty good workout. On the other hand, though, we saw a number of kids doing it so it's family friendly. The view at 3.5 is amazing and worth the trip. One thing not mentioned in the trip details is just how much damage you'll see from old fires. It's everywhere is some parts of the hike and a really interesting thing to see in my opinion.

What a sweet little hike! We started a bit after eight in the morning and only encountered a small handful of folks from the trailhead to the lake. This was our first time to Barclay, so we spent some time checking out the various campsites, eating an early lunch (or late breakfast, as it wasn't even 10:00 yet) by the lake, and then headed out. While the hike in was pretty private, the hike back to our car was a bit busier. In fact, when we first arrived at the trailhead at 8:00, there were only about four or five cars in the lot. When we got back (around 10:40) there were close to twenty - both in the lot and lining the road in.

In a nutshell, it was a short but scenic hike that got our blood pumping.

From the west trailhead, we headed up to Stan's Overlook and Grand Prospect. This lightly used trailhead up to the Rattlesnake Mtn area is preferred to the heavily used east trailhead that most take to get to the Rattlesnake ledges.

The trail is in excellent shape and well maintained. We found there to be very few places where the trail demanded complete focus to avoid tripping or stumbling. The climb to both overlooks was steady but relatively easy, with few steep ascents. It does appear that this is a favorite of trail runners as a handful passed us on their way down; and there were only a few dogs (mostly on leash) that we encountered.

A good easy trail recommended for all skill levels.

Does the Quilcene Mountain Garden Club maintain the trails near here? I would like to know. I have hiked Mount Walker earlier this year and today Mount Zion. These trails are pristine and in better condition than my yard. The tread on the trail is wonderful to hike on, no mud or blowdowns, nary a twig on the trail. Love these hikes.
The rhododendrons are in full bloom and lovely on this sunny Sunday. The views at the top were outstanding as well.
We were one of the first on the trail just before ten, but several families coming up as we were descending. No nuisance bugs only beautiful ones.
This hike is worth the trip to experience it.

What a lovely hike and a great way to start the season and get the legs moving! The trail is well maintained and easy on the feet with mostly soft dirt and small rocks. It was perfect to do this on a warm day as a lot of the trail is in the shade with a nice breeze. We started at south entrance and walked for about 3 1/2 miles before turning back to beat sunset.

Wildflowers were still blooming (mostly dogwood and bleeding hearts) and lots of ripe salmon berries were up for grabs. We put bug spray on before we left, and glad we did - there some mosquitoes on the hike.

The best part of this trail is that Mt. Baker peeps in and out of view while you are hiking. Can't wait to come back and overnight here!

A good day for a short steep hike. They're not kidding that this trail is hard to find! Probably easier if we had parked down below the gates like everyone else, but who wants to walk up a road? Don't look for an old gravel road to the right, look for a small hidden trail to the right. Drive slowly when you pass over that bridge! If it helps, there's a wide swath of grass over to the left right before the trailhead, which is where we parked.

The trail itself was rocky and sometimes the stream went on the trail, but and okay uphill through the forest. No switchbacks. We turned right at the old rusted milkcan (thank god I brought the hiking book along) and the last half mile was very pleasant, a little adventurous, and the view was wonderful! Just two miles up, if you park right by the trailhead. A few wildflowers here and there, some beargrass, and little purple things. Interesting songbirds at the top. Fun to look east, and dream about the trails that way that will soon be free of snow...

We decided to celebrate father's day weekend by hiking together. Started around 10 accompanied by my wife and 8 year old daughter. We took around 3 hours to reach the false summit and decided not to proceed to the real summit.

The foot bridge at the start of the hike is still there and passable. I had to help by daughter over though as it looked scary to her.

There is almost no snow (a small patch of maybe 20 feet remains). This was my first trip up here and I guess I read the topo map wrong. The steep section after the fork for Mason lake is not just steep, it's a scramble. Even though my daughter managed it, it was definitely stretching the limits of a 8 year old. We encountered a total of 3 kids under 10 on the hike.

I guess we got lucky - our weekend at Lake Dorothy felt like much more of a secluded getaway than we expected from the descriptions in the guidebooks, and from the relative ease and brevity of the hike. This was a really high return on investment for less than an hour of packs-on hiking. It would be a great introduction to backcountry camping for younger kids or novice backpackers.

The road to the trailhead is in good condition, and lined with columbine in full bloom. There is a small stream to ford on the unpaved section, but it was no big deal, even for our low-slung vehicle.

The short but consistently uphill climb to Lake Dorothy took us just over 45 minutes with overnight backpacks. There are several well-established camps spread along the eastern shore, most with a 5-minute walk of a privy. The site we settled on was great - flat, nestled in tall trees, and with our own little private rock ramp into the water. After setting up camp, we spent some time swimming, paddling and relaxing in the sun. The lake is so big that we felt like we were the only people there.

When it had cooled off a little, we set off for Bear Lake. Lots of white and purple trillium and other pretty forest flowers lined the trail. The main obstacle on the way was the ~100ft wide creek crossing at the south end of Lake Dorothy. It's rocky, fast-flowing, and really, *really* cold. We met some day hikers who told us they saw a boy scout fall in trying the rock-hopping strategy, so we grit our teeth and waded through. It was knee-deep for most of us, and there are a couple of large flat rocks you can rest on in between. I'd recommend carrying water shoes to get through the painfully frigid water faster.

Once past the crossing, we climbed steady switchbacks to the next lake basin, taking in peek-a-boo aerial views of Lake Dorothy along the way. From up here you can really see how big the lake is. About half the trail to Bear Lake is snow-covered, but footing and navigation were fairly straightforward - we just followed the tracks and pink ribbons that previous hikers had left. Trekking poles could be helpful for folks not sure-footed on snow.

Bear Lake is about three-quarters iced over, a lovely peaceful sight to behold with a ring of snow-capped peaks in the background. We stopped to admire it and eat a quick snack before heading back to Lake Dorothy for the evening. We cooked dinner by the lake as dusk fell, and to our surprise it remained relatively un-buggy. The lake isn't elevated enough to get very cold at night - I spent most of the night on top of my sleeping bag.

We had a leisurely Sunday breakfast by the water, with occasional company from hummingbirds and a curious chipmunk. It was warm enough to do a little more swimming and paddling before we left. I paddled out to one of the islands where I found a neat campsite that would fit two small tents! On our way back to the trailhead we dropped our packs to explore the day use area, which has some fun log-hopping and a nice view of the full length of the lake and the peaks beyond.

En route back to the real world (boo), we saw a black bear cub bounding into the scrub as we came around a corner. I didn't know there were bears in these parts! That was the cherry on top of a beautiful and relaxing trip.

The road in was in good shape, a few largish pot holes that we had to slowly navigate around in our low clearance sedan; 20 minutes to travel the 6+ miles to the trail head. We were pretty much the last ones up (arrived at 10:20 AM) and the last ones out.

On the trail, we met a solo hiker coming down at almost the exact point that the trail looked to be lost in the snow, which was about 1/4-1/2 mile from the saddle, at a large dip after entering the old growth. The boot prints and paw prints took a right turn and our savior let us know that those tracks (including his own from earlier in the day) went in the wrong direction. A very short distance to the LEFT led to the snow-free switchback trail that brings you to the ridge, only 50 yards or so away from the wrong turns!

  Once on the ridge it was not possible to follow any trail, unless you were fortunate enough to circle around to the south side of the summit quite close to the top where there were a few snow-free pieces, and a few of the stone steps partly uncovered. We left a few markers on the way up (sticks in the snow) and were happy to follow them on the way down.

We saw only a few hikers without traction and poles. They were not happy when trying to navigate the steep sections leading down from the summit.

It was a little more of an adventure than we planned, but a learning experience nevertheless, and reaching the summit was very satisfying. Last car out of the lot at about 5:30 PM. Hiking time: 1 hour for the first 2 miles to the saddle; 2 hours for the next circuitous 1.7 to the summit; 2.5 hours down.

We drove beyond the elk gate to just before the end of the road and parked in a large grassy area to the right of the road. There was one car in the parking area, but we never saw the occupants. In 1 1/4 miles we reached the old cabin. There is a box facility in the meadow of the cabin. While at the cabin 3 people came up the trail. One of them told us they were tagging Coronis Fritillary butterflies. They were the only ones we saw the whole day. About 1/2 mile from the cabin where the road splits we went right to the top of the ridge where I meandered among the flowers while Bob continued up to the high point at 3900 feet where the top of Mt Adams was added to the lower view of Mt Rainier and the Stuart Range. Many bitterroot buds were present in the meadows along the ridge so we had to be very careful where we put our feet! Various colors of buckwheat, Western blue flax, 3 varieties of penstemon, brodiaea, large-flowered collomia, yarrow, a few paintbrush, larkspur and bitterroot were some of the flowers seen. Lazuli buntings, towhees, phoebes, a kestrel and a pair of nesting wrens were seen. There were many species of butterflies. Another very enjoyable day on the trail!

Hike was easy to find, and trail was well maintained. You cross a couple of streams in the beginning of the hike, and then make your way up a clear trail with few switchbacks! At one point there was snow on the trail, and it is very easy to loose the trail. I would suggest leaving cairns or markers for yourself on the way down.

We got very lost on the way down, and it took us a little while to find where the trail was. Luckily we had a couple of maps and some folks who were very good at navigation!

Dirtyface is open and ready, the FS crew has cleared virtually all the blowdowns Thanks!, less the 5 on the upper section all easy to step over, only one needed a small detour. The wildflowers are fabulous, the bugs were not too bad. Only a very small amount of snow in a few small patches on trail. We shared the trail with almost 20 people which is a big day for Dirtyface. A mountaineers group of 11, and two or three other parties made for more company this is usually found on this trail. Go now while the snow is still making many destinations un-reachable. Springs are running on the old logging road cross over section of the trail (40% of the way up), the top is dry so filter up.

Just Barry and I on this trip. Everyone else was out of town or had other plans. OK...so where to go? I suggested Goat Island Mtn (MRNP) and Barry obliged. I've had this trip on my list for several years. The weather looked ideal...

We met at the SE8th P&R and then drove down to the White River entrance to MRNP. I was wondering if the parking area at Fryingpan Creek would be full. About a half dozen cars. Not bad. We were moving by about 9am.

The forest hike was cool and flat but in no time we were warmed up from moving. An occasional itsy bitsy small patch of snow here and there below the switchback. One big patch but easy to find your way...

The switchbacks were snow free...up we continued. Last weekend put reports of snow at the top of the switchbacks. Not today... Snow was there but a bit after the last turn. From there...the snow patches got a bit bigger. We reached the log crossing in good time.

The snow on the other side of the log looked pretty rotten. Crossing here also meant a creek crossing higher up. Hmm...some trip reports had people staying to the north of Fryingpan Creek. We figured we'd give this alternate route a try.

We hiked along the creek edge a short ways until the water forced us up higher. We ended up going too high and getting into some serious schwacking. Yuck. Discouraged...we dropped back down to the creeks edge and found travel much easier. Up the creek we went. This could be interesting I told myself...later in the day...let's hope the snow doesn't get too soft...The creek edge was a mix of open rocks, small streams, and snow covered something.

When we reached the head of Fryingpan Creek we could see glissades tracks coming down off the ridge. Views of Little Tahoma from here are incredible. We headed up. I started to struggle. Legs just weren't feeling up to this trip. I struggled most of the rest of the trip trying to find my stride. Heading to the gap we did a rising traverse up a moderate snow slope. We finally gained the ridge and views of Rainier began to emerge. The route pretty much follows the ridge crest. Mostly up but as all ridges go it's a bit like a roller coaster ridge.

Heading to Pt 7218 the ridge is mostly snow covered (several feet) but there are some stretches of bare rock/dirt. I took a small break here hoping a rest and some food would help. Then, we continued on to the high point (7268'). Some anemones starting to bloom along the ridge but just barely. Barry pulled out his binoculars and could see several climbing parties/tents at Camp Sherman. The views down to the Emmons Glacier from this ridge...spectacular.

I was feeling a bit better but still off my mark. I got to the low point just beyond Pt 7186 and called it a day....happy to just be out again. Barry continued on and in short order met me back at my late lunch spot.

The ridge walk east, back toward the mountain saw clouds moving in. Some looked like they might bring rain.

We followed our route down back to the head of Fryingpan Creek. Now what? Cross up high and then over the rail-less foot log? Or...try staying low along the entire north side of the creek. We decided on the later. The route goes well. A couple of minor post holes. Both of us a little nervous about snow covered rocks next to a creek. We hugged the bank as much as possible. At one point the creek forced us up the bank but for just a short while. We met back up with the Wonderland Trail near the foot log crossing. Then the long...long...loooong hike out.

Great day.

Careful of snow in and along the creek. This part of the route is nothing to trifle with.

More photos here: http://www.putz-in-boots.com/[…]/goat_island_mtn_tr.html

Stats: 13mi, 3607' gain (round trip)

Patches of snow to end of valley. Climb to waterfall is snow free. Snow cover from waterfall to lake. We turned around maybe .3 miles from the lake; other hikers reported going further but not finding the lake.

Streams are running high; some crossings require excellent balance or ankle high waterproof boots.

We started around 1030am and had planned on doing an overnight, but about one mile from Blanca (about 1/2 mile from virgin lake) we hit snow and lost the trail. There was a few other people who past us and made it to virgin lake but said it was very hard and they couldnt figure how to get down to Blanca. Very difficult hike with 35lb bags. We (me and my 13 yr old) were able to do it but just took lots of breaks. round trip with breaks and lunch 5 hrs.

Only a few patches of snow remain on the way to the saddle--not a problem even for people in sneakers like us. The path to Iron Peak is still covered in snow, but presents no special challenge if you have waterproof boots and gaiters. On the saddle there was a mountain goat resting on a ledge 30 feet above the trail--cool. Wildflowers are in full bloom. No bugs. Overall great early-season hike. Go now!

This was a multi-day outing with family from the Port Angeles area.

On June 14th we did a 10 mile (RT) bike ride on the discover trail from Mike's Bikes where we rented one bike to the Railroad Trestle over the Dungeness River. This was my first time on this trail which wanders thru Sequim and farmers fields out to the railroad trestle and by a bald eagle perch where a bald eagle was perching for us.

It is a nice ride and the trail extends all the way to Port Angeles - not our goal on this day since it had been well over a year since our last bike ride.

On June 15 we did a short walk to the Elwha Dam overlook. Foxglove and other flowers were out and deer with fawn came to see what were were looking at. Nice to see the Elwha running free after so many years of two dams on the river.

We started about 11:15am and reached Camp Muir at 2:13pm. Along the route, we stopped two times in total of ~30mins.

Walking on this trail/snow path for most (90%+) part felt like climbing stairs. The last half mile or so, I felt light headed so we slow down a bit. On the way up we were going around people. It was ok to do that as the snow around the most prominent path was easily walkable.

On the way back, my partner slid on an air tube, and I ran. The snow was soft, so running down the mountain was lots of fun, and easy. He had fun sliding on the air tube. People that attempted sliding on trash bags didn't get far. The snow was too soft for that.

To consider:
There were couple of steep sections towards beginning (steep stairs). On the way back they looked like pretty steep snowy downhills. Nobody there had problems with those. I noticed them. :) The snow was perfect for sliding down on heels, and I made it, too.

Musts: Lots of water, sun glasses, and sun screen.
Almost a must: Waterproof shoes, high gaiters, a hat, extra pair of socks to change at the Camp if your feet are wet and cold, windbreaker in case it is windy at the camp.

What would I differently: Took Salomon waterproof running shoes with yaktrax, and gaiters (and maybe hiking poles - this would depend on time of the day/amount of hard snow on the trail, and whether I would run down or walk). Also, I would started the hike a bit earlier.

To disclose: we made it up in 2:30h travel time. We are fit hikers and endurance runners. For example, it takes us about 1:15-1:20h to hike up Mt Si, and this hike felt easier than that. For us hiking to Camp Muir felt like going up Mt. Granite by hardness.




 

The distance on this hike is not exactly as advertised. It's about 3.9 miles one way and 1600 ft elevation gain per the board at the trail head.

It is very easy to get to this trail head from Seattle or the east side. We got there around 12 pm to an overfull parking lot but were lucky to get a spot as the first wave of hikers were leaving. It seems like a lot more than the 1400 elevation listed but it was a good grind! About .5 miles from the top there is snow, water and mud on the trail but it is easy to get through with hiking boots. At the lake, there are some bugs, so taking some insect repellent is not a bad idea.

Coming back seems much quicker since it's all downhill. Camping at the lake or jumping in the lake is also a possibility so pack appropriately if you want to do that ! Have a good hike !!

The Mt Si parking lot was full at 11am, apart from some questionable parking spots.

Walked the road back to the Little Si trailhead, and followed the Old Mt Si trail up. The trail was in good condition, and there were few people. Meanwhile, the Mt Si trail appeared to have bumper-to-bumper traffic.

From the bottom of the Haystack, I took the Upper Connector trail towards Mt Teneriffe. Much of the trail followed logging roads, and was in good condition (apart from a few patches of snow), though the trail did get quite faint below Mt Teneriffe. Didn't encounter a single person between Mt Si and the summit of Mt Teneriffe.

Descended via the Kamikaze Trail. Steep, lose dirt and rocks, slippery roots... Busy only below the falls.

Finally, I used the Lower Connector trail to get back to the parking lot. Lots of almost ripe berries along this trail, and once again not a single person.

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/[…]/MtSiMtTeneriffeLoopJune2013
Tracklog: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/328399451

Please read the hazards for this hike on the trailhead bulletin board. Looks like people have lost their way descending. I started hiking this trail around 1pm. Its my first time here. And it was damn steep. 4000ft in 2.5 miles. WOW. Saw lots of people with heavy backpacks breeze through the trail though. Also saw a kid, may be 5 years old, singing and climbing with his dad effortlessly. So its very much doable. There are few mudholes and lots of annoying bugs. Get those insect repellents. With few breaks I was able to make it to the top in 3 hrs. Incredible views of cascade range, Snoqualmie valley and Mt Rainier. Spent an hr at the summit. Decent was challenging as well. Took 2 hrs for me after couple of slips and falls.

Maybe the trail is getting more popular - we met at least a dozen other parties on the trail, but still this is much less crowded than nearby Rattlesnake Lake, and a fun trail.

We found an interesting alternate route back. I looked through the trip reports and somebody mentioned it back in 2009, but not since, so I'll describe it. After crossing Boxley Creek, there is a trail taking off to the right. You can see the back of a sign, and the front says something like "no motorized vehicles". Follow that trail, it soon forks, and take the left fork going down the hill. There aren't any signs. After about half a mile there is another fork, take the right one going up a hill. This curves around and eventually you end up at Christmas Lake (see photo). From here it's easy, there is an old abandoned road that leads to a other older road (turn left) that leads to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, that takes you to Rattlesnake Lake. From there, we walked along the lake to the Education Center, then took the Iron Horse Trail back to the parking lot. I drew an approximate route on the map (see other photo).

Beautiful morning, temp in the 70s. Lots of company on Little Si but only a few folks on Boulder Garden Loop. Lovely view at the top of Little Si.

From the TH to the Waptus River ford the trail has been cleared and is in good shape. The route is snow free to the Waptus ford and at the lake. There are still 3 or 4 potential fords before Waptus River, but all have rocks and logs available to cross on, if comfortable. There’s a fair amount of water on the trail.

The Waptus River ford was at a max depth of 2’ 2” (yes, I measured) and that was at either end of the ford…it was a bit shallower in the middle. The river depth can change due to many factors at any given time, so don’t assume this depth will be the same if you head out there. However, I will say that this is the lowest depth I’ve seen this early in quite some time.

From the Waptus River ford to Deep Lake there are 10-15 downed trees. Overall the trail is in pretty good shape. The trail is snow free to a little over a mile before Deep Lake, where it quickly becomes solid snow. There is the potential for 2 fords to the lake, but logs are present up/down stream if one wants to stay dry (you’ll have to hunt a bit to find them). There is still a fair amount of snow in the lake basin, but there are 2 camps melted out on the east shore.

From Deep Lake up to Cathedral Pass, the switchbacks are about 60% snow covered, with mostly solid snow from 5000’ to the pass. The first two thirds of the Peggy’s Pond spur trail is snow free, with the last third being solid snow and is a fairly steep traverse.

Watch out for the very curious Pine Marten near the Waptus River ford!

Cheers!

We went through the lower cave with my 6 year old granddaughter. There was some standing water in areas of the trail. You can do this trail with hand held flashlights but your best bet is to use LED headlamps. There was also evidence of recent rockfalls in the cave so be aware of this and encourage young kids to keep their voices down. Take jackets, at first the cool damp air feels wonderful on a hot summer day but it does get very chilly before you are through. Be on the look-out for a small mini cave in the left side of the tunnel that has visible pyrite deposits in it, beautiful to see.

Road – no issues for any car. Trail – no issues for any hiker to Lower Lena! We continued up The Brothers trail scouting for a WTA trail maintenance crew next weekend and found work a-plenty to keep us happy that way – downed trees, a small (25’) but major washout requiring a re-route, and other fun surprises! But no snow – all melted out to well past where we turned around just past 1.5 miles into the Wilderness. Pics are at: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/.

Excellent hike! A friend recommended this hike after I mentioned going to Wallace Falls, and I'm glad I took his advice. Fewer hikers and an amazing perspective on the waterfall.

Totally easy for the first part, then quite a few stairs (the BEST stairs I've EVER hiked on - evenly spaced and not to big). It was worth it though, to work up a good sweat and then be cooled by the mist of the falls:)

Lot's of people coming up as we were heading down around noon.

Beautiful day for a hike. Less people than I expected on a Saturday.
River crossing a little tricky. Either had to walk across an bridge of branches or wade through a foot of water. With my poles the bridge was not a problem.

Condition of trail was pretty good overall - just around the Military road trail, was little overgrown and the path was kind of narrow. Saw whole lot of cotton like stuff on the ground. Didn't see any water compared to when I hiked two months back.

I started out around Rainbow town trail - saw the Ford slope coal mining exhibit with ten minutes or so - was nice place to click some pics - then went around the wildside trail - marshal hill trail, before starting out the De Leo wall, there is a huge water tank if you take a small detour - views along the De Leo wall trail was very nice - you can get a great view of city, mountains from the elevation.

Just right for my newbie teenage girls. Lots of variety on this short hike. Steep-ish for the 4 switchbacks at the beginning, but then more or less flat. Mossy trees, river in a canyon, marshy bits, and the remnants of a very old rail line which in places is carved from the rock. We dared to go past the "trail closed" sign to get to the two tunnels (6 and 5) on this map. http://www.robecanyon.org/[…]/robe_canyon_map_line_drawing.jpg Lots of others were doing the same, but I wouldn't have taken little kids on that stretch. Pretty great scenery all along the hike. There was an obvious rockslide after the trail closed sign, but it looked pretty old and stable based on the foot traffic that's been through it since.

Snow covers the road at 4000 feet, two switchbacks below the trailhead, so parking was rather tight alongside the roadway. Didn't make it all the way to the trailhead since I was packing the baby on my back and decided the snow was a bit too slick for our safety. It looked like it was still 3 to 4 feet deep on the roadway in places. :( Hope to make it back soon. Saw a couple of other groups hiking without many issues.

Detailed trip report with photos and conditions info: http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8005524

This was a great hike to take with our dogs. The trail was a bit narrow in places due to some of the plants growing over the trail, but otherwise well maintained and enjoyable. Great views from the top!

This hike is very popular, so there were plenty of people on the trail. We had to move over and make passes where we could to keep moving steadily. If you're looking for solitude, skip this trail. It starts off mostly flat and climbs only slightly up until the Lake Twenty Two creek bridge.

The next mile or so is a steady climb on a well-kept trail. Though it is steep in places, there are spots where the trail levels off. The forest provided shade from the sun for most of the way, but there is a point where the trail opens up as it switches back along the mountain. The views on this stretch of the trail are spectacular!

During the last half mile to the lake, there was snow in spots. After wandering through a small valley, the forest opens up to views of Mount Pilchuck towering high above and Lake Twenty Two sparkling at its base.

Full trip report and photos: http://www.urban-trailseeke[…]report-lake-twenty-two.html