Trip Reports

This was an interesting one-way trip of about 24 miles with a total elevation gain of about 5700 feet.

I parked my car at the Mailbox Peak parking area on the Middle Fork Road and had my wife drive me to the Denny Creek trailhead. I hiked over Hemlock Pass and down past Tuschohatchie and Pratt Lakes. From Pratt, I went up to the ridge trail and along it past Rainbow and Blazer Lakes and camped at Mason Lake. A total of about 12 miles for the day and 3900 feet elevation gain.

On Day 2 I hiked over the shoulder of Mt. Defiance through the incredibly beautiful flower field there and then took the lonely, little traveled trail to Thompson Lake. This section turned-out to be very pleasing--a mix of meadows and mature forest. If not for the low clouds, the views would have been good, too.

Thompson is a large, attractive and not often visited lake. The trail up from the lake is obscured by blow-down in places and not always easy to follow. I did some clearing with my pruning saw, but the really big stuff needs chainsaw work.

The Thompson Lake trail emerges on a rough logging road with lots of bear poop. In about a mile, it connects to the Granite Creek road-trail which I always enjoy for its flowers, easy walking, and this time of year abundant Thimbleberrys.

This was a quiet journey: between Melakwa Lake and the Middle Fork Road, I saw no one.

Some trail maintenance notes: the trail between Melakwa and Pratt lakes has a lot of large blowdown as does the trail from Thompson Lake up to the logging road.

The road was clear and dry except for fallen trees. The creek was full of water and the view was clear in the afternoon when the sun came out. There were patches of snow from the fork to Granite Lake. Granite Lake was frozen over for 3/4 of the lake. Flowers are beginning to bloom along the road.

A nice hike through the woods to nowhere (a positive comment!) and great if you want to go were few others go. Note that the trail entrance is not at the parking lot for Mailbox, as shown on the Green Trails map, but is .5 mi further down the road.

This was one of the Checkerboard hikes sponsored by the WTA. There were 13 of us (cowboys never trail a crew of 13, but I guess it's okay with hikers), so you will probably receive more reports than Democratic candidates for President.

To get to the trailhead, take the 54 Stampede Pass Road to the 41 Cabin Creek Road to the 4110 Log Creek Road. Thence turn onto the 4110-119 spur. There is a four-way junction with the 129 and 130 spurs. Turn left onto the 4110-119 spur. The road cannot be driven by standard vehicles and should be parked 0.3 miles before the trailhead, just below a tight switchback to the right. Walking the road, take the right hand fork at the first choice (the left hand fork proceeds downhill), thence the left hand fork at the next choice.

While every attempt has been made to correctly identify wildflowers, the accuracy of the identification is limited to quality of reconnaissance photos and other intelligence.

The views from the summit of Blowout Mountain were somewhat obscured by haze, particularly to the west.

Trail: 1318 Blowout Mountain, 2000 Pacific Crest Trail From: End of auto access on Road 4110-119, elevation 4600 feet To: Blowout Mountain Summit, 5700 feet Mileage: 3.3 miles Gain: 1650 - 550 feet Trail: 1318 Blowout Mountain, 1388 Manashtash Ridge, 1326 Granite Creek From: End of auto access on Road 4110-119, elevation 4600 feet To: Blowout Mountain Summit, 5700 feet Mileage: 3.8 miles Gain: 1800 - 700 feet Date: 26 July 2003 Narrative The Blowout Mountain and Manashtash Ridge Trails are rutted in places due to trail bike use. The Pacific Crest Trail is in good condition. Some evidence of illegal use by trail bikers exists. The Granite Creek Trail has not been maintained in some time. This trail was described as barely discernable in the 1974 edition of the PCT guide book. The trail alignment is shown in the 1986 edition and the condition is described as obscure. There are many places where numerous game trails cross the true trail. Weather Clear skies with moderate to warm temperatures. Breezy at times. Hazards and Obstructions There are two logs across the Blowout Mountain Trail on the ridge within a mile before the junction with the Manashtash Ridge Trail. Flora/Fauna Dwarf bramble, beargrass, lupine, columbine, aster, pearly everlasting, valerian, phlox, harebell, penstemon, dewberry, hawkweed, foamflower, five leaved bramble, siberian miner's lettuce, paintbrush, cascade azalea, monkey flower, wild strawberry.Pika, deer. Camping All sites along all trails are dry. Only water is available at the tarns below Blowout Mountain on the Manashtash Ridge Trail.

What a surprise I hiked into today heading east to the Taneum region. I drove into the bowels of the area south of I-90 that you see from the area between Easton and Cle Elum. To get there I drove to Taneum Ck. exit #93, then backtracked into this fine region endlessly on FS Road 3300 until I stopped at Plum Creek Timber's boundary that had an open gate with logging and I didn't want to be locked in should I not get out on time! Wow, what an area that must hardly ever be seen by hikers. The motorbikes scare so many away...but now is the time! They have basically stopped, the larch trees are in PRIME, and even during prime general rifle hunting season, this weekday I only saw the lazy folks way down low driving around...too lazy to even drive in there 19 miles.

First I hiked about 1.1 miles of the road to reach in farther to access the trails I wanted today. Sure, I did here see a couple of logging trucks and pickups. But these folks were all about the most kind and friendly bunch I've talked to hiking all year. Each one stopped and chatted, and the one truck driver even said I looked like I could use a cup of his coffee since it was so cold! I hiked the North Fork Taneum Ck #1377, the WAY in upper portion to where it ends at Windy Pass, 5380'. To my east was Lookout Mountain, to my SW was Mount Clifty. I hiked up Lookout Mountain via access on the Granite Creek Trail #1326.1 until it just got too late, cold, and windy. Only a slight 1/2""-2"" dusting of snow was plastered on the trees and slopes over there, and sunny areas this wasn't until above 5500'. Elk were bugling on the southern slopes of Lookout Mountain. This upper N. Fk. Taneum Creek basin is beautiful, and I see why the Cascade Conservation group is working so hard to protect it. Just before the very steep last 700' climb to the pass there is an interesting little cabin/shelter that serves as camp for some folks on occasion who access it with motorbikes. It was a cozy little place!

Even the old logged areas that the lower portion of the trail passes through on occasion were beautiful as at least 40% of the trees are western larch, now in full prime color. Coyote tracks were seen in the mud on many occasions, and one set led to a fairly recent elk kill. The upper meadows around Lookout Mountain would be lush with wildflowers in the spring, and I need to return here for much further explorations.

Hiking out I stayed on trail #1377 along the North Fork Taneum all the way back to almost where I parked the rig, hitting a side road that soon crossed the creek on a bridge and then only 1/8 mile uphill on the original road I had walked to return to ""my trailhead"". Gate was still open but folks were leaving their work area up the South Fork Taneum region, so I still was happy with how I created my great day.

John and I decided to head out for Granite Creek Road. It's about 11.5 miles RT and about 2300 feet gain (to Granite Lakes).

The ""trail"" is in good shape, but after you switchback up a clearing and enter woods, a section of the road is covered with plastic. I noticed cracks along downhill side of the road so it's in the process of eroding away.

At about 1700 feet, the road curves around a ridge to parallel along Granite Creek. It's very beautiful now...full of roaring water.

Keep left at the first junction at about 2650 ft. The right drops down before climbing back up the north slopes of West Defiance. Last summer, I scrambled to the summit of the Mailbox via this way. I don't recommend this as the last 800 feet or so was via off trail and very brushy and very, very steep...almost vertical at one point. Snow covers the road about 2800 feet.

Keep right at the next fork (3100 ft). Left fork can take you to Thompson Lake and Defiance trails. The way crosses some creeks. Not too tricky as it wasn't icy though. By this time, we needed to put on our MSR Denalis snowshoes.

We actually turned around just before the upper lake as it was snowing pretty hard. Lower Granite was snow covered so we figured we'd save the upper lake for another time.

Weather improved for our trip back. It actually got sunny for a while. I'll be back with a fishing pole later this summer.

John M.