Trip Reports

These two peaks lie to the east of Baring but are in opposite counties with Eagle Rock being in King County and Flapjack lying in Snohomish County. It is the first time I have ever glissaded from one county into another and it was the highlight of the outing. Take US 2 east until about five miles past the town of Baring. Turn left onto the Beckler River road which also is paved. After one mile turn left onto FS Road 2632. After another two miles take the left fork in the road which is FS Road 2779, the Eagle Creek Road. We were able to drive a Subaru Outback along this road until meeting snow at about 2,350' elevation. Shortly after this the road is blocked by significant landslides and large rocks so for the indefinite future the road is impassible. You need to hike along the road for about 2 more miles until it crosses Eagle Creek at a sturdy iron and concrete bridge. The creek itself is swollen from snowmelt and it is not a safe bet to ford at this time. One can see the saddle between Eagle Peak and Flapjack Point which is where the hiker needs to go. Fording the stream will save about 1 1/2 miles of hiking but we took the safe route on the bridge. The route up Eagle Rock cannot be seen from the road. Hike up to the saddle between Eagle Rock and Flapjack Point. It is reached at 4,200' Hike NE upslope from the saddle through oldgrowth forest. This will bring you to open slopes on the North side of Eagle Rock. It is on this snowslope (heather,talus in summer)where the easy ascent is made. We did quick butt-glissades off the summit over our upclimb steps to bring us back toward the saddle. Flapjack Point is an easy 1,000' gain due north of the saddle. This minor peak was probably given its name as on the way up one passes an entire slope of unusual talus rocks. They are all flat, of varying diameters, and about two inches thick. They looked like large pancakes to me. Car to car took eight hours. Total elevation gain about 4,300 feet. Views of Townsend were particularly impressive. The Monte Cristo peaks, Spire, and Evergreen came into view later on in the day when the cloud cover lifted briefly.

The last bit of the road to the trailhead is still blocked by snow. Someone with a big 4-wheel drive (and a lot of courage) might make it through. Or four or five good souls with shovels could open this up. Or wait a week. We hiked Mt. Zion.

I took my son Ben over to Vantage to check out the Ginko petrified forest. Still a few wildflowers, though starting to fade. We strolled along the Columbia at Wampaneum State Park first, then headed up to Ginko State Park.

The visitor center has more specimens of petrified wood than the interpretive trail, and is worth checking out. There are also some petroglyphs relocated from the river before the dam was built.

The interpretive trail starts 2 miles away at a charming CCC-built ranger residence. At 1.5 miles, the interpretive trail is longer than most, and climbs through the desert past specimens of petrified wood with protective stone walls, again CCC-built. Meadowlarks were singing on our hike, and we found a small lizard.

A hiking trail connected to the interpretive trail is a bit longer, about 2 miles. Ben's little legs were giving out, so we didn't try it.

A great hike for kids in April and May.

As of Memorial day weekend, the trail was snow-free for the first two miles in, but there was much free water running below the snow in the exposed meadows higher up. Blow down was minimal, though there were a couple of large trees across the route. Snow conditions on Reynolds Peak were soft, though slide activity was minimal, mostly smaller point releases from the rocks. There was evidence of a major slide this winter off Reynolds Peak that snapped off 16-inch diameter trees 10 feet above the ground. No other humans in the drainage all weekend. Great skiing. Beautiful mountain.

A pleasant day hike up Robinson Creek, the walk is more varied than I had expected in terms of views, vegetation, and especially rock types. We made it to the second bridge over the creek, which is at 4 miles up the trail and about 4,000 feet elevation - the snow began across the bridge. There's a fairly nice campsite there. A few minor blowdowns but almost no snow on the trail to this point.

The washout on the Hamma Hamma road is quite large and is not passable with any type of vehicle. Putvin #813 is in good shape. Snow begins on the Putvin Primative trail just below the meadow below the headwall, with patches at about 3800', deep snow above the headwall. The higher we climbed, the softer the snow. We were postholing to mid-calf near the summit. Summit pyramid a challenge with some small areas of ice. Lake of the Angels naturally frozen over. We saw only 6 dayhikers and no overnighters. Trail well marked with boottracks and/or flags.

A glorious day for a hike up Umtanum Canyon to Umtanum Ridge. Treats were views of resonant red cliffs, a bighorn sheep high in the scree and a peregrine falcon swooping to fend birds from its nest, scents of sweet sage and, once up on Umtanum Ridge, undulating clusters of wildflowers in yellow, blue, pink, white and purple below an immense sky of rolling clouds. Obstacles included rattlesnakes (eight blocked our way, in addition to two bull snakes) and an unmaintained trail obscured on both sides by thick brush, making route-finding tricky on several occasions. The one true negative was a group of men shooting semi-automatic rifles from a cliff above our heads as the trail neared the Durr Road juncture. P-P-POW-POW-POW-POW-POW as we scrambled down-valley, leaping blow-downs. We escaped unscathed, and I would recommend this trail in late winter, when the snakes and rednecks are back in their dark holes.

Trail in good shape through snow level reached jst below first avalanche chute in upper swithbacks. Recent and other current reports are still on target. Trail past first chute is heavily snow covered: best decision is to head due north staying on west side of avalanche basin. There is also a nice broad band of boulders starting about 700' below summit, west of basin, easy to spot, to move into.

I led a group of 15 hikers/leaders on scramble west of 2,700' level into tall timber where snow was firmer for kick stepping. Went straight up to middle of bowl mentioned above, then let them glissade down through chute. There is a glissade path coming down from a wys higher, which is tempting, but not recommended unless you're proficient with ice axe. rock outcropings toward bottom are getting exposed and dangerous.

Watched a young man go down without ice axe: he looked like a rag doll bounding down out of control going about 50mph. His head got turned around heading downhill, and missed a concealed rock by about 3'. As he headed back up to do it again, I don't believe he even realized how close he had come to a skull fracture. And, its been said life/death can be a matter of inches. For him, it was real close as measured in feet.

Cornices at top on NE side of summit above where trail is buried, are still fragile to break off.

Overall, great views and day as witnessed by looks on people's faces!!

Three to four feet of snow in the trees on the north side of the river. Four to five feet on the south side, including the south end of the bridge making it tough going beyond there. I predict it will be at least a week, maybe 4 weeks, until the trail is snow-free. Avalanches on the mountain were few, but once they started, they continued booming for at least a minute. We started at the picnic area and heard some booming (guns) from the direction of the trailhead parking lot, but for the most part, very peaceful.

The cloudy skies and spotty showers that greeted me across North Cascades highway gave way to breaks in the clouds east of Washington Pass. The Methow Valley was so green and it seemed like there was deer everywhere, including dead ones on the side of the road. I arrived at the trailhead to find no other cars. As I left the Robinsom Cr. trailhead at 8:00 AM the sun was starting to poke through the holes in the ceiling. The Methow was really running with some volume. The trail was snow-free and clear of any major blow-downs all the way to Beauty Creek. I was spotting deer everywhere and probably saw over a dozen in the first 3 miles. A nice wood bridge crosses Beauty creek and shortly thereafter find the obvious route up Beauty cr. The route is well beaten in and in very good shape for not being an official trail. There are a lot of maintained trails that are in worse shape than this one. The Beauty Creek route starts out in a series of steep gradient switchbacks to get above a series of Beauty-ful waterfalls. At aaround 4300 ft the trails starts it countour into the valley, staying around 100-200 ft above the creek. Snow was encountered at around 4500 ft and covered the trail around 80% of the time. At around 5000 ft the snow became continuous. Cross the creek at around 5200 ft and breifly hiked upward on dirt for 300 - 400 ft until snow was encountered again. The snow was just right, soft enough for easy kicking steps but not so soft as to make the going unpleasant. At 6200 ft reach the lip of the basin and gentler terrain. From here the creek disappered under the snow. At around 6430 ft I found a spot where the creek could be seen through the snow. I decided to set up camp here due to the easy access to water. By now the sky had clouded over and it had started to rain. I retreated to my bivy for a nap hoping the weather would get better quick. As I layed there I could hear the rumble of small avalanches and rocks falling down the cliffs that surrounded the basin. After a couple hours the weather did start to clear so I gathered my day pack and headed for the summit. When I reached the head of the basin I could see the wreckage of small avalavches everywhere. None of them were very big and they appeared to be from cornices that were breaking loose on the ridges. Like a small dog, the bark was worse than the bite. As I traversed upward towards the ridge the snow got very soft. In spots I sunk well over my knees, the going got very slow. Keeping an eye on the cornices above me I reached the ridge at 8,000 ft, out of danger and into bare rock of the south slope. From here I entered the realm of the clouds and the wind steadily increased as I traveled higher and higher. I reached the first false summit,the wind was howling close to storm force and had a bite that cut and started to freeze my face. Little pellets of snow started to fly sideways and felt like needles piercing my face, adding insult to injury. As I approached the final false summit the wind mysteriously vanished. An erie calm and silience swept over the ridge as I could barely make out the outline of the final false summit. The peak looked very steep and seemed to drop off into nothingness, almost like it was just floating up in the clouds. Intimidated, I had to gather my nerve before setting out on the final leg. I scrambled down through some steep wet rock and reached the base of a snow filled gully. I took this up for a ways until I felt it was better to get on the rib. It was all steep and very slippery. From the false summit the little knife-edged ridge I had to cross to the main summit appeared before me. Again it floated above a bottomless plane of clouds, again I had to gather my nerve. I delicately made my way across the very slippery rocks and made the final scramble to the summit. No views today ! After a brief stay I head back down knowing going up is the easy part. I make it across the knife- edged ridge unscathed. On my way down the final false summit though I take a little bit of a slip and bang my knee on a rock which cuts me pretty good. Shaken up and in a little pain I slowly make my way down to the notch. By the time I get there the knee of my light gray long underwear has turned red. I break out the first aid kit, patch myself up and limp back down the ridge towards basecamp.Once below 8,000 ft I get below the clouds again and can see blue skies and the sun shinning brightly out in the Methow Valley. Back at camp the clouds start to clear out and the sourrounding mountains come into view. I can feel the temperature dropping fast and the throbbing of my knee. The next morning I wake to clear skies, a sore throat, a fever and an aching body. THE FLU. I really would have liked to have gone back up to the summit for the views but I knew I was sick and should head down. Anyway, the memories of the adventure in clouds far outweigh any long distance views I could possibly have had. To truely experience the moutains one must experience evrything the moutains can throw it us.

The Chatter Cr trail is open for a couple thousand feet. Snow becomes solid soon after the creek crossing. We intended to try Grindstone Mt, but started too late. So we changed plans and wandered up the ridge to the right to go find some sun. Halfway up, we look at the map and discover a peak dubbed ""Frigid Mt"" (7377'). Ah, peakbaggers delight, plus it's no. 24 on Jeff Howbert's ""Backcourt"" list. It's a straightforward trip to the summit, albeit with some rotten snow, and with great views!

This report concerns the southern most section of the Sasse ridge trail climbing Hex Mountain.

Sasse ridge is above Cle Elum Lake and there are great views of same from several points on the trail. Access is from the forest road just before Wish Poosh campground and the trail head is signed from that road.

My original intent was follow this same forest road into the upper sections of the West Fork Teanaway Valley continuing on the eastern end of the Teanaway. Contrary to several maps I have, some older, this route has been blocked. Access TO the West Fork Teanaway is possible but NOT recomended. The road is muddy and has large ruts as you drive down to the creek - I was able to negotiate it successfully in my high clearance compact truck LUCKILY, all the more so on the climb back up.

Hex Mountain is a short hike (2+ miles, 1300 foot gain?) and could be accomplished on a Friday afternoon without leaving a Seattle area workplace TOO early. It would also be nice on a full moon or with a group of friends and family camping in the Salmon La Sac area. The climax segment, approaching the 5000 foot peak, is above timberline and is very nice. 360 degree views ensue, including most of Cle Elum Lake, Mt. Stuart, and Rainier.

The approach is enjoyable and educational, but not a prime wilderness experience. This is logging and motorcycle country and three cuts are crossed. They are of varying ages, the first hardly being noticeable the most frequent probably about 5-10 years ago. Wildflowers are many in the cuts, many of the areas being very meadow like.

On this trip, a slightly above average snow year there were a few snow patches, only one being of any size, and none of any real consequence.

All in all a good case study of intensive forest management.

The remainder of the trail north, including Sasse and Jolly Mountains, still remains under snow cover and is probably better accessed from other routes.

MLH is open all the way to Barlow Pass now, so after we decided not to go to Vesper due to the access road being snowed in, we chose Dickerman.

After 2 attempts this winter, it was nice to be able to drive to the TH, instead of snowshoeeing for 4 miles on flat ground while being passed by snowmobilers.

The parking lot is still snowed in so there is spots for about 5 cars plus the side of the road.

Left the TH at 830am. Immediately we encountered downed trees all over the place. This was the worst I have ever encountered. Snow is encountered periodically but not until mile 1.75 or so is dominant on the trail. After wrestling with all these trees (wta please help this trail!) and having to cut switchbacks (I felt bad), we finally encountered the open meadows and the half dozen false summits. It rained the whole time, but never a downpour so it was tolerable.

Reached the summit at 1130am and had lunch. No views, wind and rain blew. We descended and got below the clouds for an almost uneventful trip. The glissading was real nice as the snow was perfect. I wish people would remember not to kick steps in the glissade path on the way up.

Be careful when passing the avalanche gulches, as I slipped at the second one on the return and started slidding down towards the waterfall cliff but was able to stop quickly.

Got down rather quickly even though the downed trees slowed us significantly.

Full report soon @ www.nwog.org

The road is clear to the trailhead (finally). There are a few snow patches on the trail beginning at 2800 feet elevation. The trail becomes mostly snow-covered above 3050 feet and completely snow-covered above 3150 feet. Talapus Lake is 90% snow-covered and there is four feet of snow at the outlet. Trillium and skunk cabbage were seen. The sky was overcast with moderate temperatures.

Our group of 12 headed up the Taylor River trail to Lipsy Lake. The trail is an old road that is now over grown into a trail. You could once drive with in 2 miles of Snoqualmie Lake, but is now gated at the Taylor River bridge trail head. At one time this road was planned as a short cut to Highway 2 and Stevens Pass from Seattle. Fortunately for us all, it never got built by Snoqualmie and Lake Dorothy.

The first big creek crossing is an old log bridge at 3 miles over Marten Creek. We stopped for water and snacks, plus photos of the roaring water. In another mile and quarter is Otter Creek which empties out of Lipsy Lake. There was some snow on the trail as we continued 3/4 of a mile onto Big Creek Falls. This is a big creek with a nice water fall coming down granite slabs. Lots of snow melt coming from the mountains above the valley.

After some more water fall photos, we headed back to Otter Creek and the short trail up hill to Lipsy Lake. Otter Falls drops 500 feet into the lake down a steep granite face. This was our lunch spot and of course some more photos. Check out these water falls if you have not seen them before, 10 miles round trip and a fairly easy hike.

Ok, encountered snow covering the trail at about 3000ft covering the trail. most people including us cut straight up the mountain via a snow field. the snow at the lower chutes heading up was pretty chewed up but once it opened into the larger face the snow was solid enough to chop step up, for those who don't like walking snow much there is enough open patches that you can minimize your snow walking.

Over the last 20 years I have hiked every part of the Tiger Mountain Trail (TMT). What I had not done was to hike all of it in one day. Gary and I had planned on going east for a snow scramble but with gray skies and possible rain on both sides of the mountains we chose instead to stay close to home. We left my car at High Point and drove Gary's around to the South trailhead. It rained on the drive South but was had stopped by the time we started. We made good time for the first 4 miles, going around South Tiger Mountain and crossing the West Side Road. The next section on an old railroad grade is one of my favorites. The TMT is never steep but has many small ups and downs. Over a long distance they add up. We planned to throw in a few side trips and our first one was the trail up Middle Tiger. This is about half a mile and gains 500'. We had a little food and water on top and headed back down. I was glad to see that the South end of the TMT has been getting maintenance. A number of new culverts have been placed and logs cut. There were several logs across the trail that will need cutting. None were difficult to get over or around. With Middle Tiger taken care of we had covered about 6 miles and gained 2000'. That is the equivalent of going up and down the popular Tiger 3 trail but we still had 10 miles to go.

From the Middle Tiger Trail to Fifteen Mile Gap is a long distance. The trail goes up and down and in and out of a number of valleys. In a straight line it is 2 miles from Middle Tiger to Tiger 2. On the ground it is nearly 3 times as long. Our luck held out as the rain stayed away. Usually if Gary and I both carry umbrellas they can ward off the rain. Today was no exception. Now if we leave them in the car expect a down pour. We crossed the Charles Custer bridge and continued on. Finally we reached Fifteen Mile Gap and stopped for more food. We were now beyond the mid point and nearing the high point on the TMT. We encountered more of the bizarre ""Tiger Mountain Broken Tree Syndrome"". These trees were broken in half and appeared on the Middle Tiger Trail, beyond Fifteen Mile Gap, beyond the Tiger 2 to 3 trail, and in several other places. These are on ridges, in deep forest, on North slopes, West slopes, and South slopes. I have no clue as to what caused it. Our next side trip was up Tiger 2. The trail is near the 2600' high point on the TMT and we only needed to gain 200' to get on top. With just the 2 of us on top, there were 24 less people than on a Wednesday evening hike a month ago. I was a little surprised to see two people before Middle Tiger and three runners coming down Middle Tiger. On top of Tiger 2 we saw to hikers and 2 runners. The runners were finishing hitting all 6 summits in both directions. And I thought our little 17 mile trip was impressive... The easy way down Tiger 2 is to drop down the North side and reconnect with the TMT. We were, however determined to follow the whole trail so we backtracked on the West side. On top of Tiger 2 I finished the last of my food but still had enough water left to last to the bottom. 12 miles down and only 5 to go now.

The TMT is very nice going around Tiger 2 and dropping to the West Tiger RR Grade. The trail was good but I was starting to feel it soon. At miles 14.5 we found a sign listing the distance of 2.5 miles to go. After crossing High Point Creek the trail starts to ascend again. I new this was coming but could not remember how much climbing there was. Now I know. It was 400' up hill before the trail relented. I'm not used to climbing after logging nearly 15 miles. It was not much fun. The rest of the way was fine. The last mile I was out of gas. My legs were fine but the tank was empty and I came in on fumes. The TMT is a great trail. I'm glad to have finally done all of it in one day. The totals were 17 miles and 3500' gained. Now that I have finished this report it's time to turn in and get some sleep before tomorrow's hike.

This was my first time up on this trail. It's pretty easy to find but the road is very rough, lots of potholes for 12 miles. The trail was in great condition although the forest was starting to retake the trail in areas. Right when we got to the falls we found patches of snow. The falls were great - running pretty fast. Around 500 ft from the lake the whole trail was snow covered. The Loch was still frozen over and very beautiful. We saw plenty of bear scat, and some paw prints in the snow. On the way back down we came across very fresh bear droppings that weren't there on the way up. We could hear the bear in the woods, but he was heading the other way. Not a soul on this trail, a very isolated easy hike.

Mountain loop highway opened to Barlow Pass today. Big four lower parking lot has been plowed, and picnic area is mostly snow-free. The trail is clear for a couple of hundred yards. Trail is easy to follow over the snow to the foor bridge over the river. Trail is closed by the forest service at the far end of the footbridge due to heavy snowpack, debris, and avalanche danger. The avalanches are spectacular to watch from the parking lot, and are well worth the drive. Also noticed a large population of biting insects in both the parking lot and on the trail through the swamp. I spoke to the ranger there, and they have no anticipated date for opening the trail to the ice caves basin.

We wanted to do Dome Peak, but the the word from the weather scientists, who are never wrong, called for a wet Memorial Week-end. Instead, three of us decided to zip over to climb the Brothers. From Green Lake to the trailhead via the Edmonds ferry was only 2 hours and 20 minutes. The trail up to Lena Lake and then through the Valley of the Silent Men was snow free and in perfect condition. Snow does obscure the trail just before the junction with the creek draining the south side of the Brothers. We met two guys who missed the cut-off and spent an unproductive hour thrashing through partially snow-covered brush. The way becomes more obvious further up the valley. We camped on a rare flat spot just west of a huge avalanche swath full of shattered trees and tons of snow. The easy climb up a snow chute extends almost all the way to the summit. We were on top at 7:00pm and had glorious views in all directions. The 3000' glissade on the way back to camp took 40 minutes because of several breaks to stop laughing and to regain our composure. Go soon, the snow is melting fast.

We took the day off from work and headed East for better weather - and we got it - not a cloud in the sky! At 12 miles round trip and 4,800' of elevation gain, this hike is a bit intimidating on paper. It was certainly a great workout, but the many switchbacks and later meandering trail tends to moderate the grade, making the elevation gain manageable. Lots of great views of the Stewart range and Mt. Cashmere on the way up prevent the numourous switchbacks from becoming monotonous and provide for a very enjoyable hike. At about 5,400' there is some snow covering the trail. The tempation is to head up to the right where it is more open and snow-free, but the trail actually bears to the left. We followed the footsteps through the snow and in a few minutes the trail emerged. A bit later, we entered what would normally be meadows. However, fire must have swept through this aread in the last year or two. There were lots of burned trees, though the underbrush and smaller plants have started to grow again so tread carefully. At about 6,300' we lost the trail in the snow again. No problem, however, as the slope was open and we were in sight of Icicle Ridge's crest just 500' higher. So, we scrambled up through the snow (no ice axes needed) to the ridge crest and headed toward the rock outcrop/summit we thought was where the old lookout cabin was. On the way, we found the trail sign where the 4th Of July Creek trial meets the Icicle Ridge trail and knew we were going the right way. We ascended the remaining 200' and found signs of the old lookout. Total ascent time was about 3 hours and 45 minutes. Finding a perfect rock, we kicked back, ate some lunch and took a little snooze in the sun. At just over 7,000', the views from the top (also availabe from the ridge crest) were stunning! Mt. Stuart and Mt. Cashmere to the South, and Mt. Baker and the entire North Cascades range to the North. The views were some of the best we have ever had hiking. The long descent was a thigh-burner! At first it went by pretty quickly, but once we got to a certain level of fatigue, it seemed to take forever. It was broken up by some bird-watching: grouse, stellars jays, a downy wookpecker, and small soft blue and light beige bird we still haven't been able to identify. In all, about a 2 hour and 45 minute descent back to the car. A tough workout, but this is a great trail with stunning views. Highly recommended.

Paved portion of Mtn. Loop Hwy.(2.3 miles) open to Barlow Pass. FS Road 4065 still has 1-1.5ft. of snow starting about .3 miles in so not passable just yet. There are couple of trees down over road. Trail #707 has about 2-2.5 ft. of snow covering nearly all of trail. There didn't appear to be alot of down timber across trail either. Our party followed trail direction to S. Fork of Stilly River where trail crosses( the one log bridge appeared ok for travel)From there our journey took us up East side of River to NW Ridge below Lewis Peak. Beautiful outing, great views to Del Campo, Morningstar, Vesper, and Sperry, and snow pretty well consolidated with only a few small loose snow avalanches experienced.

Clear skies, perfect spring weather. Started at 6:30am at Marble Mountain sno park after sleeping in the car. Still snow on the Worm Flows trail right from the parking lot.

Just followed the signs and hiked up to timberline, no snowshoes needed. Passed a few tents... must've been a great night! Followed some tracks, just go up staying generally leftward of the pretty obvious ""worm flow"". Had to do a little rock scrambling to cross some ridges. Snow near the ridges are melting so be careful you don't punch through all of a sudden.

Made it to the rim in 6 hours going at a very easy pace. Didn't need an ice axe or crampons at all... but remember it was picture perfect spring weather with little wind.

Friends glissaded down about half the distance and it took them 3.5 hours to get down for a round trip of 9.5 miles. I skied and it was great spring conditions although around 6000 feet it started to get messy but was still able to ski all the way to the parking lot. Great outing.

Hiked into Barclay Lake Thurs. evening to try out my new 2-person tent. Just after the tent was up I noticed a Black bear and two cubs grazing below the clifts on Mt. Baring. Glad I brought my binoculars. They stayed in sight for 2-hours. Woke up at 7:30am and followed the climbers path up to Eagle Lake. Climbed NE to the ridge leading to Townsend Mtn.(used crampons). It was a great ridge hike on a beautiful day(snow free). Summited at 11:30 and was the second person to sign-in this year. Enjoyed a 2-hour lunch. The ridge hike back down was even more AWSOME. Had a Great 1300ft. butt slide back down to Eagle Lake. Checked out the cabin and lake for a while and made my way back down to Barclay Lake. Enjoyed the sunshine and view of Mt. Baring(the bears were also in sight). Packed up and hiked out by 6pm. The new tent was great and so was this climb!!!!!!WOW..

The White Chuck River Road 23 is driveable to Mile Post 9, then is snow covered part of the way the last mile to the trail head. It also has a couple of trees down across the road. So I parked just before MP-9. Once at the trail itself, the first 50 yards had snow, then bare trail in the forest. The trail has a few places before getting to the river where snow is a foot or two deep. After leaving the river and switchbacking up hill over a ridge, the trail is bare again. Going back downhill, the snow comes back, getting deeper as I headed toward Kennedy Hot Springs. Since I didn't bring my snowshoes, I turned around about 3/4 mile from the junction in the trail to the springs. One large old growth Doug Fir had fallen across the trail, so you needed the crawl under it.

Met some climbers who has come out from Wisconson and up from California to climb Glacier Peak, then on to Baker and Shuksan. Also met one young guy who was backbacking with his dog. He had the right gear, except for boots. He was wearing only tennis shoes with no socks, since his shoes were soaking wet from the snow. He said he didn't think there would be snow on the trail. Must be new to the area.

What a great workout! The day was beautiful and Rainier was out and in all her glory. The trail started out muddy in spots and continued to be that way until you left the trees. We opted to go up the snow patch and then the rest of the way the trail is clear. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the top,signed in and began our trip down. Just as we were to the top of the snow,we met a gentleman who stepped over a bit to pass and he immediatiely fell through the snow into a BIG hole. Hiker2 went to help and found himself also in a big hole. Once getting out, he helped the gentleman also get out and no one was worse for the ware. Be careful though ~ the snow is melting out and bridges are giving way! We all laughed and went on our way. Back to the car in an six hour evolution and a great day!

Picked up a friend and his 7 year old son from SeaTac and headed for the coast (4 hr drive) for a three night stay. We camped at a nearly deserted Cape Alava the first night and listened to the seals jawing at each other all night. The tides, however, were somewhat inconvenient, lows occurring at 5:45a and 5:30p.

Passage (water just below knees) across the Ozette River was no problem at 2 hours before low with no rain in the previous 48 hours. The travel between Seafield and Alava is mostly on dense sand. Passage above Seafield to Point of the Arches should be closely timed with low tide because there are many headlands and tangles of logs. The boulders we encountered are probably a factor no matter how low the tide.

Due to our lazy breakfast we missed the lowest tide and didn't get to The Point of the Arches; instead spending 4 hours on Siesta Rock watching the surf, being watched by seals, journaling, and pondering images until we could retreat with happy spirits; even the young-un had a swell time of discovery. Our second night at Seafield was spent on the beach with the highest tide (8.4 and no wind)of the month with no problem.

We saw large anemones, green and white, sea otters, and a large Orca on the prowl about a half mile out. Racoons were not a problem the whole trip. It was a great trip with charmed weather and company.

We encountered enough snow on the road at the five mile mark that we had to hike from there, though most of the road is clear beyond that short stretch. The hike up to the summit was wondeful, amid passing clouds and just a light wind. The snow was perfect for kicking steps in most places... we encountered just a few places where we sank significantly. As we got the top the clouds passed by and broke open to blue skies all around. We enjoyed the view for a few minutes then skied down via the NE chute. There was a melt layer on top that would slide a bit but the skiing was awesome!! I'm guessing the road will be passable to within a mile of the trailhead within a week.

Great first trip of the year. Camped at Big Log for two nights, and day tripped upstream. There was snow a bit after eight stream so I only walked another half mile through it in my hiking sneakers and turned back. A very visable elk herd was roaming near Camp Pleasant all day. I got to observe them three times on both side of the river. Very cool!

About two-thirds of the lake is still iced over and several feet of snow remain on the shore, but the hike is manageable. Crews are working on the lower portion of the trail and it is very, very muddy in spots. In places, you can sink in mud up beyond your ankles. Higher up, you'll run into snow for the final mile. One of the little stream crossings is a little tricky, but the hike is much easier than it was a couple weeks ago. Trekking poles will help on the way down, but the hike really is manageable even without them.

Did a new, for me, loop route on Tiger Mountain today. We parked at the high school trailhead and went up to the Poo Poo Point Trail. That trail is in excellent condition all the way up to the railroad grade. Then took the one view trail, and while I can report that this trail is also in good condition, we found that the ""one"" view is now appears to be even less. This took us to the Tiger Mountain Trail at Fifteen Mile Pass.

We headed north toward Tiger 2. While the trail has been cleared of logs, there are several places shortly after the pass that are in need of some real engineering to take care of the mud problems. After about a half a mile, the trail starts to head up again and there are no more mud problems.

We headed up to Tiger 2 on the Seattle View Trail and had lunch. Our return trip took us over Tiger 3 and down the Section Line Trail to return to our car. The total distance is about 9 miles. It appears to be a relatively lonesome route to approach Tiger 2 and 3 from the South.

Awesome Hike, Spectacular views from several locations on the way, I could even see the Tacoma Dome from the trail just before the summit. Lots of snow on the trail after the 3200-ft level and most of the way after that. In most places the snow was 6 to 10 ft deep on the trail. It also started snowing serial times on the way up but cleared up on way down. There are also some areas that have trees down over the trial from heavy snow (from 3100 to 3800 ft) so bring a small hand saw. I would not attempt this hike with out a GOOD! map as the trail is not marked and the snow has hidden allot of the trail's footpaths. Bring warm clothing and waterproof boots. I did see some wild life on the way, 2 deer and 1 elk near the great wall area, lots of birds and what looked like a rat near the Owls nest. Happy Hiking.

It was a great day for a hike to Marmot Pass. There is several areas of blowdown along the first two miles. One tree is about four to five feet in diameter. The rest of the trail that was not under ten feet of snow was in good shape. The culverts need cleaning for proper drainage. The trail surface is generally in good shape, just some seasonal trail corridor clearing is required.

What you need to do is, you need to get Mr. Fox on the day after he does Mt. Index - 'cause once he's been Index'd, he's just a skosh tired (just a skosh). As a result, he was only too glad to introduce me to the mines of Silver Creek and the abandoned Troublesome Creek trail, both flat and easy hikes.

It is sad to know that the beautiful Troublesome Creek trail is slowly disappearing and may some day be unknown to most people, as it goes through some of the most impressive old growth forest around, and runs alongside one of the most beautiful creeks. The color of the water is aqua, sometimes more green, sometimes more blue, like that of Blanca Lake, its source.

It begins as an accessible loop trail whose head is at the Troublesome Creek CG on Index-Galena Road. Go counter-clockwise at the beginning (large bridge) and walk to the smaller footbridge. Just before the smaller footbridge, look to your left, and you will easily find the old trail. It is not very to follow, thanks to some vigilante trail maintainers out there, and some faithful Troublesome trail trodders over the years.

At the beginning of the accessible trail you will find in the creek huge mounds of rounded and worn bedrock, elongated, grooved and hollowed out by the force of the water of Troublesome Creek. They look like huge psychedelic melted and tormented marshmallows, if you can imagine such a thing (and I think some of you can). The scenery on the abandoned trail varies; for instance, there's a huge washout where the Creek took out a large portion of the mountainside to marvel at; an old puncheon bridge that's so overgrown with moss it'd be easy to miss, lots of huge downed old logs to walk on, shimmy over, and crawl under, but none difficult or irritating. The size of the Doug Fir and cedar in this area is impressive, and we stood in awe of them for several silent moments.

At the huge grove of thick salmonberry and old growth devils club (Mr. Fox counted 666 of them) at about 3ish miles is the place sane and normal people turn around and head out. We bashed through and couldn't find the trail on the other side, and since it was getting late we bashed back and hiked back to the rig where we began our quest for Food.

This is a trail I will certainly visit time and time again - it's a great rainy day trail!

There's a little memorial for a 4 year old girl at the trailhead of Troublesome Creek. There's no mention of her on the other Troublesome trip reports, so I think it's a recent event. Anyone having information on her, please email me at rybackrules@juno.com.

Hiked up the Icicle Ridge trail today past the 3000' level. Trail had received some attention in clearing trees on trail and no snow was in sight. Lots of flowers were out.

Very nice hike, not allot of foot traffic today. Spotted a very large woodpecker, two chipmunks and several birds. Was a bit disappointed as I reached the summit some clouds had moved in and blocked the view, but no rain! I also met the Mount Si volunteer trail keeper and helped clear some downed trees. On the way down he suggested I take the Creek trail, it's new and has much less traffic and is the same distance as the old trail. Happy Hiking!!

The road bridge crossing Snoqualmie R has a big pile of snow & dirt in front of. Better to park here as encountered consistent snow not far in. About 3 ft of snow at TH but is compact enough walk on. After crossing the freeway overhead, trail is hard to see, but if stay to left and not too far off Denny Creek, will eventually see wooden bridge crossing at Slippery Slab. Careful approaching start of bridge as it was covered a bit with a corniced snow slab that's hollow underneath.

Snow pack is 5 ft+ along the whole Denny Creek valley but compact enough to not require snoshoes. This is a high avalanche area but snow looks quite compact now. Just above Snoshoe Falls, do not follow snow-covered creek but stay to left in trees and head up valley. Stayed low and eventually reached Hemlock Pass & down to Melakwa Lake. Lake was 98% snow covered.

This is a great trail to marvel at old growth trees, early spring flowers and listen to the White River.

The trail is level with lots of signs explaining the flora. A great get away from the city and a super way to see a real Evergeen State forest un-touched by Weyerhaeuser or other loggers.

The trail is dry, broad and easy to follow. There are even historical notes on the old Naches Pass Trail over the Cascades.

Great walk out of the city.

The plan was to climb three high peaks in the upper enchantments this weekend, Dragontail East Ridge, Colchuck Peak, and Witches Tower.

Friday May 17th Craig met me on Friday night at 8 mile bridge campground. I got there early and got us a spot, then hiked across the road and found an easy sport route for us to climb on. We did a couple of climbs, and then returned to camp when it got dark. Sergio and Agata then arrived around 830pm (finally got to meet her!) and we sorted gear and read up on the climb we were most excited about - Witches Tower. A simple 5.5 3 pitch climb in the Upper Enchantments that is about .2 miles east of Dragontail. We divied up pro, and packed our bags.

Saturday May 18th 5am (beep, beep, beep, beep!) The road to the trailhead is snowfree, and snow is not encountered entirely untill the Stuart Lake/Colchuck Lake junction (2.5 miles in). From here it is tiring, as the trail that is blazed is pretty direct, snowshoes required at this point.

We postholed, we grunted, and we swore as we ascended dirty slopes, branch belays, and hard stemming routes on branches and trees....all with heavy packs. Sergio and Agata really enjoyed having snowboards on their packs as they planned on boarding the Colchuck Glacier on the descent down. I was going to bring my skis. We encountered rain, and were unhappy with it's presence. Craig and I kept a positive attitude about it all though, reciting ""This is not happeneing"" Especially since Friday was absolutely beautiful, with blue skies. The snow was thick, and sticky - I hated it. But we all trudged on.

We finally arrived at the lake only to find more rain. It was warm, real warm.

We set up camp on the south end of the lake below Colchuck Col. We also found a large boulder the size of a 2 car garage that served as our gathering area, with a roof and all the pleasantries of home. Sergio and I then took off to gain the Colchuck Col via the Colchuck Glacier. We arrived at the Upper Basin and then took off the snowshoes and donned our crampons as they snow was pretty solid, and started to get a little steeper. The visibility was next to nothing heading up to the Col (elev 7800') and at about we saw Chirs, Dave, & Tom camped out in their bivys at about 7000'. Tom joined Sergio and I as we ascended the last few hundred feet to the col. It was pretty steep on the right side, but we wanted to stay out of the debris path as it was a prime angle for more debris to come down (even though avy danger was very low). We hit the col and turned around immediately. Sergio got on his board and arrived at camp in about 5 minutes while Tom and I took our sweet time , and then I glissaded back to camp once we arrived at their high camp. I was wet and tired at this point. My shoes were soaked, and my ass was wet as well. I shivered in my bag in the tent for awhile, not too excited about how the night would be since I left my down jacket in the car, and only had my 20 degree bag with me. We had dinner, and then watched the alpenglow hit the surrounding peaks. I actually slept quite warm that night.

Sunday May 19th 530am I awoke to yucky weather again , and no one else wanted to wake up so I went back to bed.

730am We awoke, put out tails between our legs and took off on one awful descent. Postholing, falling, faceplants, and more. I was sick and tired at this point. Once we got near the dirt trail, Craig and I started to book, running at spots with our full packs. We got back quite quickly, with the last of the party getting back to the TH 1.5 hours after we did. We got to relax in cotton and drink cold sodas.

Now the fun was going to begin! Burgers at Gustovs, and sport climbing in Leavenworth, but that's another report!

Images available at www.nwog.org

Our group of 4 hiked the Thunder Creek trail to near Park Creek Pass (19 miles). We camped at Skagit Queen Mine Camp, 13 miles in. Some snow at this point but the snow really starts around 3700 feet above the switchbacks near camp. On day two, we snowshoed into Thunder Basin into the open avalanche slopes. At this point, we climbed left up a timbered rib to get onto Mt. Logan's upper slopes. The snow was soft and the snowshoeing tough going. The weather deteriorated throughout the day with more clouds and snow falling each hour. By the time we reached the Fremont Glacier, we were wiped out. Still determined to summit, we roped up and traversed up the glacier to the base of the summit ridge rocks. Most of this was done in a complete whiteout. Getting up on the summit ridge was a bit sketchy on wet rock but once I got up I belayed the other 2. Did I mention that one of the 4 people in our group gave up on the hike into basecamp? He ditched his climbing gear on the way in and was now sleeping in camp while we fought the elements. Anyway, on the ridge, we could see nothing. We made a decision to turn back at that point. I really couldn't tell if we were on a cornice or how the route continued. It was also 4pm and we had a long way back to camp. Very disappointed, we rappelled off the ridge and walked down the glacier. A 4500 foot drop got us back down to Thunder Basin. Then a slow snowshoe hike back to camp by 8pm. We sat at the campfire satisfied with our accomplishment and anger at our weather forcasters. Sunday's hike out was long but as scenic as a valley hike can be. Trail crews have been as far as McMillan Camps. Not too many trees down beyond that.

I joined Steve, Janet, and Debbie for a Sunday attempt on Mt. Index (main peak) via the Persis-Index Traverse route. My partners were Mt. Persis veterans, with eight or so ascents between them, whereas I was a virgin to this area. I hoped they would be gentle with me. Debbie had climbed Mt. Index via Lake Serene last year, but none of us were familiar with the traverse from Mt. Persis to Mt. Index.

A few raindrops hit my windshield as I drove through Bellevue Sunday morning, but there were no drops to be seen in Monroe, our meeting spot, at 6:30 a.m. Quickly consolidating into Debbie's trusty Bronco (nicknamed ""Squirrel,"" presumably in reference to its handling characteristics), we drove east on US-2 and then about 3 miles up FR-62. Our vehicular progress was suddenly halted at elevation 1900 feet by a landslide that recently wiped out the roadway. After witnessing a brief demonstration of Squirrel's turning radius and parking prowess, we began hiking directly up the landslide channel, which has sliced through several upper switchbacks of this same roadway. We reached the headscarp at 2900 feet and observed that the landslide was a classic mudflow-type earth failure originating on the downhill edge of the highest roadway switchback, where runoff water ponds during rainfall and snowmelt periods.

About 50 feet north of the headscarp, a duck marks the beginning of a well-defined hiker's path that ascends the west shoulder of Mt. Persis. Bare ground gave way to continuous snowcover near 4200 feet, and soon thereafter, a steep field of icy snow prompted us to don crampons. The remaining gain to the top of Mt. Persis was on mellow slopes through pleasant open forest. Overcast skies with occasional sunbreaks added some moodiness to our day and kept temperatures comfortable. From the summit (5452 feet), we could see the impressively scalloped and corniced ridge that curves over to Mt. Index (5991 feet). This distance is 2 miles as the crow flies (assuming a very goal-oriented crow) but at least 3 miles by ridgecrest. Whatever difficulties lay ahead were not apparent from our vantage.

We left Mt. Persis's summit at noon and descended southward into a snowy bowl, then climbed to a spur at 5200 feet. Steve ran up an adjacent point to evaluate the route ahead, while I scouted below the point. We soon realized that we had ascended too high and actually needed to drop into a small cirque below. Here, Janet decided she was satisfied with her progress and elected to stay put while the rest of us pushed on. I picked a downward spiraling route around a rock buttress, across the cirque floor, then back up to a 5200-foot saddle. Steve and Debbie followed closely behind. A gentle up-and-down traverse led us to steep, sparsely wooded slopes on the southern side of the ridge. Debbie assessed the slopes ahead and indicated that her personal fun meter was approaching the redline. She encouraged Steve and me to continue while she relaxed on more sensible terrain.

Rocky horns above and cliffs below confined our feasible route to a long contour across the south-facing slopes. I elected to wear crampons and carry self-arrest poles, whereas Steve opted for bare bootsoles and an ice axe. Soft snow conditions made for tiresome trailbreaking and questionable stability, but only the upper 2 to 4 inches seemed eager to slough. What followed for the next several hours was a seemingly endless traverse across numerous snow ribs and gullies, with gradients ranging from moderately steep to quite steep. Frequently, we would climb up and follow along the ridgecrest for a short distance, only to encounter a notch or saddle a hundred feet lower! Each time, we would carefully pick out a safe descent route into the offending depression, continue contouring until the ridgecrest again looked promising, ascend to the crest, and follow it until encountering another notch or saddle. This continual process was not only physically and mentally fatiguing but also time consuming. While precious minutes and hours ticked by, the summit never seemed to get much closer. I felt our chance of success fading and I think Steve felt it too.

At 3:00 p.m., we rounded a ridge horn and came upon yet another saddle, except this one was even lower (4900 feet) than the previous ones. Beyond, a long, smooth ridge led cleanly to a snow dome near the summit uplift. Some sort of gap separated these latter two features, but it was impossible to say how deep or steep it was. We conferred briefly to evaluate our time available, the distance and elevation gain to the summit, our energy levels, and the possible impatience of our waiting comrades. The summit's proximity (so far, yet so close) weighed heavily in our evaluation, and we decided to push on at a pace as fast as possible for another 15 minutes, then re-evaluate our rate of progress. Off we scurried, dropping into the saddle, kick-stepping up slopes, plowing through mush, crossing back and forth along the smooth ridge. I put myself on auto-pilot, ignoring my wailing legs. Without ever vocalizing it, Steve and I both had mentally established 4:00 as an absolute turn-around time.

Finally surmounting the snow dome, I looked at my watch: it was now 3:30. Steve, fearing a possible impass ahead, called out from below, ""Is it a dead end?"" I called back ""NO!"" When he joined me on the dome, we looked across the benign gap and up at the summit, then realized how close and reachable it really was. There would be no turning back now---we would merely have to make up time during the descent! A swig of gatorade, a handful of gorp, one last steep slope, and a flurry of step-kicking later found us planted on the airy summit at 3:55. We were quietly overcome with delight and relief. Recent-looking footsteps in the snow and an entry in the summit register told of an ascent the previous day (via Lake Serene), the first ascent of 2002. Steve also found Debbie's sign-in from her 2001 climb.

All too soon, we started our long traverse back to Mt. Persis. The steep descents went very quickly, but the numerous uphill portions were exhausting. In our weary state, we weren't really able to make up time as we had hoped. A blur of contouring, ascending, and descending finally brought us to the snowy basin below Mt. Persis. I glanced up and saw two figures silhouetted on a high ridgeline. Janet and Debbie, no doubt. They waved enthusiastically and I returned the gesture. After one last ascent, I topped out on the windy ridge and stopped for food and clothing. Steve soon joined me, then we proceeded only a short distance before coming upon our ""base camp"" partners. They were genuinely excited about our summit success and extremely gracious about having to wait longer than expected for our return. We related our adventure to them while plunging down the snowfields, trails, landslides, and roads of our up-route. At 9:15, we stumbled onto the patiently waiting Squirrel, just as darkness closed in and a light rain began. We couldn't have cut it any closer!

Stats: 15miles, 7500 feet, 8.5 hours up, 5 hours down.

Mt. Loop Hwy was open this weekend but the road to the Perry Creek trailhead was snowed in. We parked at the Hwy. The road has as much as 3 feet of snow in places and plenty of trees across it for the first two-thirds of the way including a snowslide across the road near the end of this section. Past the slide, the last third has mainly just trees across the road and then from the last corner to the trailhead the road is strangely snow and tree free. The trail itself has many blowdowns in the first section through the trees. Snow is patchy until you get out of the trees and begin to walk across giant slides. We continued to about the area where I believe the second creek crossing is (approx. halfway to the falls?) and turned around to go watch avalanches at the Big Four picnic area. Speaking of avalanches, the ridge across the valley from the Perry Creek trail has seen three or four of them that have taken huge sections of trees out from nearly the top (as far as you can tell from the height of the trail) all the way down to the creek. A pretty amazing site, some of the waterfalls will be much more visible this year.

Awful trail. You gain 1000 feet and then drop 900 feet! What is up with that? Major avalanche directly across from Stillwell creek. We are talking major avalanche here. Trail is probably buried 30 feet under snow right now. Looks like the avalanche went up Stillwell creek for about 200 yards. Trail is pretty brushy. Worst trail I have been on in the North Cascades. No views of mountains.

oh my gosh....I'm so tired and sooooooo sore. Pitch-lip had wanted to do the Persis/Index traverse and managed to talk Animal and I into it. Serves me right I guess for telling her to put pitch on her lip last weekend but then that's a whole different story. After meeting in Monroe at 6:30am and driving up FS62 and at 7:30-ish we parked the car at the edge of the slide/washout at about 1850'. From here your best bet is to just head straight up the gully to the top of the slide area. This adds about 1 mile and 1000' to the normally tame Persis trip. At the top of the slide head left up the road for about 50 feet and you'll see the climbers path headed into the brush. We reached this 'trailhead' after huffing and puffing and just about blowing outself up at about 8:30am. From here the path follows the ridge crest. Not sure what time we summited Persis since I was too busy sucking wind and eating my turkey and swiss sammich. The we headed off for Index. As the crow flies (as Dude & Animal said) Index lies 2 miles from Persis, but as the hiker hikes the ridge-line it's more like 4 miles. I bailed from the trip at about 1:30 at about 5 miles in on a nice rock ledge with fantastic views about 1/2 way to Index. The Pitch-lip, Dude, and Animal continued on toward Index. Pitch-lip said later that she bailed about 1/2 mile from me. Dude and Animal continued on their quest to do Index or as Pitch-lip says...let Index do them. They said they summited about 3:45PM. Meanwhile, Debbie ate a nice lunch and soaked in the views just like me on my perch...only I was getting some sleep too which was occasionally broken by the chatter of a camprobber. About 2 1/4 hours after the group 'abandoned' me I could see Debbie making her way back to my perch. We met up and headed off to Persis hoping to get a leg up on the trip out. It was about 6:30PM when way, way, way in the distance we could see Dude and Animal working their way across a snowfield. By 7:30PM we allowed them to meet up with us below the summit of Persis. Upon reaching the 'trailhead' we chose to follow the road instead of the gully because it was getting dark and that's one pretty steep gully. We were back at the car by 9:15PM and with perfect timing it started to rain. Even Animal (aka Rubberlegs) said he was thrashed and trashed on this trip. For once I believed him. My stats were somewhere around 10 miles and 5000' gain, Dude and Animal were about 14 miles, 7500' gain, and 13.75 hours.

I went to Baker Lake with the boy scouts so Fleetfoot went climbing with Dave. On Sun. Dick and I took some boys on a hike on trail 606 (Baker River). It starts out of the parking lot at the end of the Baker River road-about 25 miles from hwy.20.The trail is about 2.4 miles. Within the first 1/4 mile you reach a junction with the new Baker Lake trail (610). Here there is a new suppension bridge that is quite nice.High,wide and long.Shortly after this you will notice the trail is being re-routed. Some mud but very little compared to what there could be.There is just a little up and down on this trail as it stays close to the river.A few blow downs to go over or under but no problem. We stopped at Sulphide camp for a short break and headed back.Nice trail for a short walk,especially with kids. I drove road no.1152 to junction 014 and was able to go only three tents of a mile due on 014 due to snow. The road is in good shape to this point. The trailhead for Shannon Ridge is a little over a mile from here. There were two cars parked here.I also drove across the dam and turned left onto road 3721 which takes you to the trailhead for Anderson Butte,Watson Lakes area.I also got only 4.5 miles on this raod due to snow. As I recall it is about 10 miles to the traihead.It will probably be a few more weeks before you can drive to this trailhead.The lake is low but all the campgrounds should be open next weekend.

So I wanted to check out this trail before I bring a group of new Mountaineer members here next week. As I was driving from Tacoma it started to rain. But by the time I reached the trailhead an hour later the sun was peeking out from the clouds.

The trail is an easy 2 miles to the lakes. There were a couple of trees down, but easy enough for this short gal to step over. The trail gets pretty muddy the last 1/2 to 1 mile before the lakes. I love walking along the rushing water and all the rapids made by the rocks and fallen trees. I brought my fishing pole last year. Not to catch fish, but just to have that Mayberry, USA experience. You know...walking to the fishing hole...sitting in the sun...casting out my line.

It was my first hike alone in a few years and I was a little paranoid. As I sat at the first lake (I like this one better than the second lake), I kept thinking a wild animal was sneaking up behind me. A friend (and a stranger on the trail last year) told me that this trail has cougers (or was it coyotes? Or lions, tigers and bears). On my way back to the car a couple of wild, beastly animals turned the corner and jump out at me. Ok...they were two golden retrievers, but they scared the *#^& out of me.

The hike was a nice, quick walk through the woods...just what I needed.

And on my drive home it started pouring. What timing :-) This is a good hike for kids too.

The trail lived up to its reputation as a nice late spring option. The trail is in good condition for so early in the season, but it's definitely a steady climb and rather exposed. (I would not want to do this hike in any kind of warmth or sun.)

We found somewhat spotty, but substantial snow that obscured the trail at approx 3.5 miles. Footprints in the snow told us that others had scrambled a route from there nearly directly to the summit, but we found a nice downed tree with a view to sit, eat, and enjoy.

One final note... descending this trail takes nearly as long as ascending.

Bluff Lake is about 1 and half miles in on trail 65 which runs all the way and along Coal Creek Mtn. Bluff lake is at 3800 feet, the trail gains 100o feet from the trailhead to the lake. I was hoping to find a little early season fishing action, the small lake has some nice cutts and my friends the brookies, but it is under about 8 feet of snow still! Interesting walk, but it kind of put a damper on fishing.

The Mountain Loop Highway was opened on May 17th, so over the weekend of May 18th and 19th a buddy and I went skiing in Glacier Basin. There was about three feet of snow at Barlow Pass, so we set off on skis toward Monte Cristo on skis, but soon put them on our packs because we got tired of taking them on and off. We had started late on Saturday afternoon and stumbled into the Monte Cristo townsite at about dinner time so we decided to camp there, in the company of an overly friendly mouse.

The weather was cloudy on Sunday, but enough snow filtered through the clouds that the peaks were actively shedding snow from the rock faces all day long -- and some of the avalanches were quite impressive. We skinned up and over the hump guarding Glacier Basin, and then climbed the headwall to the col between Monte Cristo and the Cadets. The snow was fully saturated and although it was very skiable, small avalanches ran all around us as we took the run down from the col, and the ride was very slow. We took a second run on the slopes below the Willman's spires, and headed back to the car. Skis were more useful on the trip out from Monte Cristo than they had been on the trip in.

On saturday I went up to green water lakes and wta crews were working along the way. Today on my hike back, their improvments were tremendous. Their efforts will go a a long way.

The Deadfall trail might best be described as the more challenging option up Mount Zion. In short, this sucker's steep. My partner and I hiked the the Deadfall trail to its junction with the Snow Creek trail, followed the latter downhill to its remote trailhead (I'm unsure of how to reach this TH by vehicle), then returned back up to the junction and huffed it on up to the summit. In the over 2,000 feet of elevation gain (not including the Snow Creek sidetrip) between the Deadfall trailhead and Mount Zion's summit, there is nary a switchback. There was indeed some literal deadfall on Deadfall, but nothing of any great significance. There are a few lingering snowpatches across the trail near the top of the mountain. The tread is actually quite good, though deteriorates gradually as one gets closer to the summit. Rhodies are crowding the trail a bit near the top. The view from the old lookout site was sublime, with the maze of waterways stretching to the San Juans and Mt. Baker. I feel like I'm getting my summer legs back.

Wanted to take a Swiss foreign exchange student somewhere with decent views but only a half a day so it was lake Serene. The trail was in decent shape with a little bit of mud and some water below the falls but nothing serious. Once you finish the switch backs and get out of the trees, about the last 1/3 mile, you traverse on snow. There is one exposed creek crossing here, we watched an older lady have some problems with this, but again it was nothing serious. The lake was still snow covered. You could see where someone walked across the west side of the lake. I would not recommend doing that. The highlight of the trip was watching one avalanche come out of a gully, and a mysterious water fall on mt. index that would stop and start. The foreign exchange student being a rock climber was impressed with the walls of index.

Dirty Harry's Balcony (Exit 38/Olallie State Park) - Even though this hike is listed in ""55 Hikes Near Snoqualmie Pass,"" it does not seem to be that well known. There is virtually no parking at the trailhead, so park wherever you can find a wide space on the road nearby.

This is a nice, easy early-season leg stretcher, with a vertical gain of just over 1,000 vertical feet in 1.4 miles. Along the way, enjoy the quiet, cool forest. The real reward is at the top, when you reach a rock promontory with expansive views in three directions, especially towards Mt. McClellan across the valley. The weather was great, and the ""payoff"" for doing this hike on a weekday was seeing only one other couple the entire trip.

My criteria for this hike were 1) Big, old trees to quiet my craziness, 2) Solitude, 3) A good view of the world around me, 4) A good workout to clean the poison out of me, and 5) Sunshine. I got 1-4. #5 was replaced by overcast, then low clouds, mist,rain,fog, a shaft of sunlight in the distance, more rain. Oh well. It was a great trip. I started out parking on Hwy 410 at the west trailhead. After about 30 steps I ran into a lovely ancient fir tree. I knew I was in the right place. The trail sneaks upward, through the rocky defences of the Pallisades, passing many more wise old trees, mossy rock formations, and a couple nice waterfalls. Then comes the stairway. What a nice touch. After about 1.5 mi I was at the top walking along the cliff tops. I stopped at the first viewpoint and soaked in the view across to Suntop. Another 1/2 hour brought me to another fine viewpoint, with clouds lowering enclosing me in a misty bubble. Crossed Snoquera creek and the adventure began. I looked upward thru the mist and saw snow up on the clearcut areas. I knew the trail was up on top of the ridge ( from previous summer hikes) so I slapped on the snowshoes and made a beeline up the clearcut to the ridge. There was 1-2 feet of snow thru here. At the top I found a few pieces of flagging to confirm that I was on the trail. I followed the ridge (elev 5200') to the cabin at the junction with the Ranger Creek trail. There was hard frozen snow all the way, so I kept the 'shoes on, not knowing what I would face going down Ranger Creek. It was trouble right from the start. 10' from the shelter I had lost the trail, so I blazed down along the creek hoping to get below snow level and find the trail. With map, compass, and altimeter I was able to find it after 1 1/2 hours of some pretty serious scrambling. I set a compass course that I thought should intercept the trail after clambering up and down several very steep ridges. I could not see any likely trail route. I found pieces of an ancient trail, pieces of a deer trail, and then joy of joys. I found the trail at about 3400'. The walking was so easy, I didn't have a care in the world. Got to the junction with the trail along Hwy 410 and saw my first human of the day. I wandered along the trail, past Camp Sheppard to my trusy Jeep. All in all a fine adventure.

The Little Si parking lot was full as usual, but just up the road, it looks like the new parking area is getting pretty close to being finished! I took the trail leading from the new lot - I had not been this way before. Clearly a bunch of work has gone into this trail - hats off to the builders. It is quite picturesque, imediately starting out with a lovely view of the valley just a minute or two into the walk.

Work has been done on the rest of the original trail since I had been there last. There aren't any logs you have to climb over anymore and the trail condition is quite good. At the top the view is as nice as always and the weather was clear enough to see quite some distance.

There were quite a few other folks on the trail but all were friendly, (I was kindly offered to share one group's gorp.) Several different languages were represented - it was pretty neat to hear German (I think it was German..) coming from up the trail, and French from behind me as I climbed the last few hundred yards to the top.

Little Si is not a big challenge, but I think it's a great early season jaunt to get the cob webs out of the body.

Did this hike last year in May and was turned away just above the 6000ft level due to snow. Almost made it that far this year.

I chose this hike to see the fire damage that occured last year. It proved to be very interesting. It appears lots of work has been done to maintain this trail since then.

The ground was quite unstable the further up we went though. Between the layer of ash and lack of vegetation, things felt dry and unstable. Once we reached the snow pack on top of this stuff, it seemed like a good place to turn around (approx. 5800ft).

TRAIL REPORT - INGALLS CREEK 5-20-02

Ingalls is not a creek, it's a river. The trail was in good condition with 3 or 4 minor logs to step over. No mud. 130 miles each way from my north Seattle home to hike a flowery river trail with No Snow! Was it worth it? You bet. NO SNOW. True wilderness, with the trail being the only sign of man's works. Quiet, with the river roaring and the birds singing. Beautiful.

Ingalls starts low (2000 ft) and climbs gently up a dry climate eastern Cascade valley. So, early snow melt (less to melt than west side trails), early flowers, early warmth.

Our original destination was the Iron/Bear trail from the Iron creek trailhead just off US -97 on Blewett pass, however that trail had considerable snow right from the parking area. So we went 20 miles further, north over Blewett to Ingalls creek.

Started up at 1030 back at the trailhead at 330 after a liesurely hike. Incredible flower display of Glacier lily, Trillium, Orange Paintbrush, and Calypso Orchids. Vast sweeps of bold yellow Arnica in the forest clearings alongside the the access road and up the 1st mile of trail. And 10 other species. Lupine and False Solomons Seal should be in full bloom within a week or two. The forest in this valley is very open with a mix of Cedar, Ponderosa Pine, and Douglas Fir. Some of the old Ponderosa show severe forest fire damage. The river is dramatic with continual white water, rapids and small falls. The water volume was very high just below flood stage. There were many fine campsites along the way and we used a great one right on the river bank for lunch. Met 4 or 5 small parties, so 98 % solitude all day.

7 miles 1000 ft. elevation gain.

Directions: I-90 to CleElum then SR-970 north about 10 miles to US-97 then go north over Blewett pass on 97 and down to the Ingalls creek road (about 12 miles more where the hiway straightens out), left on Ingalls Creek road (paved) about 1 mile to road end trailhead. Mostly in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, wilderness rules apply. Call Leavenworth ranger station for more info.

Robert Michelson Mountaineers/WTA

Mount Snoqualmie 6,278? May 18, 2002

Mike Tanner, Doerte, and Mike left the WAC cabin parking area at 8 am after visiting a bit with Pat O?Brien and Dave Brown. We headed up in the snow, keeping to the left on Sahale Ski Hill. It felt good to be out, even if the weather was overcast and cool.

Commonwealth Basin is such a beautiful area. I especially like it when it is alive with melting snow and flowing water. It is about a mile up the creek before the turn to the Guye-Snoqulamie Saddle. From Cave Ridge we climbed the South Shoulder, kicking steps. The snow was very soft and was starting to slide. The cornice along the east side of South Shoulder was beautiful, and everyone stayed well away from the edge.

We were the fourth party of the day on the summit, and had occasional views of the Tooth, The Chair, Lundin, Red, Kendall, and Thompson. The Mountaineers arrived a little later, but were a bit shy about enjoying the summit with us. The Wac groups were off on The Tooth and Lundin. May is a perfect time of year to do Mt. Snoqualmie. It snowed a little while we were on the summit, but it felt warmer than below.

While coming down Cave Ridge the snow was like sugar and a small avalanche came down on Mike Tanner, knocking him over, and causing him to tumble a few times before it stopped. We didn?t expect this, and should have paid closer attention.

We were back at the cabin at 4 pm. We had a leisurely 8-hour day. 3,100? elevation gain, and about 7 miles.

Made the hike up to otter falls encountering some snow just before the falls. The trail was a little muddy and some creeks needed to be crossed, but nothing too deep. It looks like there is much more snow beyond the falls on the trail. The one campsite at the falls was clear of snow and could accomodate two medium size tents. There were a couple small halfway level spots in the woods near by that some of our group used to pitch smaller tents. The one site we saw on the trail was half covered with snow but could be used. There looks like a lot of beaver activity over the winter around the lake at the bottom of the falls, but we we never saw him.

Jerry, the 2 girls (dogs) & I arrived at the Packwood Lake trailhead at about 8:15 a.m. on Saturday morning. The parking lot was free of snow as was the trail #78 as far as we could see. The pipeline road below was snowfree from what we could see also. We chose to take the pipeline road in to the lake as I had been told that the trail #78 had quite a bit of snow on it. The day was overcast with sun breaks and a few sprinkles. The pipeline road/trail was snow free, no problems for about 3/4 of the way, maybe a little less. We had about 5-6 trees that we had to climb over or go around but not bad. We ended up having about 1 mile, guessing of continuous snow going in and coming out, about from 1-2' but not bad. It was compacted enough that it was not to hard to walk on. We did not use snowshoes. Bicycles, Motorcycles and ATV's cannot get in to the lake at this time because of the snow.

Arriving at the lake, there was no snow at all, the lake beautiful with Johnson Peak in full view and snow on the ridges, so beautiful. There was only one other campsite taken when we arrived, and we were able to go to our favorite spot.

We set up camp, got a nice small fire going, and just enjoyed the day, hanging out in camp and reading and taking a small hike up towards the lake inlet on the Upper Lake Creek trail, #81. That part of the trail is snowfree also, as far as I went, which was about 3/4s of the way to the end of the lake. There are 2 trees down across the trail, but you can get over them ok, they are together and someone has chopped a place out to get over. Lots of branches on the trail in places, I kicked them out of the way, and picked up some of them. Of course I had wished I had my WTA tools to do some work, but alas had to be satisfied with just looking. There is sloughing, brushing needed done on the trail, but pretty good shape.

We were able to listen and see a couple of Loons, a Bald Eagle, fish jumping, a Barrows Goldeneye, not sure on that one, but black head, white belly, with black wings with white stripes, so pretty. The sunset was beautiful!

Heading out from camp on Sunday the 19th, we discovered there were about 20 people camping around the lake, so quiet you did not know they were there. Some people had brought there rubber rafts and were fishing. We were thinking about taking the upper trail, #78 back out, but decided not to because of having snow on the trail. We could see patches up the trail, and a couple of tiny patches near the Ranger cabin.

We arrived at the car at about 11:30 a.m., loaded up our stuff and headed back to civilization. Of course we had to stop at Ma & Pa's Burgers and have one of their great Ma Bugers loaded with everything. Ok, not the best for you, but oh so good.

All in all a great weekend.

Still lots of snow at Peak above last chair lift. Evidence of many loose snow avalanches in upper bowls, which are easy to avoid if careful. We summited the south peak of Denny with como tower, which is dicey getting up to. Good little challenge for scramblers. Warm weather and rain is warming/melting summit block, so we found creating steps was difficult amongst rocks where air pockets have formed. Snow at top and minor cornices are firm, where we had great lunch and views seranaded by Rick on his harmonica. Go Rick!! Would definately take ice axe, otherwise you might find yourself back down in parking lot.

When we returned to upper chair lift station, a funny thing happened while we're all yakking and catching the rays: the chair started moving!! and, operations are shut down. Then a minute later, it stoped. Just goes to show you, avoid lunching/sleeping on one, for you never can tell.

Saturday's weather did not start off as it ended but it wasn't raining so we decided to go anyway. We did have some glimpses of sun off and on however. We got on the trail early and encountered snow about 1/2 way up to the top, went left from Longmire not on the wonderland trail. Did not have any trouble without snowshoes but if it was warmer I think we may have. I would estimate about 3-4 feet of snow on the ridge. We did get all the way to the rocky viewpoint and the mountain was not there to greet us unfortunately. It started to sprinkle as we sat on the snow eating our lunch. We did see a 100 ft waterfall over on Eagle peak and when we looked again it was gone. I guess it was melting snow/avalanche coming down. I haven't seen it there in the summer before. Interesting to see. Didn't look like anyone has done the loop yet as the continuing trail down to the wonderland trail was virgin snow. We will go back when the snow is gone and we can relax in the sun for awhile at the viewpoint. The trail is in pretty good condition with some windfall and a few trees down but no difficulties encountered. Did not see another soul on the trail.

The trail is in good shape for the first couple of miles due to the wonderful WTA maintenance crew. After that, the mud begins in earnest for the next mile or so. Be sure to wear proper hiking footwear and gators if you go on this trail. Otherwise you may find yourself stuck in the mud. The fallen tree is still blocking at about 3 miles. It has fallen along the trail and you must climb up on top of the tree and walk across the tree trunk for about 20 feet or so. It's not difficult, it just requires some agility and good balance. After this point, the trail improves quite a bit with only a couple of easily avoidable blow downs. Only went as far as the horse bridge (at about 5 1/2 miles) on this trail, so can't say anything about the condition of the trail past that point. The falls and forest are beautiful and well-worth the trek.

Someone new to the Quincy area would never guess as to the treasures awaiting them just miles from the quiet farming community. Lichen-covered basalt cliffs, small lakes and wet lands, complex canyons and coulees, wide open sky views, birdsong, snakes and an assortment of strange plants and flowers.

I had the delight of introducing a small group of Mountaineers to Ancient Lakes. The lower way into the lakes is via an old jeep road and is used by mountain bikes and horses, as well as hikers. In the spring the area doesn't have the solitude as suggested by the 15-year-old prose of the Central Washington hiking guide, but there's still room for the usually mellow groups who choose to camp there.

We camped on the low ridge between two of the lakes and then went for a hike up through the stepped coulee slopes. Various boot beaten trails follow the line of cliffs between Ancient and Dusty Lakes. You can scramble down to Dusty over moderately steep talus and continue on a hike around the upper lakes, tiny hidden valleys and wetlands. It is possible to make some long loops, combining the upper trails and roads past the fishing camps with the trails descending to either Ancient or Dusty Lakes. Territorial views can be had by climbing up around behind some of the cliffs. Just be aware that the rock is a combination of unstable shale and weathered basalt.

We saw a beaver family swimming around in the larger Ancient lake and observed the swooping flight of swallows, raptors, and other birds. The soothing hoots of an owl and the buzzy song of crickets lingered well into the calm night.

On Sunday, there was a rattlesnake near the trail on the way out, who after buzzing a warning, quickly retreated under a rock.

The flower season is advancing into early summer with the advent of Thelypodium, purple sage and an assortment of yellow, white and violet daisies. Arrowleaf balsamroot, larkspur, buckwheat, wild onion, brodiaea, elderberry and alumroot were still blooming in the more protected talus and lithosol soils. The serviceberry was setting fruit and the wild roses were beginning to bloom.

We caught a heavy rainshower on Saturday as a front moved through, but Sunday was warm and pleasant with high thin clouds. The rain had dampened the dust slightly and freshened the air. It was an enjoyable, easy paced trip to begin the backpacking season.

All the water in the lakes and streams comes from the surrounding agricultural area and must be either boiled and/or filtered. There are lots of fish in Dusty Lake for the anglers among us.

Camp Muir AKA The Trench. Quite busy here, probably 500 people or more on the trail throughtout the day including all the summit crews, dayhikers and liftservice-deprived boarders such as myself. The Trench is actually a bit less defined than in times past, perhaps because the snow so far has stayed pretty crusty and hard for most of the season, so it is possible to occasionally 'lose' the cut steps for a little while, especially since visibility was mostly poor on way up, including some light snow. Fortunately clouds lifted in time for the descent. The snow on the way down was a mix of windblown hard crust/ice with pockets of fresh snow collected in the low spots til about 9000', then approached corniness from about 9000-6500, so that was about 3500' vertical of acceptably good snow, not bad numbers for a windswept overtraveled snowfield in the middle of May. Lower (Pan Point and below) the snow was heavy and terrible as expected, as were the crowds.

A wonderful trail to take people from out of town. The parking lot was not as busy as I have seen it in the past. Still there were a fair number of families out for a nice hike. Even with the recent rain the trail was mostly dry. The falls were running very full because of the spring thaw. Amazing how much difference a year makes. A great early season hike.

The old Trout Creek road is reached by driving about 6 miles from US-2, along the North Fork Skykomish road past Index. After crossing the small marked bridge, take the first right on a rough dirt road, keeping left initially. This road is rough and a high clearance 4WD is needed to reach the Sunset Mine area, about 1.5 miles.

We took the Sunset Mine 'tour' and followed the waytrails around the area for about an hour looking at the old workings and awesome collapses that happened in the 1930's. After this, we hiked up the road in the light rain that was developing. The road gets progressively rougher, until a large slide/washout is reached 1 mile past Sunset Mine, no vehicles are getting past this point. The road is now pleasant, consisting of a soft bed of pine needles among the overhanging canopy. Along the way we examined other workings, old road beds, and pondered the mysteries of large cables wrapped around old stumps. Lots of history in this area.

We stopped for lunch at the last large tributary crossing the 'road' before the road-end, just shy of 2 miles past Sunset mine. This stream crossing looked more involved, as the watercourse was a rocky gorge. There was a small campsite here, overlooking the gorge and views into the upper valley. We were uninspired by the now constant downpour, so after eating we headed back down the road to the truck.

I spent three days at five mile camp, beautiful as usual, no bugs, very few people, trail is in very good shape, dry, a couple of tree's down, rocky, but overall easy hiking. this trail maintenance crew has done a fine job

Clouds east and west of the crest this day. Destination Icicle country. Cashmere, and I am not talking about fabric. Snow is melting fast, not fast enough. Anxious for Summer, anxious for sun, mostly anxious to try out my new bivy. Trail reports said mostly snow-free to Eightmile Lake and the lake is thawed, so I figured partially snow-free up towards Lake Caroline. I never imagined it would be 6,000 ft before I hit continuous snow. The lake Caroline trail heads up through a burn affording plenty of views of the surrounding area including a view out to frozen Eightmile lake. Patchy snow started around 5,500 ft. and there were plenty of blow downs to navigate around. I was just happy to be hiking on dirt for I knew there would be plenty of snow to be had later. I encountered another person on the trail who was not as happy as I, for he had skis strapped to his back, ones he had hoped would be on his feet by now. Lake Caroline was still completely frozen over and there was 5-6 ft. of snow on the ground.

Up till now the weather looked like it was improving. That changed very quickly as it started to snow. All the peaks dissappeared into the white so I decided to dissappear into a nap. The Bibler tripod bivy was suprisingly roomy and not clostraphobic at all. I found myself quickly falling asleep. Upon waking I found the clouds to be lifting, I decided this was my chance for the summit. Quickly throwing my gear together I was off.

By now the snow was soft out in the open so I restricted my travel to the trees as much as possible. As I traversed northeast patches of blue sky appeared and the sun started to poke through. Was this a good omen or just a sucker hole? Once on the ridge views began to open up. Down in the valley the sun was shimmering intensely. I could see the frozen flat of Colchuck lake and the rugged peaks that surround it. Stuart came partially into view although the summit was still obscured by clouds. Behind the row of peaks to the southwest I could see a line of dark black clouds building.The peaks were like a dam holdiing the water back but I could tell that dam was about to break. I pushed even harder trying to reach the summit but the battle was already lost. ""Sucker holes""; I said to myself, they get me everytime. By the time I reached the saddle at 8,000 ft I was in a white-out and the snow was blowing sideways. 500 ft below the summit and I couldn`t see but ten feet in any direction. I huddled down behind a rock in hopes of waiting it out. After an hour there was no change and my window of opportunity had come and gone. Back at camp the clouds started to break up just as the sun was setting and I was treated to a spectacular display of alpenglow. Looking at Cashmere it became painfully obvious how close I was to the summit. Sitting there drinking hot chocholate I became intriqued with the idea of an early morning ascent. I retreated to my bivy for the night eager to see what the morning brings..... 4:00 AM, I can hear the sound of drizzle on my bivy. I zip open and see I am socked in. Cashmere will have to wait till another day.

I hiked the service road into Packwood Lake, once the route of a narrow gauge railroad into the lake around the turn of the 20th C. when developers hoped that they would be major supplier of electricity to Tacoma. It never worked out that way, although for years there was a resort of sort on lake until about the middle of the last decade. At any rate, the service road-it's barely wide enough for 4 wheelers is about a mile less than the NFS trail into the lake, about 3.7 miles to the lake. There was a good deal of snow on the road about half way in, the road is roughly about the elevation of the lake, around 3000 feet. The trail around the lake, the Upper Lake creek trail is snow free around the lake but once it starts up away from he lake, it is snow covered. I talked to some guys who slogged in on the NFS trail and they said it was amost completely under snow, some of it deep. I like to fish at the upper end of the lake, where the creeks enter the lake, and did a fair job, catching a limit of trout--nothing extraordinary. No bait is allowed in the lake, and you have to use a single barbless hook--and fish must be over 10 inches in length. It's about two miles by trail to the upper end of the lake-5-6 rafts were on the lake during the day, a much shorter way to reach the upper end.

Packwood Lake is a large and beautiful, steep forested ridges tower above the Lake, Johnson Peak looms over the southern end of the lake, and when fishing at the south end of the lake, you get an interesting view of Rainier towering over the Tatoosh Range. Over the course of this weekend and the next, the snow on the forest service road will be beaten down making for easier walking. There are many excellent campsites all along the lake, I particulalry reccomend the ones toward the upper end, spectacular views of the lake, good access to fishing form the bank, fewer people, and yet protected under the canopy of a grove of huge cedars and firs.

Mt Loop Highway out of Darrington was in good shape. Started hike about 1:30 with only one other car at trailhead.

I unfortunately took the Lower Elliot Creek trail. A big mistake. Lots of postholing and it looked like I was the only one to have ventured this route in quite a long time. Numerous blow downs and 75% snow covered all the way to the junction where both upper and lower routes meet up. Continued on the old wagon road to the lake. This part was in good shape with little snow. Lake was still partially frozen.

Met up with one couple near the lake. They took the upper route and I decided to return this way. Upper route was what my torn-up shins neeeded from all the postholing. There was virutally no snow via this route as its more of a road than trail. Started to rain quite heavily on return trip. Don't miss exploring the cascade out of the lake. Quite impressive.

Returned to trailhead around 6PM. A very relaxing hike. Flags are for lower trail. Upper trail is dry and free from obstacles.

The area south of Ellensburg is my favorite area to visit during the month of May. There are usually pleasant temperatures, very little rain and lots of wildflowers in bloom. I led a mountaineer group up to Wenas point on the ridge that is south of Untanum Creek. The route we took starts out across the suspension footbridge at the Untanum Recreation area, 1340?, and heads left at a junction just a little beyond the railroad tracks. The trail quickly gains elevation rising along a creek. Where the trail meets the creek, you crossed it and head west. When the trail ends entirely, you can just aim for the top of the ridge, picking your own route. There are no trees on the open slopes, just sagebrush, grasses, small cacti, and lots and lots of flowers. In places the route is very steep, but you can make your own switchbacks if you like.

Just a bit past the crest of the ridge is a dirt road that is part of the northern end of the Yakima Rim Skyline Trail. We headed north on the road about a half a mile to the Wenas point, the high point of the ridge at 3630?. On this occasion a light rain shower commenced just as we were having lunch in the lee of the high point, overlooking Selah in the valley in the distance. On a clear day you have great views of Adams, Rainier and the Stuart Range.

I had previously scouted a route to make this a loop trip, so we continued north on the road for about a quarter of a mile and then descended toward the Untanum Canyon. We took small ridge that comes off of the big ridge heading north. There are half a dozen of these small ridges to choose from, but the proper one aims for a big draw on the other side of Untanum Canyon and is the most easterly one that has a lot of sagebrush on it. On my scouting trip, I saw four bighorn sheep in this area. When you come to the brink of the canyon, head for a rock outcrop on the west side of this small ridge. There are boot- made trails that go down to the creek at the bottom of the canyon from there.

The last two miles out goes along the creek on a good trail past numerous beaver dams. They have been busy as . . . you know what. This is an area that is totally unlike places where we normally hike in the Cascades. It is a real joy to visit this time of year.

The trail is in good condition and is snow free well up into the Valley of The Silent Men. We saw several Calypso Orchids right next to the trail. The best ones were a couple hundred feet beyond the bridge over the lake inlet. I was very excited since these were the first Calypsos that I've ever seen. The lake shore is thronged with biggest bunch of noisy yahoos that I've ever stumbled upon. There were big groups of raucous boyscouts, yelling teenagers and even one camp with a blaring radio. The bug free air and warm sun were however delightful. I highly recommend a side trip up into The Valley of the Silent Men. In contrast to the Lake Shore, this is the quietest place that I've ever visited. The stream runs underground so there isn't even water sounds to be heard. The old growth forest here is delightful. There are lots of Trillium in bloom now to enjoy. If possible only visit this place on a weekday.

Weekdays the best time to go to this deservedly popular trail. Don't miss the Valley of the Silent Men - The best part (even better then crawling around under the bridge over the underground Lena Creek, trying to see where it eventually comes out). I was able to ask a ranger how it got its mysterious name - He heard that climbers from a local club in the '30's headed for the climb up the Brothers, were silent from the effort of carrying all their gear. Hence the name. I was a little disappointed, expecting a much more romantic tale. The ranger also said that during summer weekends he's counted as many as a hundred cars in the parking lot - all the more reason to go now.

I had a rare Saturday morning business appointment in Puyallup and decided that I would get in a nearby hike. Pack Forest is not something I would do on a sunny Saturday in July. It is however a nice destination when you only have half a day and start in Puyallup. This was the third time I have hiked Pack Forest and it had been 7 years since the last time. I finished my appointment at 1:00. By 1:45 I had driven to the trailhead, changed out of my suit, and was ready to go. I started by the entrance on the Hugo Peak trail. This is one of the nicest trails in the forest. It is well maintained and ascends at a fairly gently grade. The route crosses several roads and goes through several small clear cuts. Trillium and several other flowers are blooming now. Within 40 minutes I reached the summit of Hugo Peak. This far is 2 1/2 miles with a 1000' gain. There are still some views from the top but small trees are closing out the views. The view was noticeably smaller than on my 1995 trip. After a quick lunch I descended the road down to Kirkland Pass. If you drive beyond the entrance gate to the parking lot, road 1000 begins here and circles Hugo Peak going through Kirkland Pass. From the pass I went on the left most road 2000. This road also does a loop beginning and ending at Kirkland Pass. My clockwise loop began with a 400' gain to near the top of Lookout Peak. Along the road were views out to Eatonviille. I very short trek off the road took me to the old lookout site. The cement corner blocks are all that's left. I could see the base of Mt. Rainier but the clouds were hiding it today. From such a close range the view should be very spectacular. Perhaps I'll see it next time. I shouldn't complain, it threatened but never rained all day. In fact, the sun actually came out later in the day. Farther around the loop I took off on another side trip. In keeping with the theme of the day it too was a loop. The Canyon Peak loop adds 1 1/2 miles but not much in the way of views. Once back on road 2000 it was 1 3/4 more miles back to Kirkland Pass. So far I had covered 8 miles and left the best part for last.

From the pass I took the Reservoir Trail trail down. It is a nice forest walk descending around Hugo Peak. At lower levels it is a little muddy but not too bad. Just before reaching road 1000 again I turned off on a trail which paralleled the road. When the trail did come out at the road I turned right and followed it to the obvious dirt road turning left. When I was last here there was a water tower at this intersection. Now just the base is there. This road goes into the old Murphy Farm. A wire fence is still present. As you walk this road look out for an unmarked trail going left in the tall grass. This is the beginning of the Little Mashel Falls Trail. This falls is sufficient reason alone to go to Pack Forest. The Falls Trail crosses a meadow and begins to descend. At an intersection take the right fork. This trail is in better shape than I remembered. The trail continues fairly level but take the first steep trail on the left. It drops quickly. By now the roar of the falls is very loud. The falls comes into view soon. Either enjoy this view or scramble down to the base of the falls. The route down is short, losing about 50' but is slippery and a fall could be serious. If you are not comfortable scrambling down just enjoy the view from there. The falls were terrific this day. I took advantage of the clearing weather and ample water flow to get some great photos. After a nice break at the falls I hiked back up the steep trail to the first intersection and went left to the top of the falls. You can stand right next to the edge and look down to the base. Not a good place if you have a fear of heights.

After seeing all of the falls it was time to head on back. From the falls it is about 2 1/2 miles via road 1000 to the main parking lot and then down the entrance road to my car at the Hugo Peak trailhead. I made it back at 6:40, just short of 5 hours after I started. The total trip covered 12 miles with 1700' gained. I had one summit, occasional views, and a terrific waterfall. Over the 5 hours I saw three hikers on top of Hugo Peak, one mountain biker, and 4 hikers arriving at the falls as I left. Not a bad way to spend a day after working in the morning. I should have photos of the falls up in a day or two at http://www.kuresman.com.

Well, it only drizzled a tiny bit. Not really any dubious snow left at the top. It was a Japanese landscape at the top with a fine marine air mass creating misty views to the south and east.

There were a million and one people out and about today and about one less dog. Of course sitting at home right now, the sun is out and temperatures have risen. Well, one of those quirky aspects of living in the pacific northWET.

Hiked from the Gray Wolf River TH to Slab Camp Creek for a leisurely leg stretcher through another great section of the Buckhorn. Despite being in the rainshadow, there is still a wonderful carpet of yellowish moss all along the trail, with nice glimpses up the gorge of the steep valley wall above the Gray Wolf. Overall, the trail is in good shape except for a few ""duckwalking"" blowdowns and one slide that has resulted in significant trail erosion. Note: the pack bridge at Mile 4 is missing its railings and the footlog across Slab Camp Creek is washed out, resulting in a tricky (and not recommended) ford if one wished to reach camp at FR 2875.

While not entirely a ""warm"" sunny excursion, the day was ""spring-like"" enough to pull me away from work and head up to ONP. I headed north up to Hoodsport then hook left, then to Lake Cushman (nice State Park to picnic) then left to FS24. Take the left across the bridge at the end of the lake and up the dirt road to a ""new"" access point to Shady Lane (about 1/2 mile from the lake). There is ample parking. Shady Lane is about 1 mile from start to end, but very level and really a running shoe hike.

The trailhead is at the south end of the trail. Go right on a little spur to the riverside of the North Fork Skokomish. Nice log there to have lunch and just relax in the sun.

Going left takes you north and in about 1 mile to the Staircase Ranger Station. The trail pretty much expresses it's namesake ""shady lane."" The path is one of my favorite hikes all season long. Today walking in the early spring the predominant color was green, in all shades. The tall cedars, giant firs and hemlock are like tall sentinels guarding the park from danger. A little walk into the brush due east takes you to the steam where there are many gravel beds to explore. If you are lucky, you may run into the elk heard that winters in this valley.

This is a great family hike. It only takes 30 minutes to get to Staircase where you can stop and chat with the Ranger, have lunch, take another 1 mile hike to the Staircase rapids, then head back to the trailhead. Take your camera and enjoy the colors.

The Ranger did warn me of Cougar's and Bear in the Staircase area. The day before there was a cat on the rapids trail and the bear are feasting on the new plant growth. Just watch out and follow the suggestions on what to do if you encounter these animals of the forest.

This year's annual spring coastal outing landed Jimmy Wa and I at the Ozette trailhead with plans to travel south to camp at Yellow Banks and explore points beyond. The boardwalk and gravel portions of this trail are in good shape and make for a quick walk out to the beach. After about one mile or so south from Sand Point, the walking gets a little slower thanks to the loose gravel of the beach. The tide was rising as we rounded the point north of Yellow Banks so we had to use the tunnel alternative to continue progress. The tunnel is a bit on the wet and slimy side and the rocks on the south side of the tunnel somewhat slippery so caution is advised. There were at least six bald eagles hanging out at Yellow Banks; most likely attracted to the area by a sea lion and a seal carcass washed up on the beach. We found only three campsites at Yellow Banks; the best one being the middle one near the largest freshwater source on this beach. Camping was great as there is an unlimited supply of driftwood for campfires and no biting bugs were to be found. We traveled several miles south of Yellow Banks over rocky beaches. The going is fairly slow and laborious due to the terrain. This stretch of coastline is a beachcomber's paradise as there are unlimited curios to entertain the wondering mind. We found whale bones, a whale skull, a very large and rusted boat anchor, literally thousands of small crabs staking out their personal territory on the beach, and the usual myriad of floats, lines, and food/beverage containers discarded from fishing vessels far out at sea. The sunny weather lasted until Sunday morning but the rain caught up with us as we hit the boardwalk back to the Ozette Ranger station. Another super spring hike out on Washington's wild Olympic coast!

Did the Enchantments Traverse over the weekend with my pals. None of the three of us had been in there before.

On Friday we started at Snow Creek - encountered significant blowdown a couple miles in requiring some bushwhacking effort. Snowcamped near Upper Snow Lake - the light on the peaks was lovely.

On Saturday we snow climbed on up using snowshoes - real glad we had snowshoes. Weather deteriorated - whiteout conditions at times - we feared that we would pass right under Prussik Peak and never get to see it. By late afternoon we made it to the Upper Basin and made a snowcamp there. Fortunately the whiteout lifted and afforded us big views in every direction. Saw two skiiers, otherwise perceived solitude.

Sunday morning we carried our overnight packs over the top of Little Annapurna. Took off the snowshoes and got out the ice axes near the summit due to windpacked snow and unpredictable gusts. I've heard the views are good but drat! whiteout - we couldn't see ten feet. From there used map and compass to find Asgaard Pass, then glissaded down to snow-covered Colchuck Lake.

At the Colchuck trailhead, skiiers Wayne and Steve gave me a ride to my car which we had left at Snow Lake trailhead. Thanks gentlemen!

The season made this a rugged outing - plenty strenuous - weather conditions kept things interesting, and great friends made it truly memorable.

Enchantments? Indeed. -Dox

The trail head was bare, but the deeper you go into the trail, the more snow there was. my son and i werent really geared for an overnighter in the snow so we turned around about three quarter the way up. there was also some very fresh bear,tracks and steaming scat, on the trail. <never seen that up there> anyway we didnt make it all the way up, trail was pretty snowy still.

I took my son(he is 4 1/2 yrs old) on his first Mt. summit. We hiked the trail up and walked the road down, for a hike of 6.2 miles. Elevation of 2,805ft. The trail is VERY steep, with an average of 20% grade, but very well kept. Saw many birds-and a moochy chipmunk! I would defintely recomend this-but you will feel it the next day!

The Mtn. Loop Highway is now open from the Deer Creek Road to Barlow Pass. Snohomish County Public Works announced that the road would be reopened today, May 17th at 5:30 p.m. The road had been closed since the first week of December 2001 when the snow became to deep. The County does not plow the road in the winter past Deer Creek. So now you can drive to the Mt. Dickerman trail head and on to Barlow Pass for trips to Monte Cristo or Gothic Basin.

Trail in good condition, with noticeable drainage improvements to first mile(Thanks WTA!)First snow at about 2,800', and becomes a chore at about 3,200'. At about 3,400' you come to first avalanche chute, where it is wise to route NW for a bit, then due north toward summit. You break out of the trees at about 3,800'with great views on the west side of broad chute. Evidence of avalanche activity: Beware!! you can spot glissade marks in chute, but maybe they didn't make it to live another day. The way goes steep right next to broad bare rocky patch that turns into slab field going north to summit. This lies between two chutes, and can be used should cutting steps in snow get a bit boring. 200' feet from top, the slab field ends with steep snow as you see lookout right above you. using an ice axe is wise from about 4,400' up, as the gradient is steep enough to send you into a chute, should you fall. I used the 2 handed stake position for quite a while, which gives you a picture of the steepness. Also, the east side of summit is a long row of fragile cornices surrounding the basin where trail is covered with about 4' of snow. All in all, great views, great soft snow for cutting steps, and ended with some long glissading on the west side of slab field. My next trip up would start further west in trees coming up from lower trail, where firmer snow is. Great time!!

With the kind help of Bill Longwell finally got to hike the length of the Lingering Loop trail!

Enjoyed a day of sunshine and shorts (frist time this season). Trail to West Tiger is in good shape and very dry near the top.

Went up the High Point trail to Dwight's Way, then up the Lingering Loop to the TMT, the TMT to Freds Corner and then on the West Tiger Railroad Grade to the West Tiger 1 trail. Once to the West Tiger Railroad Grade the trails became quite dry and non-muddy. Much of the top descent via the Preston trail was this way as well.

Took Dwights Way back the the Lingering Loop and when down this way to the Puget Power Lines and trail. The Lingering Loop has been brushed recently. There is about half way down, a large log over the trail that has log steps placed on both sides to help getting over.

When to the Poo top of West Tiger 1 and do not recommend this if you want a view. The hiker hut top is much better for viewing and only another 0.2 miles further.

Road clear to the 5 mile marker. No vehicles have made it to the trailhead since the last snow. Deep ruts for less than one mile then snow covered.

Hoofed up the ski run route to the lookout. Another great day with clear skies. Snow conditions were great. No postholing and also no crampons needed. Thank you to the last souls who cranked some nice steps (McPil?, Scott Teryx?).

Saw only 2 other dudes on the descent. Sure beats the summer normal, buggy trail!

I just talked with the Lake Chelan Ranger District and found out that the Lakeshore trail is closed! I guess due to last year's fire, maintenance work is being done. Call before you go! 509.682.2576

Forget it, until after mid-July at least. The turn-off from Sultan Basin Road is gated, and the road is full of snow. The Sultan Basin Road leading to the dam beyond the fork has a huge washout that is impassible by foot or horse or bike. In fact, the signs on the road say the Sultan Basin recreational area is closed to visitors until further notice (we drove up the road because we knew Greider Lakes were in DNR territory). We went to Wallace Falls instead.

Hiked full length of Rattlesnake Ridge Trail. Trail is great from Lake as far as the ledges, and then pretty good to where it first hits disused logging road c. 2800'. Beyond there is considerable downfall mostly of young hemlocks. Some apparently were weighted down by heavy snow, others broken by storm winds about six weeks ago. In addition, snow is unusually deep from this point to well beyond West Rattlesnake--perhaps four miles of slogging through snow four or more feet deep. A short stretch of the road walk near W. Rattlesnake has been plowed, however. The lower part of the trail at the west end (near Snoqualmie Point) is marked ""closed"" owing to recent forest devastation. While it is possible to struggle through slash to recover the trail in this area, in the dark, at least, it's easier to throw in the towel and simply follow the roads. The entire trail seems to have been the beneficiary of quite a number of new signs at some point during the past couple of years, and it is considerably easier to follow than it has been in the recent past. Praise to the DNR and numerous volunteers.

DNR NEEDS HELP IN DETERMINING WHERE TIGER MAP AND TRAIL SIGNS CONFLICT, AND WHERE THERE ARE ERRONEOUS OR MISSING SIGNS. Please let us know by emailing the steward at mcoad@attbi.com Thank you!!

This is the best hike I've done since last September. The first 2 1/2 miles gains about a thousand feet in the most flattened-out switchbacks anywhere. The grade at some points must be about 5%. There are some interesting boulders and moss fields, and also a beautiful bridge over a dry channel. Lena lake, at three miles, is very scenic and was as smooth as glass. The trail follows the lake shore, passing 26 nice campsites. Follow the many signs to The Brothers, avoiding the Upper Lena lake trails. After crossing the inlet stream on a very cool log bridge, the trail starts to climb again and leaves the lakeshore. This brings one to the main attraction, The Valley of the Silent Men. There is a true cathedral-like feeling about the valley. There are the columns of giant trees of several species, widely spaced to give an open feeling to the forest. On the ground is only moss-covered rocks and boulders, nothing more. There are giant rockslides that have opened up the forest and the views up to the neighboring peaks. In one spot, a truly immense boulder has tumbled down the mountain and crashed into a huge western redcedar, damaging it slightly and forcing hikers to detour into a dry streambed to pass by. My guess is that the valley got its name from the giant faces that can be imagined in the rock walls that front the valley. There is a magical feel about the place, and I definitely plan to return soon, before those 26 campsites fill up for the summer. I hiked in about five miles total, three to get to the lake, about 3/4 mile to pass by/around the end of the lake, and another 1 1/4 or so into the Valley of the Silent Men. It appears from the maps I used that there is another two more miles in I could have gone before the trail turns into a rock climb up the Brothers. Compared to my hike up the Duckabush a couple of weeks ago, this hike offered many more cool and unique things to see in only ten miles total. The trail is in pristine condition overall.

Went to base camp, at 3100'. Trail is snow free until the last 1/3 mile. 3 feet at the base camp. About 5 trees down after Lake Lena, some 24"" and larger. Also the trail is washed out in a couple of places, but no big deal to go around.

At base camp, the trail becomes hard to find, it's just to the right of the center creek. We met a couple of climbers who had just come down from the south peak, who reported a good climb, with a 3000 foot glissade.

Annual season opener to that enchanted Duckabush valley. The river's song is your constant companion on this intimate trail with mossy green margins. Before it climbs out of second growth into ancient forest you pass rusting relics of turn of the century logging. At any of the vistas on Big Hump on can hear the lusty calls of grouse, thrush, or the whirring of hummingbirds. It descends back to the vigorous crystal green waters of the Duck at 5 miles. Mabey a dozen blowdowns but none too troublesome. Lights of Seattle visible from atop Big Hump at night.

Well, we couldn't have asked for a better day! We followed the trail as far as it was visible - to about 3,300'. It pretty much disappeared in the snow and underbrush, so we bushwacked our way for about 15 minutes heading East until we came to a gully consisting of snow and lots of blown down trees. This area had obviously seen some serious avalanche activity in the winter, but was safe now. We headed straight up, picking our way through the trees for about 20 minutes more and decided to head back West a little bit - back into the forested area where it was a bit more open. It soon opened up and when we hit the treeline, I could tell that our bushwacking at the end of the trail had put us one ridge too far East. Oh well, we were looking for some exercise anyway! So, we scrambled up the steep slope to the ridgecrest, postholing a few times on the way. Once on the ridgecrest it was a simple matter to follow the ridgeline to the summit. A beautiful, crystal clear day that yielded awesome views of Rainier. On the way down, we went on the West slope of the ridge we ascended and found that was how most of the other people on Bandera that day were ascending. It turned out to be a better option. Best of all, it afforded some fun glissading on the way down! The slope sort of funneled into another gully that we descended until rejoining the trail at 3,300'. This gully was easier, more open, than the one we took on the way up. So, basically head up the first gully you come to from the trail. It's marked by a bunch of blown down trees, just on the uphill side of the trail. In all, it took us about 3 hours on the way up and an hour and a half to get down. If we had gone up the way we came down, we probably would have cut at least 45 minutes off of our ascent time. All in all, a great hike on a beautiful day!

One advantage of the St. Helens area is that it melts out earlier than other parts of the Washington Cascades. Even so, with this cool spring the Johnson Ridge Observatory Road was not open this past weekend. It was okay for us, well prepared Mountaineers. We had a sunny day and for most of the day, the trail almost to ourselves.

The trailhead is located off of Highway 504, and starts out on the Hummocks Trail, in the valley below the Coldwater Visitors Center. After 1/2 mile, the trails split. The Hummocks Trail (2.2 miles) is great for children, family groups and beginning hikers.

The Boundary Trail wanders through the hummocky terrain, with views over the N. Fk. Toutle and the amazing debris left from the mudslide off of St. Helens and Spirit Lake. Small lakes have been formed by the hummocks and the area is now populated with colonies of red-winged blackbirds, horsetails, iris, reeds, willows, cottonwoods and alder. The little hills are covered with a thick carpet of grassy turf, where they aren't covered with emerging wildflowers and shrubs. Everywhere there were signs of deer and elk. We saw 3 black-tails, a couple of Golden-Mantled ground squirrels and lots of small birds.

The trail to Johnson Ridge is about 4.3 miles in length, with approximately 1600 feet gain. There are some areas with exposure, where the loose volcanic soils have slipped. Parts are rocky, but the path is for the most part well graded and easy walking. The views are astounding of St. Helens, the surrounding blast zone, the lakes, ridges and valleys carved by stupendous forces of nature. It brings to home in a real personal way the vitality of our beautiful planet.

One caution on any of the trails in the blast zone: Bring lots of water. Hikers are not allowed to travel off trail in this area and there are no substantial creeks that cross the trail. Since there is no cover at all, the sun and wind exposure can be tremendous. We struggled uphill against mighty gusts, which dropped as we returned in the afternoon.

I saw red-flowered currant, some pussywillows and alder catkins in bloom. The wildflowers will be late this year, but were emerging onto the scene. Huckleberry, kinnicknick and elderberry bushes were especially evident on open slopes, as well as Oregon Grape, penstemon, fireweed and lupine. Bring water, your best buddies and a flower book and enjoy the emerging miracle of life.

This trip can be done downhill with a car shuttle from the Observatory when the road is open.

Given a great weather forecast for climbing on Sunday but with Mother's Day taking most of my cohorts out of commission, I decided to try for a solo ascent of Mt. Baring via the standard route (Northwest Ridge). Barclay Creek Road was bare and dry for 3.5 miles, promising an easy drive to the trailhead parking lot until, rather suddenly, I was stopped by a snowpatch about 0.3 miles from the trailhead. Even in four-wheel drive, I couldn't plow through, and there was no indication that others had driven farther, so I parked on the shoulder.

A short hike up to the parking lot (at 2200 feet) and another 200 yards beyond brought me to the climber's path (marked with a cairn). Like any self-respecting climber's path, this one is steep, muddy and crude--yet easy to follow through brush and timber. At 3000 feet, I veered slightly left to a narrow snow chute and ascended it almost continuously to the ridge saddle at 4000 feet. A mile of upsy-downsy traversing ensued, sometimes directly on the forested crest and other times on steep snow slopes south of the crest. Fortunately, another party had recently traversed the route, so I was able to follow their tracks all the way to the west couloir that splits Mt. Baring's two peaks. The tracks graciously continued up the couloir to the col and then leftward to the main (north) summit. Snow conditions along the ridge had been firm and excellent for step-kicking, but the surficial snow in and above the couloir was somewhat mushy.

If this route has a crux, it is a short, steep step rising from the col. This snow step can be climbed directly or circumvented on the left; the right side is very steep and corniced. I donned crampons here for the remainder of the climb. Above the step, moderate snow slopes lead to the top. I reached the barely exposed summit rocks at 1:00 pm and enjoyed a sunny hour of sightseeing and register perusing. The regional peaks were in full view but a high overcast and haze hid the farther peaks. Mt. Rainier was discernable in the distance, and I'm sure Mom was out there somewhere, too.

The summit register indicated that the first ascent of 2002 was made only one day earlier, by a Mountaineers scramble course (thanks for the nice steps!). Also, the last ascent of 2001 was on November 10th, by two different parties; wow, that's late in the year! I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise that a large percentage of summiteers are from Baring, Skykomish, Sultan, and other nearby towns; obviously, the lure of Mt. Baring is strongly felt by local residents. It was interesting to read that the notorious North Face has seen two ascents in the past several years.

By 2:00 pm, a chilly breeze had kicked up, so I began descending. The snow was now knee-deep mush until I reached the shade of the ridge; thereafter, it was still quite firm. Thanks to good heel-plunging conditions, the descent was rapid and without incident--except for an encounter with some adolescent devil's club! Arriving at the trailhead parking lot, I was surprised to see five vehicles (all four-wheel drive types). Apparently, they were able to plow through the snow patches. A hiker there told me that the Barclay Lake Trail is completely snow-covered but well-packed. Farther down the road, I found my vehicle sharing the shoulder with a half-dozen other vehicles-all two-wheel drive types. How embarrassing! Oh well, within a few days, the entire road will likely be snow-free.

Stats: 6 miles, 4200 feet, 4.25 hours up, 2.5 hours down.

Access road is blocked by a fallen tree about 4-5 miles from the trailhead. Snow mounds on the road at 2500' feet in elevation. Wait until the road is cleared to tackle this trail.

It was too nice a day to stay below the views, so despite a lack of willing companions and a late start, I planned to try to reach Miller Peak. The last mile or so of the road was mostly soft snow patches that were long and deep enough to have turned back all other traffic. Our high-clearance 4WD truck finally stopped within sight of the Miller/Bear trailhead parking lot sign. With another day or two of warm weather, 4WDs should be able to make it to the parking lot, and it won't be long before small cars can as well. The road is otherwise in fine condition.

I strapped small snowshoes and two hiking sticks to my pack and walked the last hundred yards or so to the Miller Peak/Iron Bear trailhead. I planned to try to reach the summit of Miller via the SW ridge, which I gathered was the way Mike Collins got there on May 4 (see his report). But I sure wish he had included some details about how he reached the ridge crest from the trailhead. I found the creekside brush and the ridge?s snowy treed lower slopes more than I was willing to tackle, so after a little scouting around, at 11:15 I headed up the Miller Peak trail instead.

The trail was a mix of some dry tread, a little mud, sporadic soft snow, and quite a lot of hard-packed snow between trees or tree wells. Never a long enough stretch of soft snow to bother with snowshoes. There were traces of old footprints and for the most part the snow was easy to read. Only broke through a few times, and only once past my knee. I was extraordinarily careful since I was alone and expected to have to get myself out of any jam I got myself into. A hiking stick definitely made it much easier to adjust to the snow as it reacted to my weight. Just a few blow-downs. The trail was pretty easy to follow through the first 5 stream crossings. The crossings are all unbridged and for some of them it took a bit of brush busting to find a suitable log (upstream of the trail in all cases) that wasn?t overhung by a snow cornice.

After the fifth stream crossing, the trail takes a left and swings around a corner (probably crosses another stream ? I can?t remember from the only time I was up there before) onto the shady west-facing side of the ridge. Instead of this, I stayed even more to the left (west) on a sunnier south slope, as had others before me, and ascended first in trees, then on scree and some broken snow patches, to a point at about 5400? on the shoulder of the main ridge. There were lots of buttercups and the beginnings of yellow lilies in the scree, and countless leaf clumps of Columbia lewisia, as promised. Mountain bluebirds cruised from tree to tree. It is still barely spring here. No bugs at all, though with all this warm weather, they can't be far from hatching.

On the ridge shoulder the snow deepened and where there wasn?t snow there was steep rock. It was already 2:15 and I had set 2:30 as turnaround time to meet my ride on the road. So I sat in the sun, got out the other walking stick for the descent, enjoyed the views of the whole snowy Iron-Navajo-Earl ridge, and watched Mt. Rainier fade in the thickening cloud haze.

On the scree and snow the pair of walking sticks made for easy downhill travel. With the snow baskets attached, the poles helped distribute my weight so I could move with more confidence on marginal afternoon snow. What had taken 3 hours to go up took 2 to get down.

Road 1570 has mostly been cleared of blow-down. You'll almost certainly want 4wd vehicles with high ground clearance to get through drainages cut into the road. The last big blowdown which blocks the road immediately precedes a huge wash-out, so it's not worth clearing; park there and walk the road to the trailhead.

We used ski poles, ice axes and snow shoes. We wore our crampons for a short while, but we didn't need them because the snow was soft enough to kick steps.

Stay on the ridge crests from point 5971 toward Cyclone lake. Side-hilling was a pain in the butt in the soft snow. We ascended left around Cyclone Lake and descended the ridge on the right side of the lake. Both routes were fine - take your pick. The right side is steeper and more direct. The left side is more gentle and the views from the broad, mellow ridge top are wonderful.