Trip Reports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My boyfriend and I kicked off the season by taking our first trek up to Kelly Butte. The trail was in great condition, minus the "Kelly Butte" sign pointing to the start of the switchbacks being knocked off the post. We temporarily attached it but it will without a doubt fall off again. There was quite a bit of snow to walk through as you near the lookout, but nothing that requires any extra equipment, just make sure your boots are waterproof! The lookout was great, minus the foggy weather (we didn't really get a view today). It was obvious that this hike offers incredible views on our way down when the fog started to burn off. Looking forward to doing this hike again on a clear day!

On a side note, we seem to have lost a men's Columbia jacket on our way down. If you find it and you don't want to keep it, please email parvuj@spu.edu and a nice bit of karma will be coming your way :)

This trail is ABSOLUTLEY GORGEOUS. We had a great time. Only problem is snow EVERYWHERE! Be really careful as the logs on the trails are slick, I have the huge bruise to prove it! Dog fell through a small snow bank and got a little freaked out. The snow was melting as we hiked, so hiking out was a little more dangerous than hiking in. all in all, an easy fun beautiful hike. We will be back!! Oh, and if you have four wheel drive, the road in is a little tricky.........bring the truck!! :)

Beautiful and popular hike. There seemed to be a catepillar infestation in the middle of the hike. You could hear them falling to the ground from the trees- it sounded like rain! Just when you think you've reached the top you will start to descend for about a mile. Don't give up! You're going the right way and it's worth it. The para gliders at Poo Poo Point are a ton of fun to watch.

We set out from a full parking lot at the trailhead at 9:30am, looking forward to an easy walk through the woods to Monte Cristo. Having never hiked Monte Cristo, I had read about the log crossing, etc. We followed the road/trail along, and noted a sign for "Weeden Creek". It appeared that this was the only available path, and so we took it. Long story short: we ended up in Gothic Basin.

After lunch, we turned back around and discovered that the sign for "Weeden Creek" had been placed to obscure the path leading to the log river crossing of the Monte Cristo trail. We decided to tack on the additional miles and hike it anyways, knowing that it will soon be closed. On the way in we climbed over many blowdowns. There were a few minor snow sections, easy to manage without traction or poles.

The town was fantastic and well-worth the long day of hiking. We were gifted with a blowdown-free hike on the way out, as workers had come in and cleared the logs, a welcome site at the end of a long day. I would definitely recommend visiting Monte Cristo while it is still accessible. Just remember to go around the sign for Weeden Creek.

3 of us hiked the trail from the Denny Creek trailhead the 4.5 miles to Melakwa Lake. The bridge is still out at the 1 mile mark, but the beaver dam is usable for crossing. River is flowing at a good rate.
Before and after this river crossing the trail was in good condition. We passed the overlook to snowshoe falls after about 2 miles and there were good views. Still a bit of snow above the falls and the water is rushing strong.
Steep hiking up through the valley after this. Some snow on the trail, but nothing major.
At 3.5 (hemlock pass) there is significant snow. We could not find the trail and decided to blaze directly up the ridge. It was about 500 feet maybe and quite steep. I highly recommend an ice axe for the return trip. Crampons or at minimum microspikes are needed. We had 1 30-50 foot glissade that was quite dangerous but arrested with a trekking pole.
After the ridge there is more snow leading to the lake. A few feet still. The terrain here was much easier and we made our own route to the lake. Still no trail to be found - although we did find the sign for Melekwa.
The lake is still mostly frozen. Identical to the picture from the 6/9 trip report. Beautiful.
Some foot prints led around the lake and we saw some climbing the steep snowfield on the opposite (north?) side of the lake.

Required some trail finding and steep travel through snow (dangerous without proper gear) but was a very rewarding hike at 8.9 miles. It took us almost 9 hours including stops and a long lunch.

The trail was clear all the way up to the Snow Lakes. We hiked up in the afternoon and set up camp as the sun was setting over the mountains. In the morning, a mountain goat joined us for breakfast. As others note, Icicle Brewery is a worthwhile post-hike stopover.

Another great hike with my friend Jason. We actually attempted this a few years ago as a backup after we could not cross the river on the Vesper trail but ran out of time. We had plenty of time last weekend on a mostly sunny Saturday. We made good time up the trail. Similar elevation gain and distance to summit as Granite Mt (I90). 3,870 gain in 4.25 miles (8.5 miles RT). Snow for around the last mile, and the snow route pretty much goes straight up, so you will sweat (but you already should be by then). We made it up in 2.5 hrs. Great views from the top 5,720'. There is actually a lower West summit (great spot for lunch) and an East summit (exposed rock on snow field). The actual summit has a cornice on the North side and some trees to the South, so not the best place to hang out for lunch. Micro-spikes worked great for that last mile, we had our ice axes but didn't use them, our poles were much more useful. Several excellent glissades on the way down. We made it down in 2 hrs.

That has to be one of the nicest, biggest, and best maintained trail heads!

When I lived in Alaska a co-worker of mine told me about hiking this trail when he was a kid. Ever since he described this wonderful place, I've had it on my MUST DO list.

This weekend the fates were in my favor, since a dear friend of mine had to cancel her trip last minute up north. So I headed south for one last outdoor adventure before she moved out of state.

The trail is very popular, and I can see why. The trail has an easy grade, is well maintained and has great campsites. Oh and don't forget the waterfalls! We never made it to Tunnel Falls but did see Metlako, Loowit, High Bridge, Wy'east, and of course the infamous Punch Bowl Falls (Some say it is the most photographed waterfall in the entire Pacific Northwest).

If you plan spending a weekend checking out waterfalls on the Columbia Gorge, make sure this hike is on your list! ^_^

Hurricane Ridge has been having many good weather days off late. Even though there was quite a crowd at the visitor center, Hurricane Hill trail is not-so-crowded and Wolf Creek trail was quite deserted.
There is some snow still on the Wolf Creek Trail - if you are wearing hiking boots you can walk over it but probably not safe for children. There are also fallen big branches that have to be climbed over.
But it is completely worth it for the wildflowers in the meadows and unhindered views of the snow-peaked Oympics. Also great mushroom sighting and birding opportunities. I am glad we kept going in spite of snow, fallen branches and slush!

Our crew camped at Poplar Flat Campground and spent the week clearing logs off several trails in the Twisp River valley. Louis Lake is now cleared to 4700', Twisp Pass is cleared to the pass, South Creek is cleared to the creek crossing at 4200' (the creek was too deep and swift to pass safely), Copper Pass is cleared to the snow line at 5000', and North Creek is cleared to 4700'.

We had lovely weather, only one wood tick, and the wildflowers were out. On the Louis Lake Trail, we saw more calypso orchids than I have ever seen on one trail. The Twisp River Valley, viewed from any of these trails, is gorgeous, with snow still to be seen up high and beautiful spring greens below.

The Poplar Flat campground was busy, but not overflowing. There were sites available even on the weekend. The facilities are well kept, and there's a lovely CCC picnic shelter with a fireplace for cool mornings or evenings. It's a great place to car camp and use as a base for day hiking any of the lovely trails in the valley. Getting to high elevation can be done fairly quickly. The trails range from moderate (South Creek) to quite steep (parts of Louis Lake and Twisp Pass). Bring trekking poles for creek crossings, as some of them are still running high.

The road to the the trailhead is a little rough but we had no problems in a subaru outback getting there. The trail had a few sites with blowdown, but easy to get around. The snow level was around 3500'-3600'. We were able to follow footprints through the snow to the pass which made the navigating much simpler. We didn't have any post-holing and the snow was about 3' deep at the summit. The views at the summit are awesome and the sun halo and rainbow clouds that day made the views even better.

This was a wonderful hike. The lower trail was clear and fairly dry. The closer to the lake there was a down tree and the trail got wet and muddy. Then you run into snow. The weather was bright, sunny and warm. The view was beautiful with a little haze in the air. We counted 37 waterfalls. We saw skunk cabbage, and trillium (not yet blooming). We enjoy seeing how the forest rejuvenate itself, trees growing from trees, the large root systems from upturned trees.

Headed out pretty late for a solo overnight. After a few day hikers left the trail was empty and I was the only one on the mountain. The first couple miles were pretty brutal with a 30 pound pack but well worth it!
Made it up to a snowfield on the right with great spots for camping, trees for hanging gear and a great view of Rainier. I am glad I brought Deet because the mosquitos were pretty intense, I ended up reapplying a few times. Great sunset. Woke up early the next morning hung my gear and made it to the top ridge before turning around. Great views from the ridge including Adams, Helens blast zone, Rainier and the lahar bed from the 80s eruption. Flowers are just beginning to grow and temperatures were perfect for pants and tank top.
A few blow downs on the first half mile of the trail.
Great time of year to make this hike, well worth the bugs.

Great hike, lower part of the loop is wheelchair accessible. The upper part of the loop is flat, but requires a 700 ft climb when starting from the interpretive site. Very well maintained trails. Be sure to check out the website before going. http://www.irongoat.org/

This hike's about 4mi one-way. The first mile provides some variety with a waterfall, power lines, and the Iron Horse trail junction, otherwise it's all under a forest canopy. We crossed 1 blowdown, some small water streams and muddy spots on the way up. There are small scree sections about 1 mile from the end - these finally provide views of the mountain across, and the trail flattens considerably thenceforth.

The snow's apparently melting fast - you only see it after the scree sections; the final 1/2 mile is all on snow. There was exactly one spot on the way back where I thought hiking poles would've been handy - a small slippery snowy mound that we ran/skidded through. A couple of us did the hike in runners, though I'm an advocate of wearing hiking shoes in general (carefree stepping through streams/mud, no ankle rolls).

The lake itself is very pretty - you have to scout a bit to find spots to sit, and there's a waterfall sound in the background. I did get a 2nd hand report of a swimmer if you're so inclined.

Somehow we took almost as long coming down as going up (~2 hrs), but it felt faster :).

We arrived at Denny Creek right at 8:30- it was the perfect time to get there because there was not a lot of crowds yet and plenty of parking. It was a beautiful morning, the hike was amazing. We hiked up to Snowshoe Falls which was a little of 2 miles. We did have to climb over some logs to cross a creek, but it wasn't to bad. We cannot wait to go back.

So would the Forest Service be mad if I posted a giant sign at the trailhead saying, "A FED GOAT IS A DEAD GOAT"? There is a sign at the trailhead warning people about dangerous goats with their lethal pointy horns, but no sign posted saying why the goats have gotten so aggressive. That would be us, my friends. More on goats later.

We decided to try Lake Ingalls on a day with promise of views of Mt. Stuart. In all the time I've been here, I've seen Stuart, and been up it on a clear day, but every time I've brought someone else, it's been cloudy at the top. Not so today.

The parking lot was very full, but surprisingly, there were few people on the Lake Ingalls trail. Perhaps most were headed for Esmeralda Basin. The hike up was easy most of the way, crossing softening avalanche fans a couple miles up. There is a profusion of spring beauty flowers and some glacier lilies, meaning the real flower show is yet to come. It was a perfect day temperature wise, with a light wind to keep us cool.

Past the intersection with Longs Pass, the trail cuts into a basin that was snow covered for the most part. We picked our way up and stopped for views, only to have a goat leap past us and then circle around to a rocky outcrop. Two guys had just come down over the rocks, and three folks were on their way up, so we figured they had spooked the goat.

Then we got up to the camp area below the pass and there was an adolescent goat checking out four unoccupied tents. Another adult was wandering the snowfields. We proceeded up to the pass to the area where people like to picnic and decided to stop and enjoy the highly unusual solitude and lovely views of Mt. Stuart and the basin. Suddenly, we saw a herd of 10 goats head up the basin. We were thrilled as they formed a line and ascended the slopes - and came over the rocks- and then we were scrambling to pick up our lunch as they streamed over the ridge, pinning us to the edge. There were two woolly babies bleating the whole way, but their mothers looked pretty determined.

The goats made patrols and passes for over an hour, sometimes hovering on the rocks above. Clearly, they associate people with food. I have never seen this behavior, but after reading the warning from the Park Service about NOT LETTING THE GOATS LICK PEOPLE'S HANDS AND ARMS at Mt. Ellinor, I figured these goats had been corrupted like the red foxes at Mt. Rainier that get too many balogna sandwiches. We ignored the goats and they dispersed, leaving us to rest in the sun and enjoy a light nap until- BAAA! There was a goat baby and mom right by us. Yikes. We finally shook ourselves out of our pleasant little spot, which not another person had visited, and left.

So, excellent place to see mountain goats, but please please please don't feed them or let them lick your arms. Wildlife always pays the price for human error in the end.

At around 11am we took Baker Lake Road to Road 1152 (long, narrow, and winding). It was dry and in good condition. At the trailhead, there were more than a few vehicles. The restroom was in very good condition.

Before taking the Shannon Ridge Trail (which we literally chose randomly, without any knowledge on the trail) we left our names and plans at the Forest Service box (find the box a little ways down the trail). The trail was snow free for awhile, then patches appeared around 3000ft. By the time we approached the 3500ft, the trail was gone and we followed others footprints. There were multiple sets with multiple flags on different routes.

We followed a climbing group to the Shannon Ridge where we found breathtaking views of snow-topped peaks, lakes, and the beautiful Mount Baker. We didn't have any snow gear and so upon a VERY steep ascent toward rocky peaks, we turned back.

We saw yellow, purple, maroon, and white wild flowers and a grouse. The runoff from the glaciers was loud and beautiful to hear.

A fallen tree blocks the FS road about a half mile from the trailhead. We walked to the trailhead easily. The trail is covered with a bit of debris but easily handled. Snow is on the trail and spots are expansive enough to cause us the search for the trail. At Independence Lake we encountered lots of snow and a more than half frozen lake. Stay low along the lake as this is where the trail is even though its covered in snow. At around three quarters the way down the lake don't hesitate to traverse the flat open area as it is solid ground and not the lake. At the north end of the lake there is bare ground and you can see the gravel path that is the trail. We stopped here to have lunch and it was very pleasant. No bugs! We tied an orange tape to the tree that has a worn trail marker showing the way. The talus area is covered in snow hiding the switchbacks upwards. We found the trail up the slope but decided to turn around because of more snow and time. We did not go on the North Lake. The forest is amazing with Western and Mountain Hemlocks everywhere some of them huge old growth. The forest floor is covered in young Hemlocks adding to the beauty. Enjoy!

Mountaineer CHS hike kicks off Summer hiking! As much as we love our local trails, come June we start longing for Mountains and pristine Alpine Lakes. Long no more...

The only downside to Mountain day hikes being the multi hour, early morning drive from Seattle to a distant trailhead. Assembling at the P&R at an hour too early to be mentioned in polite company, our group made the mostly silent drive to the Lake Stuart Trailhead arriving around 9:30 to find the large parking area mostly full. Lots of fellow hikers answering the call of fair weather.

There being no recent WTA trip reports on Lake Stuart we decided to hope for the best and left the gaiters and micro-spikes behind trusting the warm weather had done it's work on the snow. It had.

We left the TH at about 9:45 and reached Lake Stuart about 1:00 after allowing for photo and various other stops along the way. The trail was in great shape! A few small streams to hop across (in addition to the scenic log bridge) some slightly muddy spots and one of two patches of snow (see photo) that were easily crossed or stepped over. (In fact, likely to have melted off in the next few days.) A few rocky bits to climb over but nothing to deter anyone.

As this trail serves both Lake Stuart and Colchuck Lake you will encounter most of your hiker traffic (and do most of your altitude gain) before the trail junction at about mile 2.5 where the Colchuck traffic heads East.

Arriving at the lake we enjoyed the scenery and awesome mild summer weather, had lunch, relaxed and shared the lake with a fair number of hikers and over-night campers. Didn't feel crowded however even on this stellar June weekend day! Reluctantly leaving the Lake at about 2:25 we were back at the TH around 5:00.

Saving the mildly bad news for last... as usual, the bug population has survived the winter and is thriving... they also seem pretty unimpressed with bug repellant. Certainly not unique to Lake Stuart and no reason at all to stay home!

Capped off a highly successful hike with a most excellent dinner at "South" in Leavenworth. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to our intrepid hike leaders!

 

 



   

Trying to kick myself into shape. Lake Serene on Monday and decided Mt Dickerman would definitely kick me!

It did. A long, slow ascent on a great day punctuated by high clouds but still rather nice.

The switchbacks, well, they are still there, one after another, after another. The Waterfall Gully snow crossing is still intact but I did not test it on the way up, rather, dropping down into the creek on some slippery rocks, crossing and climbing out.

After the waterfall, you start picking up more and more snow finally heading off the Summer trail and taking the direct snow route up and up and up some more. Where you'd normally cross the creek and head a bit left, you take a right turn following the tracks into a broad gully and up the ever narrowing gully. Watch for developing holes dropping into the creek.

Then it's up until you reach the summit ridge and head to the right to the summit. There were quite a number of folks up there and more came later.

Nice views in all directions somewhat affected by the high clouds.

Spent about 3/4 of an hour and made my way slowly down the snow and then the trail.

I used ice ax and poles and gaiters made for dryer hiking. Lots of folks with only poles. More folks using some form of microspikes or traction than I've seen before - with some firm snow, it looked like a good idea particularly on downward sloping tread.

Day hike with my 6 year old granddaughter. Main trail very well kept but the loop trail across the river and over the suspension bridge did have some standing water and mud in the trail. This did not cause any real problems however.
Though this trail has signage saying "most difficult" with appropriate care it was not at all hard for her little legs. The glacial run-off was obvious in the deep blue of the pools and was well worth the effort. She actually hiked Ape Cave lower cavern after Lava Canyon and was asking where we were going next. If your kids listen well and are careful this is a great hike!
The secondary trail that is just after the suspension bridge is closed at this time so be aware of this fact.

Out and back from Longmire to Narada Falls. Some snow on the trail after Madcap Falls but then the last portion to Narada Falls was snow free. All the falls were roaring and the mountain even made an appearance in the morning before afternoon clouds partially blocked the view. Narada Falls even had a little rainbow at the bottom just like in the viewpoint sign picture!

Awesome trail on a beautiful day. The tread on this trail is so easy to hike on. The trail is in great condition and the bridges and wood walk ways over the boggy areas are for the most part sturdy (although watch your step they do have some holes). There are some blowdowns that are not to difficult to straddle over or around.
There is a lot to see on this trail. You are in the woods most of the time but never feel closed in. There are plenty of open areas where you catch glimpses of the surrounding mountainsides, you come close to the river a few times and you pass through some meadows with flowers blooming.
I followed the trail as far as the bridge over Foss River where there was a very elaborate camp set up (someone knows how to camp) and had lunch alongside the river before returning.
A good way to put some easy miles in. When I am a little faster and a little stronger later in the season I may try this again and push on to the lakes.
There were two other groups that started about the same time I did this morning (10am ish) but I never caught up to the pair in front of me and the pair behind me didn't catch me until I was eating lunch so it was a very quiet, uncrowded hike. Passed a few groups heading up as I was heading back.
Easy access as his trail is not far off of HWY 2, 4 miles of which the first is paved and the second is county maintained which only leaves 2 miles of dirt road with a few big potholes in it.

Well, I was looking for a hike to break in my new hiking shoes. And this one just seemed right, not to much incline, not too long, not to mention it sounded very interesting after reading through the description and some previous trip reports here.

After stopping first at impressive Big Four Mountain, where I was lucky to get the picture of this morning-dew covered Dandelion, I started from the Monte Cristo trailhead at 07:30. As the description says, this is all hiking on the road and not technically difficult.

Only obstacle is the road being washed out after around half a mile. The big log can be crossed easily, though in case it being wet, this can be dangerous indeed. So be careful then.

On one hand it is impressive to see what happened to the old road and the steel bridge in particular, on the other hand is is hard to imagine how this could have happened, seeing the river flowing by just pretty normally.

After finding the road again easily, it is just level walking along it for the next 3.5 miles until reaching Monte Cristo. The two or three 100 yard inclines towards the end are not a challenge. But there were around 15 blow downs across the road overall, but all can be passed easily over.

At Monte Cristo itself there is still a lot to see at the 'main plaza'. So it is for sure worth going there. (I saw other ghost-towns with almost nothing to see anymore). After passing the main plaza, taking the bridge to the left one enters Dumas Street. Well, there's not much left of it, and hard to imagine this once even had a 30 to 40 feet wide boardwark as the information board says ...

... I will leave it like that, everybody should explore this place by him- or herself.

I turned back to the main plaza, had late breakfast, enjoyed the sun for a while, and headed back at 12:15, lot of other hikers just coming opposite to my direction. I was back at the trailhead at 13:30. When I started I was the 3rd car, now the lot was full. This hike to Monte Cristo - especially during weekends - is very popular indeed.

But it is worth it to go there, even if it is just to see, how nature takes back what men created. And 100 years is not that too far ago.

I definately will do more reading about this place and its history now.

Very nice and relaxing hike, for a slow day.

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It was our first hike this summer and we are completely satisfied with Poo Poo point hike. Amazing view of Mount Rainier, Lake and Issaquah. Trail is clean and maintained and you will find so many hikers on your way. Initially hike is little bit steep but second part is bit easy. You will get two view points: first Mount Rainier and second Lake and Issaquah city. Don't forget to bring your camera to click some amazing natural photos.

The trailhead for this hike is a little tricky to find. When you leave the parking lot turn right on the trail about 10 feet before the Kachess Ridge Hike sign. You will then go down a slight incline towards a creek. Turn left on the trail, go through the gate, and then turn right on the bridge by a waterfall.

Also, the road to turn on from the frontage road is called Kachess Dam. You won't see the marking for FR 4818 until you driven down the road.

This hike is pretty much an uphill hike the whole way until you reach the ridge. There are some short reprieves from time to time with some flat areas but they don't last long and then it is more up and up and up. Most of it is in the shade so on a semi-warm day like today, we were able to keep relatively cool.

We saw lots of wildflowers and we had wonderful views along the hike up as well as when we got to the ridge part of the trail. We stopped for lunch along the ridge on a flat area above the trail and not wanting to keep going on and on the trail we then turned back for the trailhead.

The descent is much quicker (and harder on the knees) then the ascent which is hard on the calves and quads.

Overall, good hike with a couple of great hiking companions including two black labs.

Arrived at 10:00 AM. The parking lot was about 3/4 full. The trail was clear and dry. There were a steady flow of people up and down the trail but I had lots of time where I was alone too. There were lots of dogs and a few smaller children.

Pulled into the parking area around 730am. Parking lot had 4 other cars in it. Pit toilet available at parking lot. Started hike at 745am with temps in the upper 40's.

All insulating layers quickly came off as the trail slowly gained elevation. Trail was in great condition. The rhododendrons hung over our heads as we made our way up giving way to glimpses of Welches Peak.

As the trail steepens we had a few small water crossings.

as you gain elevation the trail then turns to switchbacks making nice work of the steep hillside.

The ridge to the summit then comes into view. small wild flowers were all over the place as you started leaving the tree line. there were a few small snow crossings as well.

we finally gained the summit ridge and it was just a short walk to the summit gracing us views to the north east from Baker all the way down to mt Adams. Great views of the surrounding Olympics as well.

A WTA crew spent 3 days clearing multiple blow downs from the first river crossing to well above Startup Creek. Another multi-day work party will work farther up toward Sundown Pass in August. Projects closer to the trailhead are being tackled by several one-day work parties.

The first river crossing is best accomplished using a fallen cedar downstream of the now missing bridge. Tumble Creek is easily forded with only the outside of ones boots getting wet. The second river crossing bridge broke last year, survived the seasonal floods and can still be easily crossed. Startup Creek is low and could be forded. We opted to cross on the bulky log that has a pronounced slant across the stream.

Marsh Mallows, Avalanche Lilly, Salmon Berries and Bear Grass were all blooming. We had frequent visits from humming birds.

We began our hike by crossing the suspension bridge across the Yakima River at the Umtanam Recreation Area. Shortly after the railroad tracks at an unsigned junction we went left from the main canyon trail to hopefully climb 2000 feet in 3 miles to Untanum Ridge. However, the many variety of birds, flowers, and butterflies slowed our pace so that we had to turn around 700 feet short of the ridge. We saw lazuli buntings, yellow-breasted chats, Cassin's finch, gold finch, phoebes, and towhees. Hyssop, yarrow, large-flowered collomia, linear leaf daisies, and a beautiful white flowering shrub we haven't identified yet were some of the flowers seen. The clouds helped to block the sun at times so with a light breeze, the heat was tolerable. It was a very enjoyable day! :)! We saw only 4 other people the entire 8 hours we were on the trail.

Left Bellevue at 6:30 am with a friend from Illinois. Had to explain that Tiger Mountain was really the foothills. Supressed laughing when she wanted to stop to take pictures of the beautiful Lake Kechelus (clouds hid the best of the pass). Hit blue sky half way between Easton and Cle Elum, as usual. Reached trail head at 8:30 am. Roads in typical condition. Take your time through and around the potholes.
Lots of wildflowers and more to come. Saw trillium, columbine, calypso orchid, lupine, white phlox, paint brush, vanilla leaf, spring beauty, miner's lettuce, and the special plants that can survive the greenish serpentine soils like: rare grass poa curtifolia, holly fern, reddish-purple douglasia nivalis dentate. Enjoyed hugging the ancient doug-firs (likely Ents) that live high in the basin.

The trail is in fantastic condition. No snow on the trail to Navaho Pass and as far up Navaho Peak as we went. Views spectacular throughout the hike. This trail gets dusty later in the season, so enjoy it now. No bugs to speak of, except lots of butterflies as the day warmed up.

Our friend was dutifully impressed. On the way back as we approached Kechelus Lake, she said, "This is not so impressive now. I bet you were internally laughing at me when I was impressed this morning." We laughed so hard I almost had to stop the car.

Finding the trailhead is a little tricky for this hike. From Sparks Road in Easton you drive north on the Kachess Dam road. It is dirt but only a few big potholes. After crossing under the powerlines, look for a diamond-shaped marker on the tree marking a rough dirt road to the right. Follow that of about ½ mile or so to the trailhead for Silver Creek and a nice spot to hang out by the water. I was surprised to see 2 other Subarus at this quiet trailhead on a weekday.
The climb out is steep and switchbacks up through the valley and evergreens. I could hear Silver Creek gushing though the box canyon to my right, and had a few good views of it. The going is fairly rocky too. There are a couple nice spots for views where you can see across the canyon or back towards I-90. Once I flattened out on top, I hit patchy snow. As much as 2’ in places, as it is shaded, but nothing dangerous as it is all on flat ground. The snow was pretty consistent by the time I reached the boy scout bridge, the first major creek crossing. There were 2 blow-downs near there, one rather large, but easy enough to crawl over (unless you are a horse).
 Just before the bridge the Beacon Ridge trail (1315.1) takes off up the hill to the west. I had never been up there so decided to take that route. There was no snow along the east facing ridge except a couple small patches near the top which will probably be gone in a week or two. This trail is not really maintained, so a little more technical with stuff to climb over and overgrown by huckleberry bushes in places. It climbs steadily then heads to the south where it pops out on a ridge overlooking the I-90 corridor. There is an older tower there on top. The views were amazing, 360 degrees with Rainier and all the way into eastern Washington. I wish I had brought a camera. There are side trails along the ridge both directions but I had reached my turn around time so headed back down.
As a trail run it took me just under an hour to reach the top.

To start off, the directions to the trail head are not kidding about the last couple of miles being very rough. On top of that, the last little jaunt to the trail head is blocked by a blowdown, so parking is in the same location as the stock vehicle parking. The trail itself was nice, the first couple of stream crossings weren't that bad, had some rocks to step on, and the crossing points aren't that deep. A handful of the streams were a bit trickier. About a mile and a half in snow starts showing up, and about another half mile after that the trail was completely covered with three to four feet. I think I might have almost gotten to Spider Meadow, but after the third time completely losing the trail for a good twenty to thirty minutes and a couple of hours trudging over slushy snow I decided to turn back.

Minor blowdowns, but the trail is in generally great shape. The trail around the lake is mostly covered in snow.

The snow that kept us from the top five weeks ago is almost all gone now. The remaining patches are easy to cross. There are blowdowns, but none are too hard to get past.
We enjoyed the hike even though the clouds blocked the views. There are wild flowers, neat trees and giant rocks to see. We will go back on a clear day to see the views.
It is steep! We are glad we followed the directions and took the steep left side up and came down the gentler right side. Both are worth seeing.

We hiked the loop starting on the Lower Elliot Creek trail and returning, in part, on the Upper Trail. The lower trail is more scenic but with all the water coming down the mountain the upper trail had some nice waterfalls along the way.

McIntosh Falls is roaring with water now but it was difficult to get a good vantage point from which to photograph it because of downed trees on the boot path to the edge of the falls. Cadet Peak was obscured by clouds but the snowfield below it was visible.

The trail is snow free but there are some muddy parts as well as water running over the trail. The Upper Trail is not fairing well in the mountain climate. A huge boulder blocks most of the trail in one spot and a culvert that used to be under the trail is completely exposed as the stream it was supposed to be routing is now flowing around it washing out about ten feet of trail.

No bugs! I guess it may have been to cool for the critters that usually hang around the lake and meadows.

Beautiful day in Leavenworth. My first time on Ingalls Creek, and I picked the day before the heat comes in. Perfect.
Several small issues to deal with - and ALL of them were dealt with by the little kids on the trail.
I found the trail melted out to just beyond falls creek, (Mile 6) with reports of 5 more miles of clear trail. The wildflowers have peaked, but the stream is still awesome to behold.

Yes, this was the day that the 23 year old hiker was rescued from the middle falls - see http://www.kirotv.com/[…]/ We passed by about ten minutes after he fell, apparantly trying to get a better look. I guess gravity had a surprise waiting for him. Amazingly he rode the falls down river and crawled upon some rocks waiting for a rescue. The news said he had no injuries. But he does have one heck of a story to tell his friends. The park was closed during the rescue, but we had arrived earlier.

Getting there at 11:00 there were many open parking spaces to be had. The trail was dry with the rare exception of a mud puddle here and there. The falls were spectacular, with a large volume of water helping them to live up to their reputation.

WTA lists this as an Easy hike, but that depends upon how far up you want to go. The handout at the state park lists Small Falls as easy, Lower and Middle Falls as medium and Upper Falls as Hard. I go with the park version. However if you have the energy and are willing to put one foot in front of the other then you should have little problem. There is nothing technical about this hike.

Once reaching the upper falls you are warned with a sign about the hazards of going further without proper equipment, etc.

This is a great hike for very scenic falls.

In celebration of our 21st wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to do something really exciting... we went for a hike. We hardly EVER get to do that! ;) Thorp Mountain Lookout was our destination and we decided to walk the long ridgeline from the north called No Name Ridge.

We ended up parking on the wrong road; don't do that. It took us an hour to find the trailhead (turns out the right road was covered in snow and inaccessible anyway). There was lots of snow still on the trail (about 75% of the way), making navigation difficult at times. Our saving grace was knowing the trail traveled atop the ridgeline all the way to the spur trail heading to the lookout. When our route was in doubt, we slogged on until the trail appeared. No worries.

Flowers are busting right through the snow in places, and out of the running snowmelt in others. We saw glacier lilies, prairie stars, ball-headed something-or-others, phlox, little yellow jobbies, and gardens of anemone (I think).

Views are remarkable in places along the route! Mountains I hardly ever see and certainly don't know the names of appeared magnificently as clouds parted and skies became mostly sunny yesterday. Of course, the lookout boasts 360 degree views that are unbelievable!

It's over 5 miles to the lookout from the trailhead (longer for us, since we had an hour walk before finding the trailhead). The route goes up and down, and up and down, and up and down, finally ending in a 700ft scramble in .3 mile to the lookout. There were snowfields along the north slopes, making for a significantly more challenging scramble to our final destination. My husband looked pretty cool carrying his new shiny ice axe (and fortunately didn't have to self-arrest).

I'm quite sure we were the first to visit the lookout this spring (at least from the north ridge). There were no signs of human life. We played around the rocks, on the deck of the little house and snapped dozens of photos before fueling up for the return trip.

What a slog the return trip ended up being!! Wow! Did I say this trail is entirely uphill BOTH ways? Well, it is. We forced our bodies up the hill coming out, and crawled off the trail at 7:00pm (ten hours on the trail!!), weary and footsore. What a beautiful day and a wonderful way to celebrate 21 years. We saw half a dozen elk with calves, a deer, a chipmunk, and TWO snowshoe hares whose feet were still white. What a fun day!

We headed up Highway 2 to Baring, crossed the BNSF railroad tracks and drove up FS Road 6024 to the trailhead. There is a new restroom at the small parking lot, only two weeks old. Once on the trail, we hiked through the second growth forest from the area logged back in the late 1960's for about 1/4 mile before entering the old growth trees. This makes for a nice valley trail. After crossing Barclay Creek on a sturdy log bridge, it is only about another mile to the lake. At the outlet log jam there were three guys fishing. Further on we came to several campsites along the north side of the lake. One party had their tent up and had been doing some fishing, but said they had not caught any. We hiked to the end of the lake before having lunch. There is one short section on the trail that has been rebuilt near the side trail that goes to the wilderness toilet.

At our lunch spot we saw a Downy Woodpecker getting its lunch while walking along an old fallen tree. It was pecking like mad getting some bugs. While eating, it was cold with the wind blowing off the lake. On the way back out, we met other hikers headed to the lake, some with fishing poles. With the cool weather and low clouds, no skeeters or flies were seen. Some flowers are beginning to bloom. Also, note, you can not lock the new restoom door as the slid lock is jammed. (I'll send any email to the Skykomish Ranger Station and let them know).

The trail is in very good condition, with minimal rocks and roots to contend with. Whoever works on and maintains these trails should be commended.

Views on the way up would be great as you pass through rock fields and clear-cut forests (luckily, the clear-cut areas are minimal) - except for on this day, there was plenty of cloud cover to block our view. Regardless, the trail and its surroundings provide plenty of great views - and even the clouds can be interesting to see.

One note on the "steep" section: The last mile or more does indeed become steep, but calling it steep is almost an understatement. You will pretty much be scrambling up rocks. But the terrain is interesting and enjoyable, even if it does strain every muscle in your legs. Getting to the top is worth it though.

On the way back, we took a jaunt over to Mason Lake - which is also well worth the trip. Only another 1.5 miles round trip, it's a great relaxing hike and the lake provides a great resting point to soak in the beauty.

Decided to take a drive out on the Mountain Loop. This is a nice quick stop. It's a very nice hike similar to Lime Kiln, but much shorter. One important note: there is no grand lake; the destination is essentially a large beaver pond/marsh/lake--the trail keeps on going through the beaver area until the river so it is not entirely obvious that the area with the beaver dams is the destination.

The Seattle weather looks upbeat but there are a lot of clouds off toward the mountains as I head out to explore some trails at the eastern fringe of the Tigers. I park at the upper lot at the Tiger Summit Trailhead off Highway 18 and head east on the Crossover Trail, noting "Timber Sale" signs on trees on both sides of the trail. These trees seem too small to be "timber," and I feel concern about what their harvest might mean for this trail.

Across the Main Tiger Mountain Road I find the NW Timber Trail. Some years ago I walked the first part of it as a quick side trip, and today I'll do it all - it's only about two miles - and then continue on from there. The first part is very mossy, with branches arched over the trail. In about a half mile the trail skirts one of the steeper hillsides I've seen in the Tigers, must be a flank of Beaver Hill.

Further along the trail enters an area logged a few years ago. It's been replanted, and now a few knee-high trees can be seen among all the native transitional vegetation. At least it's green and easy on the eyes.

The NW Timber Trail ends at a junction with the East Side Road (Road 7000.) I follow the road, initially west, crossing tiny Trout Hatchery Creek that flows down from Beaver Valley. I'm alert for the junction with the Silent Swamp Trail. The map claims it's a 1.9 mile walk along the road but that has to be a typo. I think 0.9 mile would be about right.

I've never hiked the Silent Swamp Trail and am not sure of it's current status. Reputedly, much of it was destroyed by a clear cut operation a few years ago and it has been closed since. Apparently true! The trailhead still is there along Road 7000, and a sign confirms the trail is "closed for a reroute project." I'm curious, so try walking a short way up the still-visible beginning of the old trail. In a couple of hundred feet it disappears into an impenetrable slope of downed branches and new growth. Perhaps it would reappear somewhere upslope if I press on, but I'm content today to backtrack to the road.

A few feet along the road the trail "reroute operation" appears. It's a volunteer effort by a mountain-bike alliance to create a new incarnation of the Silent Swamp Trail. They aren't here yet today, so I can't ask more info. A makeshift sign on cardboard asks folks not to "ride" the new trail until it is finished. Nothing is said about hikers, but I elect to skip the new trail for now. I'm uncertain whether it goes through, or exactly where it would take me (read on... ) and I resolve to check it out in the fall if the work is completed by then.

I continue on Road 7000 another 0.8 mile, take a sharp left turn onto Road 5500 and come to the trailhead for the Preston RR Grade. It looks very familiar - I was here June 10 on a hike from the north side - but today I continue walking the road.

Soon, I notice a new trail coming up on the left. There's a signboard with info posted, and I learn this is the upper end of that new Silent Swamp reroute. The elevation here is only about 100 feet higher than at the lower end. Of course I don't know about the route between the two endpoints, but it looks like the reroute has very little elevation gain, and joins Road 5500 over a mile north of the former upper trailhead.

Further along Road 5500, as I approach Spring Creek, I note a trail heading off the road to the north. A faded paper sign indicates it's for maintenance access to "remote parts" of the Preston RR Grade but closed to other uses. It's not on my agenda for today so I skip it.

Another half mile or so along Road 5500 I come to the upper end of the old Silent Swamp Trail. There's an identical sign posted at this end about the closure and rerouting. While I ponder this, a sudden rain squall begins. Fortunately I packed my rain parka, and it's very welcome. Rain comes down fairly hard for about fifteen minutes, then abates.

The scene at this old trailhead is ambiguous. There's a heap of large stones, a pile of gravel, and some concrete blocks of the sort sometimes used in Tiger trail construction. And a few feet down the old trail a wheelbarrow has been stashed. Are there plans to begin something new here? Or are these just sad artifacts of trail work that was aborted when logging began?

Once again, I can't resist exploring so I start out down the old trail. At first it's quite passable, with an occasional blowdown to step over. In less than a quarter mile the trail approaches a crossing of Trout Hatchery Creek and it becomes much more rudimentary and overgrown. The creek crossing itself is easily negotiable on logs, but on the far side I find a jungle of prickly growth, over head high and very wet from the rain, and the footing is spongy. I force my way through a short way, then give up and retreat. I might attempt this again in the dry season to see if anything new has evolved. And, as for heading upstream toward Beaver Valley forget it. At least along the creek it looks totally impassible, and has devil's club to boot.

So it's back to Road 5500, termed "Crossover Road" on my map. Soon I come to an intersection with a logging road coming up from Beaver Valley. It too is familiar - I came by here on a hike June 7 - and I continue on Road 5500 up to where it levels out on the NW side of Sally's Summit.

I seek out the boot path up Sally's and quickly climb to the summit. As I noted in my earlier hike the boot path seems to continue on down the south side, and I intend check out that route today.

The path is somewhat indistinct, but it gets just enough use to remain visible and quite passable. Small blowdowns have been pushed aside and an occasional larger blowdown has been sawed and cleared. Some of the saw cuts are very weathered and quite old. The route may not appear on my map, but it has had some care over the years.

The route continues steadily downhill along the ridge, with an occasional few feet of uphill to cross a knoll. The largest of these most likely is Point 2393 shown on the map. Eventually the route reaches the Main Tiger Mountain Road. There is no sign here, nothing at all to mark the junction, and the route remains almost magically invisible from the road.

At this point I've completed my explorations for today, and I hike the road back toward my trailhead. Along the way I'm passed by a single maintenance vehicle, and I encounter one lone mountain-biker just before I turn off on the Crossover Trail toward the parking lot. These are the only people I've encountered all day.

It's been an interesting hike, as Tiger explorations always are when I try out some new trails and routes. There are a few more out here before I will have hiked them all.

AMAZING rhododendrons blooming!
3 minutes of hike video clips: http://youtu.be/yOuY6mrc5dU

I reckon you have another week, maybe two to see the rhodies before they finish blooming. Both road and trail are in great shape.

Only saw one other group on the way down. Too cloudy for a view, but the forest and flowers took center stage anyway.

The road is closed at FR-2081 because of about 25 downed trees. We had to hike to the trailhead - about 2-3 miles. Trail is wert, but not bad for spring conditions! We hit snow about .7 miles from the lake and had a bit of trouble sticking to the trail, but it wasn't bad. Snow is compacted and easy to walk on. Overall, this is a great little hike!

Our group of 4 set out at about 12:30pm, and we hiked to the waterfall and back. We saw about two or three other people/groups.

There are small fish and other interesting wildlife in the streams and pools, such as freshwater clams.

After setting up camp at Big Pines CG, we had time for a short walk so drove to the Selah Cliffs Natural Area Preserve which we first visited on 5-26-13. The following link describes the area and our first hike:

http://www.wta.org/[…]/trip_report.2013-05-27.4715549088

Today we saw basalt daisies on the basalt walls along the Yakima Canyon Road just before the turn for the preserve. Flowers were few at the preserve, but we did see one blazing star, purple sage, and a beautiful white flowering shrub which we have not yet identified. This is any easy walk to view the basalt daisies and to hopefully observe birds and other wildlife. Today we saw a coyote, a quail resting on a tree limb and red-tailed hawks.

The bugs are basically gone. Trail is mostly mud-free.

 Road 49 to the North Fork of the Sauk was in good shape with few potholes, they did a great job on the road. Arrived at the trailhead at 10:15am and was the only one there. A few big blowdowns at the start of the trail, but was able to get around them ok. Just scouting today and only went in as far as the first creek crossing. It was running high and had the little dog with me, so turned around there. Love the old growth in the forest on this hike. The trail is brushy in spots and needs to be cleared. On the way back 2 deer were running full speed on the trail and ran into us. The little Yorkie stood her ground barking and growling. One deer ran to the left and the other to the right, about gave me a heart attack. I think the little 6 pound Yorkie looks in the mirror and sees a Bengal tiger. Later in the summer I'm going to do a one day 26 mile trek up Pilot Ridge and come back down the North Fork Sauk from the Pacific Crest. Doing my conditioning now. Stopped and checked out Sauk Falls on the way back. The trail is not marked, but its a mile from Mountain Loop Highway. Trail was in good shape, but can be slippery. First time on the trail to Sauk Falls and there are some great views. Great day to be out, didn't run into another soul.

arrived at the trailhead around 4. took us just under an hour to get to the top. had a nice break and returned back in another 45 minutes. the trail is in good shape, few wet and muddy spots, but overall in solid condition. no animals were seen, few slugs is about it

I hadn't been on this hike since the kids were little, a long time ago. This is a great trail for kids and beginning hikers. The road going in is good with a few pothole. One note, the book Day Hiking Central Cascades lists the FS road as 6034, but it is signed as 6024 and also listed that way on the GT map. It's obvious where the road is, though. The trail is green, as only a NW forest can be. There are some big trees, big old stumps and big blowdowns, which have all been cleared. There is no snow left either. There are nice places to picnic/camp all along the lake. We ate at the end of the lake by the inlet stream, there is a nice place to camp and a backcountry toilet. You should be able to see Mt. Baring and Merchant Peak on this trail, but we saw only the rock bottoms. I was fighting a nasty cold, so instead of exploring for the Eagle lake trail, we turned around and hiked out. Some trillium, fading to purple, salmonberry and skunk cabbage blooming. Interesting fruiting bodies of a lichen on a stump, at least that's what it looked like.

If your guidebook talks about a "large sturdy bridge" over the Creek at 1 mile, don't believe it. The bridge is gone. In its place is a very solid log jam that we crossed without difficulty. We even saw small children crossing it on the way back.

The trail was snow covered past the avalanche chutes but before the lake. We turned back and another hiker who continued on told us at the parking lot that he fell through a snow bridge up to his waist and his feet were in rushing water beneath it.

Wildflowers were completely amazing in the lower reaches - fritilaria, trillium, yellow violets, bluebells and lots more.

Rainy mid-week day so very few people on the trail.

Trail to Colchuck lake is in great condition. Completely snow free at the lake. Lots of wildlife seen on the trail from black tailed deer, porcupine, and a group of 4 mountain goats at the lake. They were very curious but got spooked easily. Bugs were very mild, but it won't last for long.

This is the perfect time of year to hike this trail. The mixed patches of snow that you come across during the last 3/4 of a mile on the trail are very infrequent and manageable ( though still take caution if you're inexperienced hiking on snow ). There is not much to say about this trail other then that you hike a fairly long distance through second growth mixed forest, expending a decent amount of energy gradually climbing upward to obtain the prize of a very scenic finish. Abiel peak has a much more dominate presence than I expected, looming over Annette Lake in the background. The snow patches on and around the lake create awesome mirror-like reflections off the surface of the lake's water if you go later in the afternoon. If half the reason you hike and explore the outdoors is to practice photography like me, getting to the lake between 4:00-6:30 pm is a must. Go too early in the morning and the bowl-like ridge will blot out any ideal useable natural light. Go around noon and there will be issues with glare and extreme brightness from the reflection of sunlight off the snow. If you do go later afternoon, there is a little blood sucking mosquito action waiting for you if you hike with sluggishly with no bug repellant on your skin :) Happy day.

        I also got a chance to check out the scrambling route to Silver Peak. The two main avalanche chutes/talus fields that can be used to gain the north ridge of Silver Peak looked to be mostly free of snow ( though I could not see past a line of trees that obstruct the view of the upper portions of the scramble. The top of the peak looked to have relatively little snow on it from the view at Annette Lake. This route is on my list in the near future, and looks good to climb soon for all those light mountaineering types.

Being a relatively short and flat trail, I opted to leave my Nikon behind and rely on my iPhone for a few shots along the way. That was a decision I immediately began to regret. It turned out to be a beautiful day (even after the rain rolled in) and there were so many great photo opportunities.

From views of the river and surrounding mountains to stream crossings and wildflowers, this trail has it all. There was even a Black Bear that made an appearance, although he ran off before I could snap a picture.

The trail itself is well maintained. There are rock walls, foot bridges, and two or three small stream crossings along the way. Once you get back down to the river and continue on there are a couple areas of washed out trail, but nothing that presents much difficulty. We wandered on for a while past the turnaround point suggested by the guidebook until it started uphill. We turned back here and caught up to some rain about a mile from the trailhead. A few spots of clay were a little slippery, but they did not prevent us from making a quick getaway to the truck.

Trail Notes: It had rained recently, so there was some water on the trail and a few mud holes. I was able to walk through them without sinking in much. Some of the trail is clay and can get slippery when wet. Bugs were not an issue on this hike. When meeting up with the river for the second time, the trail runs along the river bank and is eroding; tread lightly.

-- More pictures on Instagram (@gratefulwanderer) and Flickr (Grateful Wanderer) --

The river is beautiful. The hike was okay. There was a neat CAVE at the beginning of the trail. All in all, it was a really short hike and ended at the road meaning we had to turn around and see the same scenery again. That bummed us all out, but then I found a FROG (or toad, I'm not sure)! Overall, we probably won't hike this again.

We could not find the trail head behind the school but did not look very hard for it. Our group started at the park off of Issaquah-Hobart road. The hike to the top was about 2.5 miles. Gorgeous view and a very nice hike. Not too difficult.

Beware of thieves breaking into your car. Mine was broken into this day. My window was smashed just to steal my REI lunch bag on the passenger seat of my car.

I recommend you not leave anything in your car at this trail head (or any for that matter).

 Wasn't sure how the weather would hold, but started out at 9:00am from Chuckanut Drive and took the Oyster Dome route. This is also a good rainy day hike also. Hiked to the T and turned left as if I was hiking to Oyster Dome. There's been a lot of work on this trail since I hiked it last, with some rerouting and the bat caves are now off limits. After a very steep section I took the right to Lily Lake, the left goes to Oyster Dome. After reaching the lake I continued to the right and took Max's shortcut and made a complete loop. I ended up back at the first T from the opposite direction. Except for a few mudholes the trail was in great shape. This is a great hike and easy to get to, with miles of trails thru the mountains. Was back at the car by 12:30pm.

Here's an easy day hike on a low-elevation section of the PCT that's easily accessible from good roads. Our group drove east of State Hwy. 14 from Vancouver, then north on the Wind River Road through Carson. We used 2 cars to make a convenient section hike. One group took Road 65 up to the Panther Creek campground. The others continued up the valley, then turned toward the Hemlock Lake area, found forest road 43, and took that to the PCT trail crossing.

Northbound on the PCT from road 43, we walked through a lovely section of old-growth forest. Lots of early season wildflowers in bloom, including beadlily & native rhodies. The trail crosses some roads, but we had no trouble finding markers & staying on route. The trail then skirts the base of Bunker Hill; there's an opportunity for a side hike up this feature on a marked trail. We then descended into the valley, crossing the Wind River on an impressive arch bridge. An easy grade up from the river brought us to Panther Creek CG.

The trail is generally in excellent condition, with a few recent blowdowns that are no problem for hikers to cross. THEM, Olympia.

We hiked up to Mt Townsend via Dirty Face Ridge. Parking at the Tubal Cain TH there were only about 5 other cars. Everyone else must have gone there because we had the entire trail to ourselves both ways as well as at the top.
Trail is in great shape, clear of any blowdowns as well as almost completely free of snow. We didn't encounter any snow until we were up on the ridge, and even then it was only a couple spots easily walked across. It was very foggy from the ridge until the top of mt townsend. Hail fell off and on from the ridge to summit, enough to stick to the ground but after it stopped a while it melted away. The last leg up to the summit it hailed non stop, and hard. Very foggy, windy and cold!! Couldn't see much at the top and we only stayed for a moment before heading back down.

Here's a link to my trip report with some pictures. http://stumpystray.blogspot[…]ge-to-mt-townsend-with.html

Clouds and a bit of rain couldn't take away the awesome impact of trekking out of the forest, and through 5 minutes of snow, to see the sheer rock face climbing up from the other side of the lake. Waterfalls were scattered across the face, adding a primeval effect. Well, well worth the 90 minute climb up!

Barclay Lake is a great, easy trip. I was testing out my backpack for my toddler. I was glad I did. She's too big to sleep in it anymore.

We saw a few groups heading out from longer backpacks, and one large group of older hikers out for the day.

The trail is in perfect condition. No issues. The lake is still really high, but there's enough beach for a nice little picnic.

The road in is mostly good, but there are a few rather large potholes. Watch for them. A few of them snuck up on me.

This peak has a well maintained trail which quietly winds through old growth and second growth along the coast. Steep at times but largely easy going. The waves crash below, and at the top there are good views of the Straight of Juan de Fuca.

There was a good looking side trail to a pristine little cove part way up but we didn't have time for it. Amongst the standard Siberian Miner's Lettuce, Thimble Berry, and other flowers we also found some gorgeous Coral Root Orchids.

The top is not exactly garbage strewn as guide books state but it isn't pristine either.

I think the real gem of this little county park is the Salt Creek estuary on the west end of the park. At low tide it has a wonderful beach and sea stack to explore.

The snow was fun to play on but the caves have not formed yet. The trail is very well groomed and hikeable by all ages. We saw kids as young as five or six walking the trail with ease. There is no snow left on the trail.

Gary and I did a snow scramble up Tamanos Mountain back in 2000. That was before my website. I did not take a film camera along. It was a beautiful sunny day and I regretted not having any photos. Thirteen years later it was time to rectify my mistake. John joined us for this trip. I was out the door at 6:00 am and picked up Gary and John in Kent. We headed out Highway 410 to the White River entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. The forecast was for all day sunshine... when I went to bed. In the morning it had changed to "mostly cloudy". It was very cloudy in Seattle but there was some clearing at the trailhead. We were the only car in the lot at 8:00 am. I was a little surprised to see a park trails update that said the first two miles were snow free. There was no snow at the 3750' trailhead. There are some downed trees across the trail. Most of them are in the first quarter mile.

This is a very gently graded trail to Owyhigh Lakes. It is 3 1/2 miles to the lakes gaining about 1500'. The last 1.2 miles up Tamanos gains the other half of the elevation. Trillium are out and some skunk cabbage that has not bloomed yet. Add a few yellow violets for all the early season flowers. As the trail switchbacks up the steep slope there were a few snow patches around mile two. Several spots had steep snow across the trail in short stretches. The warm day had the snow soft enough to set solid steps. Warm is relative as my thermometer read about 49 degrees. A little short of three miles the route went from dirt to several feet of snow all at once. At three miles is a log bridge which we found easily enough. Snow on both sides but the log was dry. The wire hand rail is great if you are not tall. I could barely reach down to it.

We had been following some faint prints in the snow and they became really faint across the bridge. A glissade track was uphill to our right. We headed that way. That was not correct. The trail actually is fairly level as it goes below the ridge we were ascending. Another check of the map and GPS units and we found our error. We had to drop down the slope to the area of the trail. Other than a few cut logs it was hard to follow as we lost it several times. At this point it does not matter as the valley we were in leads to the lakes. Soon we left the forest and entered the large white basin of Owyhigh Lakes. Above us to the right was Tamanos Mountain. Governors Ridge is on the other side of the valley. A very beautiful spot with all the snow. Some blue sky and big puffy clouds added to the views. The lakes are not very large and covered with snow not that easy to spot. On both my visits the whole basin was under snow.

We took a break on a lone bare spot to put on gaiters and sun screen and have a bite to eat. Heading on we came to a spot where a lake/tarn was melting out. Blue snow around the edges with a little open water where a small creek tumbled down. There were some glacier lilies in bloom on a little bare dirt along the shore. We continued straight ahead ascending a short gully. Soon the slopes on our right became a little less steep. We headed uphill following large openings in the forest. From here up to the saddle it was just a fairly steep snow slog. The snow was firm with the top few inches being softer. Very good for kicking steps. We went to ice axes but no traction devices for the climb. Gary led the first part then I took over. The slope never felt all that steep when looking down. Looking up slope it certainly did. Our route angled to our right as the saddle below Tamanos summit came into view.

On the steeper slopes to the left of the saddle there were carved ski turns. I preferred the slightly gentler terrain we took. Up at the saddle I saw Mt. Rainier right across from us. Well, I saw the bottom half of Mt. Rainier. The top was awash in clouds. Everything else was in the clear. Cowlitz Chimneys were close by. We could pick out Banshee Peak where we hiked last summer. Goat Island Mountain was to our right. Even Little Tahoma was out of the clouds. Behind us we were no longer looking up at Governors Ridge. It is a short but steep climb from the saddle to the summit of Tamanos. The ridge up was all snow with short krumholtz trees on the crest and dirt on the left side of the ridge. John led the last leg up. As we neared the end of the snow below the summit we noticed a narrow chute below on our right. There were ski tracks at the top. I can't imagine starting down a very steep and very narrow slot like that. It looked to be a two minute route to the lakes below.

Once off snow it was a short rock and dirt trail hike to the top. The views are outstanding. Well worth the 1700 feet of climbed in 1.2 miles from the lakes. Memories fade over 13 years. I forgot that there is another slightly higher summit a short way down the ridge. We had to go take a look. We dropped down to the ridge and around the left side of the big rock block. There was a faint trail. Around the other side we found a short rock scramble to the top. As I was taking photos I suddenly realized that Rainier was totally out of the clouds. Our patience was rewarded. A short way down the ridge was another summit that looked to be a little higher. We dropped down along the ridge and again found a route to the left. This one led to an easy walk up to the highest point. Only room for one person at the 6790' peak but lots of room just below. We had very clear views of Goat Island Mountain, the road to Sunrise, and a little of Burroughs Mountain. Rainier was going in and out of the clouds as it did for the rest of our stay.

It was now 12:15 pm and we were ready for lunch. The best open spot was back at the first summit and we headed back there. The hike down would be fast. The day was beautiful. We were in no hurry to leave. From reaching the first summit to heading down we spent nearly two hours on top. There was a little wind but it was not bad. An hour went by before we pulled out jackets. Much to our surprise, John pulled off a tick. I did not think they were in MRNP. It was about 1:50 pm when we headed down. There were a few spots above the saddle where we had to really kick steps in hard snow that also had some exposure if you slipped that I though might be a little difficult to descend. They were no problem at all. The snow had softened just enough.

Back at the saddle the real fun began. We put together half a dozen glissades on the way down. A few were short and a few were longer and fast. Glissade season is one of my favorite times of the year. We did not bother putting on rain pants. Wet shorts were a small price to pay for all the fun. It seemed to take no time at all to get back down the the lakes. On our way out we did not see any fresh boot prints. It seems we were the only hikers on the trail all day. After seeing 500 people on my Mt. Si Grape Nuts hike last Saturday I saw 500 less people this day. This is more like most of my hikes.

By 4:20 pm we were back at the trailhead. This was an outstanding spring snow scramble. Nearly 2/3s of the hike was on dirt. The snow was nearly perfect for climbing and glissading. The clouds added to the overall views. Especially as they went in and out allowing clear views of everything at one time or another. It is hard to believe I went 13 years between visits. This will go down as one of the best day trips of the year.

I have posted 54 annotated photos and one panorama on my website located at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2013" on the left margin.

Pink rhododendron fairyland!

I joined a WTA work party on the Upper Big Quilcene. Some members of the party worked on drainage, while I learned how to use a crosscut saw to clear a log that was protruding over the trailhead. This is to make the trail more friendly to horses. The Upper Big Quilcene is expected to get more horse traffic since the Lower Big Quilcene is now open to motorcycles (WTF?!)

If you like to hike, I recommend joining a trail work party. You get to spend the day in a beautiful place and gain a lot of appreciation for how much work is required to maintain our access to the wilderness.

After the work party, I walked up the Upper Big Quilcene trail for about a mile, noting the progression of rhododendrons from blooming to budding as I gained elevation. For those of you who grew up reading fairy tales, this is like an enchanted forest out of a fantasy novel.

I then walked a little way down the Lower Big Quilcene and enjoyed the solitude, misty forest, and abundant rhododendrons. Don't expect this on sunny weekends now that motorcycles are allowed.

There were no hikers on this drizzly Tuesday. My car was the only one in the lot when I left.

More photos at http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

Photosynth at http://photosynth.net/view.[…]f8e3-4af8-abb0-ba8c5b423b61

Tried out Rattlesnake on a weekday morning to hopefully avoid the crowds. Arrived at the TH about 10:30 and found the main lot about 1/2 full and overflow about the same. Nothing compared to a summer weekend! Decided to skip the "Ledge" and take the Rattlesnake trail straight up to the Middle and Upper ledges.

Better views (perhaps not today due to the rain) and no crowds! Clearly the way to go investing only another half mile and 300 feet or so to the totals. This well used and maintained trail is in very good shape and is a great dog walk if you start early enough and avoid the heavy traffic times. Our totals were about 4 1/2 miles and 1400 feet total gain. A good dog walk on a weekday morning.

What a beautiful hike! Started early in the morning and made it to the top for a leisurely lunch/ nap. Perfect weather- although a little chilly by the water. There were a couple of muddy spots but we didn't see snow until the very top. All the ice has melted off the lake. No bugs.

Drove up the North Fork Rd (FR-5730) to the end; no problems other than a few potholes here and there.

Headed straight up the steep forest, with the goal of obtaining the NW ridge. Didn't have much luck finding a nice, brush-free path.

Once on the ridge, there was compact snow, and nice views all around.

Descended via a gully NW of the summit, but that route didn't end up being any prettier.

Didn't encounter anyone all day, but saw someone making their way over to Lennox from Bare Mnt.

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/[…]/LennoxMountainJune2013
Panorama: http://photosynth.net/view.[…]d853-4ef7-9e58-b20f7878c8ab
Tracklog: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/326182601

This is great hike with a reasonable 3000 feet of gain. We went up the Mt WA trail (4 miles) and down the Great Wall trail (6 miles). The only drawback is that the hiker should do some research and bring a gps and Green Trails map. And even with these aids to navigation, there will be some head scratching. Part of the problems is that the guidebooks are misleading and wrong. Even the Green Trails 206S has trails/roads that are not on the map, so intersections produce some real confusion if you haven't done this trail before.

Even the Trailhead is not mentioned in the guidebooks. It is the Homestead Valley Trailhead. The trail from the parking lot is not marked at all, and the signage at the trailhead mentions nothing of Mt Washington.

The first real confirmation that you are truly going the right way is past the Owl Hike Lookout over 2 miles from the trailhead. Here is a sign that points to Mt WA or to the Great Wall. We continued on Mt WA and had no real difficulty in finding the summit from this point.

If the hiker chooses to descend via the Great Wall, you must cross over several road barriers that state "No Trespassing. Cedar River Watershed." Indeed at some point these signs are to your right so that you are not trespassing, but it is VERY confusing. At the hard left turn at 3800 feet there is another road that is NOT on the Green Trails 206S. The only signage on the way down via the Great Wall trail is at the 3800 foot level, and one direction is up to Mt WA from whence you came or to Change Creek. Change Creek? Don't go that way. Almost immediately past this point the logging road continues with some small boulders laid across the road/trail. Don't go this way either, unless you want to add an extra mile. An unmarked (again) spur, hardly noticeable, off to the right, is the correct direction, even though this trail is overgrown with brush and hardly appears to be a trail at times.

Bottom line: a great hike; but do you homework; and bring the proper tools for orienteering.

Hike/Run. This was a lovely trail, well maintained and snow and mud free. Pretty gnarly going uphill at times, the first 2/3 to Deer Park is up up up, but worth the work. Views along the way are stunning, and after about halfway there are some benches to rest on and soak up the views. Last mile or so to Deer Park is pretty flat and very scenic. There were some small patches of snow at Deer Park but out of the way of any hiking. There was also plenty of wild life, Deer, Bunnies, Birds, Squirrels. Way down was an epic run!! Took about 1.5 hours to go up and another hour to come back down. There is also no bathroom at the trailhead but there is a privy at Deer Park.

Highly maintained trail. Hiked starting at 9:45 AM and found no bug problems until much later in the day on the descent. I suspect it relates to the heat. Scrambled up the Haystack. Let's be honest it is low grade free solo climbing. I did not find the view from the very top to be any better than the just below.

This trail makes a decent 5 mile round trip through deep green beautiful forest, serenaded by the gushing Rainy Creek, if you stop before the rock scramble. Proceed further only if you enjoyed the rigors of the old Kamakazi, Mailbox, or Bandera trails. There are a few easy to step over blowdowns in this first section and one boot sucking sloppy awful 10 yard mud hole. Altitude gain is roughly 400 feet. To get here, drive 11 miles up the Middle Fork road to the large Middle Fork parking lot. Cross a magnificent arched bridge and turn right onto the Pratt Connector trail. WTA is currently building beautiful rock walls along this well graded broad stretch.

So you took the Rainy Creek trail and reached the 2.5 mile point right next to the river and yearn for some punishment? The next 3.5 miles should satisfy. A faint trail climbs over rocks, over and around huge blowdowns, lots of mud holes, at almost a steady 45 degree angle. The gain is approximately 2100 feet. There is one peekaboo view of Mt. Garfield along the way. We struggled to within 3/4 of a mile to the lake and decided we'd had enough. There are lots of very pretty lakes much easier to access than Rainy Lake.

A few nice highlights were the opportunities to do some engineering along the way like removing blowdowns, filling in mud holes, and general trail cleanup. We also were greeted by a frog which, as everybody knows, is good luck on the trail.

This is an obscure trail. WTA has it listed, but there have been no trip reports until now. And the Marblemount Ranger Station did not know anything about this trail. I found the trail on a map, uploaded the waypoints into my GPS, and hit the road.

The TH wasn't where the GPS said it should be, but I had driven over Rocky Creek, so I decided to see if there was a trail by the creek. I found the mystery trail right beside the creek and headed up the mountain. I have been curious about this trail for two reasons: 1. It is supposed to connect to another trail I plan to hike this summer. 2. There are rumors that there are good views from the rocks at the top of this trail.

I did not make it to the top of the trail for reasons I'll explain, but I am confident that this is the trail that connects to the one that I want.

The trail is obscure, brushy, difficult to follow, littered with limbs, and loaded with blowdowns. On the plus side, all but one of the blowdowns can be passed easily and there are occasional faded trail ribbons to indicate that you are headed in the right direction.

There is a definite trail, but it is hard to see at times. When it seems to end, persevere, look about, find the trail, and keep going. The first big problem occurs at the half mile mark in a small clearing. The trail does not continue on the other side of the clearing. Head right and up the clearing and find the trail at the top left-hand corner.

The biggest obstacle occurs 3/4 mile from the TH. There are major blowdowns blocking the trail (see picture). Look left and slightly uphill at this point, find the two stacked blowdowns (see picture), climb over them, continue straight ahead from the trees you just cleared, and find the continuation of the trail in about 50 feet. (How I discovered this is a report by itself!)

The trail is steep for the first half mile and generally steep overall. I battled my way up the cluttered trail 1.75 miles and gained 1,600' in that distance. My turnaround time came and I had to abandon my goal of reaching the top. The litter, blowdowns, and trail finding took too much time. But I could cover the same distance now in half the time, so I plan to return and complete this hike.

The trail must get its name because it starts/ends at Rocky Creek. You don't see the creek after the first third of a mile.

If anyone has any information about this trail, please add a comment.

To get there, go east on Hwy. 20 a few miles past Rockport State Park and look for the Rocky Creek Bridge (signed). Turn around and park at the NW corner of the creek. The trail begins right behind the guardrail.

A partly cloudy Monday - turned into a beautiful hike. The water of Creek 22 burbles and flows all along this well maintained trail. Beautiful waterfalls and views of the distant peaks make the uphill climb more than worthwhile. There are a few yards of snow just before the lake, but it is very accessible. The lake itself is still about 50% iced over, but so very beautiful in its basin beneath the cliffs. Wildflowers were blooming all along the way, and the beautiful old growth cedars are spectacular. Bring your bug repellent, as all that water is also good habitat for the mosquitos. Once we sprayed - they were not a problem.

We may have gotten our distances mixed up - but it seemed much further than 11 miles from Granite Falls to the Verlot ranger station. Once you've passed that though, the trailhead is easy to find and well marked. Nice gravel parking area for quite a few cars and a privy too!

A random Monday off and great weather predicted led me to Mt Washington. The trail is not so easy to find, the first part is an unmarked trail near the bathrooms. Once up that you will come to a state park park and larger gravel road/trail. Turn right on this and go slightly up for about 5-10 minutes. You will see another unmarked trail on the left that goes a little down and then pretty much up. At this point you are on the trail to the summit. Be aware though as I found out the tough way, this trail goes pretty much up, up and more up. It is covered in rocks and is a little difficult at times. There is a stopping point that is about 2 miles and 1600 feet up that gives a nice view but there is the true summit. This is what I didn't know enough about before going. If you continue on from the first major viewpoint with a bench you will do about another 2 miles perhaps(not sure on distance 100%). You will also end up at about 4500 feet elevation. That was confirmed by another hikers GPS. This was a beautiful hike and had great views at the top but was quite a workout and one I was not completely prepared for. Make sure to bring lots of water and you do really need good hiking shoes. Saw several people trying this without good shoes, enough water or food and that is how you get in trouble!