The Dentist and I decided to try and figure how to get up Lennox Mtn. As we got a late start we didn't expect to succeed and we didn't. We did, however, het as far a s Bare Lake. Tkae the Bare Mtn. trail to the junction and head straight instead of heading for Bare. You will do a rising traverse on the old old road bed passing under some cliffs and then up through some forest. At a junction just before you get to the end of the basin take the left fork and watch carefully for the trail. It gets faint. To this point it is merely overgrown. You will head up until you enter a large talus field. Head straight up until you see and old steam engine. Just below it you want to traverse left. There is some flaging on a dead tree. You will traverse left at the level of the steam engine for maybe 200' and then head up on a faint way trail. This should take you to the left of the rightmost mine tailings. When you get to the top of the tailings go to the right side and pick up the trail again. It will rise tending to the left. Don't lose it. After a bit you will come to a step with an old polypro line fixed. Use this at your own risk, but keep ascending. At the base of the next talus field stay to the right on the way trail and it will take you to Bare lake. After this you are on your own for getting up Lennox. I think you head for the ridge to the north/

I was hoping for a nice bit of climbing in an area that holds many special memories. I climbed to the saddle just east of Bare Mt. at approx. 4900ft. I climbed to the north side high above Paradise Lakes. The first part is somewhat steep traversing descent but moderates quickly to some rolling rock gardens. I aimed for the saddle that is above Bear Lakes and quickly dropped to the lakes. I set up camp on the south shore. I than began scouting for my next days objectives of Canoe Peak (pt 5706) Coney Lake and Lennox Mt. I had used the saddle between Pt 5449 and Canoe Pk. on a previous trip to Lake Kanim so I knew that that would be no problem. I turned my attention to the gap just to the NW of Pt. 5616. I climbed to the uppermost Bear Pond and found a easy gully that would give me easy access. As I was dropping to the pond when my attention was drawn to my dog Tanner dropping the last 15ft to the lake much more quickly than He or I would like. He came up lame instantly. He has already blown one ACL and the vet said it would only be a matter to time until he did the other one. Why here? Why now? I hastily retreated to camp and with 5 hours of daylight left I was marooned in the tent. I wanted to keep Tanner off his leg and I knew that Tanner goes where I go. I had faint hope that maybe he just tweaked it and all would be well in the morning, although I knew all to well that would not be the case. I spent a less than restfull night debating on what to do the next day. My options were not good. I knew that there was no way that Tanner would make it throught the boulder fields on three legs much less the climb up the saddle to even get to the fields. I also knew that carrying a hundred plus pound dog would be a massive undertaking. I could just go straight down the outlet to the miner's trail that I knew was below me in the basin. But I couldn't find the beginning to the trail and I knew the end where it meets with the Bare Mt trail is quite overgrown and brushy. I decided that down it was to be. I was much relieved to find the trail almost instanly (didn't I just look in the same place yesterday?). Tanners seemed to be doing well enough as I dropped elevation quickly. The trail is not too bad to follow, I lost it at the open mine but I angled to the piece of heavy machinery in the boulderfield and refound the trail there. I continued on to a junction and headed right downstream. The trail now became much more defined and I even allowed myself to relax a bit. I still had to go through the brushy area just before it rejoins the Bare Mt trail. I lost the trail and bashed my way through a couple hundred yards of some cascade brush at it's best. I broke out into a boulder field I sensed that I was below the trail and climbed about 50ft up to meet the trail just a mere 20ft before it junctions with the Bare Mt trail. I was so happy I was nearly home free. Neither I nor Tanner had any problem with the rest. I now play the waiting game until Tuesday when I find out the extent of his injuries.

Fleetfoot,his brother Rory and I left Seattle around 10:30 to go to Bare Mt.. Potholes and the long gravel road make this a trip. There was one car at the trailhead (1/2 mile from trailhead due to down tree which was de-limbed enough by the people that came behind us for them to continue on to Lennox Creek). A rocky trail at the start means the hike out will not be fast. At the large creek crossing, the pool of water looked inviting enough that Fleetfoot could not resist submerging. Again he did not have a towel so Rory and I looked around and enjoyed the sun while Fleetfoot tried to regain consciousness. From here the trail improved some as we hiked into the valley. The couple from the parked car headed down as we neared the cutoff to the mines. We took a break just before starting up the switchbacks. This could be a hot trail in the summer. After about 24 switchbacks the trail turned to snow. We could not see any tracks from pervious hikers so we decided to head straight up to the large redish Mt. in front of us. The rocks in here are large so the postholing potential is great. We stayed as close to the tree line as we could and allowed Fleetfoot to kick steps as Rory and I did not have gaiters. We all went down to our waist a few times. The snow was soft, wet and cold. We knew going out could be worse than going in. After several hundred feet of elevation we came to a large outcropping of rock. I decide to sit here as my feet are freezing and my leg is cramping. They continue for ½ hour or more and reach the ridge. They think Bare Mt. is the peak to the west of us. By this time I have changed socks but we are bushed. Time to go! How? I think we can glissade if we can miss falling into the rocks. Fleefoot is worried about stopping but I think the snow is soft enough. He goes for a short one which turns out fine, however the snow in front of him continues down. The second slide the snow continues coming from behind him and as he stands his foot gets buried. It is like cement. I had put my wind breaker pants on so I went second. Great sliding! Rory is in shorts as he comes behind me-I don’t know why he did not freeze to death. A few more runs leaves us just 30 feet of rock to work our way through to reach the trail. A nice break here in the sun to change into dry socks and we feel better. By the time we reach the car we are cursing the last rocky section. Nice area. We will go back when the snow is melted. Back to the car around 8o’clock. Picture 1 is of pool Fleetfoot submerged in. Picture 2 is my high spot and Fleetfoot and Rory coming out of woods. There high point is Mt. in upper left.

Three of us hiked up Bare Mountain yesterday in superb conditions. Well, superb weather, at least. The snow conditions were horrible - about an inch or two of sliding slush over very consolidated base. The trail follows an old logging road for the first mile and a half before breaking out into a snow covered basin reminiscent of Glacier Basin in the Monte Cristos - only the surrounding peaks aren't as high. Views from the top of Bare Mountain included Baker, Glacier, and Rainier. North Fork Snoqualmie River Road is drivable (for those who enjoy pothole dodging) to within a mile and a half of the trailhead (and the Bear Creek washout). I would imagine that within the next three weeks if this weather keeps out, it will be melted all the way out. However, a quarter mile from the trailhead, a large tree is down across the road - so the services of someone with a chainsaw will be needed before driving all the way to the trailhead becomes and option. Trail was snow-free until over 3000 feet. No blowdowns and only 2-3 small saplings down across the trail.

What a fantastic hike! The entire trail is beautiful and although walking on the rocks can be a bit hard on the ankles, the wonderful views counteract any difficulties. Also after the rocks, the terrain becomes very easy to manage, which is nice when you're switchbacking up through hillsides of ""red"" blueberry bushes. At the top one can see a set of three beautiful lakes and a 360 degree view with peaks that seem to go on forever. The only drawback is the gravel road that cuts through Weyerhauser butchering for 20 some miles or so until you get back into the protected forest. I'm assuming this is the reason that Sasha and I were the only ones there. Happy Hiking :0) P.S. Thanks to whoever improved the trail so that I didn't fall into any holes and made a nice new bridge to cross as well!!!!