Mapped out a route on my GPS for a 10 mile hike.  Started off of Stossel Creek Road, hiked to upper Cherry Creek Falls, which was nice.  Rocks were slippery, but it wasn't too bad to get close to the falls for a photo.  Then my plan was to make a loop around to Elwell peak following the logging road tracks that my map app showed.  Not the best of ideas.

Hiked back from the falls then took a right up a hill, where the road kind of died out and the trail got pretty difficult.  Several trees were down and the "road" was really overgrown and lots of washouts.  Followed this for a bit until I got to a point where I was planning on heading up hill to another view point and the road heading toward the peak.  This involved a difficult bushwhack through clear cut debris up a very steep hill.  Got to the top where there were some nice views.  

Continued on the road for a bit until I re-entered a forested area, where it was blowdown city.  I figured it wasn't that far to get through the blowdowns, so went for it.  That section was a real pain to get through, took me 30 minutes to make it about 1/2 mile.  If you refer to my map picture, the whole section where I cut across from the Cherry Creek to the road leading to Elwell Peak was a bad idea.  If you stick to the truck trail, I think it makes for a much easier logging road hike.  Ended up not making it to Elwell Peak, since the bushwhack took so long and wore me out.  I'll have to go back and try again when I have more time.  

Might also make a nice place to mountain bike, there are some bike trails that shoot off of the logging roads and for the longer road sections biking would be faster.

This is not so much a trip report as it is to notify hikers in the Marckworth forest that the adjacent CG property has been sold and the new owner will not allow recreational use (for now), incl. for those who have permits for CG (many of us in the area do).

Spent the last few days getting to three highpoints just off of Stossel Creek Road in the Marckworth Forest (Platts Lookout, Hill 1125, Stickerbush Hill). If you are looking for some solitude, you are probably going to find it this time of the year, especially during the work week, as I saw no one all week!!  All three of these are short hikes, and could be done on one trip. Stickerbush Hill is the longest of the three, and I rode/pushed a gravel bike for half of this one today  Discovery Pass is needed to park in this area.

Platts Lookout-Tuesday 2/6  This hike is the furthest out on the Stossel Creek Road. The road is paved until  the Marckworth Forest sign, where it becomes dirt. The dirt road is pretty good, but past the intersection where the two blue gates are(Hill 1125 and Stickerbush Hill parking), the road has quite a few potholes. Any car can make it though. At about 3 miles from the two blue gates, there is another blue gate to the left. There is parking here for a couple of cars. This hike is a road walk for the first 1.5 miles until you come to an old log across the road. Here the road is overgrown, and now it is a trail, where some folks have trimmed the stickerbushes back. I brought my clippers, and clipped a bit more. Just below the summit there is a super faint trail(mild bushwack) to get to a rocky/mossy summit. No views for me on this foggy day, but it is my understanding that on a nicer day, you can see downtown Seattle. 3.4 miles RT with 450 ft gain.

Hill 1125-Thursday 2/8 Parked at the intersection with the two blue gates. There is parking for a couple of cars near the southern gate. I walked across Stossel Creek Road and headed up the steep road. At around 0.7 miles where there is a partial view of Stickerbush Hill, I noticed there was a faint trail to the left. I didn't take it on the way up to the summit, but it was much easier on the way down from this summit. There is a short minor bushwack to a viewless summit. The map shows the summit in the wrong spot, as the southern summit is the high point. No real reason to head up here, other than this point(Hill 1125) has 545ft of prominence. The best of the hike was finding a fairly decent mountain bike trail on the way down. I followed it all the way down to nearly the blue gate. Short hike that took less than an hour. 1.6 miles RT with 563 ft gain

Stickerbush Hill-Friday 2/9 Parked at the same spot I parked yesterday for Hill 1125. Since this hike was longer I brought my gravel bike for the road part. Rode/pushed a gravel bike until I hit a huge blowdown mess about 1.8 miles in at 780ft, where I stashed the bike, and walked the road taking the right fork to the end of the road. The bushwhack from here to the summit was not to bad at the start, but not pleasant at the end. Tons of deadfall to negotiate, but thankfully no sticker bushes!! Another view less summit. Not sure which stump was the summit 😆Again a viewless summit.  My return trip off the summit was much better, as I found a grass covered abandoned road that took me straight down to main road. There are numerous of these abandoned spur roads that head straight up towards the summit All of them have these huge tank traps. The tank traps for all these abandoned roads are the biggest/deepest I’ve ever seen. On the way down I took another grass covered old road that I was hoping would come out to a landing with a view, but it ended up stopping at another tank trap and more sticker bushes, so it turned out to be a bust. Got back down to my bike, and rode/pushed it back to the car. 6.9 miles RT with 1350 ft gain

Blog version (disclaimers)

Access: Swan Mill Road
Round Trip: 7 miles
Elevation Range: 500′-1390′
Gear: none
Dog-Friendly: yes

Route

1. Walk south on Swan Mill Road through Stossel Creek.
2. Under two miles from the car, go uphill by the big rocks at the fork.
3. Turn right at the next junction south of the summit to the road's end.
4. Leave the path and go west toward the top through ferns and small down logs, followed by blackberry bushes and tree debris.
5. Arrive at the forested summit in a quarter of a mile.
6. Retrace steps back to the gate OR drop onto the south through manageable blackberry bushes to the upper roadway.
7. Loop back to the junction, then down to Swan Mill Road.

OPTIONAL

• Take the defined trail east of Stossel Creek south to Swans Mill Pond's east shore in 500'.
• Continue to the south end for different views of the pond.

Highlights

• Swans Mill Pond
• Roadside views of North Fork Snoqualmie River high points and Puget Sound
• Solitude

Lowlights

• Blackberry bushes near the summit
• 11 AM rain