Blog version (disclaimers)

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Stossel Creek Road
Round Trip: 5.3 miles
Elevation Range: 560′-1125′
Gear: none
Dog-Friendly: yes

Route

NOTE: Swan Mill Road was muddy in several places, and Stossel Creek Road had many potholes.

1. From the gate at mile three on Stossel Creek Road (Tolt Truck Trail), walk under two miles to the road's end.
2. Leave the path and cross-country for 500' to the mossy Platts Lookout.
3. Back at the entrance, backtrack three miles to the junction with Swan Mill Road.
4. Walk under one mile to the bend at 1000'. Leave the roadway and scramble 500' north to the wooded top of Hill 1125.

Highlights

• Spotty east views of Mount Pilchuck, Ten-Four Mountain, Three Fingers, and Young Love from Platts Lookout
• Solitude

Lowlights

• Muddy on Swan Mill Road, followed by many potholes on Stossel Creek Road 
• Mosquitoes shows up on both summits
• No views on Hill 1125

Blog version (disclaimers)

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Dagger Lake Road
Round Trip: 6.4 miles
Elevation Range: 500′-1200′
Gear: none
Dog-Friendly: yes

Private Property Boundary
Both hills lie inside Marckworth State Forest, except a portion of Elsies Charms traverses a quarter of a mile of private property when entering from the southwest. Exercise discretion when going outside the state forest boundary. Avoid the north route, as it starts on a private road.


Route

1. For Second Base, start from the gate quarter of a mile from the Dagger Road turnoff.
2. Follow the main path to the south of the summit and scramble a short way on the crest to the top.
3. For Elsies Charms, start from the gate right before Youngs Creek Falls.
4. Leave the main road at mile one and cross-country through the shallow saddle onto the west ridge.
5. Look for an old road atop the south rim to the bend below the summit.
6. Go through ferns and down trees on flat ground and reach the top in 250'.

Highlights

• Expansive view of Dagger Lake Basin below Haystack Lookout Site
• Viewing Youngs Creek Falls gushing down the gorge
• Solitude

Lowlights

• A rainy day
• Spotty views on Elsies Charms

Blog version (disclaimers)

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Cherry Valley Road
Round Trip: 7.8 miles
Elevation Range: 260′-760′
Gear: none
Dog-Friendly: yes

Route

1. From the trailhead off Cherry Valley Road, go past the neighborhood homes to Margaret Creek.
2. Cross the bridge and take the first right down to Creekside Trail.
3. Follow the flat trail alongside Cherry Creek and reach the "Old Car" at 2.5 miles.
4. Cross Hannan Creek in another half a mile and turn right onto a side trail to the open area before the waterfall. 
   
   [OPTIONAL] Loop back through the upper trails, continuing past the falls and returning south at the first fork. For more mileage, take the inconspicuous, steep Outer Limits to the upper paths and walk along the edge of the state forest to finish.

Highlights

• Beautiful waterfall
• Solitude

Lowlights

• Drizzles then rain

Blog version (disclaimers)

Quick-and-dirty version

Access: Dagger Lake Road
Round Trip: 3 miles
Elevation Range: 650′-1440′
Gear: none
Driving Music: Urban

Route

1. Drive half a mile on Drive Dagger Lake Road to the gate before Crandall Creek.
2. Walk south for half a mile to the road fork before it dips to meet Youngs Creek Road in several hundred feet.
3. Hike the brushy old road for half a mile until it ends on the south of Young Love.
4. Scrambled 200' uphill through salal to the open ridgetop.
5. Continue to the mossy, rocky crest with small openings to the east. The upright obelisk marks the hill's high point.

Highlights

• Limited views of Sultan Basin and Haystack Lookout Site of Ten-Four Mountain
• A sliver of Cedar Ponds Lake below "Second Base," another nearby hill
• Solitude

Lowlights

• Rain and hail on the summit
• Target shooting sounds on the way out

I had come out to the Markworth forest yesterday in the sun with some new friends. We chose the Markworth forest because I'm sitting one dog who barks a LOT when we encounter other dogs on trail... so go where you won't see anyone. Well, that was fun, but I really wanted to go a bit further than they had wanted to hike, so we decided to do it all over again today... In the Snow! At the gate we only had about 3" but there was steady but small snowfall throughout the day. At one of the crossroads there were signs that a logging operation is in effect and the ridges in the road and rip rap under the snow was a good indication of that. Near the quarry we spotted what I think were a small cat tracks and a turd that my dogs all checked out by smell and by taste. Looks like it was on the trail of a rabbit at some point. The tracks had a good dusting of snow in them, so we weren't likely to cross paths even if we somehow could sneak up on a cat. A bit further on up the road, we saw that new roads have been cut to the east side of Drunken Charlie Lake. We followed the main spur up to the top to a point just WxSW of the lake and about a 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile away.. Some fresh sandstone was exposed which I think will yield some interesting fossils on our future exploration. Once that dead end was explored we ventured down to Drunken Charlie to see it covered 3/4 with pock marked holes from some submersed air source. My dog Ozimandias had to test the Ice and determined that it wasn't thick enough to tread further... As with my prior foray into the Markworth I found another evidence of someone practicing their bushcrafting skills. This time I found a tripod that looks like it could be used to hold a pot over a fire pit or suspend small game for dressing. We saw not one single soul on our 12 mile journey, which I'm guessing the distance since I left my Garmin GPSr sitting on the hood of the car and the reason I decided to stop exploring.