Trail has lots of water and continuous snow at 4,100'. Trail is hard to follow from there on. I made it to about 4,800' and called it quits. I camped down on the road just before the scatter creek ford wich is running high and fast. Trucks and suv's can make it through no problem but I wouldn't try it in a car. As mentioned in a report from the 15th (hyas lake) there is a big tree blocking the road so you can't drive to the end. That will be cleared Wednsday or Thursday this week because I'm going back up there for a big camping trip with lots of people and chain saws so we will get it cut down and burn it up.

After the potholed filled road to the trail head, I was ready to hike. This trail is clearly marked and starts straight up after a few warm up steps. After about 1000 feet, it levels out some and comes to a junction with the County Line trail; angle left here. Soon after this junction, it crosses Scatter Creek and enters a meadow. The fun starts here. The trail itself disappears in various meadows over the next mile and half but it is clearly marked with cairns and plastic strips. There is just enough challenge here to keep you alert but not so much that there is any real chance of getting lost. The magnificent flower dispaly in the various meadows more than compensates. At about 3 1/2 to 4 miles it starts straight up again. I reached the pass in the fog; however, in 5 minutes, I was having lunch in the sun with great views east and west. The pass itself is very scenic. I had more trouble following the trail comng down the upper third than going up. I wished I had gaitors as the meadows were very wet and there a many muddy places where I sunk in over the tops of my boots. Very few bugs but it was cool under the clouds. This was a great hike.

I was hoping to summit Scatter Benchmark (pt 6897), I was much suprised to find substantial snow above 4200ft. I couldn't follow the trail under all the snow so I decided to jump off trail and climb to subtle ridge that leads SE. The area was mostly open and I could avoid most of the rotten patchy snow as I made my way up the moderate grade. I tended to the areas with the most southern exposure which made for faster snowless travel. The grade flattened out near 5100ft as the views started to unfold. The snow became solid and consolidated near 5400ft. I switched to snowshoes which I was very glad to have carried to this point. I went directly over pt. 5840 which is the terminus of the ridge. I now switched direction heading mostly east and dropped to the saddle and met the County Line trail which I followed towards Scatter Benchmark. I stayed almost directly on the ridgeline which was quite open and enjoyable. After cresting a minor point I could see where the trail goes directly South of the benchmark. The pass from my vantage point seemed quite steep and was completely covered with snow. I was quite content to eat my lunch and enjoy the windless sun. The views pan out in nearly every direction. There seems to be many ways to reach the Scatter group so I look forward to trying a different route next time. The descent went quite quickly without having too much route finding. I just merely followed my own prints and where there wasn't snow I took the path of least resistance. Just seeing enough signs of my ascent to give me confidence that I would be able to rejoin the trail.

A great fall day for a hike- sunny, warm, gorgeous leaf color. Route-finding was easy, aided by the absence of snow and the presence of pink tape ties and cairns through some of the trickier sections of the trail. The trail gets down to business immediately, with a heafty 900 foot gain that barely eases until you reach the County Line Trail junction, at 1500 feet of gain. At about 4450 feet of elevation you cross a branch of Scatter Creek, gain about another 200 feet before crossing the main channel of Scatter Creek. The trail levels off as it meanders through meadows, but while your legs may not be challenged your brain is as these meadows present the most difficult route-finding of the trail. As the 100 Hikes book suggests, just keep the creek to your right. Eventually you reach another arm of the forest and gain elevation quickly once again. Since you've only gained about 200-300 additional feet through the meadows, this is the final push to the pass. Now to the good stuff! We saw an amazing number and variety of mushrooms. We heard an elk call out somewhere nearby. We also saw an owl in flight as well as two bald eagles. Views from the pass were clear. There's no snow on the pass at this time. We were the only hikers on the trail today.

I picked the one stormy day out of the last week but it was still a good hike. The road has some snow and ice but no problem. Note that there are two trails signed Scatter Creek Trail # 1328 but this one is before (or south) of the creek. The USGS map shows switchbacks but instead it's straight up like the old sheep driveway Harvey describes in the book. After 1.5 miles of that, and a butt scoot across a log over a mostly frozen creek, the trail levels out for .5 miles before reaching the junction, which is marked by a small portion of the former sign and a piece of orange flagging. The Cle Elum Ranger District trail guide calls this westernmost portion of the three recognized sections of the County Line Trail 1226.2. After 12 miles it connects to the Esmerelda Basin Trail # 1394 near Lake Ann below Fortune Mountain. Although apparently seldom used, the trail is fairly easy to follow due to numerous cut logs and cairns. The trail stays mainly level before crossing back over the aforementioned creek, then gets busy up to a point with a view down the Cle Elum valley. Turn left for another .75 miles through a rocky basin to the saddle south of Scatter Peak. When I reached this ridge, the storm coming from the SE hit me full force, so I decided to pass on scrambling up the 400 feet of exposed (to the weather) ridge to the top. I could see Ingalls and Fortune, but only the bottom half of Stuart. The trail down the other side of the saddle was not evident but the whole Fortune Creek basin is open, so you would have a sporting chance of finding your way. I was glad I had my hiking poles as the trail was pretty icy, but there was enough snow to afford a grip.

Rain predicted for the West-side, hence drove to the Cle Elum area with prediction of poss showers. Arrived trailhead 2:pm and wasted 1/2 hour looking for an ""obscure trail"" after reading a report stating wrong trail had been taken in this area and the guide book saying the trail was very obscure at first. Wrong! The Scatter Crk trail is Very clearly marked as is the north Scatter Creek trail and there is nothing the least bit obscure the entire route. Starts out unpromisingly in dry, gravely, scruby, forest for a short level stretch and then hits the wall and goes straight up without nary a switch-back revealing its origin as a sheep drive-way. The only level spots are where the trail is furtively seeking a steeper way to go. The trees change, some even becoming interesting. You realize you're getting higher quickly as you already are getting some views back towards Cathedral and Hinman and such. The forest is darker,damper and now seems to level a bit as you begin to traverse to the left, down a bit to cross a branch of Scatter Crk, meet the Countyline Trail, down a bit to cross the main branch and then into a series of very pleasant meadows with views of the rock headwalls ahead. You're halfway there now. The rest of the way is through subalpine trees and meadows. Although the trail is overgrown the way is very clearly marked by carefully placed pink ribbons. If these are removed there still are sufficient cairns marking the route. After about a mile the trail again goes UP. The middle of this ascent is marked by a head meadow with a very good campsite, water and all, to the right. Careful though, if you think the trail goes through the camp it does not. Go back to where you first saw the camp and look straight ahead for the pink ribbons you should be following and you'll be back on the path again. The pass is open with many campsites, (search for snow for water) and good views out to Stuart, Ingall's and Cashmere. Could not find the abandoned trail to Soloman Creek but did not look very hard. Met the only soul on the trip who had ridge-walked from Sprite Lk. Also, was forced to confront an agressive, but reckless mosquito who attempted a futile attack upon me. I.e., the ONLY bug of the trip. Maggie and Katie enjoyed the meadows immensely. Down quickly with only 1 buns-plant (on a not steep section!) (when you get older you worry about those things). I don't understand it that there are no superlatives about this hike and yet it was one of the most soul-satisfying trips I've taken in years. About 2900' in 5.5 hrs. for 9 miles. (That's also surprising as I usually am a slow hiker). Also, plenty of water, some flowers. Hikermike, Maggie, and Wee-Bit-O-Katie.