Three Fingers - day trip biking & hiking. 32.5 miles round trip (17.5 biking and 15 hiking). Took us 12 hr's total car to car including breaks and an hour break at the summit. Lots of parking just before the bridge that has the washout on the far end of it. Rode our bikes across the bridge and the 8.7 miles to the TH. Took us 1.5 hr's biking and we walked a few of the steeper gravel sections. Locked the mtn bikes to a tree at TH and started the hike.
First 2.4 miles to Saddle Lake is the worst part because it has more brush and downed trees. Trail is easy to follow, just not pleasant. From the lake it's another 2.6 miles to Goat Flats. The trail improves considerably on this section and there are several camping sites at the flats. Then you continue on and up to Tin Can Gap. There is only 1 very small snow field to cross not far beyond the Gap. We did not need crampons or spikes or ice axes at all. The snowfield has good foot holds in it and it's only like a dozen steps to cross it. Then follow the trail up the rocks and onward until you get to the final snowfield up to the lookout. Again, we made it fine and never used spikes or ice axes - not needed for the rest of the summer.
Took us 6.5 hours from car to summit. 1.5 biking, 5 hiking. There are a couple small streams between the TH and Tin Can Gap, but plenty of snowmelt streams from the Gap to the lookout, including a stream coming off the snowfield just below the lookout. We hung out by ourselves for an hour and had lunch at the summit lookout then headed back down. Took us 1 hr to get back to the Gap, then 40 mins back to the flats, then an hour to the lake and an hour to the TH. We made the final biking portion in 45 mins, that's about all the faster I would go on my mtn bike in that gravel. Wear a bike helmet just in case. Beware of some broken glass on the bridge because I blew my front tire out right at the bridge on the way down. Thankfuly I was only about 50 feet from the car and didn't have to change my flat out. Took us about 4.5 hours from summit to get back to the car.
Great hike and the road is in good condition for the 8 or so miles up to the bridge, no problems. You can park there now since they are done with the road maintenance they were doing earlier. Passed 2 groups of 2 who were headed hiking up to camp in the lookout Fri night and met a couple at the parking area who were getting ready to hike up there on Sat & spend the night. It was a bit smoky out but we lucked out and it was clear and blue skies at the summit, but all around the rest of the state it was smoky as far as we could see. There were a few mountain goats up high right along the trail as well, just chilling in the snow fields. At least one of them had a collar on from being re-located from the Olympics.
The views were amazing and it's totally doable in 1 day if you are up for it. Or relax and spend a night in the lookout, which should be able to accomodate 7-8 people fairly easily. There are also campsites just below the snowfield at the lookout as well. Stay safe and enjoy the great outdoors!
Comments
ZiyiS on Three Fingers
Great TR! Can I drive to the trailhead in an off-road vehicle?
Posted by:
www. on Sep 16, 2020 11:16 AM
TH access to Three Fingers
Hi, there are only 2 obstacles along the way... there is a route around both of them if you have a true off-road vehicle.
1 - right at the bridge, there is a pile of large rocks blocking it due to part of the exit ramp has washed out on the other side. It would be a little sketchy in a vehicle, but totally doable if you are careful and stay far left as you cross and exit the bridge. Would be very easy on a quad or dirtbike. There is a route around the pile of rocks where you have to drive down and up a small steep dirt hill and back onto the bridge (on your right as you approach the bridge). I almost did it in my 4X4 Ford Explorer (looking back I could have made that part easily), but there isn't a ton of room on the other end of the bridge for any error. There are tire tracks all the way up, so people have done it.
2 - part way up the rest of the road there is a small washout with a small steep dirt trail/road that dips down then right back up. I don't think I would have made that one in my Explorer, but maybe. It is a pretty steep and small/tight dip to drive through. A true off-road vehicle with 4X4 (especially with a winch) would make it no problem. Could probably make it without a winch, but there are trees there to hook onto if need be. From there on it is clear sailing all the way to the trailhead, and plenty of parking space / turn around space at the TH as well. There was an earlier report I read of someone who saw an off-road Toyota at the TH, so with the right vehicle you can definitely make it happen. (Also look out for any broken glass on the bridge in case people throw trash/bottles on it).
Hope this helps. Thanks.
Posted by:
N.Emrich on Sep 16, 2020 03:20 PM
ZiyiS on Three Fingers
Thank you so much for detailed description.
Posted by:
www. on Sep 16, 2020 04:37 PM
midweekpeak on Three Fingers
Does the final snowfield to the summit have a slope or is it along a ridge? Are the only snow patches the ones you have pictured? When looking at the climb on summit post they show a snowfield that you cross with a pretty steep pitch. Wondering if I should strap an axe onto the pack just in case.
Posted by:
midweekpeak on Sep 24, 2020 07:18 PM
Snowfields to Three Fingers
Hi, when we went there were only those 2 snowfields that are in the photos. The final snowfield is gentle sloping and has good run-out up near the summit, it is not along a ridge. No need for any ice axe there - you can glissade down that one on the way back.
The "steep pitch" snowfield is the thin one just above Tin Can Gap. It's only like a dozen steps across, but you don't want to slip and fall because it is steeper and heads down to rocks (no cliff though). We made it fine with just trekking poles and we kicked in good boot steps... but I'm sure the sun and rain have all but eliminated the steps we kicked in 2 weeks ago. We always carry an ice axe just because you never know when conditions will change or freeze over. We rarely use them, but they are nice to have. We also carry crampons, but did not use them. If it looks sketchy, then I would just throw on crampons or micro-spikes and use my trekking poles.
We have the Petzl Ride ice ax... it is simply THE BEST choice for lightweight mountaineering - it is solid, tough, and light... a whopping 8 ounces! We also have the Black Diamond Neve Strap Crampons - the orange aluminum ones that strap onto our trail running shoes and they are Awesome! They are super light and hardly weigh more than micro-spikes, so we just carry those because they bite in WAY better than spikes ever do, and they don't weigh much at all. We used them up Sloan Peak and Glacier Peak this summer as well.
One last thing - the weather is changing drastically now and who knows when it will be freezing up there or maybe even snowing again soon... if it's frozen over hard then you will want good traction - maybe crampons instead of just an ice ax, or both. Check the mtn forecast before going for an idea of the weather there - www.mountain-forecast.com
Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Posted by:
N.Emrich on Sep 25, 2020 09:43 PM
Sandman on Three Fingers
Is the lightening stool still up there? I have not seen pictures of the lookout that include it.
See pic. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15p12rKK7-BjCCpSXx8fyYsky73Sn1enr/view?usp=sharing
Posted by:
Sandman on Sep 25, 2020 06:13 PM
Lookout Stool
Hi, I looked through the few pict's I had of the lookout and I do not see that stool. However, it is quite possible it is under something. There is quite a bit of stuff in the lookout. Maybe someone else can answer this for you if they see the question before their trip up there. I didn't spend much time inside the lookout looking around because it was so nice out.
Posted by:
N.Emrich on Sep 25, 2020 09:57 PM
Sandman on Three Fingers
Is the lightening stool still up there? I have not seen pictures of the lookout that include it.
See pic. https://drive.google.com/file/d/15p12rKK7-BjCCpSXx8fyYsky73Sn1enr/view?usp=sharing
Posted by:
Sandman on Sep 25, 2020 06:13 PM
Stool is there
Lightning stool is there as of yesterday. Although there are not a lot of trip reports, this is getting to be a national destination. I found 17 others wanting to be at the lookout this last Monday at the end of season (although weather window and near full moon played a part). Two groups from Portland, and a wedding party of 5 that did a ceremony up top and ended up with 7ppl sleeping that night, and some California plates too. 9 cars at the bridge and two high clearance 4WD made it past the bridge and washout but be prepared to destroy your paint with brush. A Jeep and a lifted Toyota at trail the next day. It still is violating FS closure of the road and making it more disruptive to the hikers and bikers that planned on 8 miles of exhaust free road travel.
Small snow crossing was a dozen or so steps that were soft in the afternoon but were frozen solid at 10am even with temps in the 60s so I used spikes to be safe. Lookout window shutters are gone on the South side so not sure if they just came off in the storm last week or if that was prior.
Posted by:
ikhike on Sep 30, 2020 09:13 PM
Sandman on Three Fingers
Thanks for sharing that. The shutter was in need of repair for some years and had come off earlier. The materials for a new shutter are under the bed awaiting a work party to build and hang. Just a bit of exposure on that side of the lookout.
Hard to plan a trip where you don't have to share the lookout overnight. You can't spend the night in a small shelter with others and not worry about COVID exposure. There are a few spots to bed down nearby but the weather can quickly turn for the worse up there.
Would like to ask you another maintenance question. I have a pack of new clip pins for the shutter rods ready to go up. I have a feeling they are running low and those remaining are quite bent up? Also, do you feel there are plenty of shutter rods in the lookout? (hard to get them back if dropped)
If anyone reading this is planning to go up to the lookout soon it would be nice if you let me know and I can give you the new pins to take up with you.
Thanks again for the information.
Posted by:
Sandman on Oct 01, 2020 11:19 AM