Cutthroat Lakes via Walt Bailey Trail — Monday, Sep. 13, 2021

I hadn't been to visit the Cutthroat Lakes or Bald Mountain yet this year, so I set out to remedy the situation.  As others have reported, the road to the TH has been resurfaced and is now smooth and mostly pothole-free.  Any vehicle can make it at this point.  There also appears to be a whole new road carved into the forest just after the initial turn onto Mallardy Road from Mountain Loop Highway.  A logging road, maybe?  The trailhead is small, with room for only 2 or 3 cars.  A few additional pullouts line the road about 100 yards back from the TH.  Please don't park in the turnaround at the end of the road.

The trail is in great shape thanks to regular maintenance, but it is still rough going thanks to high step-ups/downs, lots of rocks and roots.  A few down trees cross the trail but they are easy to maneuver under, over or around.  The first stream crossing is a muddy trampled mess and has been for a few years.  With the increasing popularity of this trail, though, it is getting worse, with a new social trail cutting through the pocket meadow, and a wide swath of the creek pounded into oblivion.  Building a small puncheon bridge or placing more stepping rocks here would help to alleviate pressure on the creek and meadow.  The second stream crossing (at the 'big' meadow) looks like it will have a bridge over it soon, as evidenced by flagging and some preliminary excavation.  I suggest a gracefully arching wooden bridge with images of cougar, raven and deer carved into the handrails, but something tells me the DNR isn't going to work that into the budget.  :(

The trail is easy to follow all the way to the lake basin, with only a few more blow downs to cross before you reach the first of many tarns in the Cutthroat Lakes area.  First time visitors, keep in mind that this first little lake you reach is not one of the main lakes.  The picture on this hike's info page is actually of this "false" tarn.  This first lake is called Melucky Tarn *cough*; the Cutthroat Lakes are a little farther along the trail.  When you see a green porta-potty you will know you have arrived.

If continuing up to Bald Mountain, the trail becomes somewhat overgrown and difficult to follow in places. Social trails meander all over the basin and ridge, making things even more bewildering. The trick is to follow the western shore of Upper Cutthroat Lake (the one w/the island) toward the ridge east of Bald Mtn's summit. You can easily see the summit and ridge from here. You know you are going the right way once you start climbing up and away from the lakes. Oh, and you will be heading the opposite direction from the mountain, if you weren't already confused enough. The trail is narrow and choked with overgrowth in places. You will have to push through tree branches and berry bushes. It will feel like you're getting yourself lost on some abandoned path but you are going the right way. After cresting the ridge, the trail turns back toward Bald Mtn and comes to an easy-to-miss junction. Right leads to the summit, straight leads down an abandoned trail for two miles to the old parking lot for the Cutthroat Lakes. There is an old, busted sign on the ground that marks the turnoff but that's also easy to miss. If you suddenly find yourself hiking down the east side of the ridge, you've gone too far. Once past the junction the trail passes through meadows strewn with white boulders. The approach to the summit is steep, rocky and exposed. Some hikers may not be comfortable with the trail conditions past this point. For those who persevere, the views from the top are excellent.  Feel free to sign the Mountaineers summit register!  It's in a PVC tube wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed under a rock at the summit.

The berries are ripe and the fall colors are beginning to creep in.  The huckleberries were good but I found the blueberries to be quite acidic.  I passed a couple parties heading back from camping at the lakes, but otherwise had the place to myself on a Monday.

Summary: ~10miles RT w/~3000ft elevation gain; ~6 hours hiking time + 1 hour break at the summit.  Critters: cougar track in the mud, potential bear track on trail, up-close pika encounter, hawks, ravens, crows, pigeons, grouse, frogs, tadpoles, 2 dogs, 4 humans, one very large garter snake and a deer on the forest road while driving home.