Foot traffic was light today on the Big Creek Trail at Lake Cushman. We started hiking at about 10:30 am. Warm sunshine and blue skies were breaking through. The forest was absolutely stunning. The well-manicured trail, damp from recent rains, was drying out fast as we walked our dogs in a clockwise direction up the loop trail. We headed straight to the viewpoint off the Mount Ellinor Connector trail at 2600 feet elevation. A wide bench offers a comfortable place to sit and take in the views. We fully indulged, especially after climbing steadily for 3.8 miles and 1800 feet. Even after a half hour of rest, we felt a little reluctance leaving such a pleasant spot.
We dropped back down the trail and took the continuation of the Upper Big Creek Loop Trail. The north and east side of the loop meanders more than the west side and offers a dozen interesting bridge crossings, numerous benches, a nice viewing spot where two branches of Big Creek converge, and a section of trail where Mount Ellinor and Washington can be seen on a clear day. Even though cloud cover prevented us from seeing the two peaks today, our senses were quite full from taking in all the other beauty the trail offered.
The full loop with the two viewpoints covers around 8 miles and gains a modest 1800 feet. This is a relaxing hike that provides a nearly constant stream of interesting sights and sounds.
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