Bald Mountain via Ashland Lakes, Ashland Lakes & Cutthroat Lakes via Walt Bailey Trail — Wednesday, Jul. 3, 2024

This is the long anticipated full-length report on the abandoned Bald Mtn Trail!  I managed to follow the old route all the way from the Ashland Lakes side to the Cutthroat Lakes and back again.  It is doable but not easy.  Only skilled backcountry navigators should attempt the entire trail.

As others have reported, the first couple miles or so to the top of west summit is fairly easy to follow, but you will still have to contend with many large blowdowns, broken puncheon bridges, mud and overgrowth.  I recomend exploring this section for the big trees and impressive boulders, including Muledeer's "Darth Vader's Helmet."  You'll know it when you see it.  Past the peekaboo view at west summit, trail conditions deteriorate rapidly.  Occasional switchbacks make losing the trail easier.  Hikers with more experience on faint trails will still be able to follow the route until you reach a very nice (but buggy) campsite beside a creek at about 4 miles in.  This creek is the only water source on the entire trail, so make friends with it.  Past the creek, the trail completely vanishes into the forest.

The next 3.5 miles or so of trail is mostly nonexistant and completely overgrown.  Large blowdowns block the trail and confuse the route.  Huckleberry and salmonberry choke the hillsides and hide remnants of the trail.  Many areas require crawling through shrubbery or under logs.  Detouring around areas of blowdown or washouts requires veggie belaying (holding onto shrubs and trees) to keep from tumbling downhill.  Cut logs, old tread, bits of flagging and diamond-shaped badges nailed to trees help to keep you on route, but they are inconsistant; you will follow the signs for a while then they will just stop before picking up again farther down the trail.  Double diamonds mark switchbacks that are otherwise easy to miss, but again, they are inconsistant.  Random sections of the trail are still in decent shape while other parts are totally obliterated.  Much of the remaining tread is badly sloped. 

The trail mostly follows the 3600' contour for roughly a mile after the creek crossing before switchbacking up to the base of one of Bald's sub-peaks at about 3900'.  This area is one of the most confusing spots, and I was constantly consulting my map and compass to stay on course.  The trail straightens out again and climbs steadily along the 4000' contour before reaching a landslide.  Go straight across the slide (requires some scrambling over loose stones) and the trail will be there in the trees near a bit of flagging tape.  The trail then brings you to a second set of switchbacks which are oddly clear of overgowth and easy to follow.  These will take you to the top of the ridge and your first view of East Bald!  After ridging out, follow a short section of trail that is still in almost perfect shape before coming to the last (and worst) hurdle before reaching East Bald Mtn...

The trail is hopelessly overgrown with hemlocks, vine maple and slide alder.  You will have to crawl, push, pull, fight and curse your way through very dense brush on the edge of rocky cliffs.  Much of the trail has eroded away, requiring veggie belaying across 45° slopes that once hosted a path.  Epic views of Spada Reservoir, Bald Mtn, Mt. Rainier and distant Cascades peaks motivate you to keep going.  Perserverance is soon rewarded when you reach another area of quality trail that looks like someone touched it up in the last couple years.  At this point congrats, you have officially reached the Cutthroat Lakes side!!!

I climbed to the summit and let out a whoop before heading down to the Cutthroat Lakes to make camp.  The lakes basin is still holding a snowpack, but it's easy to cross the intermittent snow and get to the still half-frozen upper lake.  I set up camp for the night and enjoyed having the whole area all to my lonesome thanks to the Mallardy Road closure.  Hiking out the next day took almost as long as the hike in due to the challenging terrain and routefinding.

This trail is badly in need of serious maintenance, but it is totally saveable!  Just one or two BCRT's would bring it back to life.  And all the trip reports for it recently!  There is obvious interest in this path and if WTA is looking for suggestions as to it's next lost trail found, I nominate the Bald Mountain Trail!

Summary: ~19 miles RT w/~3000ft elevation gain. Allow at least 8-10 hours one-way for BMT. I highly advise doing this adventure as an overnight.

"It traverses a long ridge of meadow and old-growth forest for over 8 miles to the base of 4851-foot Bald Mountain. Expect lots of ups and downs, and the trail can be dry by late season."

-Craig Romano on the Bald Mtn Trail, Day Hiking North Cascades