Monte Cristo Ghost Town — Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2025

Beautiful day for a hike! Mt Loop Hwy opened on the 11th, and is clear to the trailhead. Parked at Barlow Pass and headed across the road to set out down the South Fork Sauk Rd. Trail was in good condition for the first half, lots of coltsfoot and skunk cabbage in bloom. Reached the river crossing, and the water level was low enough for both the log and a water crossing to be viable. Just past the river crossing, the trail was somewhat eroded along the old stream bed, which made for some uneven terrain. Road evened out, and we had some patchy snow around mile 2, but it quickly went away. Looks like there was some good wind storms in the area, because lots of fallen branches, and a good handful of fell trees across the trail starting after the river crossing. Around mile 3ish, the trail was completely washed out from what looked to be a landslide, but was easy enough to cross. Patchy snow started up again as we approached Monte Cristo, and upon reaching the ghost town there was a good foot of snow or so around the main town area. Highly recommend gaiters for exploring the town, since there was so much snow across the main parts. Looks like someone (or something) broke the back window on the middle forest service cabin, as it was completely open to the elements and there was shattered glass around the base. Will be reporting to the ranger station promptly. Saw around 10ish people during the whole duration of the hike- three folks on the way up, two at the top, and a handful on the way down. See photos for trail and town conditions!