Our Mountaineers group of 10 hiked 8 miles up the creek (thanks Karen for organizing and leading!). There are no blowdowns. There are spots that could use a little trimming, especially on the 8th mile. The 6 week or so "peak" wildflower continuum is in the harsh paintbrush phase, there are loads of these in brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds (photo 3) in the first 2 miles. There are also lots of very pretty lupine (photo 4) and Lyall's mariposa lilies in this section. The snowbrush is just starting to bloom. As you continue, the forested sections have fairyslipper orchids and a huge number of trillium with a beautiful variety of colors and patterns as they fade. If you go 6 miles you'll see Oregon anemones (photo 1) and the clearing at 6.5 miles has Columbia Lewisia (photo 2). There aren't many thick fields of flowers on this hike, but the diversity of plant life on this hike is wonderful. The attached Washington Native Plant Society list has 188 species. The crashing creek and peek-a-boo views of the Enchantments and Teanaways add to my enjoyment of this hike.
Type of Hike
Day hikeTrail Conditions
Trail in good conditionRoad
Road suitable for all vehiclesBugs
Bugs were not too badSnow
Snow free
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