We hiked the Sauk Mountain trail on a sunny Tuesday. The road in has potholes, but nothing that can’t be handled by a regular car with careful driving. The final, steep climb up to the parking lot is by far the worst. This short stretch, only a couple of hundred yards at most, is very rough, with rocks, troughs and loose dirt. Several people had opted to park along the road below this stretch. However, in addition to Subarus, other SUVs and trucks, there were a few regular sedans in the lot, including a Tesla, so apparently the last stretch can be done without 4WD or high clearance.
We arrived at the trailhead at around 11:30 and snagged the last spot in the lot. Several people arrived after us and had to park lower down. The lot cleared out during the day, and by 3:00, only 6 cars were left.
Predictably, we met a lot of people hiking out as we climbed the switchbacks, but we had the trail mostly to ourselves by the time we topped the ridge. Opting for an afternoon hike was a good plan for avoiding the crowds at the top.
The climb up the avalanche chute is very exposed, with only a couple of places to stop in the shade, and there is no water on the trail for dogs. Fortunately, a light breeze kept the temperature comfortable for us and our dog wore her sun shirt to keep her cooler. The switchbacks (all 22 of them) are generally in good shape, although there are a few loose, slippery places. We saw one woman coming down one of these on her bottom to avoid slipping. Good hiking shoes and poles are definitely helpful, especially on the descent.
The summer wildflower bloom is in full swing along this section of the trail and it was a joy to stroll through the diversity of greenery and blooms, including valerian, cow parsnip, phlox, lupines, penstemons, tiger lilies and columbines.
Over the ridge, a few snow patches are still melting out and the trail crosses several of these (see photo). The path over the snow is clear and the snow was solid enough to walk on. The final climb to the top is clear of snow, as is the top.
We were lucky to have a clear, 360-degree view from the top. This was our fourth climb up this trail, but the first in which the view has not been obscured by clouds.
We found a somewhat secluded spot for our late lunch and lingered for over an hour enjoying the view and identifying all the familiar peaks to the north, east, south and west. We could even see the top of Mount Rainier far to the south. A curious chipmunk and a pika scurried around while we watched. Only a few other groups joined us and by the time we left, only one other hiker was left. Just down from the peak, a big marmot watched us and whistled. We met only two groups hiking in as we hiked out.
All in all, I would rank Sauk Mountain as one of the top hikes in the Bellingham area. It is relatively short, delivers outstanding views right from the trailhead and offers a gently graded path up to the alpine. The views from the top can’t be beat. The only downsides are the crowds (this is a very popular trail all summer and fall) and the hot, southern exposure up the avalanche chute.
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