We tried to climb Forgotten in early June but spent too much time crossing high streams and kicking steps in steep snow, and hit our turnaround time before we could summit. We finally had a free day with clear weather to return for a second attempt.
The approach: Trail starts from the same parking lot as Dickerman; the opposite end. Register showed only a few folks on this trail on a Saturday, and most of them were day hiking to the falls or the meadows (very nice hikes in their own right).
The Perry Creek trail is a great choice for a hot day, as it is mostly shaded in the morning. It was lovely and in great shape. The streams are mostly dry except for the main creek that flows into falls. This is the last source of water, so fill up here if needed.
The Crux: The description about the drop off from the meadow makes it sound scarier than it is. Anyone with basic scrambling skills will be fine – Class II and watch your footing with the scree. The trail is fairly easy to follow as it traverses around to the north side of Mount Forgotten. Stay on the topo line and trend slightly up. A few places were marked with cairns and pink flagging. Soon you’ll arrive at a beautiful shoulder and take a hairpin turn to head up the gully to the summit. A good boot path all the way to the top.
The reward: At the top you will be treated to an amazing 360° mountain feast. Three Fingers and White Horse to the West, Mt. Baker, Shuksan and the North Cascades to the North and closer White Chuck, Pugh, Sloan and the Monte Cristo area. And of course, magnificent Glacier Peak (although it was a bit sad to see it with so little snow).
The actual summit is tiny. We tagged it and then dropped down about 20 feet to eat lunch and spent quite a bit of time naming as many of the peaks as we could. Do this hike on a clear day. The views are worth the long approach.
On the way out, we were slowed considerably by the amazing blueberries. They were peaking between the meadow and the summit block.
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