Park Butte, Scott Paul Trail — Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

Lorelei, my Belgian Malinois, and I left the TH late, about 8:45 AM The walk up was uneventful and pretty slow. The Rocky Creek crossing was easy across low water. A beautiful cloudless day. There were few flies and no mosquitoes. Berries are ripe along the trail but the pickings are slim with very few berries on even large bushes. We met no one on the way up to the Park Butte LO. Being that I am old and in less than top condition, we did not reach the LO until a few minutes after eleven. There were two parties there, totaling eight people and a Spaniel. Coming down, I decided to take the Scott Paul oxbow. The western suspension bridge across Rocky Creek is a challenge for dogs and stiletto heels. The gap between planks is about two inches, wide enough for a paw to be caught and also to see the drop and raging stream. I had taken a harness so I supported Lorelei, she got her rear feet placed well, and we crossed successfully. By now at about one PM, the heat melt had Rocky Creek high and nearly roaring. The trail is in very good shape with one large but easily crossable blowdown during the east-west stretch of the trail. As the Forest Service info center will tell you, the eastern bridge is gone. I'm sorry, I don't know the name of that creek. The water was pretty high and fast but there are well spaced nice large rocks just upstream from the old crossing. A three or four foot jump across the largest flow is necessary but the rocks are quite large and dry. With minimum guidance, Lorelei did fine. As we neared the turn to the south entering the forest, the bugs became a minor irritation. Black flies and a few horse flies. We saw twelve hikers on the Scott Paul. Two were going in our direction. Two others had overnight packs and six of the remaining eight were going to turn around no farther than the eastern creek.