Blanchard Hill - Alternate Incline Trail, Lily and Lizard Lake Loop & North Butte — Saturday, Mar. 20, 2010

This report describes one of the three ways to hike to the North Mount Blanchard Mountain summit. I call this one the side door loop. The summit of Mount Blanchard has the finest set of views in the entire Blanchard/Chuckanut range. You have views of the San Juan Islands; Bellinghan and the mountains of Canada beyond; Mount Baker and the Twin Sisters; and Anacortes with the Olympics in the background. Unfortunately, the high clouds rolled in and ruined the contrast of bright blue sky against white capped mountains. Hence the pictures I have included don't really do justice to the views. Driving: Take I-5 to Exit 240. Turn left if traveling north from Seattle or turn right if traveling south from Bellingham. You want to be going west on Lake Samish Road. Take Lake Samish Road to Barrel Springs Road and turn left (only choice). Follow Barrel Springs to the DNR B-1000 road (gravel) and turn right. There is a sign saying Mount Blanchard Trail system. Follow the B-1000 road past the first parking area with the vault toilet and around a long 180 degree turn. Keeping going straight at the junction with the B-2000 road, which goes off to the left. Going straight will get you to a parking area just prior to the locked gate closing the upper part of the road. No toilet here. Hiking: Start by going through the gate and hike the B-1000 road for 1.0 mile to the Alternate Incline trailhead on the left. This was the location of an old logging incline in the early 20th century where a steam donkey was used to raise and lower equipment. The old incline is signed "Not a Trail". The actual trail is an impressive 1.1 mile run of climbing turns gaining 730 feet to it's junction with the Lizard Lake trail. Take the Lizard Lake trail to the right towards the lake for 0.2 miles. This section is an old logging train railbed. Yes, they hosted railroad equipment up the incline with the steam donkey. At the lake, you will see the trail to the campsites on your right. Look left instead and notice the two posts side by side without a sign on them. There is a trail there going up the ridge. Take this boot trail. If you find yourself in the campsite by the large rock, then you have missed the trail. It is to your left away from the rock, look slightly up ridge and you will see it. This trail runs 0.3 mile to a 'y' shaped junction with a trail leading off to your right up to the North summit. Take this trail for 0.2 mile watching for the rock out-cropping ahead and to your right as you go through the saddle between the north and south summit. On the this rock outcrop you can see the San Juans and the back side of Oyster Dome, which you are above. Leave this rock outcrop down the trail you see leading to the back, left of it. This trail leads you to the second rock outcrop where you will see Mount Baker and the Twin Sisters. From the second outcrop backtrack a little and look for a trail to the right which goes to the third rock outcrop. The third outcrop faces north toward Bellingham and Canada. Back to the car: Head back to the first rock outcrop and backtrack to the 'y' shaped junction. Go right and follow this trail 0.3 miles around Lily Lake to the junction with connector trail from Oyster Dome. At the junction, turn left and follow the Lily Lake trail back to the parking area. This trail is another old logging railroad bed. This will take you past Max's Shortcut in just a few hundred feet to a signed junction in 0.6 miles. Turn right here and take the trail down the mountain. The Lily Lake trail is a DNR maintained trail and has awesome bridge work for horses, rock water bars, and climbing turns. In 1.2 miles, you will come to the last junction where you will turn left, go through one switchback and continue down the mountain. From this last junction, it is 1.3 miles back to the trail head on the B-1000 road. The parking area is left from the trail about 100 yards. You will have passed it driving in. Total mileage is about 6.5 miles, elevation starts at 890 and tops at 2225 on the summit. The map "Chuckanut Recreation Area" by Square One Maps covers it all and is available at the Bellingham REI and most bike shops in Fairhaven. Blanchard Mountain was not replanted when it was logged in the early 20th century and has grown backed mixed with Cedar, Douglas Fir, Alder, Birch, and Dogwood. The cedar and fir is over 80 years old and the original old growth stumps are still there for comparison. Skunk cabbage is starting to bloom, but no Trillium yet. DNR wants to log the lower portions of Blanchard. Hike it before the trees are gone!