Squire Creek Pass via Eight-mile Trail — Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

I’ve been wanting to hike this trail for some time, but could not find any reliable information about the approach road (NFS roads 2040 or 2060 to 2065). Road 2040 is closed several miles from that end of the TH, so that approach is out for now. Finally I decided to go see for myself if the road 2060 approach, at the other end of the trail, is doable. First off, the directions to the trailhead in the 100 Hikes Glacier Peak Region are not quite correct. The book doesn’t mention that the first NFS road off of Mountain Loop Highway, 2060, does not go to the trailhead as described – 2060 forks about four or five miles in, where 2065 goes right. Take this unsigned right onto 2065, continue for about another mile, and look for the trail sign for Eight Mile Creek on the right. There is room for maybe a half dozen cars to park there. The gravel road is rather bumpy with a few potholes here and there, but perfectly driveable in any passenger car. Now, on to the hike. If I were to write an executive summary, it would go like this: “A short, steep, and brutish trail to one of the most sublime viewpoints in the Cascades”. Again the guidebook is not quite correct; though the trail description is accurate, the book says that there are “no exciting views until the pass”. In fact, there are some excellent views along the way, including some of the enormous granite slabs that are a trademark of the Boulder River Wilderness. They remind me of Yosemite, and would make for some truly outstanding friction climbs. Now the “brutish” part. This has to be about the nastiest piece of trailwork I’ve ever seen, starting up the hill on an old creekbed full of big ankle-busting rocks. Thankfully, this section is very short, maybe a quarter of a mile. Then the real fun begins as the roots take over – think “Mailbox Peak on steroids”. And it’s steep. Very steep, with 2300’ vertical rise. There is a little evidence of past trail maintenance, perhaps during the Pleistocene era, but you have to look hard to spot it. If you don’t like trails with lots of switchbacks, you’ll love this one – there aren’t really any. The trail pretty much makes a beeline up, up, up, to Squire Creek Pass. I half expected to find Shelob waiting for me at the top. Personally, I prefer short steep hikes over those with miles of pointless switchbacking (like Kendall Katwalk). But the roots got to me on this trail. Moreover, I don’t think the guidebook distance of two miles is correct. It’s at least 2.5 miles or maybe three each way to the pass (or maybe it just seems that way). Allow an extra 25% on your time allowance for this hike, as the going is slow. As I approached Squire Creek Pass, I discovered that all the huge granite waterslides up there were partially frozen. So the waterslides are more like slippery slides now, and will only get icier as winter rolls in. And, it’s hard to spot the ice against the gray granite, much like black ice on the roadway. Fortunately I found enough unfrozen rock to get across, but that won’t last long. Note to self: bring traction devices next time. So this trail can be dangerous. If you don’t break an ankle in the roots, you could take a wild ride down a frozen waterslide. So caution is advised, as they say, and let somebody know if you head up here. There are very few hikers around to rescue your butt if you are injured, and no cell phone service (gasp! How did those pioneers ever survive?). Not a good trail for the sneakers and water bottle crowd. Now, if I haven’t already scared you away, on to the good stuff. After enduring this horrible (but scenic!) trail, I finally arrived at Squire Creek Pass. I was gobsmacked. This is one of the most spectacular viewpoints anywhere, with an unobstructed view of Three Fingers, Mount Bullen, and Whitehorse Mountain, all gnarly and right up in your face. But the scenery here is 360 degrees, so it’s amazing in every direction. Squire Creek Pass is really a gigantic slab of flat, smooth granite, so there are no trees to obstruct the jaw-dropping views, and you could easily spend a whole day exploring this unique site. It looks like a past venue for a stonemason’s convention, with lots of granite fireplaces and benches to rest on while admiring the view. There’s even a small stone table. If you’re a photographer, then bring the widest angle lens you have. I had a 24mm but wished I had a 12 or 14 since the views at the pass are so huge. So, if you’re feeling fit and adventurous, try this one out. It’s well worth the considerable effort. But let’s keep it a secret – don’t tell anybody!