Silver Star Mountain - Ed's Trail, Silver Star Mountain — Saturday, May. 24, 2014

Southwest Washington > Lewis River Region

I decided to head up to Silver Star to see if all of the wildflowers were in bloom. I headed in from the Battleground area and drove through the Sunset Campground to the 41 Road. I continued on the 4109 Road toward the trail head. The 4109 Road is pretty rough. I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have access to a high clearance vehicle. I started on the trail and remembered that I had worked on this trail clearing brush in 2011. To my delight it was still in pretty good shape. The first part of this hike is pretty steep but after a half mile you get into the meat of this hike. When you get to the intersection of Ed's Trail and Silver Star you have a decision to make.I ran into my buddy Phil at this intersection, he told me it was his 75th birthday in a few weeks. He suggested taking the Ed's trail up and Silver Star back, I agree. Ed's trail is a beautiful hike and immediately offers views of Mt. Hood, Helen's, Adam's, and even Rainer. You climb toward Silver Star on a well established side hill-trail that is very steep on the downhill side. You will come to an unmistakeable rock arch that is a unique and dynamic feature this hike. Following this is a section of the trail that is better described as a scramble. Head up this scramble until the trail flattens out in a small stand of forest. Past this, you come to an intersection where you have the option to head to the peak, head back down, or continue to the Bluff Trail. I recommend heading to the peak where you are offered a 360 view of the Silver Star area hikes and beyond. Head back home on the Silver Star Trail which is easy on the knees as it is an old road bed. This is a great 5(ish) mile loop that I would recommend to almost anyone. There were some wildflowers in bloom, but I would expect that the "boom of the bloom" will be in 1-2 weeks from now. If you're thinking about this hike I doubt you will get a better visual than in the next few weeks.