Pilot Ridge, North Fork Sauk River — Sunday, May. 25, 2014

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

After losing the Pilot Ridge trail in the snow at about 4,000', we found our way over the top of Pilot Ridge, down the other side and onto FS Rd. 4920, which led us back to the parking lot. Just walking the dog. (Executive Summary) We started from the parking area around 7AM, and encountered a group of back-country skiers headed for Glacier Peak. They were well equipped with skis and in one case a pink TuTu, so I'm hoping there is a trip report for that. Seemed like a fun group. We got on the trail just ahead of the Tutu Skiers, and with a light day-pack were able to jog all the way to the Pilot Ridge turnoff. The first log-crossing looked dangerous, no bark and water washing over the top. Looking further upstream there was a stack of logs, with the top few high enough to safely cross. One log looked pretty good but has lost about 1/2 the bark and is slippery. There is a higher log with bark on, but a root ball obstacle at the far end. We took that route. Anything a Corgi can do, a Westie can do better! Climbed over the root ball and jumped to the far bank with a Jackie Chan move. There is a lot of switchbacks and a few blowdowns on the climb up towards Pilot Ridge, but with the cool temperatures and the sun filtering through the trees we enjoyed the climb. Got a few nice pictures of a golden-mantled ground squirrel. We lost the trail under the snow at around 4,000'. Lacking a track on my map, I simply headed for an obvious saddle on the the Topo map. A couple of times I spotted sawn logs, indicating the trail traveled this way as well. After a mile of dead reckoning, I gained a ridge just over 5,000 feet. It was about 11AM, and rather than heading back I noted FS 4920 about a mile South and 2,000 feet down the slope. So we headed in that direction. I broke out onto a talus slope with great views to the S. and of Bedal Peak. As we bushwacked lower, I started to see stumps indicating logging. So I had hope the road was nearby. I was grateful the Devil's Club has not yet filled out, the bushwhacking would be much tougher later in the year. We eventually broke out onto the road, and were able to jog back and return over a bridge to the parking lot around 2:30 PM. I was delighted to see that bridge, as I was concerned I would not be able to re-cross the Sauk, and have to go back the way I came up over the top of Pilot Ridge.