Squire Creek Pass via Eight-mile Trail — Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019

Six of us hiked to Squire Creek Pass via the Eight-mile Trail. This is a rugged hike! Very rocky and rooty and steep trail much of the way. The big surprise was that, as the trail levels out toward the top, there are several granite slabs and waterways to cross, all of which were a sheet of ice! Micro-spikes would likely be useful here as long as the temps remain so cold. With some slipping and a couple falls,  and seeking re-routes to find best places to cross, we made it to the pass. What a reward for our efforts! Lunch in the sunshine, while sitting on the huge granite expanse of the pass with Three Fingers right "in our faces" and other peaks all around. It was glorious! Another delight on this trail is the number of enormous old growth cedars still remaining, along with perhaps the largest old growth stump I've ever encountered. The road in: The first mile or two are beautiful. Then there are three nasty ditches/washouts which are negotiable with care (I did fine in my Subaru Outback), and then the remainder is just a bit pot-holed. Another caution: Beyond the first portion of the trail, one can very easily get off-trail, so one must be very attentive to the actual trail route. It's a pretty primitive trail in some sections.