Squire Creek Pass via Eight-mile Trail — Sunday, Jul. 9, 2000

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

Squire Creek Trail, from Clear Creek to Squire Creek Pass. The portion of the Squire Creek trail in the Clear Creek drainage, from the Copper Creek spur of the Clear Creek logging road up toward Squire Creek Pass, was the site of a WTA sponsored work party the weekend of July 8-9, 2000. In addition to the WTA, the project was sponsored by the North Face, a clothing and equipment manufacturer, and the Access Fund, a rock and mountain climber's advocacy group. The trail is currently in reasonably good condition from the trailhead in Clear Creek up to a polished granite face known as Three O'Clock Rock, a little over one mile up the trail. However, the trailbed is rocky, and there remain some muddy areas - sturdy footwear is recommended and the trail may not be suitable for small children. The trail passes through some previously logged but never-the-less quite beautiful forest, and emerges into the open for some views of the valley and surrounding peaks just as one approaches Three O'Clock Rock. The upper half of this trail, from Three O'Clock Rock to Squire Creek Pass, is in poor condition. Beyond the open area described above, the trail enters brush and soon ascends into a forest where an avalanche has come down and completely obliterated the trail for 1/4 mile. Should one persevere and climb/scramble/crawl past this obstacle, the trail is generally passable though brushy from there up to the pass. As of July 7, there was snow on the trail up near the pass itself. The trail in the Squire Creek basin, from the Squire Creek Pass down to the Squire Creek trailhead, is in much better condition and is at present the recommended hiking route to Squire Creek Pass. The Pass offers excellent views of such impressive features as the east wall of Three Fingers Mountain, the Squire Creek Wall below the east side of Whitehorse Mountain, and Mt. Shuksan to the north. --Matt Perkins, July 10, 2000