Green Mountain — Friday, Jul. 21, 2000

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

In spite of 100% fog all day, and the total lack of the views we came for, in spite of the 26 miles on bumpy Forest Service roads to get there, and in spite of our disappointment in not hiking our originally planned but still snowbound destination on Mt. Baker, Green Mtn was SUPERB! It's 4 steep miles and 3200 ft. of gain to the summit lookout at 6500 ft. The first mile is in forest, then the meadows & flowers start. 3 miles and 500 or more acres of solid wildflowers . The effect is like 50 Butchart Gardens stuck together and tilted at 45 degrees. There hasn't been any logging here and there is no evidence of past fires, this mountain just likes flowers and a low tree line. At one mile at the forest edge are a couple of campsites. Just beyond here the first meadow area is highlighted by hundreds of bright orange tiger lilies. The trail starts switch backing up the steep meadow slope with flowers at shoulder or eye level on the uphill side in this section. On other days the first views of Glacier peak and other mountains to the south appear here . Up and up we climb in the fog, passing outstanding groves of red columbine mixed with 5 or 6 other species of various colors including the dainty bluebells of Scotland. Some scattered groups of alpine trees appear at 2 miles where the trail rounds the ridge of the false summit (which we couldn't see) and is less steep for a bit before traversing down almost 200 ft. in 1/2 mile to a little basin with a lakelet , gardens amid snow patches , a creek to jump over on stones, and some campsites. We are now at 5200 ft. It's a pleasant 60 degrees and time for a rest and snack break on the lake shore before our big push to the summit. No camp robber jays while eating and no bugs either. Back on the way we cross a mostly snow covered gently sloped upper basin with western anemone starting to poke up and bloom immediately right next to the snow. Past the basin the trail traverses under our still unseen summit lookout thru vast fields of golden glacier lilies and white and yellow anemone. Then we switch back more steeply up the east ridge thru mixed meadows of smaller flowers and thousands of dwarf huckleberries. It's a steep trail all the way & sections of the last mile are steepest of all. 800 ft. / mile average , 15% grade. Parts of my body's leg system are complaining. We pass several foggy view points and finally see the lookout 100 yards ahead. Lunch at 2:05 on the mountain top. More breeze on top but no fog/cloud breakup , so no views beyond 200 yards. Oh well, it already rates a 10 for the flowers so what would I give it with the 360 degree North Cascade views ""A 20"" or off my chart for aesthetic splendor. After lunch a mist and fine drizzle begin so we started down. On the way down I notice some more flower varieties missed on the way up to bring the day's total to over 40! The most I have ever enjoyed in one day. Just before reentering the woods the low fog rises to give us one peek a boo view of the Suiattle river 3000 ft. below. Counting our group, about 25 people are visiting Green Mtn. today, giving at least a million flowers per hiker. But the bug to human ratio remains zero. The trail tread is good smooth dirt most all of the way, fir needle cushioned in the woods, & rocky only about 5% of the way. Major trail work has been done by W.T.A. volunteers within the last few weeks. There is not a single downed log to step over! I plan to come again, next year, on a sunny day when the flowers and views are out. Time up 3 1/2 hours , down 2 hours. RATINGS included in 100 Classic Hikes in Wash. by Spring & Manning included in Pacific Northwest Hiking by Judd & Nelson with rating of 9 (out of 10) included in Don't Waste Your Time in the North Cascades by Copeland with premier 4 star rating And to quote Spring & Manning ""climbs through these remarkable meadows to a lookout summit with magnificent views to every point of the compass"".