Thorp Mountain via Knox Creek, No Name Ridge - Thorp Mountain — Friday, Jul. 25, 2003

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway

Invited my friend Amy to join me to check out Thorp Mtn. Lookout via Knox Creek trail as a possible Mountaineer hike. We left Tacoma at 7 a.m. and I underestimated the time it would take to get to the trailhead. Hey, it's outside of Roslyn, off I-90...should be a 2 hour drive. WRONG. Once we exited I-90 it was another hour before we Passed the trailhead. Yes, we passed the trailhead by 1/4 mile because the trailhead sign is behind a bush. However, we found a scenic potty stop. I heard a vehicle coming of the road and later saw a red truck down below. It stopped. hmmm? Could they be a trailhead? Then we saw them start hiking up a trail? Geez whiz batman, we've missed the trailhead. So down we drove and there was the sign to Knox Creek Trail. We started to hike at 10 a.m. Up, Up and away. It was already HOT! The trail has a little bit of exposure and loose gravel and may not be a good choice for my beginner hikers, but great for my hiking buddies. It took Amy and I, the slow hikers we are, 1 hour to get to the Thorp Mtn. Junction at 1 1/4 mile. Yup, We Be Slow. That was one of the longest mile I've ever hiked. But the views were incredible. Mt. Stuart, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams stood out as majestic as ever. Amy joked that there really wasn't a lookout because we couldn't see it from the trail. Just after the Thorp Mtn. junction we had a peek-a-boo view of the lookout so I knew it existed (or was it a mirage from the heat). Did I mention it was HOT??? And we could see boaters on Lake Kachess in joying the water. Thank goodness I brought three litters of water. It was HOT! We arrived at the lookout at noon exactly 2 hours later. It was incredible up top. Amy and I spent a leisurely 1 1/4 hours having lunch, chatting and enjoying the views, the breeze and sun. The look out is manned by a young student. There is a potty up top, but as Amy put it...there were a lot of big flies coming up out of there and it didn't seem like it would be a fun experience. We packed up and headed down at 1:17 and arrived at the car at 2:40. Glad I brought my poles. The bottom half of the trail is steep and has loose rocks in places. We stopped at the Roslyn Bakery for a pottly stop and purchased some bread. There is a cafe attached, but the young gal at the bakery said it wouldn't be open for another month. Arrived back in Tacoma at 6 p.m. Great hike!