One more sunny weekend day... time for one more weekend hike! I didn't have much free time today so a short trip up Mt Catherine fit the bill. First a word about the road, FR9070. Since the last time I was here in 2018 some maintenance has been done to it. Last time there were a couple spots where some large rocks would've ensnared anyone without high ground clearance. Those areas have been fixed, but the road is still full of washboards and ruts. Technically any vehicle can make it, but cars will need to take it very slow. AWD is also recommended as there were a couple steep sections with very loose gravel, and I had to put my Jeep into 4WD to keep from slipping. Also, going down it's very easy to slip and lose control on that gravel so definitely take it slow while descending.

Anyway, I reached the trailhead just before 11am, and there were about 6-8 cars already there so I had to park alongside the road. The little sign marking the trail is gone, but it's hard to miss as it's the only gravel path on your right with a small parking area across from it. Just count 5 miles from the time you get off I-90 and you'll find it.

The trail itself starts out as an ex-logging road but quickly starts switching back and forth, quite steeply at first. Close to a mile in it levels out for awhile, and then climbs again. The first section is quite rocky, but soon you have a nice spongy carpet of dirt and fir needles under your feet. Fall foliage consisted of the usual vine maples and blueberry bushes, most of which are not yet at their peak in this location.

It took me a little less than an hour to reach the final short scramble, and that's when I finally encountered everybody who those cars all belonged to. Multiple families were enjoying the summit, including little kids. The cable that runs down the short 15-20 foot tall scramble section proved quite handy, making it easy to clamber up to the top without risking life and limb.

I took some time eating snacks and taking some pictures, until the other folks all descended leaving me alone on the summit for a few minutes. I took that time to take more pictures and enjoy the view, then I began to head down. Again the cable made what would've been a pretty sketchy descent quite easy.

On the way down I encountered a half-dozen other groups going up, nearly all of them with dogs and/or small children. Apparently this trail is popular as a kid's hike. It's definitely nice and short, but do watch your little ones on the summit as there isn't much room and the southeast face is completely exposed.

I don't know how much longer it'll be before we run out of nice days to do snow-free summit hikes, but if you're in the area and short on time this is a definite must-do. Lots of views and not lots of foot traffic.

Parking is limited but I had no trouble finding a roadside spot right next to the trailhead at 9.45am. I had seen the gravel trail (on the right side as you arrive) going up but there was no sign as mentioned in the trail description. This is the right trail though. There is no sign on the outside but as you go up, you will see a sign on a tree with Trail#1348 Mount Catherine.

A word of caution, little before the Mount Catherine trailhead, there is a trail on the left side of the road as you arrive. When you go in, it also has a sign for Trail#1348 Mount Catherine Twin lakes. This trail will take you to twin lakes in in the opposite direction of Mount Catherine. Me and 2 other groups took this trail first but I got suspicious when 10-15 minutes into the trail, it kept going down. I came back at that point and found the right trail.

Once on Mount Catherine trail, I did not have any trouble. I used the cable to go up and down. I will highly recommend that though I saw many groups arrive without cable.

Views are amazing!

This was a hard hike, but it provided the best view of a hike I've been on in the area. Maybe I'm biased because I was proposed to at the top but the view of mountains, beautiful trees for miles, and a nice resting spot at the top made the hard hike worth it.

The gravel road to the trailhead is mostly in good shape though a little washboardy in places. There were two or three spots that were very rocky with some potholes, but most vehicles can manage. We were good to go in our Subaru and we even saw a relatively low-clearance EV up there ;)

We got a late start on this hike but were able to park easily at the trailhead. We set off on foot at about 11:30 AM. The trail was in good shape, but I recommend shoes or boots with good sturdy soles because it is pretty rocky. 

The route starts off pretty straight and not very steep, then changes to switchbacks for a while. Closer to the top, it levels off for a while before getting steep for the final, short push to the top. 

The view is pretty outstanding. My two boys were loving it! ...That is until my younger son got stung on his eyelid by a wasp. This was two days ago and his eyes both swelled up so much he can barely see out of them. Steroids and antibiotics incoming! 

Finally, FR 9070 has been maintained! Four small patches of “take it real slow” on the way up, but easy to clear with a sedan— nothing like the oil-pan-scraping ruts that kept me off this trail in 2022.

I was tacking this onto the end of my day, so I just climbed the switchbacks and wandered a little distance into the lovely alpine forest above. Eighteen switchbacks in twenty-two minutes… the first stretch of this trail is a booty kicker if you’re taking it fast. However, it’s such a lovely, underrated trail that I’ve hiked it about five times now, and I plan to bring my six-year-old out soon. 

Huckleberry season is wrapping up— I still found a few. Not a bug to be slapped. Misty, foggy, and wild.