Took an overnight trip up the N. Fork Sauk. My original hope was to get up to the PCT, hang a left, go over Red Pass and camp at Glacier Meadows, under the watch of "the last wild volcano." On the way up, however, I talked to some folks returning from a climb of Glacier Peak, and they said that there was a lot of snow beyond Red Pass and that finding a campsite would be tough. Thus, I modified my plan, and instead made my destination the bench just below White Pass on then PCT. The trip through the forest was uneventful and pleasant enough, though there was some pretty heavy brush encroaching on the trail on an off between 4 and 5 miles in. According to a sign at the trailhead, this will be cleared the first week of August. I ate a late lunch at Mackinaw shelter. Then it was time to go up. Be under no illusions, gaining three thousand feet in just under three miles is every bit as tough as it sounds, especially with a full overnight pack. But, was it ever worth it. The early part of the climb alternates between open meadows and light patches of trees, providing much-appreciated shade. The flower show starts quickly. At this point in the trip report, the smarty-pants flower-experts usually start listing all the flowers they spotted, particularly the really obscure ones, where you kinda wonder if they're just making names up. I really only know the basics...columbine, paintbrush, phlox, Tiger lilies, etc., but I did see all of those and more. Higher up the snow-free trail, more flowers and many mountains line the views. Sloan appears from behind. Before long, the Monte Cristo peaks arise. By the time you reach the PCT, there enough pointy bit of rock in view that you coud go on peak-spotting for hours before taking a page out of the flower-experts' playbook and making up names for them. The wind was kicking up when I got to camp, and I tried to set up in a sheltered spot. I had dinner, and then decided to take a walk over to Red Pass. Sure enough, there was a good bit of snow beyond. I climbed up to the high point just to the left of the pass, and got at least a glimpse of Glacier Peak. Mt. Rainier was visible to the south, and the smoke from the Eastern Washington fires could be seen quite clearly too. Back at camp, I settled into bed. I was going to play around with some nighttime photography, but am not enough of a night owl to stay awake until it is dark enough for the stars to come out this time of year. There's probably a comparison I could draw between people who are really keen on astronomy and flower-experts, but I'll refrain. The wind was still coming in gusts as I went to bed. Though sheltered from the big gusts, there was still enough getting though that my tent was buffeted all night long. Not necessarily conducive to good sleep, but pretty awe inspiring to hear the massive wind gusts roar up the valley. I rose early and enjoyed the very early morning in the mountains. There is something about the morning air up there that is purifying and restful. Add in a cup of hot coffee and you're awfully doggone close to heaven. I packed up an hit the trail at 7:00. The way back down was a breeze in the cool morning air. Low clouds cloaked the valley below, but I was above it all. I descended, miles passed, and soon I was back at the car. When I returned to the car, I found that the "High Property Crime Area" warning sign at the trailhead was there for a reason. No, my window wasn'wasn't smashed and car raided by some low-life druggie punk. The criminal trespassing I discovered was of a much smaller scale. I had been gone for less than 24 hrs (23hr 45min, to be exact), but when I opened my trunk I found two little, brown mice, sitting in a newly-built nest, staring up at me with huge mouse-eyes. Awash with a mix of profound displeasure and "gosh, they're kinda cute," I struggled with whether to attempt to clobber the buggers with my hiking poles or sigh "awwwwww" and take a picture. In the end, I chose the middle ground of exclaiming "WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?!?!?!" The mice quickly sized up the situation and jumped out of the trunk, running. Less flowery bottom line: Trail is in good condition from trailhead to PCT. Snow free and no blow downs. A little brushy at times between miles 4 and 5. PCT clear of snow between Red and White Passes, with patchy snow visible on trail south of White Pass, and near-continuous snow visible on trail north of Red Pass. Campsites at White Pass melted out. It is likely that flower experts often make up names of flowers in order to impress you.

The trail is in good condition with one stream crossing where waterproof shoes will come in handy. Beautiful very large Cedar and Fir trees throughout much of the hike. We had a doe follow us up the trail for a while until she found a passing lane, passed us and was gone. Walked to the bridge, had lunch and started back.

I knew this was going to be a hot one, so started out on the trail at 6:30am. The Mountain Loop Hwy Road was in great shape, but Road 49 had quite a few potholes. From the trailhead to Mackinaw Shelter I encountered no blowdowns, but there were clearings where the nettles were encroaching on the trail and had to semi-bushwhack. Found no issues with the trail after Mackinaw Shelter and the upper meadows were melted out with excellent displays of wildflowers. Hiked this last year at the same time and the melt out is way ahead of last year. I usually find a nice cool breeze at the higher elevations, but today the heat was brutal! The normally eager dog who wants to hike all day wanted to turn around about a quarter mile from the PCT junction, so do to the heat I turned around. The heat was not to bad under the forest canopy, but was very intense in the nettle fields. As usual the views in the upper meadows were outstanding the only drawback being the heat. Was back at the car by 2:45pm. If you make the extra effort to continue past Mackinaw Shelter you will not be disappointed.

Access: Forest Road 49 is not signed at the junction with the Mountain Loop Highway. The sign is about 100 feet up Forest Road 49. The signage is more apparent coming in from Darrington, so if you’re traveling from the Granite Falls side just pay attention to your mileage. The turn-off is about 26 miles east of the Verlot Public Service Center. The road itself is in pretty good shape save for quite a few potholes which can be easily avoided with careful driving. Trail Conditions: I hiked as far as the bridge over Red Creek at 4 miles in, and the trail to that point is in excellent condition. There are a few small, easy stream crossings, all trail junctions are clearly signed, and there are no muddy patches or other obstacles. Some of the open areas along the trail are getting brushy, but those stretches don’t last long and the path is always apparent underneath the foliage. This trail is open to horses, so keep an eye out for their droppings. Flora and Fauna: On my trip, I saw an owl (not sure which kind; it flew away too quickly), lots of chipmunks, and some really large slugs. Various ferns and forest wildflowers line the way. Bunchberry and false lily of the valley were blooming. The real star of this hike, though, is the old-growth forest of massive cedar and Douglas firs. Some impressively-sized nurse logs are nurturing some younger trees as well. Views: There are some nice views of the North Fork Sauk and a clear view of Sloan Peak just after the first stream crossing, but the forest views are really what this trail is all about.

This is a beautiful trail with HUGE trees and foliage. Felt like I was in Pandora (Avatar). Good hike when you don't feel like a lot of elevation gain. The river is always close by, and there was cold air coming out of boulder fields as we walked by, so might be good on a hot day.