Fuller Mountain

NO FOOLING AROUND ON FULLER MOUNTAIN (March 17, 2010)

No kidding, you can get lost here. Ask me how I know that – yes, we came close to getting lost on a previous visit to this cute little peak.

My first visit was on a Mountaineer hike led by the late Archie Wright. That was a day in fall and as we switchbacked toward the summit through a high sea of swirling sword ferns, I wondered how we’d find our way back. Archie, of course, knew the way.

I returned a few years later only to learn the hard way that staying on the trail was easier said than done. We eventually found the bald little summit but lost the trail on our way back. Over time the sea of sword ferns had grown deeper, the trees taller. We stood confused in a Sargasso Sea of ferns, salal, Oregon grape and look-alike second and third-growth forest – there were no distinctive landmarks.

That was on a cold winter day and the hours were moving much faster than we were hiking. Flummoxed, we thrashed around, cursed a bit, briefly panicked and finally found the wisp of a trail, making it back to the car with daylight to spare.

Fast forward to the present – suddenly it seems like everybody is discovering or re-discovering Fuller Mountain though we did find recent trail reports confusing. It seems that most hikers can only describe staying on the trail a little challenging.

Finding the “trailhead” is a challenge in itself unless you familiar with North Bend and the logging road layout. From Seattle drive to North Bend on I-90, follow North Bend Way to Ballarat Avenue, turn left. Ballarat Avenue eventually becomes the North Fork Road (gravel) and jogs uphill (left). We continued on the gravel road about three miles to Spur Gate 10. Spur 10 is a network of logging roads managed by Hancock Forestlands (formerly managed by Weyerhaeuser). We parked at the major road junction, the last place a vehicle can park without a (costly) permit to drive on Hancock’s gated roads.

The hike starts kitty-corner at the road junction at Spur 10; the sign for Ten Mile Creek is gone. Find the creek near the road junction at Spur 10 and you’ll spot the obvious trail. You might hear the creek before you see it. You’ll see two posts where the trail starts, the only indication of trail (the interpretive trail was created by Weyerhaeuser years before these lands were acquired by Hancock Forestlands).

Along the short trail some trees are designated with signs to help visitors recognize the trees that grow here. We noted a “Red Alder”, the biggest red alder I’ve seen in a while. Shortly past “Red Alder” Ten Mile Creek is crossed on what used to be a rickety bridge. The existing bridge is an improvement - a fat log with a rope and chicken wire on slippery wood makes it pretty easy, even for landlubbers like me who don’t relish stream crossings.

Near the bridge we stopped to gaze at ponds created by beaver dams – by golly, this is a pretty place!

The trail crosses an old road before it comes out to a road junction at the edge of a quarry; the end of the old interpretive trail. After you leave the trail turn left for a short distance on the gravel road, then almost immediately turn right onto an older gravel road and look for the trail (left). Previous reports mentioned it was marked by blue flags; we did not find blue flags but the trail is easy to spot if you’re looking.

As for the trail itself it provides more challenges of a different nature; the trail is uneven, rocky and being overtaken by vegetation, lots and lots of sword fern. We enjoyed peek-a-boo views of Klaus Lake below as the trail switchbacked toward the summit. En route there are a few blowdowns; none impassible.

It’s when the trail levels out on the broad summit area that things get perplexing; here, a myriad of trails twists and winds through a jungle of vegetation. Plus, the vegetation is surrounded by look-alike-trees; there are no distinctive landmarks. There are also flags here and there (some with polka dots, some white, some orange) these merely add to the confusion. A GPS would be handy for this hike; ours is broken and needs to be replaced.

It is beyond the skill of this hiker to describe exactly how to find the grassy bald with the view of Mount Si, Fuller Mountain and beyond. You are on your own once the trail gains the undulating summit ridge; we aimed for the sky and followed tread as best we could and by luck more than crook, we found the mossy knoll and settled down, satisfied that we did actually find the “summit” of Fuller Mountain.

There were no views today; Mount Si was barely discernible through the thick layers of clouds but I enjoyed the ambience anyway; the thick layers of intricate mosses that covered the rocky bald were fun to photograph; this is also a summit you’ll likely have to yourself since it is no easy task finding it.

But worth the try!!

The hike is 4 miles round trip with about 600 feet of elevation gain.

Recent Hikes, March 2010

Big Four Ice Caves (March 21, 2009)

Since this hike was described last fall I won’t go into detail except to mention that once again we hiked in a downpour.

The trail is free of snow and flowers are beginning to come out – violets, coltsfoot, skunk cabbage.

There were very few hikers on the trail; the rain kept the crowds away.

We’d planned to hike to Barlow Point as well but it was raining so hard we decided against that and turned the rest of the day into a photo-foray.

Stops included: Red Bridge (River Road), near the “Sinkhole” to see vestiges of an old Monte Cristo Railroad bridge, the Youth-on-Age Nature Trail and the Old Mill Pond; we also stopped at several points along the Mountain Loop, pulling off onto the side of the road for more photography.

The most “interesting” stop was at Red Bridge – here we parked at the gated road and walked a way. We’d spotted what looked like an old bridge on the far side of the river so wanted to investigate. We hiked the gated road perhaps 1/16 of a mile (this is called River Road but is not so signed) to where a rough path led down to the gravel bars of the Stillaguamish river. There we got a good look at the structure, definitely part of an old bridge. Here we looked across the river and saw the supports for the bridge on the other side. Neither of these edifices can be seen when the vegetation leafs out.

Since we wanted to see the other part of the bridge we hiked back to the car, crossed the river and parked on the other side of “Red Bridge”. Here we found a path that led to the bridge (not signed). It appears that this site does get a few visitors – there is some graffiti on the bridge but at least no trash.

To the best of my knowledge this old bridge is not mentioned in the Monte Cristo guidebooks – but I will double-check on that (I may be mistaken). Whether it was a part of the Monte Cristo railroad or an early logging bridge remains to be known. Anyway, it was fun to spot it.

We stopped at the “new” Mountain View Diner near Robe and are pleased to report that since ownership changed hands, it’s a good place to stop for food (or visit the Lounge). I’ve always liked the Mountain View Diner but we strongly recommend stopping when they are open – everything is baked/cooked and fresh. On Saturday they had had a brunch that morning and the leftover desserts were two desserts for the price of one because they said the “servings” were too small to charge for one. I enjoyed freshly baked ginger-bread, Silverback had a chocolate chip cookie. Before dessert, we shared a BLT (the best BLT I’ve ever eaten).


Mailbox Peak – March 23, 2010

The trail is just as steep as ever but it’s easier to follow the trail that it used to be. This was our second visit to Mailbox in the past few weeks; this time I got to the summit, Silverback stopped a couple hundred feet short.

We’re both in better shape than we were last time. A regime of hiking and eating better has helped us both. Though I am going on 67 this hike to Mailbox was the “easiest” it’s ever been for me. I never ran out of wind or energy.

When Silverback moved out here from Denver last April, he could barely walk uphill. He’s lost about 80 pounds and will soon catch up with me. It’s just a matter of time!!

There was no significant snow until we reached the boulders (where Silverback stopped last time). At that point hikers can choose between scrambling the boulders or hiking up beside the boulder field and scrambling up to the ridge on snow.

We tried the snow route first but gave that up soon – the sun was shining and the snow on the trees was melting. It was like a miniature rain-storm! Though we had ice axes, we didn’t have umbrellas so gave that up and continued on up via the boulder field.

I’m always happier on rocks than I am on snow; climbing on boulders is fun, it’s like play. There was a little bit of snow on the rocks but not enough to worry about. We soon met the trail again.

Beyond the boulder field there were scraps of snow here and there; but no significant snow until the actual summit itself. The mailbox is bare and open for business. There are always surprises inside and it’s fun to read the summit register (always).

As I started down another group started up; Silverback and I retraced our route over the boulders and back into the forest where the trail is marked with silver diamonds. The trail – while not snowy – is extremely muddy and slippery, the mud being the consistency (but not the flavor of chocolate icing).

Admittedly we were both tired by the time we got back to the car. We knew we’d be paying for our hike today and so we are. I’m a little stiff and am suffering a bit of a mountain “hang-over” – i.e., dehydrated, sleepy. Silverback is also feeling the effects from yesterday but neither of us suffering badly enough to say “Enough!”

The stats are about 6-7 miles round trip, altimeter said we’d gained 4,300 feet but I don’t think it’s that much elevation gain.





Other hikes:

March 20, 2010 (Cedar Butte and Rattlesnake Ledge)

This was a Mountaineer hike that I co-lead with Steve Payne as part of The Mountaineers Conditioning Hiking Series class. It was a pacing hike.

First we hiked to Cedar Butte (from Rattlesnake Lake), then hiked to the ledge. Cedar Butte was relatively quiet; we had the little summit to ourselves. Rattlesnake Ledge; that’s another story – it was probably the most crowded I’ve ever seen that trail but on a warm, sunny day it doesn’t matter. You expect a lot of people out on a trail like this on a nice day. It was fun to see other hikers – of all races, ages, shapes and sizes.

Cedar Butte is about 400 feet of elevation gain as I recall. Not sure of the elevation gain to Rattlesnake Ledge but it’s not a lot.

Wrestling with Wallace Basin, March 3, 2010

Wrestling with Wallace Basin (March 3, 2010)

We’ve grown fascinated with hikes in/near Gold Bar, Sultan, Index, Skykomish and Wallace Lake. Old trail reports and hiking guidebooks hint of splendor in Wallace Basin – a lonesome place that apparently doesn’t see many visitors. That’s partly because it’s hard to get to, let alone find. That entire area is a complex web of roads (some closed), fading trails, ATV trails and sadly, garbage dumping.

Wallace Basin is seldom visited by anyone according to the lack of trail reports and descriptions. We’d been reading Harvey Manning’s explorations of Wallace Basin in his “Footsore” series; there and in other dated tomes he writes of an old trestle that spanned the Wallace River above the upper falls.

We wanted to find it though we suspected there wouldn’t be much of the trestle standing years later. By sheer luck more than brains, we found the road* that eventually gets into the basin.

To get there: hike the Woody Trail (Wallace Falls State Park) to Upper Wallace Falls. From the upper falls continue on a steep trail marked with blue diamonds to an old road.
Turn right on the road, continue a short distance to the Wallace River where the road ends abruptly. Of course there was little sign of there ever having been a trestle though Silverback spotted the landing where the trestle attached to the far side of the river. Though the trestle is gone the end of the road is a scenic spot for lunch or a good turnaround; you’ll also escape the crowds at the waterfalls.

Incidentally if Wallace Lake is your destination you’d turn left at this junction - signs along the road will tell you when you are leaving the park and when you re-enter it again.
We opted to explore further and headed toward Wallace Lake on the road. In less than ¼ mile from the blue diamond trail we came to a junction where a sign with a directional arrow pointed the way to Wallace Lake but we turned right onto an old road that invited our interest. Dare we hope we might actually get to Wallace Basin from that old road?

The road was wide enough to allow for logging in the past – big stumps with springboard notches, sporting caps of sassy salal brightened the dark forest of second and third growth. A lot of logging happened here, though the forest is gradually taking the land back. We passed what looked like a hunter’s camp with an old fire-ring and at another point an odd post painted white with a green “X”; its meaning a mystery to us.

We were often within sight and sound of the river as the road snaked deeper and deeper into the forest. A thin carpet of moss covered the road; indicating a lack of foot-travel. Soon we came to a thicket of salmonberry that had taken over the road; thankfully it had not leafed out yet and we could still discern the road. Silverback mentioned that it was a good idea to hike before the vegetation leafed out otherwise you’d have to eat your way through the salmonberries.

Past the salmonberry the road became more user-friendly again with only an occasional fallen tree to step over. It was so quiet that you could literally hear a pine needle fall to the ground. We found ourselves talking in low voices; such forest seems to ask that of visitors.

Then we came to a series of obstacles that might dampen a hiker’s enthusiasm: blowdowns, tangles of downed trees and the road all but gone where blowouts occurred. Tributaries had run amok here, tearing up the road up as easily as we’d tear a piece of paper. Peering through the ghostly gloom, looking up at the jumble of gravel, rootballs and boulders we can only suggest that one should tread lightly here when it is wet or streams are high. One can only guess when these blowouts occurred – or when they will occur again.

After picking our way across the washouts we picked up the road again and were given a brief reprieve on good road before our next obstacle; here, a blowout had occurred so wide that the road had become a seep. Coltsfoot burst forth from the muddy globs and boggy groundcover we could not identify doing it’s best to hold the water-saturated ground in place.

We picked up the road on the other side of the seep but all too soon we came upon another blowdown that almost obscured the trail. The road ran past areas that had been heavily logged, so long ago that some of the stumps were almost ethereal, slathered with lichen and moss. We lost sense of distance as we wrestled with the vegetation and navigated through more blowdowns – had we hiked a couple miles? Or less? Or more?

We stopped to consult our watch at an obscure junction and turned around regretfully; we’d have to come back when days grow longer. We felt like we’d hiked a couple of miles on the road though the mileage was less according to the GPS. As we retraced our route we descended to the river a couple of times for a better look at the landslides that had come down on the other side.

Hiking back went faster than we thought; perhaps because we were familiar with the obstacles. We hit the main road much sooner than we expected and made quick work of the hike back to Wallace Falls and the trailhead.

A Detour

Lake Isobel anyone? Like something out of Poe’s writing that “dank tarn” and “ghoul-haunted lake” is not easy to get to - not that it ever was unless, perhaps, you’ve got a floatplane. Now a part of the Wild Sky Wilderness the legendary lake remains elusive except to those who have fallen under her spell and understand her wily ways.

That graceful lake is tucked away in a sullen basin below the loosely defined Ragged Ridge – the lake is beautiful but often the lakeshore is strewn with garbage (an old moldy sleeping bag gave us the heebie jeebies). Today volunteers have organized work parties to haul out garbage and will continue to do so (see http://www.nwhikers.net/ ) for details on clean-up parties not only for Lake Isobel but other areas in the region.

We hope the lake – and it’s hidden waterfall – will become easier to access as land management agencies manage the complex, confusing road/trail system. As changes occur we’ll do our best to keep you posted.

I’d been to Lake Isobel with guidebook author Bob Dreisbach and again with friends. In the late 1990s Isobel was easier to access – then you could hike a gravel road to the Copperbelle Mine (now private property according to my understanding). Last time I was there the road was gated.

In the 1990s Bob led a friend and me past the Copperbelle the lake via an intricate route of tottering bridges, rocky roads and brushy trails – where there was no trace of a path we relied solely on Bob’s memory. No one I’ve met could read the land as well as Bob – a topographical genius who seldom needed to look at the map and never needed to use a compass.

On my last visit to the lake with friends we went a different way, bypassing the Copperbelle mine as we believe it was and is on private property. Starting from the “trailhead” at Reiter Road we ferreted out a route on ATV tracks, at one point shimmying across a log over May Creek. We also crossed a deteriorating bridge still being used by ATVs/Jeeps (that bridge is probably gone).

We may return and try to get to the lake again – if we succeed I’ll write about it. And if we don’t, I’ll write about that too as finding a way to challenging places is an adventure in itself.

Getting to a place is as much fun as being there; sometimes more so.

*There is a question as to whether or not the road to Wallace Basin is an old logging road or a railroad grade (railroad logging). Sources do not agree.

Greenwater Lakes, February 20, 2010

Greenwater Lakes - February 20, 2010

It was a wonderful day for a hike – sunny and almost warm. Getting to the trailhead was easy too – Forest Service Road No. 70 was in good shape all the way to the trailhead, no ice or snow at all to contend with.

It’s unusual to be able to do this hike so early – in a normal year (whatever that means) the roads/trails off SR 410 are popular with skiers, snowmobiles, etc and a Sno Park is required. How strange to find the Sno Parks devoid of snow and only a dusting of snow on higher destinations.

We displayed a Northwest Forest Pass on the car at the trailhead and began our hike. We were not alone on this sunny day but that may be because some hikers assume it’s too early to hike this trail.

The bright sunlight increased our spring fever – we looked for other signs of spring as well as unprecedented warmth and lack of precipitation of any kind. Mother Nature is still holding her breath; uncertain as to whether or not more snow is to come. Despite the sense of imminent spring it felt like winter in the shady areas and foliage has yet to burst forth from tight, protective buds.

The lakes (also known as Meeker Lakes) are the greenest lakes we’ve ever seen; they are well named. An overcast day would have been welcome, at least for photography. The combination of blinding sunlight and dark shadows made photography impossible but we weren’t complaining; we were glad to experience sunlight so warm we didn’t need gloves until we hiked through shade.

The trail is in good shape with sturdy bridges where needed. We hiked as far as the turnoff toward Lost Lake before turning around and picking out a lunch spot in the sun on a sunny log. At various scenic spots a few hikers were setting up campsites; campfire smoke drifted across the green, green lakes like a good omen.

We spent so much time enjoying the lakes that we used up our turnaround time and headed back to civilization except for a quick stop at Wapiti Woolies to check out the sale rack and grab a hot drink.

To get there – from Enumclaw head east on SR 410, turn off onto FS Road No. 70 (left) – the road is paved. In a little less than 10 miles look for a short, gravel spur (right) that leads to trailhead parking and the beginning of the trail.

Do you need a Sno Park? We didn’t have one so displayed the Northwest Forest Pass instead. Most of the other cars at the trailhead did not have Sno Parks either so we are not certain whether or not a Sno Park is “officially” needed to hike here. Signs along FS Road No. 70 warn that Sno Parks are needed but in all honesty, we don’t know what rules apply when there is no snow whatsoever. We gambled and got away without one – however you might not want to take that chance.

Other recent hikes include another hike on Cougar Mountain – we hiked from Red Town to Coal Creek Parkway and got back to the car just in time to beat the rain. En route we hiked to Sandstone Falls though that trail is “closed”. We found a few signs of spring here and there; Indian plum is blooming and nettles are springing up though the landscape is still mostly in winter mode. The hike is about 6 miles round trip.

On February 24th we hiked to Twin Falls from Exit No. 38 off I-90 despite the rain. Where better to hike on a rainy day but to a waterfall? There were only a few hikers on the trail; no surprise given the weather. Despite the rain we enjoyed our easy stroll and were mesmerized (as always) by the waterfalls at the overlooks. The hike is a little over 3 miles round trip.

Index Galena road, revisited (February 17, 2010)

Index-Galena road revisited, February 17, 2010

We were so intrigued by the roads/trails along the Index Galena road that we returned with our friends Jim and Maxine. Once again we had unusual but wonderful spring-time hiking conditions, not a cloud in the sky. Our objective was to see if we could hike around the road closure on a bypass trail and continue toward Mineral City.

En route we pointed out the “trailhead” for Jumpoff Vista where we had hiked recently. There were no vehicles parked at the trailhead and none further up the Index-Galena road to where it is barricaded (about 2.5 miles from the Jumpoff Vista trailhead parking).

As for the barricade it is hardly needed; there is still water flowing over the road. We can’t imagine anyone other than perhaps someone wearing hip boots that would likely tackle the road on foot. The bypass is absolutely necessary.

The bypass is not signed but it takes right off uphill on the right-hand side of the road near the closure. If you’re looking for it, you’ll find it readily enough.

The path is steep and slippery but there are trees and roots to cling to when needed. It’s actually kind of fun in a way, a little bit like playing in a gym. The forest that borders the bypass is absolutely stunning with mossy trees, the rainforest-like ambience punctuated by occasional big boulders. The route is also marked with pink flags and occasional splotches of paint but it wouldn’t be hard to follow without the flags – enough people have hiked in there that the trail is discernible most of the way.

It drops down again to another broken stretch of road where the asphalt crumpled like chunks of gingerbread creating an eerie scene. Fallen trees lie across the broken road as if to remind one and all that this can be a violent place.

The bypass climbs again around another washout before finally dropping down to the road again. From that point (indicated by another barricade) the road was in good condition.

We continued hiking the road stopping at various spurs; some spurs lead to mining claims (we did not try to find those, of course), others led to old campsites, even a cable car crossing (no sign of the cable car). The scenery along the old road is splendid – peaks we were not sure we could identify (I’d rather not name them at all then get them wrong and be taken to task by a topographical wizard). There are many places to stop along the way where you can sit in the sun and soak up the views beside the river.

Roughly a couple miles from our starting point we stopped to investigate an arrangement of big boulders beside the road – here, it looks like rock hounds have found some goodies. The rocks appear to be a conglomerate of jasper, quartz and granite.

Not too far past the boulders we crossed Howard Creek on a good bridge; and a little further we came to the strong bridge that still spans the river. The bridge was in the sun and that made a good spot for lunch and a turnaround. Silverback and I hankered to continue toward the site of Mineral City but figured we didn’t have enough time to “get” anywhere in particular. Jim was having trouble with new boots so we turned around resolving to return, next time to follow the Silver Creek road-trail as far as possible.

On our way out we met two hikers coming in; other than them we saw no one else on the road. Almost forgot to mention that it looks like the Index-Galena road is a likely candidate for a “new” road. We noticed surveyors tape and flagging on a route above the bypass trail and had heard that there were plans/hopes to rebuild the road higher up on the hillside above the river.

As is often the case in such soulful places I was “feeling” more than “seeing” and my photographs reflect that. The photographs I took do not do this place justice – but the contrast in light was not my friend either. The road-walk is far more spectacular than any of these photographs suggest. I’ve noticed that when I am truly excited about a setting that the resulting photographs fall way short of my anticipation.

Mount Teneriffe, February 15, 2010

99 percent of Mount Teneriffe (2-15-10)

This was our conditioning hike for the week and a real workout. We didn’t take the “sekrit” route for two reasons – I’ve not taken that route and we figured there’d be icy stretches below the summit.

Well, we got our conditioning all right. It’s about 11 to 11-1/2 miles round trip with 4,000 feet of elevation gain. These stats were configured by the GPS from the School Bus Turnaround on Mount Si Road.

There were a few other hikers on the road but we mostly had the place to ourselves. I recalled my last trip to Teneriffe was quite a few years ago – on snowshoes, a Mountaineer outing. We were truly grateful that snowshoes were not needed today!! Adding snowshoes and breaking trail would have taken the last ounce of our get-up-and-go, we would have been running on empty, I’m sure.

I swore to Silvertip that this would be my “last” hike up the road for a long time (this being our third or fourth time, I’ve lost count). By now we have all the spurs and switchbacks memorized and even some of the evergreens along the way have become old friends we recognize.

It’s still a brown hike, still too soon for spring though it felt like spring. We didn’t get into snow until we passed the old clearcut and the junction where another road heads over to Mount Si.

The snow was thin and icy in the shady spots on the upper stretch. The snow gradually deepened as we climbed to the overlook of Rachor Lake. Here there was more snow, perhaps a foot or so deep. This was old, compacted snow.

A set of tracks led along the summit ridge making it easy to follow. However, further along the ridge grew steep and exposed enough that we were not comfortable without ice axes so we stopped about 50 feet shy of the summit. The snow alternated between being crusty and being icy. Ice axes and yak trax would be handy, at least for the time being.

We were a little disappointed we didn’t summit the peak and have not decided whether or not we’ll go back this year.

The exercise felt great though and we made good time (at least for us) as far as we got.

Jumpoff Vista, North Cascades, February 9, 2010

Jumpoff Vista (February 9, 2010)

It had been a few years since I last tramped this road with fellow guidebook writer, Bob Dreisbach (author of Seattle Outdoors). Then, the old 4-mile forest service road had been in fairly good shape and made a good off-season hike. In addition to the exercise we’d been rewarded with views of Gunn Peak, Baring and other peaks in the vicinity. Older guidebooks suggest views of Spire Peak and Conglomerate Peak as well.

Silverback and I set out to hike the road on a balmy, February day. First we drove the Index-Galena road to view the infamous washout (the road washed out a few years ago and it is not known whether or not it will ever be repaired). It appears that a rough trail cuts up the bank to get around the washout for those determined to continue on.

On a side note the Index-Galena road leads to the site of Mineral City and a mostly forgotten trail that went to Poodle Dog Pass above Monte Cristo. As of this writing I don’t know of anyone who has successfully completed that entire hike and with each passing year, the terrain grows wilder and more desolate without road or trail access. That status seems unlikely to change.

There’s another road at the barricade that branches off to lakes known mostly to fishermen and the old Sunset Mine. Bob Dreisbach and I once hiked that road as well and did find the old mine – in my opinion such exploration can be hazardous and is not recommended. Given the rough nature of that road the fishermen won’t have to worry much about hikers despoiling their hidden lakes.

We got out of the car to photograph the washout but did not linger. At the barricade the road closure sign has been vandalized with racist graffiti and there are bullet casings all around. There is something about the end of a road that seems to attract unsavory elements though some may argue that hikers are also an unsavory element.

We backtracked to the gated forest service road (it is 4 miles from the Index turnoff on US 2). Our odometer said 3.9 miles – close enough. One other vehicle was parked there; there is room for 3-4 at the most. A bright yellow sign on a tree explains that Friends of the Forest removed trash from the site; thank you. I’m seeing more and more of these yellow signs, always a welcome sight.

There have been significant changes to the road since my visit with Dreisbach. As the road climbs toward Jumpoff Vista several washouts break up the continuity of the road. The first two or three are not enough to stop hikers; perhaps even cyclists (they will need to carry their bike across). Canyon Creek is responsible for most of these. In this odd winter that does not feel like winter, the crossings presented no problems for us. These crossings could present challenges later in spring with the melting snow-pack (assuming it ever snows again) or drenching rains. Right now, no problem.

Much of the hike is through forest but there are sporadic views of Mount Persis and the connecting ridge to Mount Index as well as the forested valley below. Further up the road are growing views of Baring and Gunn Peak; the higher you go, the better the views.

Before you get to those rewarding views you’ll come to a landslide or rock avalanche that destroyed a 200-foot or so stretch of the road. Some hikers may opt to stop here and I suggest you think twice before crossing this, especially if it has been raining for any length of time. We felt it was okay to continue since the weather has been stable and did so, proceeding cautiously across the mess of trees, dirt and rocks. Incidentally the road is snow-free all the way to the landing (as of this writing) though that can change.

From that point the road was in good shape with only a few trees to step over. As we climbed we passed a large, mossy boulder field (right) just before reaching pretty Bitter Creek. This is one of the prettiest spots along the road. A little beyond Bitter Creek Baring comes into view but it has a completely different aspect than how it appears from US 2 – it looks like a completely different mountain.

We continued on the road to an old landing where there are occasional unobstructed views of Gunn Peak as well as Baring; the road continues. Past the landing the road grows indistinct as alders are taking over. By spring the road above the landing will be even more challenging to follow as much of the upper road will be blocked by alders (at lower elevations you’ll also have salmonberry and devil’s club to contend with).

We can only imagine how impenetrable the road will be when the alders leaf out. Early spring or fall is the best time for this hike (now is a good time unless winter snow returns). If you do visit in the winter it might make a good snowshoe trip – at least as far as the rockslide.

From the landing there is a choice of two very overgrown spurs to get to that view; since the views from the old landing were good enough for us we made that our turnaround point. We estimate we were a couple hundred feet below the “end” of the road.

The hike to the landing is about 8 miles round trip with roughly 2,000 feet of gain (2,100 feet according to my altimeter). Silverback’s GPS gave us a slightly different reading. To get there from Monroe continue on US 2 (east) to the turn off for Index (left). Continue 4 miles to a gated road on the right-hand side of the Index Galena Road.