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October 15, 1998

Photo of ladder on steep hill

Plenty to photograph along scenic, rebuilt Mount Pilchuck trail

By KAREN SYKES [Bio]
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

I've hiked the Mount Pilchuck trail so many times over the past 20 years that I've lost count. It's a favorite destination because the trailhead is within reasonable driving distance, the hike is scenic and it has enough elevation gain to qualify as real exercise.

Besides, no matter how many times you climb a mountain or hike a trail, it is never the same.

For some people over the years, the Mount Pilchuck trail has been a distressing experience. For inexperienced hikers, the old trail was difficult to follow in places and almost every year people would get lost while trying to reach the restored fire lookout on top of the mountain.

The trail itself, outside Granite Falls on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, had also deteriorated over the years. So the Forest Service obtained funding and hired a contractor to rebuild it, in places completing re-routing the trail. Work was completed earlier this year, and we hiked the new path for the first time last weekend.

The Forest Service lookout was first built on Pilchuck in 1918-19, a two-story structure that was replaced in 1941-42. The structure was rebuilt in 1971 by volunteers from Everett, who packed some 3,000 pounds of materials to the summit. Today the lookout has been restored and is maintained by the Everett branch of The Mountaineers.

Photo of steep hill with large snow dusted rocks The first time I hiked to Mount Pilchuck was long ago, on a cold, foggy day in late October. Snow had not yet accumulated, but the rocks were covered with a glaze of black ice. Streams and tarns were frozen, the grasses were yellowing, and there was a moody but captivating beauty about the place.

The tumbled boulders were arranged as if by design and there was no end of things to photograph, ranging from artistic arrangements of ferns against granite slabs to zenlike patterns of blackened seed pods.

I've waited there on long summer evenings to catch the magic of the setting sun in the windows of the lookout, and sat on boulders that stayed warm past darkness.

I've descended the trail by headlamp because I couldn't bear to leave before sunset finished its performance. I've lead mountaineers on scrambles of Mount Pilchuck in the fog and rain, and could almost do it blind. I know most of the rocks, most of the trees, and the secret trails that veer off into a little-known paradise called 20 Lakes Basin and I've taken all the routes to the summit. I've been there on snowshoes in howling winds with icicles in my hair, and I've been there on summer days so hot I almost ran out of water.

The much-needed new trail is a definite improvement. As we hiked along the new route, we saw sections of the old trail, a nightmare of roots and mud. Many sections that were previously challenging for hikers have been re-routed and/or improved with new tread, gravel and wooden staircases.

While the trail is easier to hike, it is still a little raw-looking. As new vegetation grows back to cover the bare sections, it will take a couple of years for it to look as pretty as the old trail.

I was glad to see that the trail still parallels "the tarn," though the tarn was dry this time of year. Once the trail leaves the forest, the route crosses through boulder fields beneath a small rocky peak known as "Little Pilchuck." Rock staircases have been formed to make the going easier as the trail climbs toward the summit ridge. The new trail also makes it easier to stay "on route," making it a safer hike.

In the past, novice hikers sometimes got off the trail and some hikes ended in disasters. Many search-and-rescue efforts have taken place on Mount Pilchuck in past years. Though the hike is close to civilization and is not difficult in terms of mileage and elevation, it still is a "real" mountain and it can be dangerous. Hikers often come unprepared for snow, rain and slippery terrain. Tennis shoes and snow can be a deadly combination.

My hiking partner, Kathe, felt that the rock steps in the staircases are a little too big. The stone steps are great for long-legged folk, but children and inexperienced hikers may find the big steps awkward to negotiate. It is still not an easy walk for small children and they will need assistance in many places.

The last section of the trail along the summit ridge has also been improved and widened. The last 50 feet or so are still a scramble and with a dusting of snow on the summit rocks, I was glad I had my gloves. A new ladder makes the lookout easier to access, but with the first snow already accumulating around the summit rocks, the trail may not be hikeable much longer this year. (Experienced mountaineers with ice axes and route-finding skills can be found climbing the mountain in winter.)

The lookout was restored and made into a museum by the Everett Mountaineers in 1989. They have done a commendable job, but the views from the lookout don't need to be improved -- they are just as spectacular as ever, especially on a clear day. On my hike last week, the view of snow-plastered Three Fingers dominated the sky.

Getting there
From Granite Falls, drive the Mountain Loop Highway one mile past the old Verlot ranger station and turn right on Mount Pilchuck Road (Forest Road 42) and drive seven miles to the trailhead at 3,100 feet. The road is suitable for passenger cars until there is a significant snow.

Trail detail
The new trail still climbs through old-growth forest, which this time of year is colorful with False Lily of the Valley turning yellow and occasional splashes of Solomon's Seal. The trail leaves the forest and makes a couple of switchbacks through boulders, enters forest again and rounds the base of Little Pilchuck with good views of Three Fingers. This is a pretty area with yellowing grasses and rocky cliffs covered with moss and ferns.

Fall foliage makes a colorful addition to the views of the Monte Cristo peaks in the distance. The trail, a braid of old trail and new trail, switchbacks to a saddle before climbing to the summit. The lookout makes a worthy destination and is a good place for a thermos of coffee and a change of socks before descending into the lowlands. If the day is clear, you will see not only the striking prominence of Three Fingers but maybe the Olympics, Mount Baker and Mount Rainier.

Trail data
Round trip five miles, elevation gain 2,400 feet. The high point is 5,340 feet. For additional information refer to "100 Hikes in Washington's Glacier Peak Region: The North Cascades" by Ira Spring/Harvy Manning (The Mountaineers, 238 pages, $14.95).

Or call the Darrington Ranger District for current trail and road conditions at 360-436-1155. The map you will need is Green Trails 109 Granite Falls.

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