Parked at the Blackpine Trailhead along Icicle Road just before the horse camp. Road was rough in places but not challenging in a 2WD sedan. Watch out for the transition between pavement and gravel, though.

The trail starts across the road from the trailhead and meanders a bit in a flatter area before turning up the ridge. Trail is mostly in great shape and easy to follow through the forest, with a few passable blowdowns here and there and some vegetation encroachment. It's a steep one, with a couple flatter sections and a lot of creaking trees.

Snow was intermittent at 5000' becoming fairly steady by 5500', but no routefinding issues. Snow was perfect for kicking steps straight up the ridge starting at 6000'. I didn't see any tracks in the snow beyond about 6200', so it was breaking trail until reaching the short bootpath/scramble that leads to the rocky summit of Bootjack Mountain.

From there, I worked my way over to the Blackjack Ridge summit by descending easy snow heading SE then traversing a snow slope before dropping to the saddle between the two peaks. Some melted-out ridge in the steepest section offered protection. Then it was a bit more step-kicking to the top.

Descent was the reverse of ascent. Totals were 7.5 miles and 4000' gain.

Got started this morning at 9:30 am from a very empty parking lot at the Black Pine Horse Camp on this rainy morning. The horse camp is about a 1/4 mile shy of the end of the Icicle Creek road.

The Blackjack Ridge trail is a really nice trail. It is steep with its steep switchbacks, but the trail has hardly any rocks or roots, just lots of nice duff. It appears over the years that the trail has been well maintained, as the are numerous older deadfalls that have been cleared. Up higher on the trail above 4000 ft or so, there are a couple of trees across the trail, but are easy to get over.

Trail is pretty much all snow above 5000 ft and is between 2"-4". Trail is still visible under the snow. At around 6200 ft as you round a bend, you need to take a sharp right and follow the spine up to Bootjack Mountain. This is the first time you see Bootjack, so just follow the spine of the ridge, and it will lead you to the summit. There is a trail that takes you to the summit block, but is easily lost as it weaves in and out of some rock outcrops. Some easy scrambling here.

Once at the summit block, just find the right line and it is an easy scramble to the top. I did not even use my hands, just my poles. There is snow on the rocks, so care must be taken, as the east side of the summit is all steeply angled slick rock that there would be no way to stop yourself if you begin to fall. Summit appears to have some excellent 360 degree views, but not today. I could see over to Highchair Mountain, which was a lofty goal today. No way was I going to be able to get over there(and back) today with all the snow covered boulders. I ventured over to Blackjack Ridge( named summit on caltop) to get some beta for a future trip to High Chair. It really was not worth it as the summit is lower than Bootjack, but I did get an extra 400 ft of elevation gain in going there and back!! haha

Finished at 2:45 pm. Did not see anyone all day.  8.5 miles with 4500 ft elevation gain

The Blackjack Ridge trail in Icicle Canyon gives you a big view in a few short miles.  However, the few short miles are steep.  The trail is in good shape with about a half dozen easy-to-get-over obstacles.  There are a couple of  larger blowdowns to get around as well.

Above about 5,300 feet as the trail leaves the green forest and enters the silver forest meadow the views become abundant.  Glacier Peak, Grindstone Mountain, Icicle Ridge and Mount Cashmere are all within view.  The Queen's cup and bunchberry at lower elevations give way to lupine, glacier lilies, cushion phlox and spring beauty found in the more open areas on the ridge.  Mt. Stuart and Mt. Rainier can be seen from the top of the ridge.  There are a few patches of snow left near the top.

This was a counter-clockwise loop starting at the Icicle Creek trailhead. The link here was more or less the route, minus screw-ups, and a couple of big deviations that aren't reflected on GaiaGPS maps like the USFS 2016 series: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/gsMWpJKJ4rs9hNPNy8J5KLVd. (Deviations are noted below.) I haven't written a trip report in years but in retrospect I wish I'd had more recent information on fords -- that was my main impetus here. Summary of fords on this route -- all doable. Summary of scenery -- stunning. Wildflowers -- wild, probably even better in 2-3 weeks. Thrush -- doing their singing everywhere (lots of other birds too). Setting aside the views, the range of ecosystems experienced across this loop may be the best part of the experience.

Slightly more detailed summary of fords if you're here for that (all fording was done close to noon or later). I'm about 5'11 with average length legs for my height. I use trekking poles for stability in deeper water. The only time my backpack got meaningfully wet (I wore it at roughly hip level) was when I let it tip over in Jack Creek and it bathed my InReach for a short time before I noticed -- thanks for the good water protection Garmin. I now really envy people who wear trail runners and just let the water run out and dry out with body heat, by the way. Changing into my ridiculous old pair of five fingers that I never donated just in case I needed them for something like this was a pain. 1) French Creek Trail to Snowall-Cradle Lake Trail: deep as the high glutes, just high enough to wet the bottom of my back, strong tugs from current 2) Snowall-Cradle Lake Trail across Snowall Creek: Thigh deep, no issues 3) Meadow Creek Trail across Meadow Creek: terrifying to look at with the small falls and rapids just below, no higher than knees to low thighs, modest current certainly not as swift as the head injury-and-drowning-waiting-to-happen just 20-100 feet down, you can angle up to a few boulders to climb on to remind yourself it's not so bad, then angle back down to the other side. 4) Meadow Creek Trail across Jack Creek - easiest ford of all of them. Water barely came to my upper calves I think.

Day 1: Icicle Creek Trail -> French Creek Trail -> Klonaqua Lakes Trail. French Creek Trail was more grown-over than overgrown. It was perfectly clear of obstructions, but I was wading chest deep through foliage for a good portion of it. Watch your footing -- I was rushing the shallow grade and caught my foot on a number of stones and roots that I couldn't see. It occurred to me that I could be stepping on snakes, since these grown-over areas were the warmest spots with the most sun (least tree canopy). I later saw two on the trail, fortunately after the foliage had cleared. If I recall correctly there were no blowdowns across French Creek trail, in part thanks to a lovely group of three horse & mule packers I later met preparing to ford Jack Creek with a very large crosscut saw who had been down French Creek trail previously. I found a log to cross downstream a short ways from the trail. Modest peekaboo views heading up to Klonaqua Lakes. Beautiful basin view at the top with appropriately named Granite Peak the main delight. I didn't circle the lake to the south but other hikers I ran into at the trailhead (a former coworker who I haven't seen in half a year!) said they went up around the Bob Lake area to the upper lake and didn't seem to have trouble, and had great views. Small patches of snow (well-consolidated) near the main camping site near lower Klonaqua Lake but none in the site itself. Wind blowing hard (and chilly) in the evening, mosquitoes kept at bay. They were a nuisance in the morning. 

Day 2: Klonaqua Lake Trail -> French Creek Trail -> Snowall-Cradle Lake Trail -> Cradle Lake. Ford across French Creek Trail was to my waist, got a couple of strong tugs. Snowall Cradle Lake Trail through the basin below the Cradle was a wonder. After climbing the first spot of elevation the trail levels out into a steady walk that emerges into beautiful marshy meadows with snowcapped peaks with The Cradle and Highchair Mountain hugging you in. I lost the trail briefly near the north end of the wet meadows but easily found it. Some mud along this route requiring stepping off trail to avoid calf-deep mud. The climb up the east side of the basin to Cradle Lake was a challenge. I lost the trail multiple times, in part due to lingering snow. Really relied on my GPS to get me back on track so I didn't have to spend too much time guessing. I was scrambling over boulders and across (easy) snow as it was. Where I could follow the trail it was obvious -- I believe the middle third of the ascent was the worst. Fairly canted and narrow at some points in the top portion. As others have noted the USFS 2016/Gaia GPS/CalTopo maps note the trail going south around Cradle Lake. Green Trails has it going north around the lake. Green Trails is correct, as it was every step of the way (while my Garmin and Gaia GPS were wrong at a few critical points). The trail goes across a talus slope with snow. Be careful here -- the snow is covering gaps between boulders/death traps. Better to boulder hop around than try to follow the trail in some places. It'll probably be melted off by the time you read this. The trail on the south side is closed for restoration -- you found this out by circling all the way around the lake because there is no old trail heading south from the west end of the lake that I could find, at least with the snow there. At a dirt patch that I'm sure serves as a campsite for many (though the USFS has ordered no camping within 200') you'll find a sign turning you back from the old trail. Low key mosquitoes at Cradle Lake. Lots of snow on the south side of the lake still. If you came to Cradle Lake from the east and aren't doing a through trip, it's worth crossing to the west to the ridge to get views west to The Cradle.

Day 3: Cradle Lake -> Snowall-Cradle Lake Trail -> Failed Attempts at Blackjack Ridge -> Meadow Creek Trail -> Jack Creek Trail -> Jack Pine Trail to the Black Pine campground (there are no jack pines in Washington state -- I was really excited on the trail and then found this out Googling at home) -> road walk back to car. I describe my attempts to get to Blackjack Ridge below. (Note that if you're trying to take the designated Blackjack Ridge trail, it's well marked and it's well to the east of where it shows up on both the Garmin pre-loaded map and GaiaGPS maps.) The Snowall-Cradle trail down to Meadow Creek trail is probably pleasant, but I was exhausted and in a panic (see below). I do recall one or two major blowdowns that I couldn't climb over and had to go around. As noted by others, again, Green Trails is correct in that Snowall-Cradle trail shoots way too the southwest compared to the snaking switchbacks marked on USFS/Gaia GPS/Garmin's. The fords across Meadow Creek and Jack Creek are also lower, but correctly represented by Green Trails. Jack Creek Trail is in great condition. Some muddy spots.

Cautionary tale: I saw no one for the first two days, though I heard one couple up at Cradle Lake Saturday evening. This solitude was great for the mind, except when I exceeded my physical limits. I included Blackjack Ridge Trail in my trails hiked even though I made three failed attempts at it and was barely on it. It was my planned route out from Cradle Lake. That was a bad idea -- I  I should have followed the Gaia GPS posted by Spaceboy (https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2018-09-30.6099405010) from Cradle Lake to Bootjack Mt to the official/used Blackjack Ridge trail, but I was worried about running into snow and I'm not experienced with scrambles, especially with multi-night weight on my back. Or I really should have skipped this idea as a Day 3 thing altogether. I gained and lost as much elevation trying to find the right trail as I would have just doing the ridges and summits. There is a faint trail-looking-thing at the spot marked as the trail junction of Snowall-Cradle Trail and Blackjack Ridge trail on USFS/GaiaGPS /Garmin's (which now looks like more of a trail after my ascent). I climbed way up, and then went back down after I just couldn't find a real trail. Then I found an old trail between two spruces(?) that had a branch laid across it in the official no-trespassing lingo of the wilderness -- yet I was still inspired to try one more time and crossed the branch. The first part was easygoing, definitely had more trail personality, and then suddenly no more trail and patches of snow and a much steeper slope started. The north aspect of this part of Pablo Creek basin has many very wet patches where snow was freshly melted, and the top layer here is a mat of needles. Google Earth disagrees with me but I'm pretty sure the slope aspect was well over 100% (it truly felt like 60 degrees or more) at the area where the wet needles gave out and I almost went down onto a steep patch of snow that would have sent me another 20-30 feet into some rocks/trees. My trekking poles truly saved me from major injury twice, and prevented minor injuries dozens of times. I turned back, angry at myself, and decided I'd head down the mountain and attempt the ford at Jack Creek to head out by Jack Creek Trail. Then I ran into the official sign for Blackjack Ridge trail. I laughed at my reliance on GPS devices (two of them!) using out of date maps, headed toward the ridge by way of Pablo Creek basin. I lost the trail near the south side of the creek -- snow was covering it. Snow with lots of fair-sized bear sign. And fresh poop nearby. I couldn't find the trail after the snow and figured I'd intersect it up the slope so I went off trail up the north side of Pablo Creek basin. I was exhausted by the time I'd hopped or avoided forty downed burnt trees and reached the top (this was after a cumulative ~8000 feet for the trip, much more than I've ever done in 48 hours and much more time spent on steep slopes with a weekend backpack, so I guess two lessons here are support Green Trails and don't plan outside of your level of fitness). I scouted that ridge north of Pablo Creek for well over half an hour and just couldn't come up with anything resembling a trail. I used a combination of all three of my maps and correlated topographic features and elevations. There was patchy snow on the very steep north side of the ridge with sheer drops all over, including both areas that looked like they belonged to mapped trails on the maps. I refused to proceed further up the ridge at that point to do a ridge walk -- something that looked very doable with more energy. I could have created a new route along the shallower east side of the ridge and across Ben Creek basin but at that point I was thinking about the super-hikers I'd treated in the ED for rhabdomyolysis and heat exhaustion so I finally called that ridge for good. My knees were so angry at me on the decent back into Pablo Creek basin. And then I still had 10+ miles to walk out, after nearly 4 hours of meaningless climbing around and exploring. I could hear Jack Creek (or the sum of all of the cascades and creeks west of Stuart) from the top of the descent of Snowall Cradle Lake Trail, so I really thought I was in deep. I couldn't have been happier and more fortunate that Jack Creek was fordable. The horse/mule packers I mentioned above told me it wasn't doable just 5 days+ prior. I practically ran down the first three miles of Jack Creek trail with the joy of a fortuitous meeting after a day of isolated dread. Then the elation wore off and my knees crippled me and I had to tortoise out. But that's how good and steady Jack Creek trail is on the way down -- I never had to break in spite of the pain, and the increasing volume and cadence of the creek keep you company and drown out your bad decisions until you get to the Very Sturdy bridge at the end and skip across leaving the ghosts of broken bones and drowned lungs behind. The guy I passed coming up like eight miles in with nothing but shorts and shoes and a half-full Nalgene was a testament to the work of spiritual cleansing done by this trail.

Wildflowers are out at almost every elevation. I'm sure I saw 20+ species in bloom and more waiting to happen. If you're on one slope and see the flower buds closed and waiting, just head to a nearby neighbor to see the same species popping out already. The basin east of The Cradle and west of Cradle Lake (and many of the slopes around Cradle Lake) are just waiting to explode -- I bet they'll be in full bloom in a few weeks.

Two-day loop beginning up Blackjack Ridge.  Great trail to Bootjack summit.  Ran ridge to Highchair and went cross-country to Cradle Lake.  Good camping at lake.  The Snowall-Cradle Trail has been obliterated by horses.  The top 4-8 inches of soil is completely churned and loose.  Loose rocks on top.  Like walking in snow most of the way.  Trail does a huge switchback before crossing Meadow Creek, much higher than on USGS topo.  

The junction of the Meadow Creek trail and Jack Creek trail is 0.6 mile south of where it shows on the USGS map.  It is clearly marked.  If you cross Jack Creek where the maps show and are searching for Meadow Creek trail, you will be greeted with ancient tread and blowdowns from decades ago.  Many muddy holes on Jack Creek trail created/exacerbated by horse traffic.

Great autumn color.  Saw one person all weekend.  18.1 miles/ 5200 gain.