Deer Ridge trail, from Slab Camp to Deer Park. No snow until just before Deer Park, and it's easy to cross. There is still lots of snow at Deer Park itself. There are a couple of downed trees across the trail by D.P., including a big subalpine fir. In the lower loop of the campground, the loop with the two old shelters, there are a few trees down across the road, including a couple of the beautiful grey colored “tree skeletons”. Plenty of snow in the forested areas. Looking forward to camping up there, when the road opens, but that may be a while, and there’s some work to do. . .

Our group began this great hike at an access trail about a mile up from Slab Camp; (side trail on a curve with limited parking, you’ll find the junction with #846 blue flagged ) The trail is in good condition with a few nice views along the way plus the promise of flowers soon filling the alpine meadows. We saw numerous deer wandering near the campground and upper meadows. The trail is snow-free to the Deer Park campgrounds, including the mile road up to scenic viewpoint towards the top of the 6,000 ft Blue Mountain. We found snow on the short climb up to the top, the summit being clear of snow & offering terrific panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and Straight of Juan de Fuca . Stats. 3000 ft gain, about 10.5 miles round trip.

I haven't been on the Deer Ridge trail for nearly three years, and had not remembered how very steep it is. We wanted to do a hike with elevation and yet avoid snow, so this proved a good choice. The trail begins at 2450 feet and climbs to 5200 at Deer Park. We got a late start and did not plan to go all the way to Deer Park, just to the snowline, wherever it began. We were pleasantly suprised to find the trail completely bare all the way (and beyond) our turn around point at the National Park Boundary, which is at 3.6 miles, 4600 feet. We saw only a pair of hikers the whole day, and they were returning from Deer Park. They said that snow started at the Three Rivers junction (which is at 5000 feet) and was quite deep at Deer Park. The day was quite warm and I was glad that most of the climbing was in the trees--the grade in some places is 35 degrees. The views along the open ridge were great--snow-capped Baldy, Tyler, and further mountains in bright sunshine. This is a very good conditioning hike for early in the season.

The Deer Ridge Trail apparently doesn't get a lot of use--we only saw one other person on it and the trail register showed no-one for the past few days. Of course the heat might have had something to do with it. The trail begins at 2540 feet and climbs slowly at first, only gaining 750 feet for the first mile and a half. But after that it becomes VERY steep; the forest service says it's a 35% grade at times. Luckily, the steepest portions were in the forest; it would have been unbearble to climb so steeply in the direct sun. The trail breaks out into open slopes at around 2.5 miles and the views are magnificent all along the ridge, which continues all the way to Deer Park at 5.2 miles, at about 5300 feet. The last two miles have quite a gentle elevation gain and it gives you a chance to enjoy the views of Mount Baldy and surrounding peaks and down to the Grey Wolf basin far far below. The hot dry weather has really taken its toll on this area, however. There were only scattered, dried flowers here and there; the meadows must be splendid when it's been a ""normal"" summer. It's a bit disconcerting to reach Deer Park and find automobiles at the upper trailhead. (It would have been even more so to have taken the hike a couple of days earlier and found Laura Bush's convoy of vehicles in the parking lot!) But on Thursday, the camping area was deserted except for the parked cars, and we had a nice cool lunch on a picnic table under the trees. You need to watch your feet on the way down since the trail is very narrow and beginning to slide downwards in places; there's quite a steep slope beneath you the whole way. I'm glad I had a hiking pole.

The trail is essentially snow free, contrary to the old & existing recreation report on the ONF web site. There are several trees/branches down on either side of the ONF/ONP boundary, but all can be negotiated. Deer Park campground is 70% snow covered but the South side and top of Blue Mountain are clear. Lots of pretty & smelly flowers in bloom!