N. Fork Skykomish R #1051 Dishpan Gap Blue Lake High Route Peak 6562 PCT #2000 Cady Pass Pass Creek #1053 4 trails radiate from this trailhead, offering 6 possible loop trips. We went up #1051 to Dishpan Gap, up the Blue Lake High Route to Pt. 6562, back to Ward’s Pass along the PCT to Cady Pass, and out Pass Creek Trail #1053. Bald Eagle Ridge (#650?) is a scenic way back (spring below Long John Mt. in late season). CAUTION: if you plan to exit via Pass Creek Trail, you are committed to the ford, which could be dangerous at high water. Little more than knee-deep today (I'm 6'), but I had to cut an alder walking stick and it was a little weird, alone in the dark, carrying a dog. There is another ford higher up Pass Creek, but just enough to get your feet wet today. These trails are in good shape but there are a number of big windfalls. One guy with a pulaski could do a lot of good, unclogging drains and cutting new ones. Still a lot of snow up high, obscuring the trail but not an impendiment unless you’re trying to find the trail in the dark. Most of the PCT east of Skykomish Peak is still under snow, but it’s firm, easy walking. The Blue Lake High Route takes you almost to the summit of Peak 6562, higher than anything else nearby except Johnson Mtn. Three named peaks nearby (June, Skykomish, Kodak) are considerably smaller. Beckey includes many smaller peaks but makes no mention of it (1st ed. anyway). I'm calling it Johnson's Sister or maybe Mt. Woebegon, overlooked because it’s right at the map’s corner-fold where it gets rubbed off. Spectacular views of Monte Christo group, Sloan, Pugh, White Chuck, Glacier Peak, Indian Head, Poet group, and you can see Rainier, Stuart, Daniel & Hinman, Chimney Rock, all the Snoqualmie Pass stuff. 10 miles from the trailhead, with 3 or 4 ways back (Bald Eagle Ridge is nice). I get the feeling that few people go here – the summit is not trashed like most summits, so watch your feet and don’t turn over any rocks. Snow patch persists into late summer at least. Glad to see that last year’s bivvy was undetectable (we’d moved some rocks for a bed, but put them all back).

Set off on the West Cady Ridge trail at 6am, a bit before sunrise. 5 other cars and a horse trailer in the lot. The hiking up the forested ridge was nice in the pre-dawn cool mist, everything black and white. Had to dodge horse apples a few times. Reached point 5375 around 8am and enjoyed watching the sun lance rays through the frosty firs and burn off the mist around Monte Cristo and surrounding peaks. A pretty section of trail, with views down west Cady Creek and to southern peaks including Rainier. Passed the horse camp on slopes of Benchmark. Near the junction with the PCT met first hiker, heading the way I had came, who had spent a chilly, rainy night huddled under a tarp. Reached PCT at 9am, and hustled down to where it meets Pass Creek trail. Cady Pass at 9:35am. Through this section squirrels were chewing off heavy fir cones that dropped with loud thumps. Reached ridge crest heading north towards Skykomish Peak. Berries ripe and good, bushes red and lighting up all the surrounding ridges. Plenty of bees, too. What views! Met four other overnighters who also reported a chilly and rainy night. While trail was contouring point 5642 took time to watch two ravens sport in the drafts. One was making extraordinary sounds I've never heard in a raven. Hard to describe but something like a cowbell being struck rapidly, a ringing tapping noise. Reached Lake Sally Ann around 11:20am, a few campers leaving there. Approaching Dishpan gap, a military jet was just glimpsed racing under the ridges and peaks to the north; up Indian Creek or the Sauk as far as I could tell. Reached Dishpan at 12:10. Briefly considered and rejected idea of a side trip to Sauk Gap, as inviting as those meadows appeared. Instead, headed down N Fork Skykomish trail. Appeared freshly maintained in parts approaching Dishpan Gap, and at other points downstream. Very nice campsite in basin approaching Dishpan, and another about a mile farther downstream. A flat, even trail for the most part, through open woodland initially and then deeper forests towards the end. Multiple empty creek crossings in this dry season. Reached Pass Creek trail junction at 2:55pm, road at 3:30. Road section is initially tame but as it approaches 63 I can see why it is closed. Back to car at 4pm for a total of 23-24 miles in 10 hours. Pictures of PCT looking north towards Cady Ridge and Sauk Pass from Dishpan Gap.

Dishpan Gap Loop, 34 miles, 7226’ feet gain and 4 nights. This loop is mainly in the Henry M. Jackson wilderness. We took the North Fork Skykomish River Road at the Index junction, off Hwy. 2, and arrived at the Quartz Creek-West Cady Ridge trail head in late afternoon. The trail begins in woods and gradually climbs to Curry Gap. There we found a campsite by the trail junction to Bald Eagle Mt., trail #650, with a spring nearby. In the morning we headed toward Bald Eagle Mt. up steep switchbacks to ridge-top meadows, here the views begin. At 8.5 miles, just past Long John Mt., is a good campsite with a fresh running stream. At 11 miles is the trail junction to Blue Lake (no stock allowed). This side trip is well worth the effort. The view of Little Blue Lake and the bigger Blue Lake, from June Mt., doesn’t glimpse into the close-up beauty of these lakes. After a dip in the lake and a good nights sleep we hiked about 950’ feet, over the ridge, back to trail #650. On the ridge we had great views of Glacier Peak, Sloan Peak, Mt. Rainier and many more peaks. When we arrived at Dishpan Gap we took a side trip to Sauk Pass and beheld an exceptional view of Glacier Peak. After a bit of lunch we returned to the PCT and Lake Sally Ann where we settled into a fine hike-in camp ground (no stock allowed), at 16 miles. During the night we were awakened by a deer peaking into our tent. The next day was short due to the morning rain and little motivation to leave our nice warm tent but we packed up when the rain stopped and hiked to Pass Creek at 20.6 miles and set up camp on a nice spot. Not long after, a PCT thru-hiker arrived heading south from BC. In the morning we shared coffee and stories then he headed off to Stevens Pass. On our last day we took switchbacks up the PCT to the West Cady Ridge, trail #1054. At 23.5 miles is a short trail to the summit of Bench Mark Mt. with great views and a summit register. The camps on the ridge are plenty but the water comes from occasional tarns which are small and stale. We filled up with water at a stream right before Saddle Gap with the intention of hiking the 10 miles and 2176’ feet gain out. I am always amazed at the awesome wilderness experience that can be had so close to home. This was a worth while backpack with views, wildlife, trails in great condition and, due to the low snow fall this year, not a bit of snow on the trail.

I started out Sunday at 1pm from the Little Wenatchee Ford trailhead, and headed up Cady Ridge. I wanted to get the main part of the vertical out of the way while I was fresh. Cady is indeed a brutal climb, but only three miles from the car I was ridgewalking among the high alpine flowers and meadows. The weather was mostly cloudy and the nearby mountain tops were mostly invisible. I camped on Cady Ridge due to my late start. Monday was sweet, ridgewalking and contouring over to the PCT then south a bit to Lake Sally-Ann. The view of Sally-Ann from Cady Ridge and Cady Ridge from Sally-Ann are equally awe-inspiring. I had the lake all to myself for lunch. From there I went north to Dishpan Gap and found a little off-trail meadow to have all to myself for dinner, then I decided to camp there as a lot of clouds were coming over the ridge from the Skykomish valley and my spot was sheltered from that side. As soon as night fell, it cleared up totally and the moon was enormous. I was woken up at dawn Tuesday by the sun shining in under my bivy-style tarp setup, so I got up and enjoyed the early-morning meadow and the now-visible peaks in all directions. From Dishpan northwards are some excellent views of Glacier Peak and some of it's glaciers. I wanted to climb Kodak Peak but time and old legs voted me down, two to one. From the PCT is the first view of Meander Meadows. The views just get better as the trail down to them contours along and down a bordering ridge. I didn't stay long at the meadows as the bugs were very bad and there were several groups camped there. The meadows are better to look at from above than to be in, for my money. The switchbacks down to the Little Wenatchee were evil: hot, dry, dusty, steep, shadeless, and fly-bedeviled. The four miles out from there were no fun either, very brushy, too much up and then down, and the same pattern over and over. First climb a brushy hill, then down through a brushy meadow, then a bit of forest, then repeat endlessly until you could scream. All the way from Meander Meadow I thanked my stars that I had gone in the other way. The thought of hiking in this way is enough to make me consider quiting hiking! The black flies were bad only on the Cady ascent and from Meander to the car. All along Cady Ridge and the PCT I only encountered a few mosquitos easily fended off with DEET. I had excellent solitude the whole trip, I only saw about ten or twelve people the whole time. I will have to return soon to visit Blue Lake and hike the PCT north from Kodak Point as it looked like good hiking!