Hello !

This report is specifically regarding work needed on the trail.

There are 19 (+/- 2) trees down in the trail after the lake. There is one down before the second switchback. Then head up another switchback then there's more. Some are significant blowdowns, with up to three trees and binds galore! Looks like it would be fun. Treadwork needed a bit before the lake but definitely after the blowdowns get cleared :)

Looks like the trail got cleared in spring; but just wanted to give a heads up for next spring. Hopefully y'all will get more support by then !

Great trail, a lot of fun, super beautiful- my pup liked it too!

A Summit Revisited—With Age, Smoke, and Resolve

This was a trip for the ages—though perhaps not one meant for the aged. Years ago, Steve and I had reached this summit with relative ease. But now, at 84 and with Steve ten years younger, the mountain posed a far greater challenge.

It was a warm day, and the surrounding peaks were shrouded in forest fire smoke, muting the grandeur of the landscape. Three of us set out from the trailhead at 08:20, reaching Stujack Pass around noon. Just above the pass, at a scenic viewpoint, Kory decided to wait while Steve and I pressed on.

We climbed along the ridge, crossed the saddle, and reached the base of the summit block. There, we stashed our trekking poles and began scrambling up the rocky slope, following a faint and sketchy trail. Not long into the scramble, cramps hit us both—slowing our pace and testing our resolve. After some stretching and self-massage, we pushed forward, determined to reach the top.

Six hours after leaving the trailhead, we stood on the summit. Though the famed panoramic views were obscured by smoke, the satisfaction of reaching our goal made the effort worthwhile. We snapped a few photos, enjoyed a quick snack, and began our descent.

On the way down, we reunited with Kory and continued toward Stujack Pass. Nearing the pass, Kory and I were delighted to spot a Ptarmigan perched proudly on a rock. As I took photos of the bird, something caught my eye—tiny movements among the stones below. Looking closer, I spotted several chicks scrambling for cover, their downy bodies barely visible as they darted beneath the rocks. In an instant, the mother and her brood vanished, blending perfectly into the alpine terrain.

We descended through the talus field and forest, arriving back at the trailhead around 20:00. Along the way, we documented several large fallen trees blocking the trail—potential targets for future clearing. Previously, we’d worked with the BCCCrew to clear obstructions up to the 4,000-foot mark, and this trip added a few more to the list.

Road/Trailhead

I arrived at the trailhead at 6:15am. I was the first car. As others have noted there is very limited parking, like maybe 10 cars maximum, and this isn't one I would ever want to add a roadwalk to.

(Specifically the turnoff road to the Mount Pugh TH) The road itself was fine in high clearance. There is one rut that is easily avoided. The center of the road is domed so anything too low would hit that. Also the road is very narrow single track. Not many options to pull over if someone is coming the other way, and there are some bits that aren't great if you care about your paint job. But in high clearance it's no big deal.

Trail to the pass

This trail is long but pretty. The first 3 miles are forested, and it's through this gorgeous old growth forest which is really beautiful. The only water sources along the trail are on this section. There are two creeks in the first mile, and the lake at 1.8 miles is the final water source for the rest of the route. So be sure to have enough or filter at the lake.

In the upper forest there are several large blowdowns. Two take a little bit of maneuvering to get over if you are short like me. And the final ones took out a bend in a switchback and there is a clear way up around them.

Also in the forest I saw some of the largest mushrooms I have ever seen in Washington. Really cool to see those.

Once you break the trees the views of the summit and pass open up as well as the valley. The scree field crossing is full of pikas. The climb up to Stujack pass is not as steep as it looks, tight swtichbacks help the entire way. I really like narrow passes like this, and you are greeted with a gorgeous view of White Chuck once you reach the top of the pass.

Pass to the Ridge

I was most excited for the ridge and was not let down. Climbing up from the pass to gain the ridge is more tight narrow trail. The ridge itself is when you get your first proper look at the final approach to the summit.

It's a narrow catwalk/semi scramble the entire way to the crux of the climb. The views are amazing and it's super fun if you are a fan of narrow paths like me.

Ridge to the Summit

The crux of this is scrambling the roughly 15ft of rock after the end of the ridge. It's semi-exposed, if you were too close to the edge there is potential for a substantial fall but I found it to not be as scary as it looks and you shouldn't have to be near the edge.

After that it's not much of a scramble. A climber's boot path takes you along the SW side of the mountain and to the summit.

The summit itself has lots of space. Some smoke had gathered today so I didn't get the full view, but many peaks were still visible. Sat on the summit rock, and then found a rock shelter for snack.

The Return

I encountered 10 other people today in total. Most arrived soon after I did. I shared the summit with a few, was passed by a few, and passed a few myself on my way back down.

I was one of the slower hikers today, so while I arrived first I came close to leaving last. I like to take my time and take lots of pictures (and the short legs don't help) So when I returned to the TH there were only two cars remaining.

Overall amazing trail, not as hard as the stats make it seem, most of the climbing is through easy switchbacks. The scrambling and ridge are fun(though would not recommend if you are afraid of heights)

Started this trail around 8 AM and made decent time, reaching the top by 11:10 AM. Overall this trail is not too bad, even though I clocked 12 miles and around 5,200 ft of elevation gain it felt like a lot less. There were a few downed trees to climb around on the way up as well. The road up to the trailhead was a bit overgrown, so a high-clearance vehicle is probably needed. The ridge line walk and small scramble section is decently protected so it was pretty chill, and the trail is well traveled and easy to follow. Today was slightly socked in but still got some good views!

Stats: 11.0 miles, 5250 feet net elevation gain, 7200 feet max elevation

Drive: road unpaved approximately 5 miles SE of Darrington; approach navigable with 2WD sedan, however watch for potholes

Weather: partly cloudy, temperature 50-55F (summit), 70-75F (trailhead); trail dry, winds 5-10 knots

Obstacles: >15 blowdowns between Lake Metam (3200 ft) and Stujack Pass (4900 ft), 2 require shortcutting switchbacks and would be difficult in wet/muddy conditions

Water: last reliable water source is at Lake Metam at 3200 ft – refill here before ascending or bring sufficient water (recommend >3L)

Scramble: The scramble begins at summit block base at approximately 6400 ft after traversing the knife edge above the top of Stujack Pass. The crux of the scramble occurs at the beginning of the summit block marked by a metal ring in the rock, and involves some airy Class 2 moves ascending approximately 80 ft. From here, the scramble involves low exposure Class 2 moves interspersed with at times exposed hiking. A safe scramble for anyone with basic experience. The scramble is completely free of snow at this time, microspikes are not necessary.

Summary: Da Klagwats, also known as Mount Pugh, is a fantastic aerobic hike with an accessible scramble at the summit block at the end, and is a great introductory scramble or a great training hike/scramble for those with more experience. The first 1300 ft to Lake Metam is a wooded hike, followed by another ~1700 ft hike through forested and moderate switchback terrain to the base of Stujack Pass. The hardest part of the hike is navigating the numerous blowdowns in this section between the lake and pass (I counted 18 that required navigating around). Some of these are quite large and require shortcutting in the case of 2 switchbacks, as noted above. I met two volunteers who were kindly logging blowdowns below the lake, they said they were going to attempt to tackle the higher blowdowns, so hopefully as of 7/23 some of these may be cleared (thank you!). Stujack pass is a relatively straightforward hike through talus and wildflower fields, though it is a workout! From Stujack pass, it’s a knife ridge hike with intermittent switchbacks followed by the scramble as discussed above. The views at the top are fantastic, with unrivalled views of Glacier Peak, jagged Sloan Peak and Monte Cristo, Whitehorse and Three Fingers, as well as Mount Dickerman and Forgotten to the southwest. Further peaks can also be spied including Rainier and Adams, Mount Stuart and the Enchantment Range, and even Mount Daniel all to the south. Definitely my favorite view in the Mountain Loop region!

Timepoints: Started at 8:00, trailhead to summit in 3:10 with a 10 minute break (summited at 11:10), started my descent at 12:15 and returned to the trailhead in 2:20 (returned at 14:35) for a total elapsed time of 6:35 and moving time of 5:20.