Once I read a book called ""Don't waste your time in the North Cascades"", basically saying that there are so many trails to hike in this area, that you should pick the best ones for your limited time. Well we have no doubt that these trails near Sulphur Creek are the best; what's more important is to go on a sunny day and week day, since there were already about 20 cars in the parking lot when we got there on this cloudless beautiful Wednesday. We started our hike up along trail 603 at 11am. Quickly we had view of Mt. Baker at Schreibers Meadow. Further walk in the forest was steeper. We reached Morovitz Meadow around 12:15pm, and were greated with beautiful wild flowers and gleaming Mt. Baker in the perfect blue sky. At the trail junction we headed up to Railroad Grade 603.2. Soon we were on the ridge and looking down over to the wasteland of boulders and gravel. Interestingly bugs showed up, but thanks to the wind they weren't too bothersome. Around 1pm we walked further up to the high camp area from the ridge and enjoyed our lunch under some trees, gazing at mountains all around; the hugh Mt. Baker next to us, south to Glacier Peak, Mt. Rainier, and many many other peaks. Steam was coming out of the crest of Mt. Baker. We headed down around 2pm and reached the junction to Scott Paul trail 603.1 around 2:30pm. Somehow we got a bit too ambitious and decided to take the long loop back. Well that probably was a mistake. (Our leftover energy would have been better used to go up to Park Butte or further up Railroad Grade.) Trail 603.1 went a long way in the hot afternoon sun, going up and down along numerous ridges. For a while it just kept going up and up. Can't image how we'd make back if not for several running creeks along the way. Finally we went down to the forest, and around 4:30pm we reached a meadow with nice views to Sherman Peak of Mt. Baker and further to Mt. Shuksan. After a 10min nap we left and reached the trailhead around 5:30pm. Our aching feet and feverish heads reminded us to use a bit more common sense next time, even though we were terribly hungry for moutain views due to a couple weekends of rain.

We had hoped for grand views, but they were generally hiding today. We left town early enough so that we had the climb to the Park Butte Lookout to ourselves. There were a few snow patches, no problem, and lovely flowers in the upper Morowitz Meadows. The lookout was open, welcome on a chilly cloudy day and was fun to snoop around in. Apparently it is available for overnights on a first come, first serve, clean up after yourself basis. It seems well cared for! Next, we wandered off trail slowly up towards High Camp through meadows and streams. We encountered many marmots, eight to be precise. There were two who were play-fighting, and then getting a little rough, so we split up the fight. We wandered up past lovely camps to the Railroad Grade. Great views down to the glacier! It was only on the wander back down that we ran into the hordes of people coming up after Sunday brunch. Great hike!

At the trailhead (which was a little confusing to find, since road #12 isn't signed or marked at all as far as we could tell--just turn left on gravel road immediately after the bridge) there were signs claiming a bridge washout which lead to a detour along a very muddy section. On the way back we found out that the detour is completely unnecessary as the bridge has just been repaired. There is no snow for first few miles. The ""railroad grade"" is a spectacular narrow ridge with views of the Easton glacier, the edge of the Mt Baker crater, and the San Juan Islands, and above it one can continue across snow fields to see the Deming Glacier icefall. A couple of members of our party were hiking in tennis shoes which is not recommended as their feet got completely soaked from the soft snow on the upper part of the Park Butte trail. Otherwise the trail is in pretty good shape and we saw 8 year old kids handling it fine. Surprisingly few bugs.

The plan was to camp at the top of the Railroad grade and summit Baker via the Easton Glacier route the next morning. Trailfinding to the beginning of the Railroad grade was a bit tricky; we took a wrong turn where the footbridge is washed out and boulder-hopped up the moraine (there were footprints and cairns so it took us a while to realize we weren't on the right track). This put us on Metcalfe moraine instead of the Railroad grade, so we had to traverse the Easton glacier to reach our campsite. Moral of the story: when you reach the former footbridge, keep going straight -- you'll see where the trail reenters the forest. There's no need to head up the moraine boulderfield. Saturday evening looked promising -- the clouds cleared up a bit and we had reason to hope we'd be able to attempt the summit. Unfortunately, when we woke up at 2am, it was foggy and raining, and stayed that way. We finally bailed at 6am, taking the correct Railroad grade descent route this time.

Gorgeous day. As good as it gets. Trail conditions superb: no mud, no brush, no blowdowns, no snow, seasonal bridge installed over Rocky Run on the Park Butte Trail, (the seasonal bridge on the Scott Paul Trail will not be installed this year). Flies in the ointment, black ones, really bad up through the forest but then mostly gone higher up (above Scott Paul Trail intersection). Also, bridge out at Schreibers Meadow parking area. Quarter mile detour required. Confederate parking pass, anyone' Along with lots of other people, we started out up the Railroad Grade Trail. However, when we reached Railroad Camp and the beginning of the climb up the Grade, itself, we ran into a problem, Andy's acrophobia. To you and me the path up the Grade is just exhilerating; to Andy, with the ground dropping away on both sides, it varies from uncomfortable to terrifying/sickening. It's a feeling you can't share, can't understand, can't empathize with. You can deal with it. After trying the Grade for a little way, we dropped down into the valley to the west and followed waytrails up to High Camp. Then we wandered west across the slopes above Mazama Park, with no destination in mind, just absorbing the view, the sun, the meadows, the snow. The snow! The first good spring snow we've encountered this year, on September 18! Easy walking, easy climbing, good sliding, we slid most of the way back down to the Park Butte Trail. For other hikers, it was a day to continue on up the Railroad Grade, way up. So many did it that some of them must have been you, and I hope you'll tell me what I missed.