This was supposed to be the year when a May hike feels like a June hike. Instead, this felt like a May hike. Since I couldn't drive to the trailhead (I got as far as about 3000 feet elevation) and there was fresh snow on the trees, it looked like December. The snow was spotty until the trailhead, then solid from there. There was a thin crust on top and I struggled to skate my way on top. Most of the time I failed and trudged through the deep snow. I should have brought snow shoes. Things got much easier once I got into the woods as the snow was firmer under the trees. I made it as far as Sunrise Mountain, 5000 feet (not as far as Scorpion). On the way back I saw a group of people with a dog. The dog managed to stay on top of the snow most of the time. This is a very straight forward early season trip, provided you bring snow shoes or are a dog.

There's nothing better than playing hookie from work on a Friday to go hiking. We tried to do this hike a week ago but Beckler River Rd was a mess. Full of ice and blowdown. There was no way we could had made it up the FS roads to the trail. One week sure made a difference. All the ice and snow was gone on Beckler River Rd and the snow was patchy on FS Rd 6520 at the lower elevations. With a good 4WD vehicle we made it to the junction of 6520 & 6526 (about 3000') before calling it quits and parking the car. That meant we had to hike about 1.5 miles and 600' up the road to get to the Scorpion Mtn trailhead. Once you get to the trailhead you hike through a recent clearcut (maybe 10yrs old) for about 3/4 mi before reaching the ridge and entering the forest. This isn't the hike to do if you want spectacular views of the surrounding peaks. But, if you like hiking through old growth and enjoy the views of a ridge dropping off on both sides of you this is a great hike. We followed the ridge up to Sunrise Mtn (5056') and ate lunch in a clearing. To get to Scorpion Mtn one would drop 300' from Sunrise and then gain 500' to reach it's summit. We wanted a short hike so we headed back to the car. Stats: 7.5 miles, 2000' gain, 5 hours

We started out a bit skeptical due to the cloudy weather in Seattle and the poor forecast. However, it was sunny by Skykomish. the road to the trail head is good and clearly marked. the first mile of trail is up along an old road; this means it is rocky and slippery. The nice views help offset this. Soon, we entered the forest trail which winds through the trees along the top of the ridge. There are some blow downs but all are passable without much difficulty. The trail goes to the opening of Sunrise Mountain and there is the first hint of the panorama that lies ahead. There is a camp site here but no water. Next the trail drops down steeply for a few hundred feet. After climbing for about a mile, the trail breaks out into a beautiful meadow filled with flowers of all colors and sizes. We could see Stuart, Sloan, and Daniels, but Glacier Peak was in the clouds. It is a short trip to the top and this is covered with a snow cap and flower - just beatiful. Joan Lake is still half frozen and surrounded by snow. While we had a lazy lunch with the bugs, the clouds started moving in and obscuring the surrounding ridges and peaks. Soon, we were in the only sun around. As we headed back, the clouds moved overhead to cool us as we walked. The last half of this is a great hike and the flowers were a real treat.

Good directions and trail description in the '100' book. The steepest part of the hike is the first mile on abandoned road. When the road curves look for a small cairn and path on the right. Push through 100 yards of clearcut mess and find the trail. The path is on the ridgetop almost the entire way. A few filthy snowpatches remain. Drop 300' straight down off Sunrise before the 800' final climb up Scorpion. Watch for a way trail on the left. This will take you to the top. If you find yourself sidehilling through a flower riot, keep going, and take a hard left when you regain the ridge. A trail drops down to a meadow flat, which should obviously never be camped in again. The steep trail down to Joan Lake is buried in snow. I was totally fogged in the whole time. I can say the trail was not worth the walk without the views. The trail is open to mountain bikes, but a few years of lingering blowdowns make it not worth the effort. With a round trip of eight mile, and only 2300' of elevation gain, this could be a worthwhile family destination. 4 1/2 hours total trip.

Decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day and see what can be seen from Scorpion as last time I was there it spitted snow and had little views. Well, it is worth every drop of sweat. The views are terrific even if the berries are non existent this year. The surprise: Joan Lake is still partially snowcovered and the flowers are a seasonal mix. Roads 6520 and 6526 off Beckler River Road are in great shape and take you to the parking spot where the views start. 3/4 mi up the old spur nets you the ridge top where the easy ramble through blueberry bushes then forest start. This is the easiest part. After a ways, you drop do..o..wn quite steeply 300 ft. Then gradually, in places, and somewhat steeply, in other places, you regain the lost elevation from this saddle as the views open up again. Follow the ridge or take the sidehill path over to pick up the far ridge and hit the high point with views of EVERYTHING. Glacier and Rainier are the big volcanoes, but you see Stuart, Mt Daniel, Hinman, Sloan, well, you get the point. One little patch of snow on the top supported glacier lilies (in September!). We saw Indian Paintbrush, Harebells, Lupine, Asters and Penstemmon. There were only six people besides the two of us on the trail that we saw, but a horse party went through that we didn't see. Trail has several easily bypassed windfalls and just three snow patches, only one on the trail.