I've never been to the Mad River area before. This one turned out to be more of an adventure than I'd anticipated. The 16 mile loop did not seem much on paper, but throw in missing trail signs, river crossings and hundreds of downed trees and it got to be a nice workout. Started out by missing the Jimmy Creek trail junction (unsigned) about 1.3 miles in so had to backtrack about a half mile to make sure I was on the right trail. There were two bridgeless crossings of the Mad River between 4-5 miles in. Both would have been easy if I had brought my crocs. Crossing first the one sockless in boots (20 minutes wringing out boots) and the second on a precariously-positioned log were adventures. Blue Creek Meadow is a pretty place. From Blue Creek camp on the downed trees took over the trail. When I met the 2 FS trailworkers earlier (the only two humans I was to see in two days) I chuckled to myself when they mentioned that they had reports of lots of trees across the trail. As I was not a motorcycle, I thought, that would not be a problem for me. But this was downed trees on a BIG SCALE for much of the rest of the loop. I had never realized the cumulative effect of climbing over, around, and/or through hundreds of obstacles ranging from a single branch to whole trees spread lengthwise down the trail. I made it into Whistling Pig Meadow by early evening and set up camp next to the old hunter's shelter. Awoke during the night and went out for a brief peek at the splendid stars but it was too cold to stay out long. Rose to the buzz of mosquitoes awakening (have I mentioned the mosquitoes...they were fairly bad in most areas). I almost lost the trail in spots in boggy/snow-spotted lower Whistling Pig Meadows. I thought Cougar Meadows was the most beautiful of the many meadows on the loop. It would be a great future campsite. Also enjoyed the open hillside on the east face of Cougar Mtn. Nice views and nicer breezes to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Missed the upper junction with Jimmy Creek trail (unsigned and not real noticeable) also but figured out my mistake more quickly this time. Dropping down Jimmy Creek trail was trying. The upper section was badly eroded, the downed trees were menacing, and the occasional boggy/snowy section required careful attention to keep track of the trail. Well, I have complained a lot, but it was still a nice outing. The scenery was not spectacular but pleasant. The flowers were not bursting from the meadows as one guide book stated, but they were out mostly in creek beds, boggy meadows, and the open slopes beneath Cougar Mtn. Shooting stars and marsh marigolds were the lead actors. One certainly got a good sense of solitude. Not only did I see no other hikers, but I saw few signs of other hikers having been on the trail. I've seen worse mosquitoes (Larch Lakes, for one). The few weeks between snowmelt and the arrival of the motorcycles (in a couple of weeks I am told) makes this an okay spot to check out as some of the more scenic high country melts out. I will advise any hikers, however, to make sure that they have a good map (NGs Topo! is a great program) and are paying close attention to where they are at all times as the maze of trails in the area can be confusing....particularly when the junctions are unsigned. And the last 2.6 miles of road leading to the trailhead. My, oh my! That has to be one of the worst stretches of road I've ever driven. The only two ways to do that would be driving or in the back seat under a blanket with your eyes closed

Cougar Mountain (USGS: Silver Falls, Sugarloaf Peak; Green Trails: Plain) Jock Kinne and I enjoyed a 14 mile loop hike that featured a short sidetrip to the summit of Cougar Mountain. Many other loop possibilities are possible in the Mad River region. The Green Trails map would be a good beginning source of information. More details are in Mary Sutliff's Entiat Country if you're lucky enough to have a copy. 100 HIkes in Washington's North Cascades: Glacier Peak Region (1988) or a more recent version also offers several hiking descriptions of trails in the Mad River area. The road up to Maverick Saddle is rough, steep in places, and poorly marked. Beware if you have a low clearance vehicle or a vehicle which you prefer not to scratch the paint from brushy roadside vegetation. From near the 1000 Trails camping complex on the Chiwawa River Loop, travel north on FS #6100 (Lower Chiwawa Road). At the Deep Creek Campground junction, turn east onto FS #6101 and follow this to Maverick Saddle. Some of the junctions are unmarked. Avoid turning off onto unmarked FS Roads #6102, #6105, and #6104. Having a map reader as copilot helps. At Maverick Saddle, avoid FS #5200 and continue east for a mile or so descending to the trailhead for Mad River Trail #1409.1. Note that Trail #1409.1 goes upstream along the Mad River, while Trail #1409 does downstream, generally the lesser used option. Our loop circled Cougar Mountain in a clockwise direction, picking up the summit views after covering about 2/3 of the trail miles. Many downed trees across the trails and two crossings of the Mad River without bridges are considerations. We followed Mad River Trail 1409.1 north to Whistling Pig junction (4.5 miles). The two crossings required balancing on small logs close to the water's surface and/or walking well above the water surface on a larger log (two options on the second crossing). 2.3 more miles took us up Whistling Pig Creek past Cougar Meadow and around to the south side of Cougar Mountain. The unmarked junction to the summit is easy to spot if you're looking for it. If you travel too far south and reach the Jimmy Creek junction, turn back .1 mile and look again. The summit includes expansive views in all directions. It is the best viewpoint of the day on this loop, so savor what time you have available on top. We returned via the Jimmy Creek Trail to close our loop and hike the remaining 1+ mile back to our vehicle. If you do the loop in a counterclockwise direction, or just want to hike the shortest way to the summit of Cougar Mountain, beware of the unmarked junction where the Jimmy Creek Trail meets the Mad River Trail. It is one quarter mile north of the Mad River bridge crossing. Letters JC cut into the bark of a tree is the only marking. Beware that is is an area used frequently by motorcycles. Go midweek for the quietest opportunities. The trails are officially closed in this area in early summer for motorcycles, bicycles, and horses, in order for the trails to dry out and complete trail maintenance such as cutting blowdowns. Hikers often pick the early summer season, climb over the windfalls, but do it in peace and quiet. Consult the rangers in Leavenworth for details. Charlie Hickenbottom, Wenatchee, 6/28/07

Mosquitoes! Even in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest they don’t get this thick. That said, this year may be unusual. There were torrential downpours up their in mid-June according to one local who lives just below Miner’s Ridge. Having frequented this area numerous times I have never seen such a menace anywhere between the Entait Valley and the Chiwawa River. Beware that for the next month you may be driven from this fine area, as was our party. We bailed out after it was clear that all the DEET in Washington couldn’t slow the onslaught. As for the trail, the snow has not yet melted (but it is melting fast). About a mile past the Old Guard Station (heading North) the trail is still buried in shady spots. Farther up it is partially covered even in the sun. Melt-water runs down the trail in places forcing a slog or edge straddle. The meadows are still mushy bogs (mosquito breederies). No wildflowers, save for a few eye catchers, were present. There was much blow-down and the river is running high at the two crossings (be careful!). While Upper Mad River is generally a delightful, shaded, forest walk from Maverick Saddle, providing easy access to some great peaks, this year I would not recommend it until mid/late August. Unfortunately, that’s when the motorcycles are out in force on weekends. So pick your worst distraction: bugs or Kawasakis. This year it’s the mosquitos (hands down).

The road to Maverick Saddle is a little rough and narrow, difficult for trucks with trailers to pass. The trails in this area are generally not difficult. My loop hike passed by a multitude of meadows, some filled with nice wildflowers and mountain streams. On the way up Jimmy Creek 1419 I turned left at the first trail juction, which apparently isn't on my green trials map, as I ended up on point 6368. After taking in the view on Cougar Mtn and Klone Pk I camped at Mad River and was the only one there except some deer.

We backpacked up the Upper Mad River trail, camped two nights at Blue Creek Camp, in between hiking the loop north of camp including the spur trails to Mad Lake and Klone Peak. The Mad River valley is not spectacular, in dryish pine forest with few flowers in the meadows and nothing craggy in sight from the valley, but we had the place to ourselves and the solitude and the view from Klone Peak made the trip worthwhile. Quite a few mosquitos at camp, but not too many otherwise except around the lakes (Mad and the Two Little Lakes on the map, signed Lake Ann and Lake Louise in the flesh). There was very little snow on the trails we hiked, most of the brief trail sections under snow being near Two Little Lakes. This is definitely a trail to do before July 15, but note that only some of the region's trails are closed to motor traffic out of season. In fact, on July 3 we heard but never saw a couple of motorbikes from atop Klone Peak. Likely they (legally) came up the Tommie Ridge trail then proceeded (illegally) to ride around the loop to Blue Creek Campground from there, as we saw their fresh tracks on trail and snow as we completed the loop. The junction with the Jimmy Creek trail is easily missed on the way up as it is not signed and leaves the Upper Mad River trail at a very acute angle back to the southeast. We encountered the only people we met during the hike as we were hiking out upstream of the junction; they were looking for it and I told them that I hadn't seen it hiking down but hadn't seen it on the way up, either. Downstream from meeting them, I saw the trail, which is within five minutes of the bridge over the Mad River. On the hike in, we chose not to ford the river but to instead find the way trail reputed to continue on the same side, rejoining the trail at the next ford. It's not difficult bushwhacking, but there is no consistent trail we could find, and crossing Whistling Pig creek is a bit of a pain. The upper Mad River crossing was easily done on stones and logs, the lower crossing two of us forded (we had brought our watershoes and were determined to use them once) and our companion crossed on a somewhat tricky log crossing just upstream.