Bullitt Fireplace Trail, East Side Trail & Old Griz — Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025

Began my hike on Squak Mtn. on the Bullitt Fireplace Trail to get up to the East Side Trail. The East Side Trail has been logged out except for one spot where several trees still need to be cut out. The fallen trees begin at the junction with the Old Griz Trail where the log out started. The Old Griz is still impassable do to all the blown down trees from the November windstorm. It is going to take some time and a lot of work to get that trail back open for hikers.

I hiked the East Side Trail from the junction with the Old Griz Trail heading for the East Ridge Trail and going to the bridge at Crystal Creek at 1,143' elevation where there are three large Glacial Erratic rocks left from the last Ice Age about 12,000 years ago. Along the way I met one guy doing trail maintenance by getting small fallen limbs of the trail and doing some dirt work. About halfway before getting to the big switch back on the old roadbed I came to the one spot on this trail where the fallen fir trees have not been cut out yet. It looks worse than it seems as I had to get under one big tree, then climb over another. When I got to the big switchback in the trail at the junction with the Phil's Creek Connector Trail that goes up and crosses over Crystal Creek at the waterfalls to get to the East Ridge Trail near Thrush Gap I could see many fallen trees. Some of them have now been logged out, but many more to go.

I continued down the East Side Trail where many more fallen trees have been cut out. At two big trees the trail now goes around the big root balls. I went as far as the bridge over Crystal Creek and then headed back up the trail the way I had come. Except for the one spot with some fallen large fir trees this trail is in very good shape. When I got back up the to the big switchback at the junction with the Phil's Creek Connector Trail it was time for lunch. I found a log for a seat and while eating another guy who came by carry a large crosscut saw. He was heading to the East Ridge Trail do some work for WTA who had some crews coming in for three work projects to remove large root balls off the trail. He had cut some of the fallen trees on the Phil's Creek Connector Trail.

After lunch I hiked back down the trail which has had a lot of work done since the November windstorm. Only saw one Douglas Squirrel and a few skeeters flying around. On part of the East Side Trail, I had views to the north and could see Mt. Pilchuck, Bald Mt., Big Four and Mt. Baker, plus many more peaks. Made for a nice hike on Squak Mtn. This year marks my 72nd year of hiking when I started at age 4. George