Jack Ridge — Saturday, Jun. 30, 2012

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East

On June 30-July 1 we tried hiking the Jack Creek Trail and (on the second day) Jack Ridge trail. Our plan was to hike down to Stuart Pass, then back up Jack Creek and over Jack Ridge to Trout Lake. We were unsuccessful, but the Jack Creek Trail was pleasant at least. Jack Creek is a great trail for the first 5 miles or so. Well-maintained, plenty of water, a few good campsites, and not too many hikers. You go uphill at first but then it levels off and is gently rolling. The hike is relatively easy as far south as the Meadow Creek Trail junction (there is one section just before this where the trail becomes a river for about 1000 feet or so, but if you have good boots you'll do fine). South of the Meadow Creek junction things get hairier. Here the trail hasn't been as well maintained and fallen trees haven't been cleared, and about a mile south there seems to have been a landslide or avalanche that competely buried the trail under hundreds of fallen trees. We climbed from log to log trying to find our way through this area but it was hopeless...the trail was lost under the debris, and it's going to take a lot of work to make it passable again. We had no choice but to turn back. We camped just north of the Meadow Creek junction (excellent riverside campsite here) and the next day tried the steep Jack Ridge trail. This trail hasn't been maintained in a very long time and the brush has completely taken over. Even the sections that are possible to follow have blowdowns every few hundred feet. There were several times when we had to crawl up the side of the ridge to get around a wiped-out section, and this is not easy because the trail is so steep. The trail gets somewhat easier to follow near the top, but it was snowed in near the crest, and again, we had to turn back and fight our way through the brush for the downhill trip (nearly running out of water in the process...there is only one spot on the Jack Ridge trail where you'll have access to water). Don't attempt this trail unless you're very adventurous, have lots of time to spare, and don't mind crawling on hands and knees up a 2500-foot ridge, because that's what you'll be doing unless you bring a machete and a chainsaw. Wildflowers are in bloom, though.