North Fork Sauk River, Pilot Ridge & Blue Lake High — Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

This report is tragically late as it is now nearing the end of October. Still, I wanted to post it to let hikers know that, despite of rumors of the Pilot Ridge Trail being abandoned, it is still very hikeable and highly recommended (by me!). The trail begins in the phenomenal forests of the North Fork Sauk River Valley, passing giant Western Red Cedars, Douglas Firs, And Western Hemlock. There are few low elevation old growth valleys like this one. At mile 1.9 pass the Pilot Ridge Trail junction. You will return to this junction at the end of your wonderful trip and then back to the trailhead. At 5 miles, pass a good campsite with toilet at Red Creek and then at 6 miles, reach the gloomy and damp Mackinaw Shelter and the last dependable water before White Pass. Switchback steeply upward for another 2.8 miles through open avalanche tracks and meadows to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail, turning right (east) on the PCT and hiking another short mile to White Pass and good camps below the pass. Turn right where the sign directs you down to the lower pass area and camps. Please respect the "Camp Elsewhere" signs and do not camp on the ridge above the camp area near the PCT. The Forest Service (Darrington Ranger District) has spent decades working at restoring the delicate vegetation there, that at one time was badly impacted from over use. The side trail down to the campsites from the ridge top is in dire need of repair or relocation. The trail is double and triple tracked with the currently used track being an eroded knee deep gully. It's heartbreaking to see such a special place being so neglected. But not to blame the Forest Service, as congress has starved them of much needed funds during the last few decades. As of this writing the mountain toilet at White Pass camps is badly in need of repair. The Forest Service is currently working on a grant to allow repair or replacement of that toilet and some of the trail signs along this entire loop hike. If you have the time, use White Pass as a base camp and take a side trip or two. The trail from White Pass, along the base of White Mountain and out to the Foam Creek Basin is absolutely beautiful! Incredible meadows and flower shows, in season. When the trail seems to disappear, hike up to the top of a knoll and gaze out to breathtaking views in all directions. Glacier Peak dominates the scene but Mt Baker, Sloan Peak, Pugh, White Chuck and dozens of other peaks are visible. Look down from there into the upper White Chuck basin to a land of snow, rock and ice. Another highly recommended side trip from White Pass is a hike back west along the PCT to Red Pass and up Portal Peak. It's a fairly easy climb along the ridge to the summit. I only had to use my hands for balance one time before reaching the top. More incredible views from there! Back down at Red Pass, you can hike down into the Glacier Peak Meadows area, hiking north on the PCT and climb to the top of the White Chuck Cinder Cone. It is a very interesting volcanic wasteland up there. Another choice from back at Red Pass is to hike the ridge and way trail from there to the summit of White Mountain. It is a very exhilarating hike. You pretty much feel as though you're on top of the world. From the summit of White Mountain, descend a way trail of steep, flowery slopes back down directly to White Pass and a return to camp. To continue the loop from White Pass, head south on the PCT over miles and miles of mind boggling ridges, meadows and flower fields to the trail junction at Dishpan Gap. There is a great campsite there, albeit right on the trail. Then hike west on the Bald Eagle Trail .8 of a mile, bearing left on the Blue Lakes High Route (alternately you can hike another 2 miles west on the Bald Eagle Trail to trail 652 to access Blue Lakes). Ascend a steep but solid trail to a high pass with a beautiful view across to Johnson Mountain and down to a sometimes frozen Blue lake in therocky basin below. The trail from this high pass down to the lake can contain a vsry steep snow slope in early season that may require you to bypass over steep meadow grass and heather on the right. Blue lake is spectacular! and a wonderful place to camp. There are a few good sites but one in particular is very sweet, just below the lake outlet and above the falls. It was sad to see that people were building fires at the camps near the lakes, charring the ends of huge logs that will be visible for years to come. I feel that fires in these high elevation sites should be avoided. There is a good, solid and well located mountain toilet near the campsites. To continue onto the Pilot Ridge Trail, hike a trail northeast from the lake outlet that descends to the Pilot Ridge Trail junction. Keep right at the junction, ascending through talus and scree for a bit an then on to the huge meadows that traverse the slopes of Jonson Mountain, eventually turning back to the east and following the west ridge of the mountain to Johnson Mountain Trail junction. Some careless person had recently built a fire right in the meadow grass, along the trail, burning an ugly hole and charring rocks that will now take decades to heal. Please resist the urge to have a campfire in these high, delicate meadows. The short 1/2 mile side trip to the summit of Johnson Mountain is mandatory! Spectacular meadows, flowers and territorial views from the top. Check out the old lookout site and the four stone pillars that used to support the lookout. What a perch, looking strait across to the Monte Cristo Range! Back at the junction, continue north and west on the Pilot Ridge Trail through huge sloping meadows that seem to go on forever. The trail tread across these meadows hasn't had much maintenance in past years, the width of the trail narrowing down to 6" or less in places, but is still easy to follow. Eventually the trail finds it's way down to the forest but then heads back up (ugh!) and down, and up, and down finally and switchbacks relentlessly for 3.5 miles down to the North Fork Sauk river. I counted about 20 blowdowns on this last trail section, but all were easy to either step over or go around. I reported the blowdowns to the Forest Service but the trail didn't look to have had any maintenance in quite a few years, which is a shame considering the absolute beauty of this trail. Harvey Manning said the Pilot is "some of the finest ridge walking in the North Cascades", and I agree! The trail reaches the valley floor where you're able to cross the North Fork Sauk River on your choice of several stout logs. Reaching the N.F. Sauk trail again, turn left, reaching the trailhead in 1.9 miles of glorious forest walking.