Pipestone Canyon Rim Trail — Sunday, May. 18, 2014

North Cascades > Methow/Sawtooth

With a significant amount of snow still remaining at higher elevations, we opted for this as a shorter day hike. It's a great hike with expansive views, and a unique destination. On the way up, you can see the surrounding area, distant peaks and Campbell Lake, but the view of Pipestone Canyon's rocky cliff bands is the payoff. Our entire group was impressed. The grade is pretty mellow, but the hike does gain a good amount of elevation over its distance. The trail itself has some sandy, steeper sections, but it would still be appropriate for experienced families. There are currently great wildflowers throughout the hike. The Arrowleaf balsamroot is beginnning to wilt, but is still abundant. There are also lots of lupine and a variety of other blooms. Another highlight is that the trail takes you through a couple of small groves that have leafed out - it was cool to switch between the scenes, with lots of birds in the trees, and the trees offer a respite from the sun. Outside of these short sections, the trail is fully exposed to the sun and can get quite warm. We saw a couple of snakes, and this area is known for their presence, so we kept an eye out and had our dog on a leash. Locals advise that rattlesnakes become abundant and active in the canyon during the heat of the summer. It took our group an hour to reach the view on top of the canyon's rim. We turned around at that point, but a left-hand junction just before the viewpoint takes you down the rim. As noted elsewhere, you can link the rim trail up with the old road through the canyon for a longer adventure. Lester Rd was in decent shape, but is a gravel road that is steep in places. You do not need a high clearance vehicle. It takes less than 20 minutes to drive from Winthrop. We parked in the obvious grassy pullout at the junction with Campbell Rd and walked 50 yards up Lester Rd to reach the trail. Trailhead location: 48.451318, -120.076024