Whitehorse Trail - Swede Heaven to Darrington — Saturday, Apr. 9, 2016

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

We hiked this today with a friend recovering from knee surgery, although in reverse from Darrington to Swede Heaven. This is a great walk for anyone of any ability. The trail follows an old railroad grade, it is wide and very flat. The spring wildflowers are starting to bloom, mostly salmon berry, bleeding hearts, a few trillium and spring beauty. Bird watchers would also enjoy this route, we saw several types of woodpeckers, rufous hummingbirds, red-tailed hawks, and a plethora of little songbirds. The fresh green of new spring growth is starting on all the trees, and the trail also gives several opportunities to get nice views of Whitehorse Mountain, several surrounding peaks, and the North Fork Stillaguamish. Despite being so close to town, we basically had the trail all to ourselves, 2 sets of bicyclists were the only people we saw on the trail.