Scott Paul Trail, Railroad Grade — Friday, Aug. 7, 1998

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

The North Cascades - This was one of the most spectacular backpacking trips I have ever been on. This area is in the Mt Baker National Recreation Area an the south slopes of Mt Baker. When we started on Thurs afternoon there were 15 cars in the parking lot however only crossed paths with 10 people in the three days we were there. We hiked up the Park Butte trail an camped at Cathedral camp for 2 nights. After dinner we took an easy stroll up to the Park Butte lookout tower. The view of Baker, Twin Sisters, and the entire North Cascade range was breathtaking. The next day we went up the Railroad grade. This trail runs along the narrow crest of a huge lateral moraine along the recent path of the Easton glacier. After 1 mi the true path peters out. One could continue on to the summit of Baker but not this lard ass, flower sniffing hedonist. We instead cut to the northwest cross country through moraine and meadow to the spectacular canyon carved out by the dramatic Deming glacier. The photo ops abound. We then traversed flower filled meadows to secluded Mazama lake. The cross country treck back to Baker pass was somewhat difficult but we lucked upon an unfinished (abandoned') trail that took us right to the pass. The next day we hiked out on the Scott Paul trail. This trail ascends 900 ft along the Easton glacier valley and then traverses a dozen or so beautiful lush meadows full of flowers. Wonderful views of Baker and the North Cascade peaks persist for at least 2 miles. Just after the trail begins to decend, a grassy meadow allows one last view of Baker and the one and only view of Mt Shuksan. The trail then decends a beautiful old growth forest of Mountain Hemlock and Silver Fir. The Scott Paul is one of the best built trails I have ever seen. When we arrived back to the trailhead on Sat afternoon there were at least 75 cars in the lot however we only crossed paths with 2 groups of people all day (they must have all been on the Park Butte trail). There were no Black Flies and mosquitos were only a problem around sunrise and sunset. The snow had all melted out weeks ago.