Scorpion Mountain via Johnson Ridge — Friday, Jul. 21, 2000

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

Good directions and trail description in the '100' book. The steepest part of the hike is the first mile on abandoned road. When the road curves look for a small cairn and path on the right. Push through 100 yards of clearcut mess and find the trail. The path is on the ridgetop almost the entire way. A few filthy snowpatches remain. Drop 300' straight down off Sunrise before the 800' final climb up Scorpion. Watch for a way trail on the left. This will take you to the top. If you find yourself sidehilling through a flower riot, keep going, and take a hard left when you regain the ridge. A trail drops down to a meadow flat, which should obviously never be camped in again. The steep trail down to Joan Lake is buried in snow. I was totally fogged in the whole time. I can say the trail was not worth the walk without the views. The trail is open to mountain bikes, but a few years of lingering blowdowns make it not worth the effort. With a round trip of eight mile, and only 2300' of elevation gain, this could be a worthwhile family destination. 4 1/2 hours total trip.