I knew this was going to be a long one, so I started out on the trail at 5:45am. Trail crews did a great job clearing the North Fork Sauk Trail. At the junction with the PCT I headed left to Red Pass. Trail was in good shape and there was just one snowfield right before the pass. I did need to use my poles and even though the snow was soft you did not want to fall. Made it to the Pass, but the meadows below the pass still had quite a bit of snow and I couldn't go any further without traction devices. I took a climbers route to the right of the pass and took some great pictures. The meadows before the pass were spectacular! On the way back I checked out White Pass also, didn't matter were I pointed the camera. Awesome hike! Was back to the car at 3:45pm. Beware if you try this as a day hike, there is a significant elevation gain with a southern exposure after a 5 mile hike to Mackinaw Shelter. I have been doing quite a few conditioning hikes and this was still hard, even though the clouds didn't burn off until I reached the meadows.

We started off at the North Fork Sauk River trailhead at about 10 in the morning the parking lot was jam packed with holiday weekend climbing parties and backpackers. After finding a spot we threw on our packs and began the the hike towards Mackinaw Shelter first stop of the long trek to Glacier Peak. There was a stream crossing within the first mile that presented a minor challenge but once past the stream the tread was easily followed. Dense old growth forest of cedar and Doug firs made the first 5 miles a pleasant jaunt. The first portion of the trail presents one of the finest examples of cascade old growth I have had the pleasure of rambling through. There were a few mosquitoes in the area but not the hordes I had expected. From Mackinaw Shelter we followed the PCT towards white pass, a trail crew was working along this stretch and the path was free of blowdowns and other issues. Stretches of trail alongside thimble berry patches were a bit overgrown unless the trail crew whacked them on the way back. The views of Sloan Peak and Pugh got ever grander as we climbed through meadows of columbine, glacier lily, paintbrush, white anemone, and gentian towards the pass. Once out of the trees the thumping of grouse was replaced with the whistles of marmots playing happily on the hillsides. Sweeping views of the north, east, and central cascades greeted us at the pass as did the first patches of snow. We crossed the snowfield along the climbers path to a sweeping basin filled with large tarns and the first glimpse of stately Glacier peak, the isolated volcano. High along the ridge before glacier gap we pitched tents and made dinner as cool weather and wind rolled in. The clouds obscured all but the nearest ridges as we prepared dinner. The next day we began our summit push around 6 am, not exactly an alpine start. Dense fog and low lying clouds made navigation difficult as we consulted GPS, maps, and finally boot paths hoping that one would lead us toward the coveted summit. After following a "short cut" to a 7739 ft summit we found some skiers slightly more confident in their bearings and we continued until we found the actual trail in dry high alpine tundra. The weather started warming as we followed the path towards Cool Glacier. As we reached the glacier around 8,000 feet we popped out of the clouds to see Disappointment Peak looming in front of us. Only the highest peaks were visible among the clouds to the south the top 5,000 feet or so of Rainier was the only view. We climbed the glacier roping up as we started seeing crevasses and continued to the final climb up the face of the mountain. We hiked the staircase of kicked steps for 500 feet until we popped up on the summit meeting the other two parties that had climbed the same day. After descending back to camp we ate dinner and slept. The next day we again woke up at 6 packed our tents and sleeping bags and in the cold morning refilled water bottles before heading down the trail. We retraced steps to White Pass in clear weather walking along ridgelines we could see hundreds of peaks in every direction still covered in snow and ice. I counted 47 marmots on the way down marmot babies, were wrestling on their hind legs and rolling down the meadows. The hike was beautiful but the push out was long carrying a pack full of mountaineering gear. The total distance of the hike was right around 40 miles not bad for three days especially considering the elevation gain.

It was a good time to explore the North Fork Sauk River. The old growth is amazing, and the downed trees that have been cut to create trail portals are among the largest in the region. I hiked to Macinaw Shelter Friday night and stayed the night. This morning I hiked part of the way to White Pass. If you hike this area in the early morning, wear rain pants because the meadows are extremely brushy and wet. A wildflower show begins at 3,000 feet and is quite good. Both Red Creek and the River were running full. There was so much water in the river this morning that there was mist (not fog) a good 30 feet above the water. I met nearly two dozen hikers packing in this morning when I was packing out. They were all headed for the glaciers. The roads to the TH are in clear and in good condition. The trail is clear, but there are muddy areas and several stretches with water. Surprisingly there were no problems with bugs. This stretch of very hot weather should make the river very interesting.

Road 49 to the North Fork of the Sauk was in good shape with few potholes, they did a great job on the road. Arrived at the trailhead at 10:15am and was the only one there. A few big blowdowns at the start of the trail, but was able to get around them ok. Just scouting today and only went in as far as the first creek crossing. It was running high and had the little dog with me, so turned around there. Love the old growth in the forest on this hike. The trail is brushy in spots and needs to be cleared. On the way back 2 deer were running full speed on the trail and ran into us. The little Yorkie stood her ground barking and growling. One deer ran to the left and the other to the right, about gave me a heart attack. I think the little 6 pound Yorkie looks in the mirror and sees a Bengal tiger. Later in the summer I'm going to do a one day 26 mile trek up Pilot Ridge and come back down the North Fork Sauk from the Pacific Crest. Doing my conditioning now. Stopped and checked out Sauk Falls on the way back. The trail is not marked, but its a mile from Mountain Loop Highway. Trail was in good shape, but can be slippery. First time on the trail to Sauk Falls and there are some great views. Great day to be out, didn't run into another soul.

My plan was to hike up North Fork Sauk River (#649), hit the Pacific Crest Trail, and then head south one mile to camp at White Pass. There are numerous blowdowns along the river valley, the worst of which is right at the trail entrance. Once you start climbing past the Mackinaw shelter, I don't recall any bad blowdowns. However, you hit continuous snow around 5,000 feet. Finding the trail is not possible, I just went fairly straight up when I lost the trail. We made it up to the elevation of the Pacific Crest Trail, but it was buried under approx. two feet of snow, there were white-out conditions, and I had stepped out of one of my crampons somewhere below, plus the dog was tired. So we turned back to camp at lower elevations. Found the crampon on the way bock down, and camped along the trail around mile 4.0. Noting the trailhead warning to hunters to make sure you don't shoot a grizzly by mistake (!), I cooked/ate well away from camp, and hung the bear bag using the PCT method and observing the proper distances from the trunk, branch, and ground. In the morning, we walked the rest of the way out to the trailhead, dropped off the camping gear and took a day hike up the Red Mountain trail. It's a nice trip up to the lookout, about a mile. However, I counted 10 windfalls to climb over or duck under on the way up to the lookout. Past the lookout, the trail ascends a rock face that requires some scrambling. Above this are some sparse woods, with pink ribbons around trees to blaze the trail. We ascended about another half mile, but ran out of water and this was not on our trip plan, so we turned around, carefully descended the scramble face and then jogged back to the truck. I see now from other trip reports that if pursued to the end, and if the weather cooperates, this will yield a good view of Glacier Peak. As we arrived at the trailhead, there was a couple preparing to hike in, but we did not see anyone else on this trip.