Yesterday we (Aleigh, Mark and myself) hiked Mt Pilchuck near Granite Falls, WA. It was a full day with the trailhead two hours away. The hike took around 5hrs. This is one of the most popular trails in the region due to it's easy access and amazing views of the North Cascades and Puget Sound. During the summer the trail can be crowded and the fire lookout packed with people. These are not my type of conditions, so I decided to head up early in the season before the rush.
The first mile is deep slush and mud that turns to snow the rest of the way up. Aleigh stepped off-trail once and was up to her knees, so the distance felt much longer and steeper with the constant threat of slipping. We each had the proper gear though with warm clothing, waterproof boots, micro-spikes and trekking poles. It was a great time with stunning views. We stayed at the top for probably an hour before heading back just before sunset. It was hard to leave.
Mount Pilchuck (5344 ft elev) is located within the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest which extends more than 140 miles along the western slopes of the Cascade Range from the Canadian border to the northern boundary of Mount Rainier National Park. Although once the site of a two-lift ski resort, several years of poor snowfall and issues renewing the operating permit in the late 1970s led to its permanent closure in 1980. Today, very little remains of the lift aside from some concrete foundations and the odd (but welcomed) paved road beginning at the resort's property line halfway to the trailhead.
