[mtn.climber]

Thinking about hiking this on Sunday. Anyone know if I can drive up the road towards the NW ridge route from exit 47? I thought I heard it was blocked earlier this season?

[RichP]

I don't know the condition of the road but this report describes a route that minimizes the road walk by going up the northeast slope and returning via the standard NW route. There is a track included. Two more recent reports use the same approach route. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2019-02-26.5502472179 The most recent report by "moosefish" describes some concerning terrain which his party chose not to cross. https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2019-03-10.1232835755

[thunderhead]

I would think the standard forest road exit 47/NW ridge approach still has snow on large amounts of the road. Dunno if there are any further blockages/trees down other than suspected snow.

[Brushwork]

A week ago there was a lot of snow in the berm blocking the road at exit 47. My guess would be it's still blocked there.

[Brucester]

Does anyone know of exactly where the trail starts on Tinkham Road? I've seen cars parked on the right just as you enter the road. Maybe look west along the road for a boot path? Any photos of the actual start of the route? Of all places someone needs to buid a cairn here.

[Randito]

Four years ago I parked here: https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=15.8/-121.5169/47.3836&pubLink=Od3bqDrYGig84rfUV3GTHAI0&waypointId=d5eb9a2b-9f06-4936-a73e-dc7134491680 I don't know the current condition of the road.

[Cyclopath]

[Randito]

FWIW: Finding the trail from where I parked was straightforward when I did it. Boot track heading up the road from the parking area and then a clearly visible boot track heading uphill. I had no issues routefinding, but I was hiking with an old gimpy dog and she needed several boosts to get up and down in the rockhopping sections. I enjoyed the view of Silver Peak and Lake Annette from the summit ridge.

[cascadetraverser]

I always just hike road 5510; no people and easier parking; less elevation gain too.

[Brucester]

Thanks for the beta. I've gone that way before a few times. Somewhere I heard of parking on Tinkham. A faint trail. Just curious as the quartz digging has turned me off to hiking there. It's like a WWI battlefield how they leave holes! So disrespectful!

[Cyclopath]

I heard people aren't allowed to dig for quartz up there any more. For what it's worth.

[BigBrunyon]

You get these guys running these major operations up there!! Going in after dark undetected!! Huge numbers of these guys running these major opperations up there!!!! Going in after dark turnin major profits off these DIGS!!!

[Brucester]

This times a million. After that experiance I spent time picking up litter on the road elbow where they park. Nature is art, leave your Krylon at home! The smiley might still be there?

I hate to complain but stuff gets to a person. And what can you do? Hike it out probably? Is this the entrance to the hiking trail?

[thunderhead]

There is also a quartz diggers trail a little before the real trail on the higher road(5510-110) that has briefly confused me. The real trail is the one that heads uphill from where 5510-110 makes a 90 degree turn. I also have that spots elevation at approx 3240 feet.