[Quark]

This probably isn't news to most of you, but the Railroad Grade/Park Butte trail is beautiful. I was very much impressed with the RR Grade. It traverses the lip of a moraine and takes the hiker right up to the glaciers of the mountain. The moraine is a fantastic thing to see. It's a looonnng way down if you slip and fall. I get all tingly when I'm standing on top of something as geological as the tip of a moraine, or a volcano. If you continue, soon you'll hear rockfall from the Black Buttes west of the trail, if you listen long enough. Hear the distant rumbles of avalanches and chunks calving off the glaciers. See Puget Sound and the San Juans shimmering in the distance. Oh, and don't forget to look at Mt Baker. He's the cause of all this (except for the Black Buttes). anyway, the Park Butte meadows aren't melted out yet, but wow, the meadows at the very beginning of the trail go on forever! And they're in bloom now. Saw dayhikers wandering around the glacier. Talk about Bugs Bunny physics - we watched one lone woman cross a snowbridge - and then commence straight towards a crevasse where we were then able to shout to her to stop. I dunno - seems kinda dangerous to me, wandering around out there like its a walk in the park. I wonder if any of 'em thought when they saw rope teams brandishing ice axes, "hmmm....I feel underdressed for this event. Maybe they know something I don't."

[sarbar]

Hehheh!! Love that somebody else sees them the same way I do Have you ever been to Park Butte? It is very pretty up there, the meadows after the RR turnoff are just gorgeous! PS: Is the suspension bridge in yet?

[sarbar]

They do take down the suspension bridge in the winter, along with it's cousin over on the Paul Scott Trail (which starts from the same p'lot) The funny thing about the bridge is they gotta hope the water flows under it Lastt year there was a second gusher of a chanel after the bridge...weeeee......... Do go up to Park Butte, it is very worth the hike, Cathedral Pass is very pretty on the way up-and you can camp in the lookout if you are first!

[#19]

[#19]

I should have called it "that big beautiful pile of ice".

[kleet]

[Karen]

Quark and other posters have covered the Railroad Grade pretty well. About the only thing I have to add to the write-ups is "WOW". My first time on the Railroad Grade/Park Butte area but won't be my last. It was kind of a moody day with clouds drifting in and out and the light changing on the mountain. I could have spent hours just looking at the moraine alone, nevermind the mountain, the pile of ice. The moraine is like crumbling gingerbread with a frosting of flowers/heather around the edges. If you're a mountain it's probably good enough to eat. This was a Saturday so it was pretty busy but even as a few rain drops fell and thunder rumbled, I wished I was camping. Maybe even climbing. By the time I was back on Highway 20 I had a flat tire. Fortunately I had stopped at the expresso stand in Lyman for a granita and the guys infront of me (in line for a caffeine fix) pointed at my tire. I can't believe I drove that far on a tire that was about 98 percent flat. Otherwise I would have blithely driven on while in a reverie of hiking. Karen

View of Baker from railroad grade

[Newt]

Nice photos. I especially like whatever it is that is going on in the right of Kleet's photo. Awesome. NN

[Tom]

I remember going up Railroad Grade about 7 years ago. Quite honestly, I was expecting more and left underwhelmed. The thing I recall most was how COLD it got at night. Bring a warm sleeping bag if you stay overnight. I should preface all of this by saying one of my all time favorite "secret" lakes also garnered the same enthusiasm the first time I visited.

[sarbar]

Wait a second! I got a flat tire up there last year going to Park Butte!! Must be the road I am thinking!

[Malachai Constant]

There is a lot of sharp rocks and nasty trash in the road. What I disliked was it had the most ticket happy rangers I have ever seen. They literally followed us around to makes sure we did not step on any thing and moved the formerly dispersed camping into one slum. All the time the ranger camped in the uppermeadows next to a pond. Don't go there overnight anymore nohow unhuh.