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whitebark
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PostFri Feb 27, 2009 12:07 pm 
I was just given a copy of "Monte Cristo Area-A Complete Outdoor Guide", published by Northwest Press, 1977. What a great book for fans of the Monte Cristo area! It has detailed discussions of the history, geology, climbing routes, and trails in the area. Lots of good black and white photos, also. I was struck how much has been lost in the way of trails around Monte Cristo. During the turn of the last century, there were trails going everywhere. Maps in the book show the routes of the old paths with fair amount of detail. With all of the failing roads, maybe its time to bring them back to life...Marble Pass into the Sultan River, Hard Pass and Sheep Gap from Clear Creek to Sultan River, Poodle Dog Pass, Granite Pass, Mallardy Ridge to Blackjack Ridge and its old lookout site, etc. Well, one can dream... I've done a bit to restore the Helena Mines and Marble Pass trails. Granite Pass and Blackjack Ridge) might be be good targets for some guerrilla trail repairs.

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The Bubbly Hiker
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PostFri Feb 27, 2009 12:27 pm 
I've been on many of those old routes. You know that Marble Pass has had some attention recently, so has Helena mines. Granite Pass seems to be completely overgrown. Mallardy ridge/ Blackjack Ridge is very hard to follow, and has few views so I doubt it would get much traffic. I'd love to find the old lookout site partway up the hill. I think that trail started across river from Marten Creek, but the south side was logged and the brush is horrendous from the logging roadbed. Poodledog Pass was in pretty good shape 5 years ago. That book is a hard find these days!

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Dogpatch
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PostFri Feb 27, 2009 1:09 pm 
Congrats on the book - even the Seattle Public Library lacks a circulating copy of that one! As for disappearing trails, I'd add the trail that links up Deer Creek Pass with the Clear Creek Road. Someone's been working on it for sure - we were able to follow it down to the road last fall. First time, though. Thanks to whoever is reclaiming the trail. The trail across to Helena Mines has some really great views. Another thanks to the trail elves, and to Whitebark.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." – Groucho Marx
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Random Walker
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PostFri Feb 27, 2009 1:33 pm 
Great book, thanks for reminding me! Just found my copy in a box in the closet (I'll straighten back up later :-)) Would be fun to drive the Monte Cristo Highway again following the "Road Log" chapter.

I love the smell of deet in the morning. The smell, you know that deet smell, the whole mountain. Smelled like... victory.
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H. Hound
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PostFri Feb 27, 2009 7:04 pm 
That's a fun book, and it's in my Monte collection. Another good Monte Cristo book is Discovering Washington's Historic Mines VOL 1. It's obvious the authors spent a lot of time in the area. I put a copy of the history of the .45 mine on line that is a good read too. OFR 29 Copper deposits.... has some cool maps in the back of Silver Creek\Monte Cristo area, and RARE II has even more info.

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Jimbo
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PostFri Feb 27, 2009 9:10 pm 
Hound Dawg your holding out again, damb U.. Now I must look for this but I'm sure there not around.

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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peltoms
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 5:19 am 
You are teasing those of us without the book, please find it in your heart to share one or two of the cool maps with the defunct trails on them. wink.gif

North Cascade Glacier Climate Project: http://www.nichols.edu/departments/glacier/
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H. Hound
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 7:32 am 
Amazon has a pair of the Harry Majors books for $50 (really not a bad price), if you' all want your own copy. Jimbo - Download the Gov't books, and look through them. You will like the 45 mine book. It's a written account of the history of that mine. RARE II is the one with cool maps in the back.
A snippet of a map out of RARE II 
Mineral Investigation of the Glacier Peak Wilderness an Adjacent Areas 
Chelan, Skagit and Snohomish Counties, Washington
A snippet of a map out of RARE II Mineral Investigation of the Glacier Peak Wilderness an Adjacent Areas Chelan, Skagit and Snohomish Counties, Washington

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whitebark
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 10:12 am 
That 45 mine history is quite the saga! Thanks for putting that online. Makes me want to go up there and explore.

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whitebark
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 10:24 am 
peltoms wrote:
You are teasing those of us without the book, please find it in your heart to share one or two of the cool maps with the defunct trails on them. wink.gif
Here's one of Monte Cristo, which shows the old trail up 76 Gulch and the Poodle Dog pass route down to Silver Creek:
Shows old trails
Shows old trails
The routes marked by a line of x's are "proposed trails" and don't mean anything.

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Dogpatch
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 10:33 am 
A while back, someone here (maybe Sorefeet?) offered to make a PDF file of the book and post it online. I imagine he'd have to talk to Harry Majors first, but it sounded like a great idea. Anyone know what became of the idea?

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." – Groucho Marx
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danno1965
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 12:21 pm 
re: Monte Cristo
Man does this topic bring back alot of memories. Back in the late seventies/ early eighties before the flood Monte Cristo was one of three or four areas we would visit on a regular basis. We would drive back to the camground and our mom would hang out there with the dog while my dad, brother and I would take off exploring. I feel very fortunate that I grew up in a family of mountaineers and that my father was what I would call a very advanced and skilled mountan climber. We did the trails into Twin Peaks, Poodle Dog Pass, Silver Lake, Glacier Basin etc. We would also get off the trails and do alot of climbing up to the tops of the basins to see what was on the other sides. I seem to remember coming across trails leading off but my father said it was something we would have to check on when we got back home. He figured it had to do with the old miners and such. Incredible views! I seem to remember alot of mines located on the campground side that we went up to but never inside. I also seem to remember walking on the road thru town and it veered to the left which led into the trail to Glacier Basin. If memory serves once in the basin we took off to the top of a basin (almost in essence headed back the direction of town) and that there were old mining cars, steam engines etc. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Lots of great memories. Dan

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Random Walker
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 12:39 pm 
Monte Cristo Memories
danno1965, Yup I have similar flashbacks (late 60's/70's).. Mom and her boyfriend(s) took me out there a few times. I remember a few small buildings in Monte Cristo proper (?) I would hang out with these way cool folks wearing bandannas, clanking around with hardware, listening to their stories late into the night. (probably the first time I smoked pot also) They called me "The Kid" were kind and did not mind my questions. (they actually listened) Was where I got my first taste of rock and glacier...

I love the smell of deet in the morning. The smell, you know that deet smell, the whole mountain. Smelled like... victory.
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danno1965
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 12:47 pm 
re: Monte Cristo
Yup. I remember some really nice people back in their as well. If I remember correctly didn't the hotel have a restaurant where you could get breakfast? Maybe I'm thinking of another place. I was smoking something green as well (it was cool in junior high) but my folks never knew smile.gif

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Jimbo
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PostSat Feb 28, 2009 1:51 pm 
Hound is that for 1 or both ?? I'm not so smart today..

Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians
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