[Monroe hikers]

The road was open all the way to the trailhead -- some 40 miles away. A mosquito swarm awaited us! Luckily after a little ways up the trail they were gone and stayed gone. This trail was a perfect start for the first mile or more, gently arose, lovely foliage -- trilliums in late stages at first, then barely unfolding beside snow further up, along with yellow violets and also blooming bleeding hearts. Idyllic. Then we hit multiple blowdowns to scramble over and around, and snow. We lost the trail several times but our skilled leader kept finding it -- I was careful not to step in his more visible tracks that would lead us back out! Thanks for Wednesday's practice, Ice Girl! We kept snowbooting on in -- postholing a couple times just to keep us alert. Mostly the snow had a most doable debris strewn crust that held in mid 40s F. temps. Some 3 miles in we encountered our turn around -- roaring Quartz Creek -- super fast, several inches over all submerged stones, right at a dropdown. I turned back with relief though our leader kept "humbug"ing a good ways down but we didn't posthole anymore! And we only lost our own trail once or twice briefly. We lunched swarmed by mosquitos back at the trailhead. Enroute back, we walked a quarter mile, mosquito free, into an old road and found several delightful camping spots it was fun to explore, most along the rushing Skykomish river. I was glad the paved Troublesome Creek road was mostly county, for the several gravel repairs done that weren't there last summer. Where it leaves the county, rockslides have put rock hunks onto the pavement, one organge-coned spot down to 1 lane to pass. As if to console himself for that last mile we couldn't make, our leader took us to the fish hatchery where the small fry are really growing and in abundance, and the huge Chinook salmon in the river hovered in the middle, seeming shadows till sunglass cutting glare made them visible. Lovely to see. What a privilege still getting out there in the aftermath of this amazing winter.

Marker

Perfect Trail

Crossing

Blowdown

Turnaround

Recrossing

[jimmymac]

It looks like you folks saw a bit more flow than I did last summer.

[Trevor]

I was there yesterday, and managed to be pummeled by rain, wind, and mosquitos,andI also managed to have a great time.

[Monroe hikers]

Jimmymac, THANKS for that picture! WHAT a contrast! Your beautiful quote/slogan sure speaks for me.

[Monroe hikers]

Trevinski, so it was YOUR footprints we saw from time to time, that reassured us as we meandered our way along! Thank You.

[Quark]

What struck me about the Quartz Cr trail was the multitudes of waterfalls in spring, accompanied by the abundance of the water-loving flowers. Up high is a meadow that hosted millions upon millions of avalanche lillies; by far the most I've seen in one place, including the hills around Slate Pass, which is saying a lot! Alas, last year, we were rushing out from Bald Eagle Mtn at dusk, and were in a hurry to get back before dark (a futile attempt) and didn't have time to dawdle. This was last May, and I made note to visit this trail in like conditions this year. Seems a skosh too early; thanks for the trip report, it gives me an idea about when-ish I can go.

[Trevor]

[peppersteak'n'ale]

And that stream is still running high as of July 2.

I just wonder if a man with a llama we had met on the trail was eventually able to coax his beast across the stream