[Bryan K]

A suggestion from a lookout friend of mine, so what the heck, why not. Found the trailhead with minimal difficulty.

Trailhead sign, or is it a shotgun target?

I hit the trail at 7:30 and started up what looked more like a road than a trail. A ranger that I bumped into later told me that it was a trail, turned logging road now back to a trail, doesn't look like a trail to me.

"Trail" from trail to logging road back to trail.

After about a mile or so of the "trail" I was lead to a real trail that lead through a clearcut from many years ago. A lot of low growth that was wet from recent rains, my pants got soaked pretty quick (and I brought rainpants right they were in my pack, nice and dry)

Drop of water.

Trail through a clearcut

View from clearcut trail

I entered the forest and the undergrowth diminished greatly, good, now maybe my pants can dry a bit. There were many old boardwalks and bridges falling apart, some you could walk on, others had a boot trail next to them.

Uneven boards on boardwalk.

I always wondered why these trees get so twisty

Twisty dead tree

anyone know? Near the creek I saw this rather bendy looking tree

Bendy fallen tree

The trail got pretty muddy in spots, some areas were about 10-12 inches deep, the width of the trail and 10 feet long, thank goodness for Gore Tex boots.

Muddy trail

Fern

New growth sprouting up everywhere.

Skunk cabbage, it stunk real bad on my way back down.

Flower

Small falls along the trail

It was nice to enjoy the peace and quiet from the city and see all the new growth coming up all around me. Near the junction for Myrtle Lake is this open meadow

Swampy meadow near cutoff for Myrtle Lake.

though I could not find the cutoff.....

Inner workings of a tree.

It was suggested that I bring my ice axe along with just in case, well I'm glad I listened, the trail quickly changed from mud to snow and ice.

Steep section of trail covered with snow.

Snowy route

With visions of Baring Mt in my head I was extra careful, can't afford a fall, dr bills from that last one were big...... At the summit I found what's left of the old lookout.

What's left of the lookout.

Initials inscribed into a piece of cedar siding that was on the lookout

View from summit

The views weren't all that great with the clouds, but they did part enough for me to get a few shots in.

Myrtle Lake through the clouds

Peak above Myrtle Lake. Unsure if it has a name

Me at the summit

Going back down the snow I was glad that it had softened up quite a bit, I was able to lunge step through most of it. I found the cutoff for Myrtle and headed down to check it out.

Myrtle Lake Pano

Heading down once again my right knee started getting sore, I tried to take it easy and still get down the trail today. I ran across a Forest Ranger as he was heading up. We chatted for about 10 minutes about the old lookout, the trail/road section and Green Mt lookout. Heading on my way I was making good time, too good a time I guess. As I was crossing one of the boardwalk sections that had a left tilt to it my right foot slipped and I went down, right onto my sore knee!! OMG that hurt so much What the heck was I thinking when I was cruising down the trail, it's not like I was in a rush to get home for a wedding or something. I knew that I couldn't stop to nurse it because it would swell and lock up (past experience) after about 10 minutes I paused to get 3 Ibuprophen and kept going. I was in a pickel, I had to get down fast to avoid the inevitable knee locking, but that faster I tried to go the more it hurt. Periodically I would pause for a few seconds and when I resumed my knee kicked my butt. I made it down to my car and finally checked on my knee, no cuts but it was swelling a bit, thank god for Ibuprophen. Despite a hurt knee and some poor judgement in traveling speed I had a great hike and found my new favorite hwy to find hikes along. Oh yeah, my feet were wet when I got to the car, what was that I said about Gore Tex? Car to summit 2.5 hours Summit time 40 minutes Decent with Myrtle Lake sidetrip 2hours 20 minutes Elevation gain- 3200'

[GeoTom]

Nice job Bryan I recall either me or my wife slipping on one of those wet boardwalk sections last year on this trail. Maybe both of us. The bootpaths were better, even if they were muddy. Hope you recover soon.

[Kat]

OUCH! Take care of that knee, Bryan. Ya need it for a long time....

[Quark]

re: bendy fallen tree. The top of that tree is heavier than the trunk. The topbind on that sucker's gotta be major - it'll shoot up like a rubberband soon as the weight is taken off, i.e. cut. Don't nobody ever walk on a sloping puncheon! If you want to go back this fall to see the view, you might be able to locate a partner. (summer = mosquitoes of biblical porportions).

[Magellan]

Heal up quick, Bryan. You may have been distracted by boxer adjustments.

[dacker]

Mt. Higgins 2 1/2 weeks later Inspired by Bryan's TR and wanting a conditioning hike other than the same tired old North Bend and Mountain Loop hills, I decided to see how much things have changed since Bryan went there on June 25. Most of the snow in his photos is gone. There is patchy snow from 4500' to the lookout, but not enough to require an ice ax. Still plenty of mud wallows, but things are getting drier by the day. Here are some photos with the clear views that Bryan didn't have on his hike:

Mt. Higgins from NF Stillaguamish River

View west towards Puget Sound

View NW showing Myrtle Lake

View North showing Mt. Shuksan

Mt. Shuksan with zoom

Higgins main summit (rear) and Skadulgwas Peak (center)

View East showing Glacier Peak and Mt. Pugh

View SE showing Whitehorse and Three Fingers

Zoom of Rainier and Pilchuck

[Layback]

Nice pics Dacker. Anyone know the scoop on the main summit and it's rating? Is it 4th class or 5th class (and if so, does it take pro)? Harvey and Manning aren't too specific about this I recall correctly.

[Matt]

[Quark]

[iggybabs]

i've been looking into alternatives to the peak to the east of the summit and it seems that there is a trail that veers off to the left of the higgins trail after the Myrtle lake. I love this underused trail and despite the 4/5 mile walk up the rd (and new rockslide), this is a great old trail.. to be continued..