[yew]

The Wells Creek Rd (FR 33) is gated just beyond Nooksack Falls and that's where this trip began. I wanted to check this road out to see if it was washed-out to the Cougar Divide trailhead (Hike #7 in Manning & Spring’s “100 Hikes in Washington’s North Cascades…”) since Manning wrote, “As for the road, what with no more logging hereabouts, it gets less maintenance every year and thus gets meaner every year”. I wanted to see how “mean” it is in 2007. This route is also Trip #4 in the 1988 edition of Kirkendall & Spring's "Cross Country Ski Tours 1: Washington's North Cascades" The gate opens July 1st. I don’t why the gate is closed until July 1st. Elk habitat? About 3 times I had to dismount the bike to step over larger blowdowns with many small ones that could be ridden over. There was a little avalanche material over road at bottom of one of Barometer Mountain’s chutes. The Forest Service did a lot of bridge and culvert work on this road last summer. Thankfully, the new bridges and culverts did not get washed out by The Nov. ’06 Storm or any other nasty storms.

wells creek near Mt Baker

Rode a mountain bike to the snowline at 3400-3600 feet elevation which is 8.3 miles in.

Mountain biking the Wells Creek Rd with skis attached. Barometer Mountain from Wells Creek Rd near Mt Baker

Strapped on the skis and started cross-country skiing.

botched self-timer on Wells Creek Rd spring ski, near Mt Baker, Washington. Skiing in shorts in the sun is nice.

Had to take the skis off at a rockslide where cars will not be able to get through come snowmelt. This is at about 4200 feet elevation. I estimate this rockslide area is about 1.5 miles short of the trailhead. A little bulldozer work could make quick work and clean this area up. But don't hold your breath. People will have to park near here this summer and walk the road the rest of the way to reach the trailhead. Good views of Mt Baker, the west side of Ptarmigan Ridge, part of Table Mountain at several spots.

Mt Baker from upper Wells Creek Rd

Turned around at 4500 feet elevation. The snow was very nice corn 95% of the time. On the way back, got off the bike and hopped and skipped about half way to Wells Creek Falls which is about 200 yards from one of the new bridge/culverts.

Wells Creek waterfalls

small cave near Wells Creek

We walked about half way over to it but could not get close without fording the creek to get to the other bank. 5 hours up, 2.5 hours down, estimated 23 miles round trip. Saw 1 blacktail doe and a few blue grouse.

[Sore Feet]

Sweet! The Wells Creek culvert was finally replaced! Methinks some Baker romping will be in order this year. By any chance, you don't happen to have any photos looking up the Wells Creek drainage from near that last switchback before the trailhead, do you?

[yew]

Sore Feet: I do have a photo of the Wells Creek drainage above FR 33 but the snow on the mountains are washed out and the bottom is not in the pic. Hope this helps. The angle isn't very good.

Wells Creek drainage from upper FR 33

The top of Mt Shuksan, part of Table Mountain and a bit of Ptarmigan Ridge is visible. Are you planning on bushwhacking up that thing?! Here's a pic of the new bridge/culvert over Wells Creek. It looks well-made and fish-friendly.

Below is a pic of the loose, crumbly rockslide area about 1.5 miles before the trailhead.

[jenjen]

Having that culvert intact is such great news. I feel a Cougar Divide trip coming on, w00t!

[peltoms]

Nice reconnaisance. Good pics of Wells Creek Falls looks like a lower water flow day than I am used to seeing.

[Sore Feet]

Wow. Concrete reinforced culvert even. Thanks for that other pic, thats exactly what I was looking for.

[Scrooge]

Thank Yew. That's a first class report. I've had Cougar Divide on my list ever since ....... about two months before that danged washout. But Sore Feet is right, that looks like a serious repair job, like maybe they intended to keep the road open. As for the slide, if the outside edge of the road wasn't damaged, it looks like the kind of thing that a little "unauthorized" maintenance will clear a path through. ....... I hope so. I like being able to drive as far as possible. Fingers crossed: Cougar Divide is now on my list for 2007.

[yew]

[treebugger]

I've got two strong hands...I can help.

[Sore Feet]

Little update here - Road 33 is rough, rougher and rougherest in the climb past the Bar Creek bridge. I made it to within about 2 1/2 miles of the Cougar Divide TH and opted to turn around because going up was hairy enough, I didn't want to come down that in the dark. Fine just fine up to Bar Creek. High clearance recommended until the FS decides to grade it all the way up (though I have a feeling they only maintain it to Bar Creek because theres a stream gauge there).

[marionthegoat]

[Sore Feet]

Lotta big rocks, a few places where there has been noticeable water scouring right down the road, revealing even bigger rocks. Brush is encroaching a bit, but its not bad. Couple water bars that might be probematic for lower clearance cars (mine made it over fine). Its basically a 5mph road starting about 1/2 mile above Bar Creek.