[Nancy]

This is a lovely early season, high altitude snow free hike through woods, flower meadows, and ending at a lookout with great views of Mt. Adams, Rainier, and the Stuart Range. The challenge for us was finding the trail. FS road 9738 is a left turn just beyond Mineral Springs Store and Campground off of Hwy 97. At the Y, go right, keeping on FS road 9738. You stay on this good road and stop when it reaches a wide meadowy saddle before dropping steeply downhill (about 4830 ft on my altimeter). There is a sign saying North Fork Teanaway 8 miles and Hwy 97 6 miles. There is lots of parking on the side of the road. There is a gated Rd. 120 which eventually becomes the Teanaway Ridge Trail going to Iron Bear. You want to go in the opposite direction. Cross FS road 9738 to an unmarked track, blocked by some fallen trees which have been sawed through. The map said this is road 111. You continue on this old road for about 3/4 mile. In 100' you come to a Y. Stay left. When you come to a second Y, stay left again. The road eventually becomes blocked by deadfall. The Teanaway Ridge trail comes off to the right and is marked by pink surveyors tape. The sign was lying on the ground nailed to a fallen tree. The trail was recently logged out and is snow free all the way to the lookout. Today we had the entire place to ourselves. The trail looks like it is lightly used and in places disappeared in beds of spring beauties. There were bird songs everywhere. There are supposed to be bluebirds here, but we didn't see any. There were lots of glacier lilies, and some even bloomed in the rocky, arid area just before the lookout. There are peak-a-boo views of Mt. Rainier from the meadows. The outhouse at the Agate fields had seen better days. Trail 1364 came in about here and looked used. Blue Creek trail had been recently cleared. We stayed on the main trail, intersected the trail from Rd. 9702, arrived at the lookout and took the Blue Creek trail back to the Teanaway trail for a short loop.

View from lookout

Find the trail?