Читать книгу Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest - Don J. Scarmuzzi - Страница 18

12	MOUNT MARGARET

ELEVATION: 5858 ft, with 2300 ft vertical gain

DISTANCE: 5¾ mi, 11½ mi round-trip

DURATION: 2½ hours to the saddle (near 5600 ft) with Mount Whittier, up to another ½ hour to the summit, 5–6 hours round-trip

DIFFICULTY: Strenuous. Long, wide, gently graded, obvious, more difficult with snow covering steep slopes near saddle and top until late summer, traction devices necessary with snow

TRIP REPORT: After graduating from the previous hike (Norway Pass and Harmony Falls) this surprisingly sleepy summit is the next likely progression to get a bird’s eye view, above St. Helens Lake and Spirit Lake, unobstructed to Mount St. Helens. For those with decent hiking skills, skipping ahead to attempt Mount Whittier (hike 13) and then finishing with Mount Margaret for dessert might make better sense. Northwest Forest Pass required, and an outhouse is present.

TRAILHEAD: Norway Pass TH. See hike 11 for directions.

Early season trilliums line the path to Norway Pass.

ROUTE: See Norway Pass (hike 11) for further description taking Boundary Trail 1 WNW 2¼ mi fairly easily up to Norway Pass. Wildflowers surround you quickly July into August and a rather large and log-filled Spirit Lake below Mount St. Helens pops into view as you approach the pass. Magnificent perspective! Continue N near the juncture up the slope on Trail 1 a couple long turns toward Bear Pass steeper but without difficulty, then traverse almost 2 mi W with improving vistas. There are excellent views unfolding down right (NE) to Grizzly Lake and then we have Mount St. Helens behind Mount Margaret with Mount Rainier farther N behind Boot Lake en route to the intersection on the Mount Whittier-Mount Margaret saddle (5600 ft, 5 mi up).

At the saddle intersection, look to the right (N) for the faint route to the more difficult Mount Whittier, but for Mount Margaret you will head left (S) instead on a straightforward traverse path across somewhat steep and grassy and/or snowy slopes more than ½ mi to the right-hand turn onto Trail 1F off of Boundary Trail 1 (which continues past The Dome and Coldwater Peak 8 mi to the Johnston Observatory). You will finish ¼ mi NW then N steeper to the top of Mount Margaret.

For this in more detail you hike left (S) from the Mount Whittier-Mount Margaret saddle narrowly and well below (E) of the nearby large pillar to another saddle under Mount Margaret’s steep and mostly open NE ridge. Without a ton of snow and ice remaining this area is quite colorful and easy to navigate around the summit block to the S. Take the narrow spur Trail 1F on the right traversing higher in the same direction (WNW). Even with some snow the final 200 ft of elevation gain should still be doable over the slope of least resistance winding up to the nearby high point (above most of the trees), finishing from the W with exquisite 360-degree views.

Be careful near the high boulders and return the same way when you are good and ready. More courageous types continue a bit more directly down the NE ridge super-steeply under various conditions bushwhacking to the main trail at the saddle before the main saddle and intersection. From there stay right (E) on Trail 1 down to Norway Pass TH.

Lingering snow on the summit block of Mount Margaret near Mount St. Helens.