John Guilford's Hikes

Date: 2007-09-17

Location: Mt. Pilchuck

People: (including myself): Alessandro Benedetto

			Alt.	Miles
Start:		12:10	3160	
Trail Junction:	1:30
Lookout:	2:05	5324	3
Leave:		3:00		
Out:		4:30	3160	6

The Pilchuck road had quite a bit of wash board.  On the drive up, the combination of the vehicle speed, climbing, and the wash board gave us a very rough ride and I was glad I was driving my truck. 

The weather was cloudy though the forecast called for some improvement later in the day.  On the way up, we got some sun breaks and for a while it was looking pretty nice.  However, by the time we reached the lookout, the clouds had closed in again resulting in no view.  We stayed in the lookout an hour waiting for a break in the clouds that never came.  Shortly after we started down from the lookout it started to sprinkle.  For most of the descent it varied from sprinkling to light rain.  It wasn't very cold and we had rain gear, so it wasn't bad, but we looked pretty wet at the bottom. 

The blueberries were ripe and we enjoyed some of them on the way up.  A ways below the summit the trail splits with the main trail going to the right and around the back of the lookout, and a blazed rock scramble to the lookout to the left.  The scramble is slower than the main trail, but it can be fun.  Alessandro particularly enjoyed going up the rocks.  I had one scary moment when my unzipped camera bag caught on a rock, tipped, and dropped my dslr about 4' onto rocks.  Fortunately the camera seems to have survived okay with only some cosmetic scratches. 

Alessandro approaching the lookout on the rocks. 

Alessandro and John in the lookout. 

At the bottom after being rained upon on the way down.