A wealth of blooms greets hikers on Rock Mountain Trail

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July 10, 1997

A wealth of blooms greets hikers on Rock Mountain Trail

By KAREN SYKES
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

It's a good thing there are a lot of flowers to look at on the Rock Mountain Trail -- you'll need a good excuse to stop and catch your breath on this steep, demanding trail nine miles east of Stevens Pass.

There are a lot of reasons to consider Rock Mountain other than getting or staying in shape. When the western slopes are clouded in, the eastern slopes are often in sun or at least partial sun.

The hike is a botanist's delight, with many varieties of flowers -- from glacier lilies to Indian paintbrush -- and you don't have to climb high to see them. The flowers and the views start from the beginning and only get better as the trail climbs higher.

Are you confused by glacier lilies and avalanche lilies? Glacier lilies are gold and avalanche lilies are white. Oddly enough, avalanche lilies are most often seen in the Olympics, whereas glacier lilies seem to prefer the Cascades.

We saw a lot of glacier lilies near the higher portion of the trail; they are among the first flowers to appear after the snow melts. Sometimes they are so impatient they pop up through the snow, not nearly as fragile as they look. Their own metabolism generates enough heat to melt the snow. The bulbs, leaves and flowers are edible -- but not tasty.

But the summit calls. In early summer, only experienced mountaineers can expect to reach the summit, since the upper portions of the hike are under snow and ice ax skills are needed.

Experienced hikers can hike or backpack a portion or the full length of Nason Ridge, which runs 26 miles, from near the Cascade Crest to near Lake Wenatchee. Four trails lead to Nason Ridge; two of those trails lead to Rock Mountain. The other trail going to Rock Mountain is the Snowy Creek Trail.

Parking for the Rock Mountain Trail is right off U.S. Route 2, which makes it convenient. One aspect of this trail never changes: It is always steep, gaining 3,500 feet in four miles. At four miles, it intersects the trail that runs along Nason Ridge and leads to the summit ridge of Rock Mountain.

You'll have to climb a couple more hundred feet to the summit at 6,852 feet, site of a forest lookout. The lookout is gone, but the summit is teeming with life. We found the summit of Rock Mountain covered with ladybugs and accidentally took some hitchhiking ladybugs all the way back to Seattle.

Other than the ladybugs, you may have the trail to yourself; even on a weekend, the trail is not crowded. As my hiking companion surged ahead of me, I took my time savoring the glacier lilies and the views, thankful I wasn't in training for a climb.

Map Getting there
Take U.S. 2 over Stevens Pass, drive nine miles east and look for Rock Mountain Trail on your left.

Trail detail
The trail begins climbing up an abandoned road, passing near a power line before becoming a true trail, which switchbacks steadily upward. The trail is in good condition, with only a couple of blowdowns that were easy to get around.

The elevation stays steep near the beginning, but the views lure you on and the trail levels out a bit before the last punishing push to the summit.

If there is snow and you are an experienced cross-country hiker, you can leave the trail when it becomes hard to follow under the snow. Head up to the ridge on your left and follow the rocky ridgeline to the bowl beneath the summit ridge. If the snow is gone, the trail will take you to the summit ridge; climb another one-third mile to the summit.

The Snowy Creek Trail junction is on the summit ridge. For an interesting one-way hike, leave a car at both trailheads. To reach the Snow Creek trailhead, drive U.S. 2 about 4.5 miles east from Stevens Pass, then turn left on Smith Brook Road.

In about five miles, at a major switchback on the road, go straight ahead and drive 3.5 miles to the crossing of Snowy Creek and the trailhead at 3,500 feet. You'll need a map for current road numbers.

It is four miles to Rock Mountain from the Snowy Creek trailhead, with a gain of 3,400 feet. Hike to Rock Mountain and descend via the Rock Mountain Trail for a spectacular one-way, nine-mile hike.

Trail data
Rock Mountain Trail to Rock Mountain -- about 3,700 feet, nine miles round-trip. For more information, refer to "100 Hikes in the North Cascades" by Ira Spring and Harvey Manning (The Mountaineers, 240 pages, $14.95).