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It's steep and dry, but boy, what a view on trail leading to Mount Aix
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../art/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
I'll get right to the point: Mount Aix is one of the hottest, steepest trails I've ever hiked in the southern Cascades. It seems to get steeper with each passing year and some hikers even refer to it as Mount Aches.
It's a long drive to suffer on a steep, dry trail, but you will be compensated with grand views and that special feeling of being in the high country. The high country is open such a short time that you are well-advised to take advantage of it while the season lasts, and there are several campgrounds along state Route 410 that allow you to make a weekend of it.
Mount Aix, site of a fire lookout, is a dominant mountain east of Mount Rainier and the crest of the Cascades, about 4.5 miles southeast of Bumping Lake. Goats are sometimes seen on the mountain above timberline.
The trail is in the William O. Douglas Wilderness, named for the conservation-minded U.S. Supreme Court justice who had a cabin at Goose Prairie and hiked extensively in the area. The wilderness consists of 167,195 acres encompassing streams, rivers, peaks, lakes, meadows and is home to a variety of wildlife that includes herds of elk and mule deer that winter along the eastern slopes.
Because the trail is on the east side of the Cascades, Mount Aix and its neighbor, Mount Nelson, are free of snow earlier than high-country destinations on the west side, so this hike can be done as early as June. If you get there too early (or late) in the year and are stopped by snow, there are several worthy viewpoints well before the summit.
June also is a good time of year to do this hike because the wildflowers often reach their peak as the snow melts and you can replenish your water supply from snowmelt.
You need to be in good condition if you are planning to reach the summit -- the hike is a real workout. The trail reaches the high country without wasting time, but you'll climb through a variety of terrains that will help offset the physical demands.
The Mount Aix Trail climbs in forest near Copper Creek before it marches up a steep hillside, which changes to open sub-alpine forest at about 2.5 miles, then climbs through more open forest with specimens of whitebark pine. The trail is sprinkled with small campsites and there's a spring -- the last source of water unless you hike early enough in the year for snowmelt. And there are the views, which seem to appear about the time you're running low on energy. If you're like me, the views will give you a second wind.
Enjoy views of of Mount Rainier, Goat Rocks and Mount Adams before the trail returns to scree and talus and rises to Nelson Ridge. From Nelson Ridge, you can explore in either direction.
Getting there
Take state Route 410 east from Enumclaw to Chinook Pass. At 19 miles east of Chinook Pass, turn right on Bumping River Road (Forest Road 1800) and drive to a junction at 11 miles. The road continues as Forest Road 1808. Turn left onto Forest Road 1808-635, drive about 1.5 miles to the parking area and trailhead.
Trail detail
The trail begins at an elevation of 3,700 feet and begins to climb immediately through forest before attacking a steep hillside. Mount Rainier appears across the Copper Creek Valley and at 2.25 miles the trail enters sub-alpine forest. You will find a campsite and a spring at 3.5 miles and at four miles a grassy knoll with major views of the Goat Rocks, Mounts Rainier and Adams and another good campsite (when snowmelt is available).
This knoll makes a good stopping place if you've come too early in the year and the rest of the route is under snow, or if you're simply tired of hiking and are content to call it a day.
From the grassy knoll, the trail climbs over scree and talus to the crest of Nelson Ridge at 7,100 feet. Though you can explore in either direction, the main trail ascends a last gasping mile to the summit of Mount Aix at 7,766 feet. Be sure to carry water as the trail is often dry.
Trail data
Round trip is 12 miles, elevation gain 4,066 feet. Mount Aix trail No. 982. For additional information on Mount Aix or other trails in the William O. Douglas Wilderness call the Wenatchee National Forest Ranger District at 509-653-2205. Both a Trail Park Pass and an overnight backcountry user permit are required.
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