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Route-finding challenges add spice to lonesome Malcolm Mountain hike
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../art/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
It was, as Jim Cavin said, "A hike to no place in particular in the middle of nowhere."
Our second attempt to scout out the Pratt River Trail from the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River was foiled once again by bad weather. And once again we armed ourselves with hiking guides and maps and pointed the car east.
"Malcolm Mountain," I suggested, and Jim jumped at the opportunity to visit this seldom-hiked area. "I can even find it without the map, I've been there before," I boasted.
But years had passed and memory grows dim.
We got off to a good start. We drove the North Fork Teanaway Road to 29 Pines Campground and turned left at the junction onto a gravel road referred to as the Jungle Creek Road in out-of-print hiking guides.
Road signs do not even hint of Jungle Creek Road, but its number is 9701. We drove a couple of bumpy miles to the trailhead, finding the road tolerable for passenger cars. There's room for a half-dozen cars at the trailhead.
Though the trail is open to stock as well as motorcycles, we weren't concerned, since it is an interesting approach to seldom-visted areas in the Teanaway, including Johnson Mountain.
It's the gateway to several loops or one-way hikes for those who like to rack up mileage, but no one else was around, it being a dark and chilly October-like day.
Despite it being a multiple-use trail, it doesn't seem to get much traffic. We encountered only four people the entire day -- two fellows on mountain bikes and two hikers. The combination of feet and wheels have made the trail easier to follow than it was years ago.
The trail also is known to some naturalists as a source of unusual wildflowers early in the year, but by mid-August many of the flowers are gone. Late-summer bloomers such as pearly everlasting are replacing trilliums and violets.
We enjoyed the first mile, where the trail stayed level and crossed the creek several times, allowing us to warm up before the route began to climb. After numerous switchbacks, we came to a trail junction.
Here the Johnson Creek Trail descends to meet the Johnson/Medra Trail, and the Jungle Creek Trail becomes the Way Creek Trail, which follows the ridge top as it heads west toward Malcolm Mountain. Koppen Mountain also can be reached from this trail.
We thought we could see Malcolm Mountain in the distance as we hiked along the ridge, though the perspective changed as the trail wound around Johnson Mountain. Malcolm Mountain doesn't look like much of a mountain -- just a high point on a ridge.
We followed the Way Creek Trail and stopped for a break at the junction for Koppen Mountain. Two hikers coming from Malcolm Mountain warned us that some sections of the trail were almost non-existent.
Motorcycles are not permitted beyond the Koppen Mountain junction. It looks like it would be hazardous, because the trail follows a bony ridge with several ups and downs. We followed the Koppen Mountain Trail toward Malcolm Mountain.
I remembered the trail being easy to follow, but we soon found ourselves in the trees at an unsigned junction. Two good trails headed toward the ridge top and, we hoped, Malcolm Mountain.
We took the lower of the trails, which proved to be a mistake since it crossed a nasty scree slope that was more challenging than it looked. Footing was poor, but we made it up to the ridge top and followed a faint tread in the direction of Malcolm, which still looked depressingly far away.
By now, all the high points of the ridge were beginning to look like Malcolm Mountain. We were running out of time and energy and were frustrated by the confusion of paths, all seeming to lead nowhere in particular. We weren't lost, but Malcolm was out of the question, due to waning time and energy.
We stopped for lunch before our ignominious retreat and found a path that took us off the ridge without having to cross the scree. As we descended, we spotted yet another promising trail heading toward Malcolm, but now we were homebound and having visions of hamburgers and hot drinks. We retraced our route up and down the bony ridge, under Johnson Mountain and down Jungle Creek to the car.
Getting there
Take Interstate 90 east to Cle Elum, then head north on state Route 97. About five miles from I-90, go left on the Teanaway River Road. Follow "North Fork Teanaway" signs to a major junction at 29 Pines Campground (13 miles from Highway 97) and turn left onto road No. 9701. Just after crossing the river there is an unmarked junction -- go straight (the other road is gated). Drive two miles to the Jungle Creek trailhead, elevation 3,000 feet. See map.
Trail detail
The first mile is level and easy to follow and crosses Jungle Creek several times. None of the crossings is difficult. At about a mile, the trail leaves the creek and begins to climb. The dramatic rocky peak on your left is Johnson Mountain, a moderately easy scramble for those with off-trail experience.
The trail continues to climb to a junction at 2.5 miles, elevation 4,500 feet. This is the junction for the Johnson Creek and Way Creek trails. The Jungle Creek Trail (which becomes the Way Creek Trail) swings west along the north side of the ridge and heads west, coming to a high point at 4,800 feet.
About a mile from the junction, the trail junction for Koppen Mountain is encountered (the Way Creek Trail descends). Continue on the Koppen Mountain Trail if you are heading toward Malcolm (or Koppen) Mountain. For Malcom, continue along the ridge until you reach a ridge running north at an elevation of 4,800 feet.
This is the southern end of an old sheepherding route. Hike along the ridge and follow the tread (such as it is) north, then west to the summit of Malcolm Mountain at 5,840 feet. Map, compass and an altimeter are necessary here, since many faint trails intersect each other and you can't depend on signs.
Trail data
Jungle Creek Trail to the high point at 4,800 feet is six miles round trip, with an elevation gain of 1,800 feet. Malcolm Mountain is approximately 12 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of about 2,840 feet if approaching from Jungle Creek.
To save a mile and 600 feet of climbing, you can drive a couple of miles farther up the Jungle Creek Road and begin your hike from the Way Creek Trail. Malcolm Mountain also can be approached from the Johnson Creek Trail.
The recommended map is Green Trails Mount Stuart 209. For more information, call the Cle Elum Ranger District at 509-674-4411.
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