Hike Of The Week: Quiet trails yield delightful discoveries

The Rim Trail at Mud Mountain Dam is one of the most unusual winter hikes we've ever found. The two-mile trail is open to hikers and mountain bikers, but there's more. Beyond the two-mile mark, the trail comes to an access road for horse riders. Here the route continues as road and descends to the White River -- this stretch is known as the River Trail. Hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders can continue to Scatter Creek, about four miles from the start of the Rim Trail.


		KAREN SYKES
	Kathy Kelleher of Seattle soaks up the lush surroundings on the Rim Trail, which eventually breaks out into open areas above the White River.

In winter the best turnaround points for hikers are where the horse trail comes in, or at a four-way junction beside the White River, at 3 1/2 miles. You also can include a hike on a 1/4-mile trail inside the recreation area that leads to Upper Vista and views of the dam, but you'll need to come on a weekday to hike inside the recreation area.

The Mud Mountain Dam and Recreation Area are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the recreation area is closed on weekends until March. However, you can access the Rim Trail outside the recreation area.

This delightful trail is not well known except to locals, though it is easily accessible from state Route 410. Trail reports are few and far between, though it is described in Harvey Manning's out-of-print "Footsore 1" (Mountaineers Books). This book serves as a good historical reference, but there have been changes since it was printed.

The Mud Mountain Dam was built by the Army Corps to control floods in the lower White River and Puyallup River valleys. When the dam was completed in 1948, it was the tallest rock- and earth-filled dam in the world. Over the years, seeping water weakened the dam, so a concrete cutoff wall was built that went through the core of the dam and deep into bedrock. Other projects were completed to improve resistance to floods and earthquakes.

The dam blocked the migration of chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout to their native spawning grounds. But the fish are collected in a trap near Buckley, hauled upstream and then released back into the White River.

Picnic areas and the Rim Trail were added in the early 1980s, and today there are picnic shelters, a wading pool, heated and accessible restrooms, a playground and the short trail that leads to views of the dam and the White River gorge.

We drove to the Mud Mountain Dam Recreation Area on a weekday to check out the day-use area, hike the 1/4-mile trail to the overlooks of the dam, and find the Rim Trail.


		KAREN SYKES
	The end of the River Trail, at least if you prefer dry feet, is at Scatter Creek. To proceed will require fording the creek.

We first hiked the short trail to the Upper Vista, then descended a metal stairway to the continuation of the path through forest to the Lower Vista with views of Mud Mountain Dam and construction in progress. We hoped the trail would descend to the White River and connect to the Rim Trail, but it ended at the Lower Vista on the edge of a brushy cliff.

Back at the car, Harvey Manning's more up-to-date "Walks and Hikes in the Foothills & Lowlands of Puget Sound" gave us the clue that is needed to find the Rim Trail: Park at the road with a yellow gate just outside the gate and entrance sign to the Mud Mountain Recreation Area on the left side of the road.

It's hard to miss this road, though we were baffled by a sign at the gate that read: "Mud Mountain Dam Test Well Area, Please Do Not Block Gate" with a symbol prohibiting horse riders. There is no trail sign per se, but a well-worn path heads toward the White River, so we followed it to an unsigned junction and turned left, away from the dam.

We soon came to white metal signs on posts indicating this was indeed a real trail open to hikers and mountain bikers. Our trail still did not have a name, but we forged ahead, meeting several trail junctions, most with strategic signs on metal posts with directional arrows pointing the way and giving mileages.

In about a mile we came to a stretch that lead through dark forest and a boggy area. Puncheon is placed here and there, making the going a bit easier through the swampy areas. You'll see enormous root balls where trees have been toppled by windstorms, all facing in the same direction. Geriatric skunk cabbage lies in lank ribbons in dark, tea-colored pools of water at the bases of these fallen giants.

We popped out of the woods at an unexpected restroom near a road -- undoubtedly this road provides another access point for mountain bikers. Shortly beyond we came to a reassuring sign for the Rim Trail bolted to a stately tree. The next stretch of the trail is the most dramatic as it follows the rim above the White River. A rustic fence keeps hikers from getting too close to the rim, which is undercut in places. Don't shrug off the posted danger signs near the edge of the trail -- they are there for good reason.

The views from the rim, as described by Manning in "Footsore 1," are not so grand as they were when he wrote about them -- small trees and shrubs have sprung up to obscure them -- but there's still enough to satisfy a hiker's soul, including tantalizing glimpses of a waterfall on the other side of the White River.

At two miles we came to a four-way junction where another road comes in, providing access for horses. The main trail, now open to horses, descends to the White River on this gravel road.

There are other choices for experienced hikers who enjoy exploring and don't mind beating the brush. Instead of descending onto the road, you can go straight ahead as a crude trail parallels the rim, although it is not maintained. We found this to be a rougher path, probably most often used by fishermen and locals who are familiar with the tangle of roads and trails in this region.

Eventually we came to a confusion of logging roads and barely maintained trails through brushy, boggy areas where it would be easy to get turned around -- and no signs of any sort. We recommend that most hikers continue on the horse trail to the White River.

We returned to the junction where horse riders access the road that descends to the river (the River Trail). The road makes one long switchback through old- and second-growth forest as it descends to the level of the river and surrounding meadows lined with alders and willows. This large, mostly open area is shown as "Mud Mountain Lake -- dry" on the Green Trails map.

At the bottom, the road trail has a chain across it but is open to hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders. A sign warns of slides. Past the chain, the road narrows to a muddy track and continues toward the river.

At 3.5 miles we came to a four-way signed junction and a convenient lunch spot beside the river. After eating, we stepped across a small stream and continued, though the terrain was becoming more challenging. Beyond the 3.5-mile sign, the road is extremely muddy and better suited to horses than hikers.

We had planned to turn around at the next sign, but we came to a sudden halt as the trail disappeared into the rushing waters of Scatter Creek, though we could see the trail far on the other side. Scatter Creek is virtually the end of the route for hikers this year -- it is too hazardous to cross.

Though we had to turn around here and retrace our route, we were in high spirits. All in all, the hike has much more to offer than we had anticipated. It is a pretty walk now and in the spring it should be spectacular.

If you go

Getting there -- From Enumclaw drive east on state Route 410 and turn onto Mud Mountain Dam Road, about 3.9 miles from the outskirts of Enumclaw. Follow the signs to the Mud Mountain Recreation Area, about 6.4 miles from the turnoff on Route 410. Weekends: park outside the gate because the recreation area, facilities and playground are closed. Weekdays you can park inside the Mud Mountain Recreation Area and hike the Vista Trail to the overlooks above Mud Mountain Dam. To hike the Rim Trail, park at the road with a yellow gate just outside the entrance to the park. During the week you can leave your car inside the recreation area, but the gate is locked by 4 p.m.

Trail data -- From the gated road, the Rim Trail and the River Trail add up to about seven miles round trip to the four-way junction on the White River. It is eight miles to the ford of Scatter Creek, elevation gain about 150 feet. The Rim Trail to the junction where horse riders come in is four miles (round trip), negligible elevation gain. The Vista Trail to the overlooks inside the recreation area is a half-mile round trip, about 100 feet elevation gain.

Information -- For historical background and prose that will make you want to go there, refer to Harvey Manning's out-of-print "Footsore 1" (Mountaineers Books). For scant but more up-to-date information, refer to Harvey and Penny Manning's "Walks and Hikes in the Foothills & Lowlands Around Puget Sound" (Mountaineers, 288 pages, $14.95). The map is Green Trails Enumclaw, WA -- No. 237. For more information and history, refer to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at www.nws.usace.army.mil/opdiv/mmd/index.htm.

Karen Sykes, West Seattle resident and avid hiker, has been traveling Northwest trails for 24 years and is the author of "Hidden Hikes in Western Washington." She can be reached at hikes4life@yahoo.com.

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