Mountain Loop Highway a golden gateway to hiking

There might not be a better stretch of road in Washington for short, fascinating day hikes than the portion of the Mountain Loop Highway between Granite Falls and Barlow Pass, now alive with fall colors.

An excellent guide to the Loop's delights is the comprehensive "Monte Cristo: A Complete Outdoor Guide," by Harry M. Majors and Richard C. McCollum. Now out of print, it can be found in libraries


	Fallen giant: A display in Verlot features a cross section of an ancient evergreen whose growth rings date to the 1500s. Karen Sykes

You can create an easy, interesting walk by following the authors' "Road Log" from Granite Falls to Barlow Pass, provided you don't mind walking along the Mountain Loop Highway or through deserted campgrounds.

Set your odometer to zero at Granite Falls (391 feet) and head north on the Mountain Loop. The highway was constructed long ago by loggers and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Sections of the road follow the route of the Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad grade of the 1890s.

Granite Falls is the waterfall for which the town was named (a fish ladder was built in 1954). The Granite Falls Fishway, at milepost 1.7, is downstream from the highway bridge. A short path leads to the falls.

Beyond the falls, the highway passes private homes, a quarry and clearcuts before reaching the Old Robe Trail at seven miles, marked by an elegant brick trail sign. The trail follows the route of the historical railroad through the Stillaguamish canyon.

At milepost 10 is the community of Robe, founded in 1891, and the Mountain View Inn (just beyond is the Green Gables Inn). In 10 1/2 miles the highway enters Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. At milepost 11 is the Verlot Public Service Center (built by the CCC) and Turlo Campground, closed for the season. Across the road is a display of a mining car and a tree cross section with growth rings dating to the 1500s.

"Blue Bridge" (near milepost 12) is where the road crosses the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River and the road to Mount Pilchuck turns right. Hikers familiar with the Lake 22 Trail (milepost 12.7) might not know that the creek originally was named in the 1890s (it was the site of the 22nd bridge on the railroad).

Gold Basin Campground at 13.5 miles was the site of a small town with a school, post office and store. Most of its residents worked at the Gold Basin Lumber and Shingle Mill, a historical site maintained by the Forest Service. Look for the Gold Basin Mill Pond across from the campground. A short interpretative trail tells the area's story

Just past 15 miles is "Shoofly Curve" (also known as the "mud tunnel"), site of the sharpest turn on the railroad grade. Railroad workers attempted to build a tunnel to bypass the curve, but the soil proved to be so unstable that they refused to continue working on the project.

At 15.7 miles, Schweitzer Road turns right. A section of railroad grade can be found on the east side of the road near the highway (also the site of a railroad stop and ranger station). Boardman Creek at 16.8 miles was named for E.A. Boardman, a trainmaster. Old pilings at the mouth of the stream hint of a former railroad trestle across the creek.

Just past "Red Bridge"(milepost 18), three-mile Forest Service Road No. 4037 leads along the river and passes the Long Creek Research Natural Area, land set aside to preserve a virgin stand of evergreens.

The accessible Youth-on-Age-Trail (named for a plant) is at 18.5 miles. The interpretative loop is .3 mile long and in good condition, though a section of pavement has eroded at the river. The two paved ends are presently connected by a short gravel path.

The infamous "Sinkhole" at 19.2 miles is well signed. Old pilings can be seen, the remains of a railroad trestle. This section was an ongoing problem for the railroad, and highway maintenance crews today, as the glacial clay slumps into the river.

At 20 miles is the site of the Silverton Ranger Station, whichwas also a Forest Service nursery in the early 1900s.

At 20.5 miles is the Marten Creek Trail, the original route between the Silverton Ranger Station and Darrington.

The Sperry-Iverson mine is just past 21 miles, created in 1895 by miners A.D. "Dick" Sperry and Andrew Iverson. A rough trail leads uphill to the remains of a cabin and intersects a trail that once ran down the valley from Silverton (sections of the trail exist today).

A sign for Marble Pass described by Majors still stands today at 21.5 miles, the site of an aerial tramway that brought ore from Marble Pass to a Silverton mill in the early 1900s.

The town of Silverton is less than a mile beyond. A bridge crosses the river to the townsite, but most of the land is privately owned and tourists are not made welcome. On other side of the highway are homes, a small store, and an emergency radio. Limited parking is available near the bridge. Silverton was at its peak in 1897 with a population of 3,000.

Deer Creek Road ( 23.3 miles) is where the snowplow stops in winter. (Deer Creek is a popular winter recreation area). If the road is gated, hike (or ski) a couple of miles to the Big Four Picnic Area and Ice Caves Trail at 25.5 miles.

This is the site of the Big Four Inn, which burned in 1949. All that remains are the chimney and sidewalks. In 1930, flood damage brought the railroad to a halt and the inn was closed. Beyond Big Four, the Coal Creek Road, Perry Creek Road and the Sunrise Mine Road lead to many popular hikes and scrambles.

This section of the Mountain Loop ends at milepost 30.4, Barlow Pass (2,349 feet), named for J.Q. Barlow who surveyed a route up the South Fork of the Stillaguamish for the Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad in 1891-92. The parking lot was the site of the Barlow Pass Ranger/Guard Station.

From here, the left fork continues north toward Darrington and the right fork (gated) continues to Monte Cristo. There are too many places to visit in a day. Return many times to explore the history, trails and structures of those who toiled and dreamed long ago. For road information call the Darrington Ranger District at 360-436-1155.