Overgrown Logging Road - November 24th, 2001.
| 71 | NORTH CASCADES |
| Overgrown Logging Road |
| **** |
Distance: 13 miles
Base elevation: 1,900 feet
Elevation gain: 2,500 feet
Trail time: 7 hours
Trail type: Forest road
Skill level: Advanced
Avalanche potential: Low (standard variation). Considerable (mudslide variation)
Traction Advisory: Skins
Maps: USGS Twin Sisters (7.5' series)
Up the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River can be found a truely joyful tour along
the Overgrown Logging Road. For optimum enjoyment, make sure you plan this trip when
there is a thin snowpack, lest the snow obscure the characteristics that make this tour what
it is.
Images of the snow-covered Olympics, like these taken on
November 23rd, can inspire us to go on ski tours.
Despite what any guidebook says, you will find Forest Road 38 to be gated and bulldozed
3 miles before the beginning of Overgrown Logging Road. This only adds to the tour, and makes
for an enjoyable 6 mile round trip approach on a beautiful, perfectly smooth, snowless (if you
sample this tour during the optimum season, as suggested) hard dirt and gravel road.
Shortly past the trailhead to Elbow Lake, you will find an extremely overgrown road branch
heading off left. Expert
slide alder tourers who enjoy a good challenge may wish to begin the tour here.
Most people will continue another half mile to the obvious branch to the left, shortly before
Forest Road 38 ends. Take this branch, and ascend 6 switchbacks, over a couple of miles,
to an elevation of 3700ft.
On this trip you will see many large beautiful open slopes.
From very far away.
The switchbacks get progressively longer the higher you go, and, if you've timed this tour
correctly, there will be enough snowcover on the road to make you think it is skiable, but you
will still hit rocks, and there will be small open stream crossings every hundred feet, only adding
to the challenge.
The road ends at the 6th switchback, where you may enjoy views of open slopes far away near
Park Butte. Here, the main section of Overgrown Logging Road (and the fun) begins!
Greg and Bill enjoy the tour along Overgrown Logging Road.
Travel west among small bits of slide alder. In short time, you will encounter a large slide
path crossing the overgrown roadway. Mere mortals will want to continue straight on the roadway,
but the adventurous might instead decide to climb right up to the ridge top via the slide path.
The slide path is actually a mud slide (as you will soon determine, if you have timed this tour
correctly such that there is insufficient snow) and your boot hits the slick frozen mud with
every step. Once the slope reaches 40 degrees, this makes for some exciting "touring". Below the
cliff band, traverse left and find a way through some bushes to ascend the left side of the cliff
band, pulling some class 4 moves on snowcovered rock (watch your skis! - which are of course
still strapped to your pack, where they have been all day) followed by a traverse above the certain-death
cliffs on
(yet again) 40 degree snowcovered slippery frozen mud. The angle moderates towards the ridge top (but the handholds
disappear). You will intersect the top of this tour, the end of Overgrown Logging Road.
Bill at the viewpoint over the gorge of the Middle Fork.
For a viewpoint, scramble up the road cut to the north, and push through the dense trees to a small
opening above the gorge of the Middle Fork, which flows from the Deming Glacier just a mile
up the valley. The glacier can
not be seen from here, but there are plenty of views of the very-forested opposite side of the gorge.
Time for the descent - the yahoos of thrilled skiers will echo through the valley!
Bill starts down the upper section of Overgrown Logging Road.
From the top of Overgrown Logging Road, descend northward along the slide alder-infested roadway, which
will circumnavigate a vast old clear cut (not clear anymore!). Care must be taken to lean back, lest
the alder wrestle you to the ground! Short bits of relaxing skiing may be encountered. Nearing the
first switchback, and option is to descend straight down through the old clear cut, to intersect the
next section of roadway. This is a good option for those who enjoy large logs, jumping off
road cuts, and the sound of rock grinding against their skis.
Greg skis the road cut.
Bill follows his own line down the cut.
The real fun begins on this next section of road, as the alder grows increasingly dense, and there are
deep cross-ditches every hundred feet, requiring the utmost care and foul language. The skilled
will enjoy the delicate ballet of strategically flattening the slide alder branches with their skis.
Bill enjoys the second switchback of Overgrown Logging Road.
Eventually, the skis must be removed, as the slide alder is replaced with small slippery boulders.
Walking is the better option here (assuming, again, you have timed your tour correctly, such that there is only
one foot of dry snow on the boulders). A twisted ankle is a possibility here, and could greatly enhance
the enjoyment of this tour!
The tracks of the elusive Wunder-rodunt.
Finally, pass under the bottom of the mud slide, and, shortly there after, to the branch of Forest Road 38.
The tour of Overgrown Logging Road is nearly complete. Now, there only remains approximately 5 miles of
nearly snowless gravel road. The first 4 switchbacks will probably be skiable, assuming your idea
of skiable is 4 inches of soft snow on little rocks.
-Philbury Blair