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McGregor
Mountain is a fine choice if you
desire to gain some elevation for a grand view. This 8149' mountain had a fire lookout at one time and you can
be sure that wherever you find
an old lookout site you will find a magnificent 360 degree
view. It is 6.8 miles to Heaton Camp from High Bridge
which is the only campsite on the mountain. From here the trail takes you about another quarter mile to where
the trail ends and a rock scramble begins. While
this is not a technical climb it does have a high degree
of exposure so use good judgment on whether or not you
want to continue from this point. If
you do decide to continue do not head straight toward
the peak which has the repeater antenna on it. Start out on the right side of the scree slope
and angle to your left toward the solid rock and you
should start seeing painted blazes to mark the route. The
route will take you through a notch a couple hundred
yards to the left of the summit and from there you will
gain the peak from the backside. For other options see the section under easy
hikes on Coon Lake and McGregor Mountain.
Purple
Creek Trail. This trail starts at the Stehekin Landing just pass the
Golden West Lodge. Like
many of the trails in the area you go as far as you would
like to and return since this is not a loop trail. Good
views of the lake and the lower valley begin at about
3 miles. For those more ambitious start early and hike 8 miles to 6800'
Purple Pass. If
you still have some energy left go approximately one-half
mile, further to Boulder Butte, there is a former fire
lookout site with a supreme view.
Goode Ridge Trail. This trail takes you five miles with an elevation gain of 4400' to the brow of Goode Ridge,
an old Forest Service fire lookout location. Although
the trail is somewhat
relentless in its pursuit
of the ridge, it is a good trail with decent tread and grade. If you desire to work for a superb nearly
360 degree view, this
is the trail to take as it is very possible to do between shuttle
buses for anybody in reasonably good condition. On
a hot day bring lots of water and be prepared to jump into
a marvelous (but cold) swimming hole when you arrive back at
Bridge Creek.
Park
Creek Trail. This trail takes off above where Park Creek crosses the Stehekin Road. The first part of this trail leads you steeply
upward for a couple of miles and then becomes quite
gentle until you arrive at Five Mile Camp where you
break out of the timber for a glorious view of Buckner
Mountain. Three
miles farther would bring you to Park Creek Pass but
it is not practical to go that far because of the time
limitations in between shuttle buses.
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