Saturday, May 28, 2005
Noble Knob, Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
Thank god for the WTA "Fresh Trails" website (see links on left)! We wanted to head south towards Rainier, but wanted to be able to hike with Bella, so we chose to hike Noble Knob. Armed with our handy hiking guides, we drove towards the trailhead, only to be thwarted by a closed gate (apparently it was too early in the year, although there was hardly any snow left). Fortunately I had done some due diligence on the WTA site and a recent trail report included alternate road directions. Armed with just the names of 3 forest roads we drove deeper and deeper into the woods. Eventually we reached a dead end in a clear-cut and thought we were S-O-L. Bella was super-pissed by this point, as she really wanted to go hiking! We backtracked and found a faint trail headed into the forest that I determined was the trail we wanted! The trail rapidly ascended into meadows and gorgeous views of the south Cascades (purists might disdain the acres of clear-cuts visible) and Rainier, and eventually the trail wound its way to the top of Noble Knob. A nice hike that would be stunning during peak wildflower season.
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1000'
Weather: Mostly sunny, 50s
Dog Rating: Get me out of this car! I love chippy's!
