Dickerman Mountain by Stillaguamish Peak stands three miles north of Barlow Pass. To the southwest lies Big Four Mountain above the ice caves. Meanwhile, Del Campo Peak rises south above Stillaguamish River’s headwaters.
See more trip photos here.
Dickerman Mountain at a Glance
Access: Dickerman/Perry Creek Trailhead
Round Trip: 8 miles
Elevation Range: 1880′-5723′
Gear: microspikes, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface on Dickerman Mountain
Road conditions around Mountain Loop Highway on the forest service site were last updated on 11/20, which is a tad outdated. But thanks to a two-day-old trip report on WTA, I knew we could reach the trailhead without issues.
The dogs and I last visited five years ago when the views were much better. But I was indecisive this morning, and we didn’t start until half past 8. Soon, the yellow pup and I caught up to two groups above the 3200′ snow line.
See more trip photos here.
Breaking Trail in Fresh Snow
We continued after a brief chat with the groups. So far, the weather has been cloudy, with very sparse views across the valley. Meanwhile, two guys farther up were carving out a trail in yesterday’s new snow.
At 4000′, I put on microspikes in slick snow for traction. The trail that went through the 4200′ water gully was nice and firm. So we found no issues crossing like in the past during a heavy snow season.
See more trip photos here.
Through to the Upper Meadow
Shortly after, we met one of the two guys who turned around due to a foot problem. Then we went into the semi-open forest through the partly dry trail. The shallow running water there posed no concerns.
Up to this point, the snow hasn’t been too steep. Meanwhile, I was grateful to have benefitted from the other guy’s tracks. As the snow deepened and turned into powder in the upper meadow, I put on snowshoes at 5200′.
See more trip photos here.
Dickerman Mountain Summit
As the other guy returned from the top, we stopped and chatted briefly. I thanked him for leaving us all those decent tracks on his way up. Soon, the pup and I made the final 500′ push to the summit.
Miraculously, an inversion had slowly formed when we stepped onto the summit. Soon, I could only see the tip of nearby high points, including Sloan Peak and Hall Peak. Three Fingers, Whitehorse Mountain, and Mount Baker farther out also made a cameo.
See more trip photos here.
Outro
Soon, clouds shrouded everything within a matter of ten minutes. On the way down, we passed a dozen groups who helped pack down the trail even more. That meant there’d be a decent trail until the next snowfall.
It flurried when we returned to the forest, but glad the rain never came! We usually don’t run into many people in the mountains. But when we do, the pup takes every opportunity to soak up the attention of other hikers.
See more trip photos here.