Mount Washington in Skagit Country sits directly west of Stimson Hill. Mount Cavanaugh and Frailey Mountain are only one creek away near the northeast. Plus, the most direct way to the peak comes from the west via Pilchuck Creek.
See more trip photos here.
Check out this post about Mount Washington in the Olympic Mountains; see this post for the one in North Bend.
Mount Washington in Skagit County at a Glance
Access: Gransteom Road
Round Trip: 12.7 miles
Elevation Range: 440′-2698′
Essential Gear: none
Route Info: Christian Rudnick
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Hiking by Pilchuck Creek Near Lake McMurray
This one is the lowest of the three Mountain Washingtons in the state. After my trip to Stimson Hill, I knew the south route wouldn’t work. It sat on private land, and I went through a portion then. But I didn’t want to try my luck again.
The logging road dipped to Pilchuck Creek a mile from the gate before rising gradually. Although views in the trees were minimal, the cloudy weather didn’t help either. The path later hugged the southeast ridge by Rock Creek at 1800′.
See more trip photos here.
Walking the Roadways Through the West and South
At the 2200′ fork, we turned left to stay on track. Meanwhile, continuing straight would go to Stimson Hill. Around this point, the clouds began to clear, revealing a patch of blue sky. Soon, west views of Puget Sound behind us expanded.
After making a sharp turn at 2500′ to go south, we went right back into the mist. Soon, the road bypassed the high point from the east, where we hopped up to the forested top. We stopped briefly before returning to the road, looking for views.
See more trip photos here.
West Views from Mount Washington in Skagit County
The road continued west of the north peak before ending at the debris piles. We checked out the top adorned with artifacts before returning to the clearing. By then, it was sunny with low, fast-moving clouds over Puget Sound.
Northwest views were decent. The Devils Mountain Group would sometimes show through the mist. On the way out, Stimson Hill and the plains were now in clear view. We even caught the inversion lower down after sunset.
See more trip photos here.