Olo Mountain by Miniature Mountain rises above the serene Canyon Creek in the North Cascades. Situated east of the Puget Sound lowlands, it’s one of several dozen walkable high points inside Hampton Lumber‘s tree farm. Moreover, its renowned neighbor, Mount Pilchuck, is located just south of Mountain Loop Highway.
See more trip photos here.
Olo Mountain at a Glance
Access: Mountain Loop Highway
Round Trip: 18.2 miles
Elevation Range: 600′-3496′
Essential Gear: none
Route Info: Rich P
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Melancholy
The Approach to Olo Mountain
A sturdy bridge over Canyon Creek offered the first glimpse of our destination after a half-mile forest walk from the gate. This area, like others we visited earlier this year, is part of an extensive logging area managed by Hampton Lumber. For this reason, a permit is needed to access high points in these private timberlands. Shortly past the creek, the service road stayed beside the water until it slowly rose.
NORTH CASCADES PERMITS
> Motorized Annual Permit
> Non-Motorized Annual Permit
> Non-Motorized One-Day PermitThe moderate incline on the open road made for a straightforward, albeit unexciting approach. Along the way, many brushy spur roadways disappeared into other parts of the managed forest. Soon, incredible west views toward Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains unfolded from the first clearing around mile 2.5. Afterward, the full view of Olo Mountain appeared just past the third mile of our long walk.
The Long Slog Upward
The monotonous walk on the gravel road nearly put me to sleep before reaching a four-way junction. Looking east, Olo’s summit peered down on the pass that separated Jim Creek and a Canyon Creek tributary. It felt eerily quiet as Connor and I strolled through the broad saddle. But the stillness could be interrupted by cars with a motorized permit that may emerge at any time. The dense timbers had made it hard to imagine we were on a pass.
As the altitude rose, more piles of timber debris strewed over the surrounding hillsides became visible. Just past mile six, nearly a mile of fresh gravel had recently been placed on the roadway. The crunchy rocks were uncomfortable to walk on, so we hugged the road’s narrow but soft shoulder instead. Before long, I spotted this season’s first black bear sniffing around about a thousand feet up the path. I quickly made loud noises by chanting and beating the trekking poles, and the animal soon disappeared into the trees.
A Wet and Viewless Olo Mountain
The last mile put us directly in the path of the heavy clouds that had been gathering for some time. Shortly, we left the road just south of a tree stump-covered hill to finish the final stretch to the summit. The ascent involved the usual pick-and-choose your route over slick shrubs and piles of leftover logging rubble. Sadly, the rain, which came three hours earlier than expected, meant that the summit would not offer any views today.
As the rain and breeze continued, Connor and I hunkered down by a small tree, hoping for the mist to subside. But it never did. The milk-like weather obscured what Google Earth promised would be amazing views of nearby peaks. In turn, we missed out on seeing the remote Liberty Mountain and Three Fingers after our effort, alas! On the way down, a deer crossed the road near where the bear had been, but it vanished fast before I could snap a photo.
