Stats: 16.75 km / 411m cumulative gain / high point 663 m / 5 hours MT
Highlights on this trail were close up views of Silver Tip Mt, the blooming rhododendrons, the cedar & fir old growth forest and the abandoned cabin + mine by a waterfall. On the flip side, the mosquitoes at the south end of the trail were nasty and many of the trees were charred by the August 2018 fire.
We drove 42 slow km on the gravel Silver-Skagit Road (sections were riddled with potholes), having taken exit #168 from Hope. Here we hopped out at Silver Lake. Just had to get a pic of the morning mist and reflections.
Hope Mt. (left) as seen from the road by Silver Lake. We drove just past 26-mile Bridge and parked on the left. The trailhead is equipped with an outhouse.
The forest floor was alive with new growth. Two km in we turned left at a junction. Right would've led to the Centennial Trail to Manning Park.
We could see the surrounding peaks through the skeletal trees. This is Mt. Brice to the east.
1) Daisy 2) Columbine 3) dew drops 4) Lodge Pole Pine 5) Clintonia
Silver Tip Mt.
An abundance of Lupine lined the trail.
Two years ago, before the fire, this stretch of trail leading to Harlequin Camp was lined with pink rhododendrons. But now there were just a few. Those scattered in the thinned out forest were easy to spot amidst the black and grey and light brown colours.
But most of the rhodos have not been completely destroyed. There were immature rhododendron bushes sprouting up from the roots.
This was the steepest part of the trail but it didn't last long. We were now leaving the Lodge Pole Pine & Sitka Mountain Ash biogeoclimatic zone and entering the Coastal Western Hemlock zone.
I had a "Wow" moment when I looked behind me. To our west was Silver Tip Mt., up close and personal.
You can tell which way the wind was blowing during the fire.
Western Spring Beauty.
For the most part the trail followed alongside the Skagit River on the historic Whatcom Trail. (3 pic slider)
The first of two large land slides. This one almost took the bridge out.
The forest was now more dense and there were less mosquitoes.
Ahh. Arrived at the cedar & fir old-growth preserve. This is at about the halfway point.
Here we found a nice spot to have lunch.
We had to do a bit of bushwhacking and scrambling in this area.
A cave.
At the Delacey Horse Camp, 11 km in.
At the second massive mud-slide.
Notice how high the mud is on the trees.
We turned left (1.5 km from the north trailhead) and passed the "No Trespassing" signs to get to the cabin. Nothing had changed since I saw it last time. The books are still on the shelves, the clothes in the closet and there was even some food in the fridge. Why did they leave what seems so abruptly? Why is a huge part of the roof caved in? What is the story behind this place?
We found books dating back to the 1970s. The clothes in the closet were also from that era, belonging to a younger male and female. Forget-Me-Not flowers grew close to the tombstone we found by the cabin. It reads: In memory of mom, Nana: Isabella Wood - May 12, 1895 to July 19, 1975 - Found peace in the Silver Daisy.
Back on the Skagit Trail we hiked a few minutes before turning right onto a second short side-trail. Here we explored the abandoned Silver Daisy mine and this truck which is parked below a collapsed cabin of some sort. The roof lay on top of a 3' high rock foundation.
The mine is off to the left.
This final bridge is by far the largest and is only minutes away from Sumallo Grove where Cal's jeep was parked. We had swapped car keys when we met on the trail and reunited back in Chilliwack. That pointy peak to the right is Hatchethead.
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