NORTH TWIN ACCESS

[TERRAPIN]

So I've been driving aroung Mosquito Lake Road trying to find the access road to the twins (Blue mtn. rd.?) I think I figured out which road it was, but there was a an open gate with a posted sign by the Cambell group :No motorized vehicles beyond this point/ gate may be closed and locked at any time." So who is the cambell group, and how do I access the North Twin. Do I have to start hiking from Mosquito Lake Road? Beta Please!

[vegetablebelay]

I've done the North Twin a couple of times and I believe you are hitting the gate (open or closed} at a bridge on the M.L. road. This is now the parking spot and yes, you walk {or better, bike) from there. The Campbell Group must be loggers because I'm pretty sure that's what is going on up there.

[Szyjakowski]

yes walk or bike from bridge...one hour on foot (give or take 15minutes) to where you can see the west ridge...make sure you read Beckey approach and take copies enroute...otherwise you might take wrong fork in the road from bridge and end up in northwest face drainage instead of where beckey describes (? meadows- cant remember name) West ridge is sweet in winter

[Alex]

TERRAPIN, there are multiple gates, seems like every possible way to get i there has a gate. I have aproached 2 different ways, once from Mosquito Lake Road and once from the (N Fork?) Nooksack Road. Anyway, take the gates seriously, both times I scoffed at the gates and got locked behind them. In both cases it took days, lots o hitchhiking, and money to get the car out.

Take a bike, no matter how much it sucks in the winter with a pack, it will suck less than having to walk out if your car gets locked behind the gates.

Alex

[fishstick]

I'm unsure of the Mosquito lake road, or which access that actually is. I wrote the following for a friend. Note that directions are based upon travelling from Vancouver.

North Twin Sister

Here's the verbal version of the directions beginning in Sumas Wash. Watch your speed limit (25 MPH on main street). TURN left at the South end of town as for Baker (speed limit now 30 MPH) (radar on these two streets 98% of the time). No more radar beyond this point. Drive to Kendall (perhaps 15-20 k). Kendall is the place with the large NEW school on the right, fire station on the left. Impossible to miss the school. TURN right at Kendall beyond the school and drive towards Bellingham. Drive for perhaps 10k. You'll pass the "North Fork" aka "The Beer Shrine" on your right after about 6 k or so (recommended beer. Pizza OK but expensive). While driving up a slight hill with a long gradual right turn, you can see the Twin Sisters to the left for a short period if the weather is very clear. A couple of K's after the hill, you'll see a small store on the left (might be called "the welcome store") with a white community hall or church beyond (next) to it. TURN left on to the paved road between the two. Drive the paved road for maybe 10 minutes (might be a bit less). After crossing what seems like a small bridge, (several K's beyond the farms with the 90 degree right then 90 degree left turns) a gravel road branches to the left at a 45 degree angle. TURN left here onto the gavel road. If you miss this turn and come to a big bridge across a river, turn around and find your road 1/4 mile or so back up the road.

Follow the main logging road following instinct! The only doubtful turn is when driving along a side hill where the road forks, offering a lower downhill option to the right TURN right onto the lower (and more traveled option). You'll cross a curved concrete bridge and 5 minutes later come to a yellow metal bridge that is probably gated. PARK here.

Ride up the road following the most obvious forks. The main option is a fork after only 5 minutes or so (gated), stay left on the main road. After 35minutes of walking (maybe 26-28 minutes on a bike) you'll cross a creek that has visibly yellow coloured water. 10 minutes above that you'll see a side road branching to the right. Next to the side road on its left side is a pile of gravel (another spur 5 minutes earlier also has a pile of gravel but is not in driveable condition-the initial spur is wrong). TURN right onto the side road. After 5-8 minutes you'll come to an area where the road is blocked by large boulders (shortly after a great campsite on the right). No boulders = wrong road!

Follow the road beyond the boulders. Eventually cross a creek and continue to follow the main road (stay left at any options). North Twin will be clearly visible as you ride through the clear cuts. When almost directly below North Twin, the road in the clearcut hits a high point and begin to drop. 100 meters beyond the high point a rather bushy skid road (with cairn) branches to the left. Rather hard to notice. TURN left up the skid road and follow main road. If memory serves correct you'll switch back to the left, then eventually to the right. Several minutes above the second (right) switchback a rather unexpected switchback/fork appears to the left. TURN left and follow this branch, eventually doing a switchback to the right and going into a logging landing (open level spot) several hundred meters later. The trail to the West Ridge begins here on the ridge crest.

Walking times are generally 2-2 1/2 hours to this point from the car, so around 10K.

Enjoy!

GB

P.S. Note that the snow level on the road will probably be about 100 meters below the described "yellow coloured creek" at this time of year, or after 35 minutes of walking.

[ 02-20-2002: Message edited by: fishstick ]

[max]

Two comments

quote:

---

The Campbell Group must be loggers because I'm pretty sure that's what is going on up there.

---

1. I can't absolutely positive about this, but the Campbell group is an investment/development company, not a loggin company. Subtle (but important) difference.

2. Please don't take this as a admonishment. I can't admonish because I've done it myself. When people put up gates and signs, they do so for a reason. As climbers, our goal is not important enough to justify disregarding the land owners wishes. It may seem unfair that someone can "own" land, but you "own" your house, right? Signs may also be to protect the public from hazards: speed demon logg trucks, falling trees, washed roads, etc. One may think they're smart enough to outwit a falling tree. Chances are they're smart enough, but the concequences for the land owner in the event of that unlikely event are large enough it's only fair to respect their wishes. All of this stuff applies to public land, too. If an agency has restricted access, there's a reason. Even if you disagree with the agencie's restriction, violating the restriction only makes it harder for the agencie's employees and doesn't really "stick it to the man".Like I said above, I'm not trying and trying not to lecture anyone because I'd be hipocritical if I did. I just want to give some prespective on trespassing.

[erik]

i operated on the north fork of the sack and found the appraoch a cake walk.....we took bikes till the snow and then threw them into the brush....

it is a good route with or without snow....

[tobytortorelli]

the gates are for logging companys that are logging the land. Lincoln timber based in sedro-wooley, and Olivine Corp. located in whatcom co. have the rights to open/close the gate at the middle fork bridge. 360-733-3332 (olivine corp.) this lady and her husband say that the gate is open sometimes in the summer around july while they are doing the "crush" of slash piles....and she wishes everyone could access the area, but too many cars/garbage piles not left by them were popping up along the roads in the past....too bad...the campbell group has the other gate and i've been unsuccessful at contacting them through the phone # posted or internet....soooo, walk the middle fork road and take the right fork at the gravel pile, which is probabally under snow right now...use the "force" when snowcovered......t.

[TERRAPIN]

Hey thanks for the beta y'all. Especially you fishstick. I bet you are a virgo. I printed out your directions and will be wandering around the west ridge real soon in hopefully the same awesome weather we are having now.

Muchas Gracias!!!!!!!!!!

[jesse_mason]

Dont forget, sometimes the keys to these gates are "hidden" nearby. It can sometimes pay to have a look see around.

[Chongo]

take a crowbar, hacksaw, big Z-piton and a couple of angles. that will get you through most locked gates. the ones with the lock hidden in those bells are harder and you got top pack cutting torch for them, its faster just to walk. or get a hummer and drive over or around the gate.

[Nelly]

Campbell Group home office number (portland)

503-275-9675 ask for someone in the forestry department.........nicer and more cooperative than you might think!