[TR] Three Fingers Lookout - Three Fingers Trail 9/26/2015

[montynet]

Trip: Three Fingers Lookout - Three Fingers Trail

 

Date: 9/26/2015

 

Trip Report:

Two of us decided to tackle Three Fingers. We met up around 6 am on 9/26 near Seattle area and headed to the trail head, bikes included. The road to the three fingers trail head is blocked at mile 8 from the mountain loop highway and from there you must either hike 10 miles or bike 10 miles we chose the latter. It took us about 2hr35min to bike those 10 miles, it's about 1600 ft or so of elevation gain on a bike with your gear, we're not cyclists. We were going for an overnight at the lookout. After a short break at the trail head we started our hike. The trail is eroded especially the first two miles, it feels like the trail at some point was a river bed. It can get muddy and wet at times. There's plenty solitude to be had in this trail. The hike to Tin Can Gap is very straight forward, past that there's a boot path that takes you all the way to about 400 ft or so below the lookout. There's one permanent snowfield before the final scramble to the ladders (yes, 3 ladders). The snowfield itself can be crossed alpine style or you can take a scramble route to the left of the snowfield. We had microspikes and ice axes so we felt comfortable in snow. There were 2 other parties at the lookout when we arrived so in the end we were 8 people sleeping in that lookout the night of 9/26. The following day 9/27 the clouds had disappear and we had spectacular views from the lookout and the hike out.

 

If you're interested, here's my gpx: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57379305/Three%20Fingers%20Lookout.gpx

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice Axe, Microspikes, Over night gear.

 

Approach Notes:

10 miles of the forest road are impassable to cars; however, there were at least 6 motorcycles on the road, but in my opinion the bike ride adds to the challenge and gratification of the hike/climb.

[Trent]

Thanks for the TR! Sound like a full house. Where the motorcycles going all the way to the trailhead? I had thought that the slide and gate prevented that!

[Eric T]

Thanks for the report. If you'd like to skip the bikes you can park in the same spot, cross the bridge and about a 1/4 mile up on the right is the old Meadow Mountain trail which goes to saddle lake where it meets the original trail.

 

I'm not sure which would burn less calories.

 

[video:youtube]

 

 

Edited October 3, 2015 by Eric T

[PONCHO&LEFTY]

Must of past you on our way up Sunday morning. Can't imagine staying in the lookout with so many people. I suppose you were safe from intruders due to the guy we saw on the trail with a rifle in hand!

 

We didn't bring ice ax/traction and did the bypass on the left side (looking uphill) of the final snow slope. Just had to cross 30' of flat snow. Would do the same again in late season to save the weight.