Mt. Mitchell

An early June day in the aughts promised blue skies and warm sunshine. It seemed like an excellent time to journey to the three quartz “fangs” south of Mount Saint Helens. Over the last 20 million years the basalt around the extruded quartz has eroded away.

The highest pinnacle at 4,000 feet is Mount Mitchell, the site of a long-since-removed fire lookout. The southern lip of St. Helens’ crater is only 11 miles due north. Some of the most famous photos of the 1980 eruption were taken from the summit of Mitchell. My second destination was the 3,700-foot top of Sugarloaf Ridge, one mile west of Mitchell. 

Sugarloaf Ridge

The hike up Mount Mitchell is relatively short but steep, three miles in length with 2,200 feet of elevation gain. The last several hundred feet required scrambling up the rocky pinnacle. 

Happy to report the 360° views were spectacular. Mt. St. Helens covered in fresh snow dominated the scene, but the other mid-Cascade volcanoes were shining like bright white ornaments scattered on the horizon.   

After a long break on the summit of Mount Mitchell, I hiked down the Trail for a short distance before beginning the one-mile trek to the top of Sugarloaf Ridge. It was mainly a bushwhack affair through beargrass and low-lying limbs of mountain hemlocks.  After reaching the top I explored the area for awhile, enjoying the sunshine and the few wildflowers in bloom. Finally, I returned to the Trailhead after hiking eight miles and gaining 2,700 feet of elevation. What a nice trek!