and explore the Mountain Loop Highway (WA. SR 530). Diane found a couple hikes up there she wanted to check out. I knew it was a little early in the season to attempt to make the entire loop over Barlow Pass due to the snow and since the road on the north side of the pass is not paved (roughly 25 miles of mostly 
smooth dirt, mud and gravel) I decided to start from the north end of the loop outside the town of Darrington with the hope we could make it to the trail head before getting stopped by snow.We drove through Darrington in the rain with more dark clouds heading our way.
I was beginning to think this could be a messy day. Less than 10 minutes out of Darrington, and inside the National Forest, the pavement gave way to a wet gravel road. We followed the "highway" another 16 miles and turned off on FS49 to reach the trail head about a mile up the hill. The walk to North Fork Sauk Waterfall. This hike to the waterfall was only 5 minutes from the car but defiantly worth all the effort. The falls here are said to be only 58' high but the water rushes off a 90 degree drop and the sound of the canyon walls are worth the walk by itself - here is better picture a pro took: http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/image.php?st=WA&num=277&p=0
I was beginning to think this could be a messy day. Less than 10 minutes out of Darrington, and inside the National Forest, the pavement gave way to a wet gravel road. We followed the "highway" another 16 miles and turned off on FS49 to reach the trail head about a mile up the hill. The walk to North Fork Sauk Waterfall. This hike to the waterfall was only 5 minutes from the car but defiantly worth all the effort. The falls here are said to be only 58' high but the water rushes off a 90 degree drop and the sound of the canyon walls are worth the walk by itself - here is better picture a pro took: http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/image.php?st=WA&num=277&p=0 After taking a few pictures we climbed back up to the truck and headed up FS49 to reach our next hike. After less than a mile I had to turn around due to the road still being covered with fresh snow - I thought about attempting to push on but then thought I have nobody to pull me out if I manage to do something "spectacular" and it will be a long cold night out here with no sleeping bags. Looks like a dead end!
Once back on the main road we continued south towards the pass but again at the elevation we were only made it a couple more miles before we were confronted with with snow. This snow looked much more manageable as it looked to have been driven through be several others. That's when I looked up the road and realized 30 yards ahead the road was completely blocked by a large tree that had fallen - this explains why there were so many tire tracks in the snow...they had to drive through it twice! Dead end #2!
After we turned around again we pulled off the road next to a creek 
and parked under a giant cedar tree to have some lunch. The tree blocked pretty much all the rain, and now some snow, so we got out of the car and tailgated it for a few minutes. After lunch Lily
and Maggie played in the snow then we headed back down the mountain.
and parked under a giant cedar tree to have some lunch. The tree blocked pretty much all the rain, and now some snow, so we got out of the car and tailgated it for a few minutes. After lunch Lily
and Maggie played in the snow then we headed back down the mountain. On the way down the road was getting pretty muddy from the rain but it wasn't really enough to slow down for. Near the end of the highway we turned off on to FS23 that runs north along the river. This road was a pretty messy. The road was covered
with small tree limbs and branches and the parts the were not covered were mud - it look as if nobody had driven on this road recently. About 1.5-2 miles down the road I found out why....there was no more road! The river, which was currently flowing 30 feet below the road, had completely washed out the side of the mountain taking the road with it. Dead end #3!
with small tree limbs and branches and the parts the were not covered were mud - it look as if nobody had driven on this road recently. About 1.5-2 miles down the road I found out why....there was no more road! The river, which was currently flowing 30 feet below the road, had completely washed out the side of the mountain taking the road with it. Dead end #3!After coming to our third dead end in three hours we decided to call it done.
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yeah, it would have been much cooler without the dead end part.
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