Mt. Dickerman, a Challenging Day Hike

A view from atop of  Mt. Dickerman

When I was getting ready to begin my hike up Mt. Dickerman the other day, it was already warm at the trailhead by 9 AM. A young man, unfamiliar with the hike, was looking over a description of the mountain on the bulletin board.  I commented that the hike was a lot of work, but certainly worth it--360 degrees of vista on top.  Wildflowers in bloom.  He vaguely nodded in agreement.

Make no mistake, for folks not in top physical condition, the Mt. Dickerman hike is challenging, climbing over 3800' in a little more than 4 miles.  Personally, I find it more work than Granite Mountain, which has about the same total miles and elevation gain. Typically, a ratio of 1000' per mile earns a hike a rating of "most difficult."  Fortunately, for most of us, the pain ceases in 2 or 3 hours, and the rewards on top are bountiful with a panoramic view of Big Four, Mt. Kyes, Glacier Peak, and even Mt. Baker to the north.

To be honest with you, the guy in the parking lot didn't look ready for the hike.  For one thing, he was over-dressed in long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, jacket and a hat.  The trail out of the parking lot heads up immediately and generally continues that way to the top of the mountain. Cheap advice from my old friend, Dan:  "Start a little cool."  On a summer hike with lots of elevation gain, you will heat up in a hurry.  

Sadly, this young hiker also looked a little out of shape.  Perhaps too much of the pizza and beer lifestyle.   Sometimes looks can be deceiving, and I applaud his desire to take on such a strenuous day hike.  However, it  probably would have been a good idea to have built up to a hike as rigorous as Mt. Dickerman unless you find suffering to be cathartic.  I passed him about a mile up, winded and over heating on the side of the trail. He turned back without ever reaching the top.  Undoubtedly, this was not the hike for him that day.  He missed out on a great one, but I hope he tries again in a few weeks, perhaps on a cooler day.

Mt. Dickerman is a popular hike because of the stunning views from the top, and while it's a little further out than Granite Mountain, like its cousin to the north, the hike starts right off the main road.  To get to the trail head, take Mt. Loop Hwy out of Granite Falls, 17 miles past the Verlot Ranger Station.  The Mt. Dickerman parking lot is down just a bit (and on the opposite side of the road) from the Ice Caves picnic area.

Mt. Dickerman, at over 5700', is a complete hike, beginning in the valley floor at an elevation of 1500 feet. By the way, Mt. Pilchuck is only 400 feet shorter than Dickerman, but you start at over 3100 feet, so the hike to the top of Pilchuck takes most people about an hour less.  On the Dickerman hike, you climb through different ecosystems, starting among tall Douglas firs, maple, and cedars.  The trail runs parallel with the highway for a half mile before switching directions and steadily climbing to a ridge.  Before you leave the woods, western hemlock then spruce begin to dominate the forest.

The first real view point doesn't emerge for nearly an hour into your ascent.  However,  if you occasionally pause and look around, the forest holds her fascinations.  A monstrous spine of igneous rock is exposed among the trees, and one giant fir seeps pitch perfuming the shadows. In the early season, lovely trillium bloom white, then fade back in purple disbelief.

Many hikers pause here for their first view of the surrounding mountains.

The first view point is a great place to pause, drink some water, and enjoy the first vista of Big Four and the Monte Cristo mountains.  Remember to hydrate as you hike, but watch your footing as you step off the trail to snap a picture.

In a short time, you'll step out of the woods, cross a creek bed, and enjoys some relief from the relentless climbing as you meander through the first meadow.  Red paintbrush and fireweed dominate shier flowers.

After leaving the first meadow, the trail begins to ascend quickly along the edge of a cliff.  Here, you'll see the summit of Mt. Dickerman, and perhaps feel a little discouraged.  Actually, the trails aggressiveness means most hikers will be at the summit in about half hour or less.  

The summit of Mt. Dickerman 

It's easy to get the recreational hiker's version of summit fever as you lean into the hill, determined to get to the top.  Instead, stop, look, and listen in the upper meadows.  It's really okay if some peak bagger (like me as a teenager) passes you in the stretch.  It's not a race.  He'll be looking down at the dirt trail.  Your eyes will drink in the beauty of  the mountain where one half expects a young, and idealistic Julie Andrews to come singing among all the flowers.  It's also a good time to reapply the sunblock you sweated off.

The hills are more alive with the sound of jays and thrushes.

It is difficult to overstate the view on top.  360 degrees of mountains, valleys, and distant ranges. Glacier Peak, invisible from most of the Puget Sound region, displays her true magnificence here.

I enjoyed a simple lunch among the rocks and flowers of the summit.  It's amazing how good a honey crisp apple can taste at 5723 feet, especially if you arrived there by hiking.  Flies weren't really a problem that day, and the native bumble bee was more interested in the nectar of the native heath and lupine than my PB&J on Dave's Killer Bread.

Be careful with kids and dogs.  The drop off at the summit to the north is precipitous and deadly.  Exposure continues in places down the mountain, especially if you wander off the main trail.  Reaching the summit at sunset can be transcendental.  Just make sure every hiker is carrying a headlamp and a flashlight on the way down.  In 1991, Mt. Dickerman was the site of tragedy when two young athletes got separated from their high school cross-country team, and fell to their deaths on their way down the mountain.

On the way down, the main trail veers to the right. Straight ahead is actually a side trail to a view point.

On less dramatic note, hikes like Mt. Dickerman are great for advertising the advantages of trekking poles. While the way up the mountain is work for the cardiovascular system, the hike down is trouble for the knees.  Give your knees a break, and invest in trekking poles!