Mt. Pugh: An Epic Day Hike

Mt. Pugh isn't one of the those obvious peaks that people point to from the lowlands in the Puget Sound basin, and say, "I'd loved to climb to the top of that one."  Instead, Mt. Pugh is modest; her 7201' of elevation is mostly hidden from view until you enter the Sauk River Valley where only a handful of fisherfolks and whitewater enthusiasts reside. The trailhead is distant--a good 25 miles outside of Darrington, which is 75 miles northeast of Seattle.  Despite its obscurity, Mt. Pugh is a popular hike, especially for the fit in search of a strenuous day to prove their level of conditioning.  The trail and scramble to the top require an ascent of 5300'--a serious amount of work for a single day.

Physical challenge aside, the mountain indeed possesses spectacular views on top.  Granted,  the summit vistas of Mt. Pugh are only better by a few degrees than other, more accessible peaks like Mt. Dickerman. In fact, in one trail report a hiker yelped out, "Nice views but too much work to get there."  For me, the pleasure of Mt. Pugh is the effort and the variety of terrain it offers.  From woodland trail, to ridgeline rambles, to scrambling up the granite summit block, the trail to the top makes demands of you that few other day hikes do.   Mt. Pugh is among just a handful of Cascade hikes that provide nearly the same satisfaction of the major climb without the same need for technical skill on ice or rock, nor the cost and time investment of taking on a major volcano.

Parking at the trailhead consists of a few wide spots on a forest service road.  The trail is in good shape through the woods all the way the base of Stujack Pass.  As you might expect, it is steep and the switch backs whip your quads ruthlessly.  With all that elevation to gain, the hike is definitely a cardio check.  On the way to the pass, you'll skirt the edge of murky little green Metan Lake.  It wasn't particularly buggy on the day of our hike, but the lake isn't exactly inviting. Here you'll get your first good look at your goal for the day--it's still a way to go.  Even though we'd gone less than two miles, by the time we reached the lake, we'd climbed 1300'.  Bring lots of water.  Three liters is probably the minimum you'll need to keep hydrated on a moderately warm summer day.

The trail continues up again towards the edge of the forest, and an avalanche shoot that leads up to Stujack Pass. We had lunch on the boulders just below the pass.  After that, a rough and rocky trail leads to the pass, and  the ridgeline trail that will take you to the summit.  In late summer, the trail is snow free and relatively safe. The ridgeline trail has some exposure, and the transition from ridge to the summit block requires crossing the "Knife Edge" that might cause some concern for acrophobics.  After crossing the Knife Edge, the trail disappears in places to a trace.  Keep three points of contact when the scramble steepens. Keep a look out for cairns.  You'll pass the old cable that once anchored a fire watcher's lonely lookout to the summit.  It's a sign you are nearly there.

At the summit, a few old timbers are all that remains of the look out.  The views are of course amazing. It'll seem like you can hop over to Sloan Mountain or Glacier Peak.   Don't try.  Glacier Peak is actually twelve miles away.   A couple of big ravens where tumbling about in the thermals when we were there around 5 PM.  If you are hiking in late August, pay attention to sunset times.  Make sure you have a headlamp if you are leaving the summit after 4:30 or so.  Negotiating your way off the top will take some time, and you find your last mile out of the woods to be darker than you'd expect.

The round trip distance for Mt. Pugh runs just under 11 miles with 5300' "actual feet" of elevation gain. For the typical hiker, Mt. Pugh is a real challenge.   Watch out for the posts of dismissive peakbaggers who claim anyone in decent shape can easily handle the hike.  It was real work for the fit twenty-somethings I hiked with.  To enjoy the day, build up to it.  I hiked Pilchuck, Granite Mountain, and Dickerman earlier in the summer before I took on Mt. Pugh.  Mt. Si with a scramble up the haystack might be good preparation, too.  If you start early, bring enough water, and are in good shape, Mt. Pugh is a very rewarding hike.

Here are the driving directions from the Washington Trail Associations web site:
Driving Directions:

Take exit 208 off of I-5 and drive 4 miles east on State Route 530 to Arlington. Continue east on SR 530 for 28 more miles to Darrington. At a three-way stop, turn right (south) onto the Mountain Loop Highway and proceed 12.4 miles (the pavement ends at 9 miles). Turn left onto Forest Road 2095 and continue 1.5 miles to the trailhead (elev. 1900 ft).