It's been a few days since my last hike and I need to get out and put in some
solid work. It's rainy and cloudy, but that's to be expected this time of
year. In an unofficial effort to hike all the nearby trails I've never
visited, I choose the Dirty Harry's Peak Trail. About a third of the way up to
the peak is a popular viewpoint called Dirty Harry's Balcony.
According to the WTA, the peak was named by Harvey Manning (some sources say Ira Spring) after
local logger Harry Gault, who was extremely thorough in logging this mountain,
to the chagrin of the hiking community, I surmise. The peak itself rises just
above
Granite Lakes, and is at the eastern end of the ridge containing
Mailbox Peak
and Dirtybox Peak. Since I've gotten a late start, my plan is to reach Dirty
Harry's Balcony and then continue upward until I'm turned around by snow or
lack of time.
I head through the woods for a minute or two before crossing the South Fork
Snoqualmie River on a road bridge. The deep blue green of the river looks
inviting, and there are several swimming holes that are probably popular in
summer. Just across the bridge, I start uphill on the trail, passing a really
cool signboard that has been attached to a huge boulder next to the trail. The
trail has a number of rock-climbing destinations that are marked on the map.
It's a steady climb through recovering forest, and the rock at the beginning has
been a sign of what is to come. Parts of the trail are fairly steep, but the
switchbacks are well constructed, and I am impressed by the amount of rock work
that has been done here. At times it is difficult to tell which rocks have been
placed by man and which by nature, which I think is a sign of a job well done.
As I pass various rock-climbing side paths, there are helpful signposts labeled
"DHPT" to keep me on the hiking trail. So far, the rain has been pretty light,
and I'm really glad to see the clouds have not completely obscured the views,
though the tops of most of the nearby peaks cannot be seen.
As I work my way up the trail, there are several places to walk out onto a rock
ledge and enjoy the sights. I can see Mount Washington and McClellan Butte to
the south, along with several other unnamed peaks. The main drawback to this
hike seems to be the freeway noise, which is constant. The trail levels out at
about 2400', or about 1000' up from the car, and I reach a side trail that leads
to the real balcony, with another fork leading to a minor trail connecting to
the Mason Lake / Mount Defiance trail to the east. The route has been quite good
to this point, but the 1/4 mile section leading to the balcony is really in need
of help. It's a boot-beaten track through mud, roots, and tree branches to the
rock outcropping that comprises Dirty Harry's Balcony. The views are excellent
here, though I think some of the lower viewpoints were a bit better.
Nevertheless, it's a good place to stop for lunch, and I have reached it in
about an hour and 15 minutes. The skies are still slowly dripping, but the
clouds make for interesting pictures, and add to the quintessential Northwest
nature of this outing.
I return to the fork in the trail and continue upward on the Dirty Harry's Peak
trail. I've only got about two or three hours of daylight left, so it's unlikely
I'll make it to the peak, and by the looks of it, the top is in the clouds
anyway, so will be a better idea when long views are possible. The trail shortly
changes into a very old logging road, though it's barely recognizable as such
now. The way is steep, but the trail snakes back and forth up the old road bed,
using mini-switchbacks to ease the grade slightly. I reach what appears to be an
obvious viewpoint (see the photo) but there is nothing to be seen but cloud and
shadows of treetops.
After rounding a wide switchback and passing some cool rocks formations, I reach
another pretty neat viewpoint, though the views toward the pass are less
impressive since they're hidden by the shoulder of Web Mountain . What's neat
about this viewpoint is the massive log into which someone has carved various
seats into. Usually a log so carved would just be a bench - this one is a
full-blown sectional sofa. I wonder how long this piece of rustic wooden
furniture has been sitting here and who the chainsaw artist was that made it. Or
perhaps they used an axe rather than a chainsaw? Either way, it's an impressive
piece.
I'm only about ten minutes away from my chosen turnaround time, but I continue
upward, hoping to reach the fork in the trail leading to Dirty Harry's Peak or
Web Mountain. I pass two young guys coming the other way, who say they reached
the top of the peak. They tell me there is a lot of snow at the top and it was
snowing at the time. I tell them I don't have time to reach the top today, but
I'm sure I will make it up here again. Right about this point is where I see the
first snow covering the trail - it's surprising that I haven't yet seen any
given that I'm over 3400' now. At this same elevation in Snoqualmie Pass, there
is 6-8' of snow on the ground! Apparently the southern slope here, or the
location of this peak near the entrance to the mountains, has allowed for more
melt-out or more rainm. I reach the junction with the Web Mountain trail and
explore it briefly. There is a definite path, but it isn't a very good one, and
consists mainly of wet, moss-covered rocks with brush encroaching from both
sides, and it turns to snow fairly quickly. At a talus slope I turn around to
check out the other fork.
The Dirty Harry's Peak trail is still pretty nice, but after reaching about
3500' I decide it's time to head for the car. It looks to be another 1000' up to
the peak, over 3/4 of a mile, so relatively steep. The summit should have
excellent views similar to what is seen at Mailbox Peak. It has taken me about
two hours so far, but the descent should be much faster. On the way down, the
clouded-over viewpoint has cleared up nicely and gives a great look at Mount
Washington and the freeway far below. I make it back to the car in only about an
hour and 20 minutes, thankful for the many rockwork steps that have been added
to the trail.
Once again, I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of a trail
I've always ignored. In the past, I usually turned up my nose at trails not run
by the Forest Service, but I have a newfound appreciation for the work that has
gone into creating and maintaining these popular spots in the front country.
Dirty Harry's Peak may not yet be old growth forest, or have an alpine lake, but
it has views aplenty, even for those who choose not to go all the way to the
top. An altogether enjoyable trail that I'd easily recommend to climbers and
families alike.
Stats
Time: 3.5 hours
Distance: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 2150'
Sights: Dirty Harry's Balcony
Photos and Videos
360° Photo: Lower Balcony
360° Photo: Dirty Harry's Balcony
Stats
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