rockwatergarden

Pilchuck Rock & Waterfall Garden

Hawthorn Creek

July 10, 1994

The Rock & Waterfall Garden © Ken James McLeod

It was a beautiful sunny day, so I decided to drive up to Mt. Pilchuck and do some exploring.....east off the trail and in the Hawthorn Creek drainage. On the mountain above the old ski lift area, I set out cross country up the north face (winter route) to a point where the last remnant (logged trees) of the ski area is. Here, I found a pass and stumbled down a rocky chute that led down east into Hawthorn Creek. From the pass, visible were the little lakes nestled in the basin which is called, "The Rock and Waterfall Garden" for the huge fields of granite, a sheer rock-walled face (est. 500 feet) and the numerous waterfalls that cascade down it, as well as the little lakes dotted here and there. The "Garden" is a wonderful secluded place seldom visited and not easily located due to the ever impending brush one must go through in order to at least reach the pass. It lies about 1,000 feet directly below the old Fire Lookout. Up the creek I walked taking photographs, frogs hopped as I went. And the peak above loomed and looked mighty impressive!

I traversed to another pass where I looked "very Steeply" into the cirque of Heather Lake. And as I stood there admiring the view, a hermit thrush sang notes in the breeze...great music to the ears. Later, I backtracked to the creek where I had some lunch and then went for a dip in one of the creek pools to cool off.

Across the mountain (west) I headed in search of Rotary Pot at the head of Rotary Creek which I found, but not after a thorough "brush thrashing." The little lake was more like a bog, very small and almost dried up. I then circumvented the trail. As I headed down, over a hundred Asian people were hiking up the trail enroute to the Lookout. They all greeted me but I suspect they thought I was a haggard-shaggy character of the mountains: my dress and look this day was similar to that of a hermit, for I had twigs, ferns, and brush hanging from me therefrom my struggle across the mountain. At the landing/parking lot, two tour busses sat waiting for the return of all those people.

Aug. 7, 2002

Where should I go today, and should I go anywhere with this bad knee of mine that has plagued me for the past week, let alone for the last few years. Off I went to the Pilchuck country.....the landing/parking lot had a host of vehicles. As I began to hike and climb, I winced with pain but shrugged it off and gritted my teeth. With the pain, I was in my Utopia.....the mountain realm.

I returned to the Rock and Waterfall Garden of Mt. Pilchuck, after ascending the north face route - the brush was very nasty to say the least! A mother blue grouse and her flock of young spooked just about mid way up. The bugs were out but nothing I couldn't ignore. The weather was cool and cloudy, the floral and brush soaked with the nights rain. My boots ran water with each impending step and my rain pants were of little help to keep me dry. The Pass and then the Garden were a welcome sight: rivulets pouring down the sheer rock-walled face, the beautiful little creek which meanders amid the moss and heather and flows under and along the granite boulder field, to the little lakes (6-8 depending upon the prior snowpack), and the stark-gray fractured peak shrouded in clouds and mist high above. Nowhere was the sight or sound of man.....the trail herd could not be seen or heard. I climbed up on the left side of rock wall onto more slabs of granite in hopes of better views of the peak and surroundings, but to no avail due to the weather. So, I returned back down into the garden basin and had some lunch there. And I in bliss.....contentment within the mountain realm once again.

My return.....via the north face route.....the brush wasn't any drier and as I arrived at my truck, I oozed water from each boot and every cloak, but the ooze was a GOOD ooze!

KJM