Clear Creek Trailhead: At the base of the Mountain
For those searching for a more adventurous route up the mountain, this trailhead which follows one of the more technical ways to reach the summit, requires an off-road 4x4 vehicle with high clearance.
Photography by Gregory Farrar
Adventure begins long before you get to this high attitude trailhead. The route leading up to the Clear Creek trailhead parking lot offers stunning views but requires a capable vehicle and a good driver. The road is not always consistently maintained and at times may be impassable. Starting this journey may require you to take things slow with the anticipation that you may have to turn around at some point. Airing down your tires is advised, as the mountain road has washouts, ruts, and is rocky enough to make you rethink your choices. The trek is worth it if you’re willing to take the road less traveled and go off the beaten path.
You’ll know you’re getting close to the parking lot when the trees start to thin out some, moss covers their trunks, and the elusive blue spruce begin to pop up left and right. It’s hard to imagine if any of this section of the forest was ever clear cut, but is almost likely, an equally surprising and astounding feat. The trees are quite large so any timber felling would’ve been done long ago, unless by mother nature. When you begin the trek on foot you’ll go by the ranger kiosk and occasionally see sign-ins of climbers ready to attempt to summit the mountain. The Clear Creek trailhead route is considered one of the more technical ways to summit and requires additional rope work for the intermediate or expert level climber. Starting up the trail the elevation is noticeable, as you tend to breathe heavier and feel winded much quicker than usual. Depending on your pace and determination, 20 - 45 minutes later you’ll reach the ridge that offers you your first good gaze at the mountain. If you happen to bring a telephoto lens or binoculars you’ll be able to zoom in and identify features on the mountain including glaciers, waterfalls, and ridges that serve as trail markers. The gallery below has standouts including Mud Creek Glacier and Mud Creek Falls.
For the well prepared hiker with plenty of day light left, you can continue up the trail past the lookout ridge on to several others camps. For those camping or ascending the mountain, reservations and permits are required as safety is of the utmost importance for the Park rangers that patrol the area. The good thing about coming back down is that it’s mostly all down hill for both the hike and the drive back down to civilization. Count yourself among the few that adventure up this ridge.
