Trip report by: Bill DeYoung
"I would definitely recommend this trip to a friend."
Photo: Resting at the Perry Creek Falls.
Headed out on a sunny mid-July Monday morning to see what Mt Forgotten is like. Trailhead is 15+ miles past Verlot Ranger Station. Start looking when you pass the entrance to Big Four Ice Caves. It's on the left.
1.9 miles of easy trail through forest and rocky talus with views of runoff waterfalls lacing the cliffs along both sides of Perry Creek. Later in the season or in a year with less snow these would be less spectacular. The trail runs NE around Mt Dickerman to a waterfall then gets steep as it heads up through forested slopes to what would be meadows with great views of Dickerman, Twin Peaks, Big Four and Mt Baker. However, this year on 7/12 the trail above the falls disappeared under snow somewhere above 4000.'
Photo: Glacier Peak from the base of Mt Forgotten.
With map and compass and iceaxe I got to the meadow area which is under 5' of snow. Still some snow cornices over the cliffs on the N side of the saddle above the meadows. I worked my way around to the base of Mt Forgotten along some very steep snow and found about 25' of exposed climbers' trail, but lost it again. I stretched out on a ledge and soaked up sun and solitude for an hour. On the way back I cut straight down the hill until I intersected the trail above the falls. Hard snow and trees made glissading pretty iffy. Nobody else on the Mt all day.
Photo: Mt Forgotten from the Perry Creek meadows ridge.
I would say good route-finding skills and iceaxe technique are a must when this trail is snowed in.
Note: This is backcountry wilderness travel. Any trail can become very dangerous in winter conditions. You are responsible for informing yourself of the hazards and taking the necessary precautions. Please read Terms of Use.
7/99