Like the bleached skeletal fingers of a long-buried giant, the burned carcass of once mighty evergreens push upwards out of the remains of a decades-old forest fire. The place is Mount Defiance and is one of the most beautiful trails in the Snoqualmie region.
The trail begins at the end of FR-9031 which is exit 45 off of I-90 in Washington State. As of this writing the road is passable. However, there is still a small washed-out portion to be wary of. Ample parking is available at the end of the loose gravel road but a Northwest Forest Pass is required. Before entering the trail, be sure and fill out a registration card at the small stand. Permits are free but are required for trail use. The trail that leads to Mason Lake has been recently renamed the Ira Spring Trail in honor of the late nature photographer and naturalist. A plaque is visible at the crest of the saddle leading down to the lake. In Summer, be sure to bring plenty of bug repellant and sun screen as both are plentiful this time of year.
This is what you will find on most of the Ira Spring Trail—the end of which is roughly the half way point on this hike. The area is very lush but suffered a forest fire back in the 1950s so most of the trees are younger. Don’t expect to see any old-growth here—or anywhere in this part of Washington for that matter. Most of the forest was clear-cut back in the day. There is quite a bit of human evidence on this half of the trail, lots of footprints and such. Don’t be fooled, however. Though I would describe the trail to the lake as moderately difficult at worst, it is not without its tough spots and dangers. There are several spots where the trail has been recently rebuilt (remember those washouts I was telling you about on the road?). These rebuilt areas do, however, give you an early treat of running water.
As you begin to near the saddle, the trees thin out and give way to granite and a few wildflowers like this small lily wreathed in wild blackberry bushes here.
I decided not to post any images from the saddle here simply because the views become much more spectacular further along the trail, especially from the top of the mountain. This is Mason Lake. A medium-sized alpine lake surrounded by high-walls and beautiful in and of itself, it is a great photographic subject. The logs jamming the mouth of the stream fed by the lake are a standing testament to the power of the rainy season combined with a heavy snow melt. This lake and it’s smaller sibling to the north are largely responsible to the impassibility of the road until recently. You will find plenty of space around the lake to relax and enjoy a bit of lunch or what have you before venturing onward to the peak of Mount Defiance.
The trail stays clearly marked along the lake shore and even has a short staircase and restroom. If you have been drinking your water regularly, this is the only rest stop on the trail so you had better take advantage of it.
A little gem that I found that is not to be missed is a little meadow to the left of the main trail on a small off-shoot. There is a small stream running through it that feeds into the lake. Be sure to take in the bog plants and such but watch where you step. This is a fragile ecosystem and won’t survive long if we start walking all over it. This trail continues on but be prepared to get your feet muddy if you follow suit.
Wildflowers and ferns are a Summer treat on Mount Defiance and make the journey quite a bit nicer. It’s a long walk to this point so they serve as a nice payoff to keep you going. The trail becomes increasingly more difficult as you leave the lake further behind and evidence of human intrusion becomes much more scarce. Dogs are almost completely absent on this leg.
At last! The top! From here, the world seems to unfold around you. There is a bit of a scramble to make the final push to the top but the path is well marked and quite obvious. A ranger or someone like-minded has taken the time to place a rock cairn at the jumping off point to the peak. You can’t miss it. Just in case you can, however, the cairn and trail are located just past one last large rock slide area and through a small bit of forest. If you pass this one and start heading heavily down hill, turn back! I am of no further use to you after passing this point. I walked a few hundred yards down this way to see what lay below and turned back before I found anything interesting in favor of reaching the summit.
