Mileage: 7.4 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 2100ft/5400ft
Map: Green Trails Skykomish No. 175
My favorite places to stop post hike with friends are: Grilla Bites, Route 2 Taproom and Grazing Place, Good Brewing Company, River House Cafe, Espresso Chalet, Gustav’s, Yodelin’s Broth Company, South, Dan’s Food Market, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike Details:
This is another one of my repeat hikes being such a quick jaunt up HWY 2. The trail starts up from the newish Jennifer Dunn Trailhead on a undulating, decommissioned road. After crossing a bridge over a stream at .6 miles, it is another 1.4 miles to a viewpoint of the valley and old cabin ruins. From here, you climb 2.8 miles of long forested switchbacks, a catch-your-breathe saddle and a few short steep switchbacks and stairs to the east summit with 360 views of the Wild Sky Valley. This hike is fairly popular, so expect company at the top most days.
My trip reports:
1/5/2024
When I was searching for pictures of Beckler from over the years, I came to the realization that it had been almost 7.5 years since I had hiked the new trail that goes to East Beckler. Mostly, I saw the picture of my friends and I from 4/5/2016 below where we had to navigate erosion from one of the streams that flows down on the slopes of Beckler and thought about who they must have fixed that gap by now, right?
So I check the forest service webpage which said that FR 6066 was still open and headed up SR 2 to see how far I could get. The road turned out to be snow free until about 3,000 feet and after that it was just an inch or so of new snow so I was able to make it to the trailhead. The worst part of the drive was the vegetation growing into the road!
The forecast was for a good amount of snow in the afternoon and since it was already snowing, I opted to just hike up enough to see if repairs had been made. At .6 miles in, there was in fact a sturdy bridge so no one else is having to do what we had to that day, Yay!
It was a very tranquil walk as I had it to myself, something unusual these days as the trail has become very popular since I hiked it last.
4/5/2016
I loved the fresh powder on Beckler today! The road had a light dusting when we drive up but it was gone by the time down. Although the trail had snow from the beginning, we had our snow shoes on our packs until before the old cabins ruins ( first view point) when we started postholing pretty well.
After heading into the trees where the trail leaves the abandoned forest road section, we alternated following the actual trail and heading straight up.
There were faint prints to follow under the new snow but you can see folks had taken different paths down (as we did). We relied on GPS to keep us headed in the right direction until we got to the ridge and then we followed that along towards the summit. Some sections were a little sketchy with steep slopes and tree wells. The sun played peek a boo at the top and we were careful to stay back from the cornices at the top.
Our trip down went much faster, lots of sliding and dodging tree snow bombs as the snow softened. We left our snow shoes on until most way to the cars. It took us about 5 hours total. Another great day on the trail!
1/8/2016
I wanted to see if it was possible to turn on to FR 6066 and see how far I could get up the road before having to park and hike in. I decided not to turn in from HWY 2 as although there was no snow berm, the level of the snow covered road was enough from the concrete of the HWY to give me pause. I didn’t see deep ruts in the road beyond that like other FRs so I’m guessing no one has been up lately.
12/12/2015
This was my second attempt at a hike today having gotten a little wet on the first one. The road is clear of obstacles now but there is plenty of debris, it’s usual lovely potholes, some nice runoff gashes and you can see a few slides eating away at the outside of the road on the last 2 miles.
It was starting to snow as I headed up at about 12:30pm, thinking I would just go up to the old cabin remains and turn around because it was supposed to start snowing in earnest soon. The trail was in good condition as far as downed trees but the first section that includes the old road bed has a few washouts that necessitate climbing down 2-3 feet and then back up. The bank was loose, another good storm will probably take out more of the trail. Here is where my phone died, so I only have one picture.
I passed a group of 3 who said there were tracks to the top, motivating me to see if I could make it that far. The trail was completely snow covered by the time I got to the remains and the deciduous trees that form the canopy over the trail before that were lacy with snow. It was so beautiful!
I continued on and started up the switchbacks but at about 4800ft I noticed that the wind had really picked up and the dancing trees were dumping their burden of snow. I had this image of a tree coming down on the road and stranding me, so decided to turn around and head back. I wasn’t too upset, no camera and I have already been to a socked-in Beckler Peak before. Good exercise anyway. I plan to return after this next batch of snow to snowshoe to the top.
6/18/2015
Hiked Beckler with my mom and baby brother who needed to balance the healthy activity with Henry’s donuts…
3/13/2015
Finally got a clear view at the summit…
11/1/2014
Socked in summit views…
Directions: Take Highway 2 to Skykomish. 1.9 miles after passing the ranger station, take a left turn on FR 6066 (a sign indicates this road). When you see the sign, immediately slow down and prepare to turn–the turn comes up very quickly. There is a fork 1.8 miles up FR 6066. Bear right, uphill. Follow the road 6.6 miles to the TH at the end at the end of the road. Parking is very limited, the road just ends and has a very small shoulder. You can expect to park back down the road on another shoulder on the weekends if you are not early to the trail. There is a vault toilet open seasonally.
For more hikes on HWY 2, click HERE. If you are interested in the original trail to West and Mid-Beckler, visit my Old Beckler Trail page.
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