Mailbox Peak
| Distance: | 0 miles | |
| Time: | 0 hours | |
| Elevation Gain: | 0ft | |
| Rating: |    |
Description:
Hike past the gate up the road keeping to the right at a "Y" in the road. Soon the road will re-enter forest. Keep an eye on the left side of the road looking for the usually unmarked trail head. If you come to a stream passing through a culvert under the road you have gone about 100' to far. The trail passes through second growth forest. When you reach a stream do not cross it. The trail clearly turns to the left and heads away from the stream. Follow the trail, still flat for a short distance. Soon the trail starts to go up. The trail turns into a series of short, steep switch backs. Before the trail leaves the forest it can be hard to follow. The trail wanders through grasses, huckleberry and shrubs working its way up to the bottom of a large rock pile. If you look up the rock pile you'll see a place where it stops. Go up there. Be careful though, the rocks are often wet and slippery and many of them are loose and tippy. Once you're past the rock pile you can see the summit. Follow the trail past a small rock outcropping and up to another rock outcropping that is the summit. Here you will find a Mailbox. The flag is always up on the Mailbox because there's always mail inside. Leave a letter, or do some reading.
Directions:
Drive I-90 east to exit 34 (Edgewick Road). Turn left onto 486 Ave SE. Drive a short distance to a "T" in the road. Turn right onto SE Middle Fork Road. When the road comes to a "Y" and forks into SE Middle Fork Road and SE Lake Dorothy Road you may take either, but the Lake Dorothy Road is usually closed off. The two roads will meet again eventually. Where they meet there is a stop sign on the Middle Fork Road. Turn to the left. Very shortly there after you will come upon an old clear-cut on the hillside on the right side of the road. Park in an area off the left side of the road. In the clear-cut you will see a gravel road blocked by a yellow gate.
