Ecthelion someone stole every bit of my hiking gear a week before this hike. It was summer, and hadn’t rained in weeks. I had insulated snowboard pants and a jacket in my pack if it got cold or wet.
Having done Pugh about 6 times I was always respectful of the exposure right where you stopped. There are other places that require you to slow down and collect yourself. But your wide angle lens makes the ridge top path look much worse than it is. It’s less fun when wet. It’s more of a trail above where you stopped. Try it again, you will love it.
Definitely be careful, there are exposed spots that are fatal if you fall. A hiker from Anacortes died on this part this year (2022). It was his third time hiking Pugh, and he was a lifetime hiker.
Thanks! I figured I would post this part because I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. This mountain was in the same class as my. Pilchuck, and I had no idea why. It's dangerous, and I turned around because I started to have a panic attack. This would have been the worst place to have one.
Excellent video. The ridge is actually not that bad unless someone is afraid of height. To do a comparision, you could try McClean Butte if you are familiar with this area.On the other hand, the scrambling to the peak looks more intimidating, but is also fine if you are on the right path, otherwise, it could be very difficult. I lost the track and had very difficult climb to regain the path. Usually, the bootpath is more clear when descending. One strange thing is that some mountaineer websites and a scramble book only listed Mount Pugh as technic level 1 or 2, even red mountain and Snoqualmie mountain are at level 3. After climbed all of them, certainly, I think Mount Puah is much more difficult than them even from the scramble point of view and it should be at the same level as HiBox mountain but more strenous. Not sure if the authors actually climbed this mountain or not. However, it is doable for many people as long as you take your time and keep focused.
Ha! Believe it or not, that knife-edge ridge is my favorite part of the trail. It DOES actually get less exposed shortly after where you turned around. The wide-angle lens used here exaggerates the exposure factor. The actual summit is a spire of granite that is very exposed (small area to balance on, nearly 2,000 foot sheer drop on one side). I actually went up it the first time I climbed, but let discretion be the better part of valor the second time. It's only 8 feet or so higher than the small flat area where the lookout once stood so not much loss to avoid it.
My partner kept telling me it was about to get better, but at that point my nerves were already shot. I've been practicing so next time I can make it. So far, this is the only mountain I couldn't get to the top of, and I want to fix that, lol.
I went up to mt.pugh last Saturday with a buddy and made it about half way and got snowed out winter time isn't finished up in the mountains it was about 35 degrees with about a foot of snow and we were walking the same path as the big Mountain Lion tracks we saw on the trail when we reached the snow line we will be going back to conquer that mountain it's harder then people think.
I bet that ridge is pretty gnarley in the snow. I would think that you would need ropes and ice axes to do in in the winter! I wish you the best of luck when you return!
A little late to post but I’ve done this hike 10 times . The first time I did the sketchy part I was scared and didn’t think I would make it . And now I’m pushing friends and family up this mountain When I go. Definitely my favorite hike in Washington .
That's true. Most of the hike was a gentle well groomed path through wild flowers! This part was just a little too much for me, but my partner had zero problems with the exposure. It sounds like it was about to get better, but towards the end of the video my anxiety had taken a strong hold. I ended up hugging a rock for a little while. I've been scram in a bit more lately so when I go back I won't freak out again.
+PNWadventures I hear you brother… The same exact thing happened to me when I went up! I literally sat for over 45 minutes on the side of a rock freaking the hell out! LOL! I do think that there absolutely has to be zero amount of snow to do this comfortably.. Just to let you know… That I watch this video several times before I did this… I still feel that this is the most informative video on this hike… Once again great video and thank you for the upload!
You should really wear actual boots on a long hike/scramble like this; if you twist your ankle in those little footies up there, it's a long way down on one leg :/ However, good job getting this far, and it's better to stop than get in over your head. I kept going and almost had a bad time on the way back down the next section. It gets really loose and kinda not OK a bit further on, so it's good you stopped
Ryan Penrod I have way more control over my feet in the vibrams than any of my hiking boots, and they have ridiculous grip. I wear them when I can because I always seem to slip and roll my ankles when I do long hikes in boots. Never happens with the vibrams. But yeah, I quit because I was worried about getting back down the mountain. I could have gotten up there, but it was all loose like you said and it was freaking me out. Going down is always harder.
I do all warm weather scrambles with FiveFingers. They grip the rock well. With FiveFingers I've done North Twin, Pugh, Kaleetan, Si Haystack, Tomyhoi, ... and a bunch in the Sierras. If I'm not wearing FiveFingers, I'm barefoot on scrambles too
… By the way I would like to tell you that you did a great job! You are not the first and you certainly will not be the last one to turn around on this trail… The only reason why I ever made it to the top was because of my Hiking partner that encouraged me the entire way…
Well I'm glad you made it to the top! It's always good to hike with a partner. Mine did try to pull me through, but my anxiety had just gotten too far.
JORDAn 10 it did seem easier going back down. I guess I was used to it by that point. I’d say definitely give it a shot. if you don’t make it all the way up it’s still a beautiful hike with beautiful views, but it is a trail that you need to tale seriously and not go alone. I don’t feel like I wasted my time by not making it to the top. I got pretty pretty high up, saw some beautiful stuff and There were tons of flowers all over the place.
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The craziest part of this is that it looks like you're wearing jeans.
Ecthelion someone stole every bit of my hiking gear a week before this hike. It was summer, and hadn’t rained in weeks. I had insulated snowboard pants and a jacket in my pack if it got cold or wet.
Oh no! Well, I hope you've rebuilt by now.
Ecthelion yeah, took a while though. I’m not a rich man and good hiking gear ain’t cheap, lol.
Happy trails friend!
Having done Pugh about 6 times I was always respectful of the exposure right where you stopped. There are other places that require you to slow down and collect yourself. But your wide angle lens makes the ridge top path look much worse than it is. It’s less fun when wet. It’s more of a trail above where you stopped. Try it again, you will love it.
The ladders at three fingers give me the Willies as well
Definitely be careful, there are exposed spots that are fatal if you fall. A hiker from Anacortes died on this part this year (2022). It was his third time hiking Pugh, and he was a lifetime hiker.
This is the best video about Mt.Pugh and the real danger of the scrabble up the mountain its very helpful.
Thanks! I figured I would post this part because I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. This mountain was in the same class as my. Pilchuck, and I had no idea why. It's dangerous, and I turned around because I started to have a panic attack. This would have been the worst place to have one.
I would have never made it to the top of this mountain without this video well said my friend
Excellent video. The ridge is actually not that bad unless someone is afraid of height. To do a comparision, you could try McClean Butte if you are familiar with this area.On the other hand, the scrambling to the peak looks more intimidating, but is also fine if you are on the right path, otherwise, it could be very difficult. I lost the track and had very difficult climb to regain the path. Usually, the bootpath is more clear when descending. One strange thing is that some mountaineer websites and a scramble book only listed Mount Pugh as technic level 1 or 2, even red mountain and Snoqualmie mountain are at level 3. After climbed all of them, certainly, I think Mount Puah is much more difficult than them even from the scramble point of view and it should be at the same level as HiBox mountain but more strenous. Not sure if the authors actually climbed this mountain or not. However, it is doable for many people as long as you take your time and keep focused.
Ha! Believe it or not, that knife-edge ridge is my favorite part of the trail. It DOES actually get less exposed shortly after where you turned around. The wide-angle lens used here exaggerates the exposure factor.
The actual summit is a spire of granite that is very exposed (small area to balance on, nearly 2,000 foot sheer drop on one side). I actually went up it the first time I climbed, but let discretion be the better part of valor the second time. It's only 8 feet or so higher than the small flat area where the lookout once stood so not much loss to avoid it.
My partner kept telling me it was about to get better, but at that point my nerves were already shot. I've been practicing so next time I can make it. So far, this is the only mountain I couldn't get to the top of, and I want to fix that, lol.
I went up to mt.pugh last Saturday with a buddy and made it about half way and got snowed out winter time isn't finished up in the mountains it was about 35 degrees with about a foot of snow and we were walking the same path as the big Mountain Lion tracks we saw on the trail when we reached the snow line we will be going back to conquer that mountain it's harder then people think.
I bet that ridge is pretty gnarley in the snow. I would think that you would need ropes and ice axes to do in in the winter! I wish you the best of luck when you return!
A little late to post but I’ve done this hike 10 times . The first time I did the sketchy part I was scared and didn’t think I would make it . And now I’m pushing friends and family up this mountain When I go. Definitely my favorite hike in Washington .
This vid makes this hike seem far more scary than it really is...Great video though
That's true. Most of the hike was a gentle well groomed path through wild flowers! This part was just a little too much for me, but my partner had zero problems with the exposure. It sounds like it was about to get better, but towards the end of the video my anxiety had taken a strong hold. I ended up hugging a rock for a little while. I've been scram in a bit more lately so when I go back I won't freak out again.
+PNWadventures I hear you brother… The same exact thing happened to me when I went up! I literally sat for over 45 minutes on the side of a rock freaking the hell out! LOL! I do think that there absolutely has to be zero amount of snow to do this comfortably.. Just to let you know… That I watch this video several times before I did this… I still feel that this is the most informative video on this hike… Once again great video and thank you for the upload!
You should really wear actual boots on a long hike/scramble like this; if you twist your ankle in those little footies up there, it's a long way down on one leg :/
However, good job getting this far, and it's better to stop than get in over your head. I kept going and almost had a bad time on the way back down the next section. It gets really loose and kinda not OK a bit further on, so it's good you stopped
Ryan Penrod I have way more control over my feet in the vibrams than any of my hiking boots, and they have ridiculous grip. I wear them when I can because I always seem to slip and roll my ankles when I do long hikes in boots. Never happens with the vibrams.
But yeah, I quit because I was worried about getting back down the mountain. I could have gotten up there, but it was all loose like you said and it was freaking me out. Going down is always harder.
I do all warm weather scrambles with FiveFingers. They grip the rock well. With FiveFingers I've done North Twin, Pugh, Kaleetan, Si Haystack, Tomyhoi, ... and a bunch in the Sierras. If I'm not wearing FiveFingers, I'm barefoot on scrambles too
… By the way I would like to tell you that you did a great job! You are not the first and you certainly will not be the last one to turn around on this trail… The only reason why I ever made it to the top was because of my Hiking partner that encouraged me the entire way…
Well I'm glad you made it to the top! It's always good to hike with a partner. Mine did try to pull me through, but my anxiety had just gotten too far.
Was it any easier going back down this section? This is sorta giving me 2nd thoughts about this hike but I think i can handle it
JORDAn 10 it did seem easier going back down. I guess I was used to it by that point. I’d say definitely give it a shot. if you don’t make it all the way up it’s still a beautiful hike with beautiful views, but it is a trail that you need to tale seriously and not go alone. I don’t feel like I wasted my time by not making it to the top. I got pretty pretty high up, saw some beautiful stuff and There were tons of flowers all over the place.