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Trip Report    

Alpine Scramble - Yellow Hill-Elbow Peak

We hiked to Elbow Peak over Yellow Hill. A rough trail led to open ridge hiking with extensive views.

Richard Burt Richard Burt
September 07, 2018
  • Road rough but passable

  • The access road is blocked by a berm at ~2,900’, which my Forester was barely able to get over.  We continued driving to 3,800’, where there is good parking for 3 cars beside the road. The unmarked Yellow Hill trail branches off shortly above, around a curve.

     The trail has had extensive motorcycle use and has long sections of loose rock, gravel and kitty litter making for some slippery footing.  This is particularly pronounced when going over the rock outcropping at Pt 5498, midway between Yellow Hill and Elbow peak.  Trekking poles were very helpful.

    The burn from the Jolly Mountain fire is quite spotty, with just a few area completely charred.  The trail has recently been logged out, and so is not blocked by downed trees. 

The route requires rather more attention than one would expect from a trail hike.  But once you break out onto the open ridges beyond Yellow Hill, there are excellent wide-ranging views of the central and eastern Cascades.