I had Wallace & Jay lakes to myself, but by the time I finished lunch and was ready to leave (about 1:30) other hikers were starting to arrive. I started to head back the way I came, but on a spur of the moment impulse I opted for the 6 mile return via the DNR access road and Railroad Grade trail, hoping to bask in the warm afternoon sun and maybe get some nice views of the Skykomish River valley. I wasn't disappointed.
Yes, it is just a logging road through clearcuts and young second growth forest. But all of the forest in the State Park and adjacent land is second growth, so it's just a matter of how late a successional stage they're in. There can be beauty in all stages (OK, not the butt ugly clearcuts), and the road was a real delight. Let's compare and contrast. On the Greg Ball trail, you pass through a rather homogenous forest of uniform aged stands, although the understory vegetation is beginning to recover. For aesthetic beauty here think micro, not macro. With the DNR road, the trees go from seedlings among stumps and slash to little "Christmas trees" to trees that have been growing since I was born in the 1950's.
The openings created by logging allow the salmonberries to thrive. They also open up a big sky, particularly appreciated by this sun-starved hiker, and views not only across the valley but east towards Stevens Pass as well. Mount Index and Mount Persis loom above the horizon around every bend of the road, and the crowds you'd be sharing the trail with in the afternoon are nowhere to be found. Vehicle access to the road is restricted, and I only saw one truck the whole time. What I did see were eagles, hawks and a deer, which I wouldn't have seen in the confines of the forest.
I'm not about to give up trails in favor of roads, but I think many are underrated. On the right ones you can find nice views, beautiful flowers, grazing deer and easy walking, and today I found all those things on this little known gem.
Oh, by the way, it's also a great way to travel when snow obscures the trails.
