Looking north across Rapid River valley, Sloan Peak in far center distance. Photo: Mark Lawler

Skykomish

North Fork Skykomish valley from Scott Peak, Mounts Index and Persis in background. Photo: John Roper

​The North and South Forks of the Skykomish meet just below the Highway 2 bridge across the South Fork near Index. Both watersheds have no end of interesting country, full of high mountains, many lakes, and large areas of intact forests.

North Fork

Mt. Baring seen from Mt. Persis. Photo: John Roper

From the attractive mountain town of Index, the valley of the North Fork Skykomish stretches north and east to the Cascade crest. From an elevation of only 500 feet at Index, the terrain rises to over 7000 feet atop Columbia and Kyes peaks. In between are some of the most extensive natural forests in the Cascades, and some of the least disturbed salmon spawning habitat near Puget Sound. The waters of the North Fork have a pleasing blue – green transparency, and are home to healthy populations of wild fish.

Anadromous fish (those that live most of their lives in salt water but spawn in fresh water,) such as salmon, and their relatives steelhead and bull trout, can ascend the North Fork to within five miles of the Cascade crest, going farther up the North Fork than probably any other river in the Cascades. Steelhead and bull trout jumping the rocky falls on the North Fork just above Bear Creek are an unforgettable sight. ​

2008 Dedication of Wild Sky Wilderness in Index WA, Senator Patty Murray, Congressman Rick Larsen, Forest Supervisor Rod Iwamoto

DNR Section 6 along Beckler River, a few miles north of Skykomish. This square mile section of isolated state land may soon be managed as a tribal nature preserve by the Tulalip Tribes.

The waters and forests of the North Fork Skykomish were in large part protected by the Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 2008. This remarkable act is considered by many to be perhaps the finest piece of conservation legislation ever enacted to protect a specific part of the Cascades. It was a significant departure from earlier “rocks and ice” Wilderness bills (such as the Alpine Lakes had to be 1976,) in that over 30% of the protected land is below 3000 feet elevation.

The Wild Sky Wilderness protects over 25 miles of salmon streams, a first for Wilderness areas in the Cascades. It also encompasses well over 60,000 acres of natural forests, including about 14,000 acres of low elevation (under 3000 feet,) ancient forests, including a number of “cathedral groves” in places such as along the North Fork river below Deer Falls (the “Hubbard Grove,”) and others.

Perhaps most remarkably of all, the Wild Sky Wilderness includes over 6000 acres of mature, naturally regenerated forests. These forests, mostly in the North Fork valley, grew up naturally on their own following railroad logging in the early 20th century. Never replanted, and fully wild, these forests grow on the lowest, richest and most productive sites to be found on the National Forests in the Cascades. Many places now have trees almost 4 feet thick, and well over 150 feet high. Left to themselves, and now protected inside the Wild Sky Wilderness, they will in time once again be true “old growth” ancient forests.
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South Fork

Unprotected old growth forest in Skykomish area, north of Alpine Lakes Wilderness

The South Fork Skykomish watershed encompasses the northwestern part of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and much else, including the extensive watersheds of the Beckler and Rapid rivers. From roughly the Beckler river east, the country receives somewhat less cloudiness, and more sun than areas to the west. Thus the summers are just a bit drier and warmer. Certain areas can lend themselves to off trail wandering. Grass/forb “flower” meadows can be found high on some ridges, a change from the heather meadows found farther west.

When the Alpine Lakes Wilderness bill was passed in 1976, the politics of the day still dictated that forests be kept out of Wilderness areas as much as possible. Thus the map of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, particularly in its Skykomish part, has thus sometimes been called an octopus, or starfish, with protection extending outward along high ridges, but intervening forested valleys excluded.

ALPS did all it could to prevent this, but the timber industry was politically very powerful. ALPS was succesful in including most of forested Deception creek in the Wilderness. But large parts of the lower Foss river, Maloney ridge, the Miller river and Money creek were left out of the Wilderness. These areas are where almost all the remaining unprotected mature and old growth forests of the Skykomish watershed can be found today.

With the rollback of protections from the Northwest Forest Plan, these places are in much more danger than they have been in for many years. Perhaps there might be an effort to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Skykomish someday in the future, but such efforts are difficult and take years. ALPS and other conservation groups will need to be ready to oppose any new timber sales in these areas should they appear.

Cedar forest in Skykomish area, north of Alpine Lakes Wilderness

"Grotto Grove" 320 year old old growth near Skykomish in Wild Sky Wilderness, since burned in 2022 Bolt Creek fire. Photo: Tim Greyhavens

Old growth grove near Skykomish, north of and outside of Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Harlan Ridge, after logging by Weyerhaeuser, later traded to Forest Service, now regrown with huckleberries and co-managed with Tulalip Tribes. Photo: John Roper

Old growth forest near Skykomish, north of Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Goat Packing in Wild Sky Wilderness.

​The South Fork Skykomish basin is also home to a number of anadromous fish, thanks to the trap and haul operation at Sunset Falls, which naturally blocks fish migration. This is jointly managed by the State of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Tulalip Tribes. Adult fish returning to spawn are penned and caught just below the falls, and trucked to a release site a few miles upriver. Young fish heading downstream to the ocean are able to go down the falls with little problem, since the falls are more of a ramp than a steep plunge like at Snoqualmie Falls. This operation opens up 110 miles of spawning habitat in the South Fork, Miller, Foss, Beckler and Rapid rivers.

Spawned out salmon in lower Lowe Creek, near Skykomish

Springtime hike to Arsenic Meadows, looking east to Gunn Peak and Mt. Baring.Photo: Kevin Geraghty

Arsenic Meadows in springtime, Gunn Peak in distance.Photo: Kevin Geraghty

An enjoyable day in the alpine meadows.