Bandera Mountain

Formerly the Mason Lake trailhead, this trail was dedicated a few years ago in memory of Ira Spring, who was one of the country's foremost advocates for hiking trails and a co-founder of Washington Trails Association. The trailhead has parking for over 30 cars, and the space is well used because this trail leads to so many places. The info posted on the map board is very helpful. The people you'll see along the way are my wife, and my son and his wife. ... Having a toilet after a long ride from the city makes this a truly luxurious place to begin an adventure.

Even in late July, this waterfall along Mason Creek, and the one about 200 yards farther along the trail, roared down the hillside. You’ll have to climb in past some of the foliage to get a good picture, but the extra effort is well worth it. The second set of falls is even more dramatic; don’t let the fact that a 10 ft wide pipe shunts it under the trail rob you of its awesome power. … About a mile farther along the trail is a bench. Sit for a spell and enjoy the sunlight and the views across the valley.

About two miles from the trailhead, you’ll arrive at the trail split. One trail goes down to Mason Lake, the other up to the summit of Bandera Mountain. From this point to the summit is only .5 miles, but you will gain 1000 feet of altitude over that distance. The trail is clear most of the way, although it is very narrow, and requires considerable agility. You’ll find it like climbing a set of stairs where the distance of the risers is two to three times the normal nine inches. As you make your climb, you’ll have many opportunities to observe the shambles of what Bandera Mountain once was. Acres of boulders stretch before your eyes, the residue of centuries of freeze thaw erosion. Also you'll see fields of flowers overseen by towers of bear grass (malfunction of the camera actually highlights this effect).

At this point we can see both sides of the mountain. To the north Mason Lake comes into view. It rests in a glacial bowl about 500 feet below us. One of nearly 700 small alpine lakes (or “tarns”) which gives this region its name, Mason Lake just wet our appetites (pun intended) for more of these sparkling gems. If we’d taken the trail to the lake instead of the top of the mountain, we would have been able to connect with several other trails that meander throughout the wilderness. Across the Snoqualmie River valley, McClellan Butte, Mt Gardner and Little St. Helens point the way down the valley to Seattle. As the afternoon wears on, the clouds in the valley dissipate, but continue to lie heavily on the city to the west.

As with all good climbs, it seems, there is a false summit and a real one — much like life. After clambering up about 700 feet from the trail split, we reached a level spot (more or less). This seemed like a good place to stop for lunch. We were not the only ones who thought so. Having rested our legs, we continued up another 250 feet to the true summit. The top of the mountain is roughly circular, 140 feet across. As you roam around on it, you can see several of the Alpine Lakes (Mason, Kula Kula, Rainbow, and couple that are not named). To the south, rising ethereally above the clouds is the snow covered peak of Mt Rainier, 40 miles away. … The climb down was less arduous than we anticipated; but we were definitely glad we had our trekking poles with us.