Mt. Spokane - July-Oct Higher Elevation Hike to the peak.

GPS navigation to parking area: 47.90487, -117.10225

Trail 131 starts across the road from the gravel parking lot. Goes right by the tan electrical box. First section goes by the park maintenance storage facilities.

FYI: There are restroom facilities at this location.

You start on Trail 131, which goes straight up to Bald Knob Campground (you return on that section). Trail 132 branches off and takes you to Trail 130. This is the trail that wraps around the 3/4 of the mountain. Its an easy hike on an old logging road. A nice warmup for the ascent up the ski run!

This is the first ski run you come to. You start seeing some nice long distance views. Click below (on the web interface) to go to a 360º Panoramic photo of this area. As you can see from the map, you are right below the sharp turn on N. Summit Road - keep this turn in mind, because you will see it again as you get right under the top of the peak.

This hike more-or-less follows the first ski lift up to the peak. There is NO trail, you are hiking cross-country in at times heavy underbrush with uneven ground and some rock. I liken the angle to climbing up a ladder that's against the side of a house. At times 35º+/-. Lets just say its steep... but the views are well worth it. Plus, if you go up on a weekend, you might well get gawkers who drove to the top steering down at you.

WARNING: Once again, proper footwear is imperative, I recommend well fitting hiking boots with ankle support, and liner socks. Trekking poles are also HIGHLY recommended to help keep your footing and to take some work off your feet.

Bring plenty of water - also for your dog if you have one along. This side of Mt. Spokane gets upwards of 18 hours of sun in the summer, and there is no shade. There are trees, but the undergrowth there makes it impassible.

With the sun, bring a wide brimmed hat, your forehead and neck will thank you.

DOGS: If you bring a dog, make sure he/she is in shape for this type of climb. My dog hikes 150 miles a month, this trip up No Alibi had him panting more than I have ever seen him do. Not only do dogs have the incline to contend with, but they have to jump over or find a way through a lot of undergrowth.

HUCKLEBERRIES: Since you've read this far, FYI - this is the 2nd best spot for huckleberries in Mt. Spokane State Park. First two weeks or so of August. Go up next to the green ski lift tower right beside Trail 130 and your in the thick of the huckleberries. Some people come pick berries up from the bottom of the run, but up here, hardly anyone comes. Even has the red leafed plants with sweet redish huckleberries, which I believe are the "real" huckleberries.

Two reasons to do this hike: 1) be able to say you've done it, 2) for the views. As shown in the attached photos, there are some spectacular views and, being off trail, you feel like its just you and the mountain.

Click on the links for You Tube video's (go online to www.everytrail.com for these features).

The worse of the undergrowth is toward the higher elevation. You will either notice the Vista House at the top or the turn in N. Summit Road below and to the right, both indications that you are higher than you might expect. You can see the red/white communication's tower, but because of its size, it is deceptive as a guide to how far up on the mountain you are.

Click on the links for You Tube video's and interactive 360º Panoramic photos (go online to www.everytrail.com for these features).

You've made it - hopefully there are some tourists on the top to shake their heads at you wondering why you hiked up when you could just have driven! One day, they'll get it.

There are two vantage points on the top to visit - one is the stone Vista House, where you see into Canada, Idaho and Montana. The other is by the communication's towers, where you can see all of Spokane and south-westward toward Tri-Cities and Moses Lake.

Bring binoculars, its fun to identify different locations. There are many smartphone Apps out that will help you identify locations. Also, there are some metal tubes at the top that point toward different cities.

You can stop for lunch here, but there are normally bitting flies at the peak, a better spot is at the CCC Cabin on the way down.

Click on the links for You Tube video's and interactive 360º Panoramic photos (go online to www.everytrail.com for these features).

FYI: There are restroom facilities at this location.

Unfortunately, as of July 2012, Trail 140 is in the worse shape of any hiking trail in the continental United States - well, at least its the worst shape I have come across any trail. After heavy sustained trail damage, it is now restricted to only hikers - ALTHOUGH, you still have bike tracks going down - so some mountain bikers are ignoring the prohibition and continuing to damage the trail. It is almost at the point of being treacherous to hikers; deeply rutted, loose big rock, exposed roots. Its not safe to hike down the No Alibi ski run, so instead, you have to go down Trail 140. Keep the trekking poles out!

The trail is in the process of being rerouted, contact the Park HQ or Friends of Mount Spokane to inquire about volunteering for a trail work detail.

TIP: If you do this hike in reverse and come up Trail 140 - I would recommend hiking down one of the ski runs east of the Vista Cabin. No Alibi is not recommended to go downward on - why risk injury?

The CCC Cabin actually at one point served as the Park HQ. Today its main purpose is as a winter warming hut for cross-country skiers. It is also a great place to stop for lunch and overall a good place to know where is when hiking on Mt. Spokane. The Cabin is centrally located to a number of different hikes, so it serves as a convenient place to retreat in inclement weather or if there is an injured hiker in your group.

TIP: The CCC Cabin is easily accessible from the Upper Loop Road Parking lot on N. Summit Road, making it convenient destination for taking kids, visitors or just non-hikers you are showing the mountain to.

FYI: There are restroom facilities at this location.

From the CCC Cabin, you follow Trail 130 toward Bald Knob Campground. This section of Trail 130 is a real mountain hiking trail. It is the most "alpine" of all the trails on Mt. Spokane. Keep the camera out, you come across some great photo ops.

Trail 130 goes across the parking lot at Bald Knob Campground, the exits the area to the left of the picnic table shelter.

The rest of the trip down to the parking area is fairly self-explanatory. You come across Trail 131 which continues to take you down, where Trail 130 wraps around back toward the ski runs. If you were to miss the turn, you end up on Trail 130 and just have to follow it back down.