Trip Date: August 29 – September 1, 2014

Jack Mountain High Circuit:  Ross Lake to Devil’s Pass to Canyon Creek

Ross Lake
Devil’s Junction Landing
Dry Creek Pass
Bear Skull Basin
Bear Skull Peak (7330 ft)
Devil’s Dome / Lookout (6982 ft)
Devil’s Pass
Daemon Peak aka Cinnamon Peak (7514 ft)
Jackita Basin
Devil’s Park
McMillan Park

Trip Report Summary

Region: Northeastern Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Upper Skagit Mountains

Areas: Ross Lake National Recreation Area & Pasayten Wilderness

Primary Starting Point: Ross Dam Trailhead on Highway 20 (Elev. 2150 feet)

Secondary Starting Point: Devil’s Dome Trailhead at Devil’s Junction Landing on Ross Lake (Elev. 1600 feet)

Way Points: Ross Lake Landing (trail hike);  Ross Lake & Devil’s Junction Landing (boat ride);  Devil’s Ridge & Dry Creek Pass & Bear Skull Basin & Devil’s Dome Lookout/summit & Devil’s Pass & North Fork Devil’s Creek & Jackita Pass & Jackita Basin & Devil’s Park & McMillan Park & Canyon Creek & Granite Creek (trail hike)

High Point: Devil’s Dome (Elev. 6982 feet)

Ending Point: Canyon Creek Trailhead on Highway 20 (Elev. 1900 feet)

Campsites: Devil’s Junction Camp & Bear Skull Basin & Jackita Basin

Summit: Bear Skull Peak (off-trail hike & rock scramble via South Slope—East Ridge)

Summit: Devil’s Dome (hike via Devil’s Dome Trail)

Sidetrip: North Fork Canyon Creek (trail hike)

Summit: Daemon Peak (off-trail hike & rock scramble via South Slope—Southeast Ridge)

Approximate Stats (excluding sidetrips): 27 miles traveled; 8800 feet gained; 9050 feet lost.

Approximate Stats (including sidetrips): 32 miles traveled; 11,600 feet gained; 11,850 feet lost.

Full Trip Report

For our Labor Day Weekend trip this year, Eileen, Fay, Doug, Tiffany, and I did the classic trail circuit around Jack Mountain in the Upper Skagit Mountains.  We didn’t have time for the full 360-degree circuit that begins and ends at the same place, so we completed just the high-elevation part of the trail in order to experience the scenic climaxes.  Our trek started at Devil’s Junction on Ross Lake and ended at Canyon Creek Trailhead on Highway 20. We had plenty of company on our circuit—this is a very popular trek—but plenty of solitude too.

The trek described herein is often referred to as the Devil’s Dome Loop, given that Devil’s Dome summit is the high point of the trail. However, I personally think this name fails to adequately describe and emphasize the true character of the trek—namely, the fact that you are making a partial or complete circuit around a massive mountain. Such an outstanding trek deserves an equally lofty name such as the Jack Mountain Circuit. Considering that Jack Mountain has long been known as “King of the Skagit,” a more colorful name would be the Skagit King Circuit. Hopefully, one of these names will eventually enter common usage.

Day 0: Ross Dam Trailhead to Devil’s Junction Camp

This was primarily just a staging day for us. Eileen and I met Fay at the Ross Dam Trailhead at 3:45pm and quickly shuttled Fay’s car up to the Canyon Creek Trailhead. Then we hiked down to Ross Lake (carrying grocery sacks and a bundle of firewood in our arms) and rode a water taxi launch up to Devil’s Junction. Camp 0 was established on a rocky bench 100 feet above Ross Lake. Fay had gotten the last available permit for Devil’s Junction Camps, and it was a good thing she did; soon after our tents were pitched, a friendly park ranger stopped by to check our permit. The night was overcast but very warm…and pretty much bug free.

Day 1: Devil’s Junction Camp to Bear Skull Basin + Bear Skull Peak

We left camp at 8:30am and headed up the Devil’s Dome Trail. Aside from a few brief rain sprinkles in the morning, the day was mostly warm and sunny. Even Jack Mountain—always a cloud magnet—exposed itself for a short while.

We crossed through Dry Creek Pass in the early afternoon and continued another mile to 6400-foot Bear Skull Basin (5.7 hours from Camp 0) on the western flank of Devil’s Dome. This multi-level basin provides nice camping and reliable water, as well as views out to the west. A party of four arrived about an hour later and made camp in the next level above us. We would spend the rest of the trip leap-frogging them.

After setting up Camp 1 in the basin, Fay and Eileen and I headed up Bear Skull Peak (Point 7330) for afternoon views. It was cold, breezy, and mostly cloudy, but we managed to gain a good look at Devil’s Dome and Daemon Peak—our goals for the next day.

Doug and Tiffany were waiting in camp when we returned to Bear Skull Basin. They had ridden the 11:00am water taxi to Devil’s Junction and had made good time hiking up the trail. Later that evening, as we were finishing dinner, a chilly fog wafted into camp. It was quite a change from the previous warm night at Ross Lake.

Day 2: Bear Skull Basin to Jackita Basin + Daemon Peak

A steady rain pelted our tents throughout the early morning hours, but as if right on queue, it stopped a few moments before we arose at 7:00am. Miraculously, we never had another drop of rain for the rest of our trip. The lingering morning fog added an eerie mood to the alpine tundra as we hiked over Devil’s Dome—a former lookout site and the high point of our entire circuit—then down to Devil’s Pass.

We arrived at Devil’s Pass in late morning (2.2 hours from Camp 1) and stashed backpacks in the trees, then hurried northeasterly on the trail leading toward Sky Pilot Pass. Our goal was to climb 7514-foot Daemon Peak.

Upon reaching an obvious basin at the head of North Fork Canyon Creek (due south of Daemon Peak), we headed up grassy slopes and brecciated talus toward the false summit. A fun little Class 2 ridgeline then led us to the summit of this rarely climbed peak.

Although Henry Custer climbed this prominent peak on Labor Day Weekend of 1859 (presumably, he had the day off work), it has gone over 150 years without an official name. Fred Beckey refers to it as “Cinnamon Creek Peak,” but Fay soundly rejects this moniker. She left a register titled “Daemon Peak,” which apparently is the accepted peak-bagger’s name. Don’t even try calling this “Cinnamon Peak”!

Once back at Devil’s Pass, Fay set up her tent in preparation for her next few days of peak-bagging. The rest of us packed up and headed south on the main trail. We dropped into North Fork Devil’s Creek (a good water source), then climbed over 6200-foot Jackita Pass on a rudely steep, brushy trail before dropping another 400 feet into Jackita Basin below Jackita Ridge. We established Camp 2 in this attractive meadowy basin (10.2 hours from Camp 1), near a little stream. Evening sun pierced the cloudcover and highlighted various features around us, including Jackita Peak and Crater Mountain.

Day 3: Jackita Basin to Canyon Creek Trailhead

We awoke to patchy blue skies and mild temps. Our hiking route took us on an up-and-down traverse below Jackita Ridge, across a combination of scenic meadowy slopes and scree fields.

Before long, we started descending into the gorgeous grassland of Devil’s Park. This sweeping green plateau rivals Grand Park at Mt. Rainier and The Parks of the Chuchuwanteen in its plea for a day of wandering. We had to be contented with a lazy lunch in the sun here.

On our hike out of Devil’s Park, we stopped at the old trailside shelter. It seems to be in good condition even after many decades of hosting wet hikers on rainy nights.

We crossed through McMillan Park and arrived at the Canyon Creek TH around 4:00pm (6.9 hours from Camp 2), where Tiffany’s car was waiting. It had been an immensely satisfying and enjoyable loop hike—leaving no doubt why this has become such a popular trek. Someday, we hope to complete the full 360-degree Skagit King Circuit. The burning question then becomes: which direction to go?

Route Map & Profile

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Photo Gallery

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