At Barlow Point ‘pass,’ the best T“ views come to those who look up By DENNIS WILLARD S ecial to The Herald The designation “Barlow Pass” or “Barlow Cut” near Monte Cristo has been on maps for many years. But like most Cascade trav- elers, I viewed passes as distinct geological places such as Cascade Pass, and always thought of this area as Barlow Rise or Barlow High Point. That may b the case since the “pass” is only ,349 feet, although it technically qualifies as a pass. A quick look to both north and south reveals that this is the only practical way through some very tall, steep monntains. What it lacks in drama and ele- Iation it more than makes up for n proximity To see what I mean, take the ust-over-a-mile Barlow Point BAnLow POINT TRAIL Length: 1.2 miles each way. Elevation gain: About 850 feet. Highlights: Views of two river valleys and surrounding peaks, outcroppings of volcanic rocks, series of gentle switchbacks. Carry water. Driving directions: 30 miles from Granite Falls on Mountain Loop Highway. Trail from the parking area and admire the views‘ Everything tends to be above you. That’s not entirely true, of course; it‘s just that the beauty of ,the mountains in all directions somewhat overshadows the views down from the point. This area burned in the Buck Creek fire in the early 19005, Forest Service officials say. The Barlow Point Lookout once stood here, with views of the south forks of the Stillaguamish and Sauk rivers. lt served as a fire lookout for 30 years until the building was removed in 1965. Today, the trail is mostly over- looked and rarely visited since it sits next to the road that enters the more popular Monte Cristo area. It’s difficult to take the time to wander this short trail when you realize that the rugged and delightful high trails lie just the other side of the gate‘ High Point Trail is actually two trails, one up to the point and the other traveling along the old Monte Cristo railroad grade, roughly parallel to the highway 4M Snohomish . County - I .92, Granite . Falls AREA OF’ DETAIL BARLOW POINT The Herald/JUDY STANLEY They are both short and can easily be visited in a single after- noon. Barlow Point Trail is a fine end to a pleasant drive up the Moun- tain Loop Highway Dennis Willard is a free-lance writer living in Mukilteo. , Author: , Accession/Object ID: 2011.1.6, Object Name: Article, Title: , Description: Short article on Barlow Pass and Barlow Point. Accompanied with photo of Walt Bailey and family at the Barlow Point Lookout in 1964. Badly mis-colored., OCR Text: At Barlow Point ‘pass,’ the best T“ views come to those who look up By DENNIS WILLARD S ecial to The Herald The designation “Barlow Pass” or “Barlow Cut” near Monte Cristo has been on maps for many years. But like most Cascade trav- elers, I viewed passes as distinct geological places such as Cascade Pass, and always thought of this area as Barlow Rise or Barlow High Point. That may b the case since the “pass” is only ,349 feet, although it technically qualifies as a pass. A quick look to both north and south reveals that this is the only practical way through some very tall, steep monntains. What it lacks in drama and ele- Iation it more than makes up for n proximity To see what I mean, take the ust-over-a-mile Barlow Point BAnLow POINT TRAIL Length: 1.2 miles each way. Elevation gain: About 850 feet. Highlights: Views of two river valleys and surrounding peaks, outcroppings of volcanic rocks, series of gentle switchbacks. Carry water. Driving directions: 30 miles from Granite Falls on Mountain Loop Highway. Trail from the parking area and admire the views‘ Everything tends to be above you. That’s not entirely true, of course; it‘s just that the beauty of ,the mountains in all directions somewhat overshadows the views down from the point. This area burned in the Buck Creek fire in the early 19005, Forest Service officials say. The Barlow Point Lookout once stood here, with views of the south forks of the Stillaguamish and Sauk rivers. lt served as a fire lookout for 30 years until the building was removed in 1965. Today, the trail is mostly over- looked and rarely visited since it sits next to the road that enters the more popular Monte Cristo area. It’s difficult to take the time to wander this short trail when you realize that the rugged and delightful high trails lie just the other side of the gate‘ High Point Trail is actually two trails, one up to the point and the other traveling along the old Monte Cristo railroad grade, roughly parallel to the highway 4M Snohomish . County - I .92, Granite . Falls AREA OF’ DETAIL BARLOW POINT The Herald/JUDY STANLEY They are both short and can easily be visited in a single after- noon. Barlow Point Trail is a fine end to a pleasant drive up the Moun- tain Loop Highway Dennis Willard is a free-lance writer living in Mukilteo. , Granite Falls Historical Society,Documents (articles, clippings, letters, papers),General Articles & Documents,General Articles,General Articles 02,Article (2011.1.6),Article (2011.1.6) 1, Article (2011.1.6) 1