For this hike, I went to Bald Knob near Mount Spokane with my cousin, Paullena. It is located about 30 minutes from where we live. We parked in the snowmobile parking lot along North Mount Spokane Park Drive and hopped onto Trail 131, which took us right along North Summit Road. This road is currently closed to vehicles but is open to snowmobiles and other winter recreational activities. As you get closer to the summit, you will come across Trail 132 which is a bit longer of a trail, or you can continue on Trail 131. Both trails will come back together and turn into Trail 130 which will is the final ascend up to the summit.
Trail 131 was beautiful in the early morning. The dark green trees looked vibrant against the bright white snow and there was a thick blanket of fog in the distance. There was enough snow to cover the bases of any signs we came across as well as the door to an outhouse we found along the trail. This is a trail that I highly recommend the use of snowshoes to avoid sinking to your waist in the powdery snow.
It was calm and quiet though every once in a while you would hear the faint sound of a snowmobile. We also found a downhill ski trail about halfway up Trail 131 with signs to indicate snowshoes are not allowed on that trail, so we were careful to avoid hiking across it.
We made it to the Bald Knob picnic area in about 37 minutes, which is near the Bald Knob campground. There was a covered area like that of a gazebo which had picnic tables underneath which was great for eating breakfast. We pulled out our Jetboil Flash cooking systems; my cousin decided on biscuits and gravy while I decided on blueberry granola with a cup of hot coffee. With it being only 4* outside the hot coffee was the perfect treat. If you are new to hiking and/or backpacking, the Jetboil Flash is a fantastic cook system. It boils water in roughly 100 seconds and uses very little fuel. I will be sure to post a full review of this cook system very soon!
We stayed at the picnic area for about an hour before we decided to head back down the trail. We followed the same path as took up to the summit, Trails 130 and 131. The hike back down the mountain was fairly quick and we were met by a few other hikers along the way.
If you are looking for a quick hike, I would recommend this trail. It’s a total of 3.5 miles with a 650-foot elevation gain. It offers a beautiful view and the picnic area at the top is the perfect spot to rest and eat a snack or meal. It also offers the option to connect with Trail 130 at the summit and hike up to the CCC Cabin which adds about 2 miles to the hike.
Consumed this hike:
Mountain House Granola with Milk and Blueberries
Mountain House Biscuits and Gravy
Kuju PourOver Coffee, medium roast (Base Camp Blend with Oak, Chocolate, and Honey)
Outdoor Trail Adventures 