Scout Patrol Peak and Point 4582' (Little St. Helens)

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I have had my eye on Scout Patrol Peak and the few that surround it since visting Gardner , Humpback and Abiel Peaks. The current point in the melt cycle is the ideal time to tackle this and other nearby summits, when the roads are clear enough to allow a decent approach by vehicle but there is still enough snow to ease the bush whacking.

Snow began on Road 5510 at about 3200 feet. Someone powered up to Hanson Creek Trailhead with a 4x4 before about 3 feet of snow melted leaving firm ridges where their tires compacted the snow. I used these ridges to avoid the slush as Auto and I followed the tracks from a few hikers and a dog that has also parked where the snow began.

We left the road just after crossing over to the West Side of the long Northern ridge leading to Scout Peak. Low clouds filled most of the I-90 corridor and light rain came and went all day, which made for some wet bushwacking. We ascended a steep talus field with intermittent snow up to an old logging road, where we returned the East side of the ridge and continued the climb.  Staying close to the top of the ridge, we moved through thick forest filled with smaller trees before reaching a shoulder and getting the first glimpse of the summit.

We quickly made it up and were greeted by a short, but welcome break in the clouds. There was little to see through the clouds so I wasted no time before starting out towards Point 4582' to the NW, sometimes called "Little Saint Helens". I dropped down towards the road a little early, when I should have stayed to the top of the ridge to the West. As I began traversing and regaining a bit of elevation I could hear a dog on the road below, probably with the hikers who I parked by. 

When we reached the 4-way junction I chose to follow the road marked with a new sign for Hansen Ridge Trail 1020.1. I quickly tired of the slow ascent rate, and Automahn begrudgingly followed me up the steep East face. At the summit we got a few more minutes of sunshine, and some brief views across I-90 of Granite Mountain. 

We descended to the East and followed the third road down past Hansen Creek Trailhead, near a large borrow pit that was busy with people engaging in target practice last year when I climbed Mount Gardner. When we reached the road I noticed snowshoe tracks and a set of dog prints that had come from where we parked. These must have belonged to the group I heard earlier. I'm sure they would have been interested to know that a bear was following behind them. The bear tracks I found couldn't have been more than an hour or two old.

~7 miles Round Trip ~3000' Elevation Gain Snowshoes not necessary, but maybe helpful