Monte Cristo Preservation Association

Join us Saturday August 16 9:00AM at Barlow Pass for our next 2025 volunteer work party.

We have some trail work planned and a few small jobs to tackle in the townsite. Bring trail and brush tools. There may be materials to haul into the townsite.

At least one of us will be at the Barlow Pass gate at 9:00 to meet up with others as needed. You’re welcome to come start early and/or stay however long you prefer.

Join us Saturday July 19 9:00AM at Barlow Pass for our next 2025 volunteer work party. Blowdowns have all been cleared from the county road/trail. Minor trail repairs and brushing are always needed.

We have several projects planned for in the townsite and could use help haling in materials. Materials could be strapped to a bike or carried.

At least one of us will be at the Barlow Pass gate at 9:00 to meet up with others as needed. You’re welcome to come start early and/or stay however long you prefer.

Bring your own trail and brush tools as needed, and plan for potential of rain showers.

UPDATE: Due to forecasted inclement weather, we will not be officially meeting for a work party this Saturday. There will still be one or more persons meeting at the Barlow gate at 9:00AM so if you want to come do some work in the rain, that would be much appreciated. We will certainly have a scheduled party the 3rd weekend in July.

Join us Saturday June 21 9:00AM at Barlow Pass for our first 2025 volunteer work party. Blowdowns have all been cleared from the county road/trail. Minor trail repairs and brushing are always needed.

At least one of us will be at the Barlow Pass gate at 9:00 to meet up with others as needed. You’re welcome to come start early and/or stay however long you prefer.

Come join us at Jennings Barn in Marysville on Saturday March 1. Members, non-members, friends, families, and anyone else are all welcome to attend. This is the MCPA’s annual winter get-together to meet up and discuss all things Monte Cristo during the months the Mountain Loop Highway is closed.

We’ll have a potluck dinner starting at 5:30, then we have several topics of information to share beginning about 6:00. Doors will be open ~5:00 to set up for the potluck. Bring a meal to share if you would like to participate, or just come for the meeting/presentation. Utensils, plates and drinks will be provided.

We’ll discuss current news relating to MCPA and the Monte Cristo Area, and our work plans for the 2025 season.

We will also have a special presentation by Tim Nyhus from “Ghost Towns and Mines of Washington”; Tim has been exploring and documenting Washington’s abandoned and distant places for 15 plus years. His facebook group https://www.facebook.com/ghosttownsofwashington/ has an extensive following and a vast collection of posts, videos and photos from visiting historic places from all over Washington.

Map to Jennings Barn / Memorial Park: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CbrxrhRpNMhvnD4E6

Due to inclement weather we will not be officially meeting for a work party this Saturday. Should another decent weekend be available this season we will post notice here.

Join us Saturday October 19 9:00AM at Barlow Pass for our next 2024 volunteer work party. Weather permitting, we may continue the paint project on the powerhouse in the townsite. Also, given the upcoming season/closure, prepping the trails and roads to withstand winter rains is also necessary. There is also a fallen log on the first mile of the road we may remove.

At least one of us will be at the Barlow Pass gate at 9:00 to meet up with others as needed. You’re welcome to come start early and/or stay however long you prefer.

Join us Saturday September 21 9:00AM at Barlow Pass for our next 2024 volunteer work party. Intend to work on trails/road as well as maintenance work in the townsite. If you want to hike/bike into the townsite, we have potential plans to paint the outside of the powerhouse/cabin (the first structure after you cross the steel bride). There mau be supplies to carry in.

At least one of us will be at the Barlow Pass gate at 9:00 to meet up with others as needed. You’re welcome to come start early and/or stay however long you prefer.

Join us Saturday August 17 9:00AM at Barlow Pass for our next 2024 volunteer work party. Intend to work on trails/road as well as maintenance work in the townsite.

There is forecast of showers and potential thunderstorms, although expected only in the afternoon/evening. Plan accordingly.

We’ll meet at Barlow Pass gate 9:00 AM; if you have your own key you can drive in and begin at any point. We’ll have someone at the gate at 9:00 either way to let others in.

Join us Saturday July 20 9:00AM at Barlow Pass for our second volunteer work party of 2024. Work on/near the bypass trails and river crossing will be our focus. There are also tasks to tend to in the townsite for anyone wanting to make that trip.

Weather will certainly be hot and dry – bring plenty of liquids. Bring your own trail work hand tools (clippers, shovels, rakes, saw, etc).

We’ll meet at Barlow Pass gate 9:00 AM; if you have your own key you can drive in and begin at any point. We’ll have someone at the gate at 9:00 either way to let others in.

Weather Report: snowing at Barlow Pass. Reports of snow on ground at Monte Cristo

A few of us took chainsaws up the Monte Cristo road and cleared ~10 windfalls from the road.

Clayslide is quite passable but there is a large slide mid-way that has almost taken out the trail.

Log crossing is nearly submerged, but the water channel diverts back to the main channel just downstream and leaves a very shallow crossing to the gravel bar just prior to the outhouse. From there it only takes a few steps to get back to the downstream end of the upper bride and back onto the roadway. A lot of water flow under the second bridge, although it is abruptly diverted due to a log jam just downstream. No signs of any further bridge abutment erosion.

Some photos of the logs cleared shown below.