McDonald map

This is a map Eric Noel created for our effort on this one and it worked out well for us. Eric has put both routes on this that are generally used and we used the one that comes in from the north. Waypoints are in nad 27. First the blue section joined into the red section and then we took the black section that hooked back into the red section (is that clear?) Here's more: "Eric Noel and I parked off the Kent-Kangley road (top left of map) and hopped over the blue gate as we elected to push bikes up so we could ride them down. The way up passes an old shot up pickup truck and a couple wash outs but at a junction, go left. Stay on the left road and at the next road junction, again go left and up the hill to where you will find a big blue gate. Most likely this gate will be closed so just hop over it and continue up the road. When you reach a borrow pit and another blue gate, stay on the main road you are on as the gated road leads to a radio tower. Continue down the road and you'll come to another fork, the right one which goes slightly uphill at this point, and the main road which drops downhill. Take the right fork as it ascends a bit and then ascends even more, eventually topping out before it drops back downhill. When you reach the junction with the original main road, go right and head uphill and this will lead you close to the highpoint. Look for a small spur that goes to the right off of the main road and just follow it around and up and you'll be very close to the highpoint of McDonald Mtn. No benchmark or register and a limited view to the south and southwest. Mt. Rainier will fill your viewscreen on a clear day. Stat's for this route: a bit over 12 miles and 3500 feet (includes the ups and downs). Credit for the short cut (black line on the map) which shows only as a 4wd track on the map is indeed a road goes to Eric. I just followed his good directions and it probably saved about a mile each way. --Dean Molen, May 25, 2007