Objective: 4/30/19 Ascend N Fork Skookum Creek > cross over to and descend into Cook's Creek > ascend Cook's Creek via ND Road# 039 > at end of climb, find road to Cook's Lake > return to top of climb from Cook's Lake > descend and find fork/roads: road that descends Sandwich Creek and NF # 016 that descends S Fork of Skookum Creek from it's headwaters.

Ride stats: 27.99 miles, 2459 ft elevation gain

Notes: I wanted to locate and ride these roads as they can be used to connect several other rides, or could be a ride in and of itself, and gets you to Cook's Lake, which I had never been to. I was able to find everything except the "fork/roads: road that descends Sandwich Creek and NF # 016 that descends S Fork of Skookum Creek from it's headwaters.", as I turned right instead of left at one fork, it was getting late, and it looked like a storm was moving in.

Map: Red lines = proposed objective. Blue lines = actual route. Yellow line = where I got off route and backtracked

Some things I saw on the way up........

Some elk in a field that is behind my house about 1/8 mile

I counted 13 turkey vultures, however, I could only capture about half in the camera frame. Was this a clue about my mission?

Where I'm headed to

This barn and this large, interesting boat are on Skookum Creek Rd.

Skookum Creek Rd

Looking towards home from the road above N Fork Skookum Creek

Crossing Cook's Creek

The climb up Cook's Creek was a workout, but I made it. Here's part of the climb, near the bottom

Here's the very top of the climb, and the jumping off point to go to Cook's Lake

Top of the climb

The way down after going to Cook's Lake

The way to Cook's Lake from the top of the climb.

Cook's Lake at the campground. Not a soul in sight. 

I took this when I got off route, looking across Cook's Creek drainage, at the trail that I rode early in this ride, that crossed from N Fork Skookum to Cook's Creek. 

Looking down at Cook's Creek, that forms a pond in this area that's filled with timber.