Both of these trails run along the Stillaguamish River on either side of Granite Falls.

Robe was a stop along the Monte Cristo Railway that ran from Monte Cristo to Everett to transport gold and silver and later logs from the mountains and acted as a scenic tourist railroad taking folks into the mountains, specifically to Big Four Ice Caves Resort. Six tunnels were bored out along the Stillaguamish river, the route that the railway followed. The railway was built in 1892 and died in 1933 and required annual rockslide and flood damage.

The trail runs past the old townsite, which is now swampland and the town has since moved up to Mountain Loop Highway. And along the rail line through two tunnels, only accessible by scrambling over rockslides. The trail ends at a former bridge where the railroad crossed the Stilliguamish.

When we first arrived, at the beginning of March, even Robe Canyon with an elevation of about 1000 feet had snow. Most areas were barren except for the conifers.

It is the first time that either of the dogs had been in snow and they both loved it.

Even though it was the dead of winter, there were still areas that were so rich in multiple layers of green, that Jeff couldn't help but making Hobbit references.

As spring approached, the whole area was taken over by wildflowers. One of the most showy is skunkcabbage, which grows in the moist areas of this region. The marshes of Robe Canyon are perfect breeding ground for this species that got its name from the stinky, sticky substance on its spadix.

Many of the trails here have small stream crossings. Some of them have logs or rocks, others you just walk right through the water. Good boots are a must.

The old Monte Cristo Railroad Grade begins just past the historic town of Robe. You can see that the canyon wall of the Stillaguamish becomes very steep.

One of Jeff's favorite things about the forest here is how wet it is. It is not uncommon to see miniature waterfalls, trails overtaken by waterflow or constant drips down the mountainside.

This is the rockslide area that has technically closed the trail. There are other areas where flooding of the Stillaguamish has simply collapsed roadways or shoulders. It is easy to see why the railway here became to expensive to maintain. You can also see that the canyon has narrowed here.

Most of the tunnels from the railway have collapsed, but there are two that are accessible that are still standing. Apparently, they required timber support.

The Lime Kiln Trail is over 3 miles long and goes through some very diverse ecosystems. First, it follows abandoned roads through second growth forest, passes Hubbard Lake and a small stream to meet up with the old railroad grade along the Stilliguamish. This was my favorite trail to witness spring.

You can't really get very far around here without seeing salmonberries. In our case, they are at the foot of the driveway, the head of any trail and prettymuch anywhere that things are allowed to grow wild with a little sun.

In early summer, foxgloves take over all of the roads around here. I actually didn't even know that it could be a wildflower and around here, it does grow like a weed!

This is my favorite flowering shrub around here and think it may be currants. It is certainly the most brilliant.

I also have not figured out what these are, we call them caterpillar things (since the first edition of this site, I learned they are called horsetails.

We also discovered nursery logs here. It is when a dead log or stump hosts a new generation of life. Some of the mosses that grow look like a miniature forest.

Here is another wildflower that I love called Bleeding Hearts.

And this is the lime kiln. In the 19th century, lime was produced from limestone by heating in a kiln. In turn, the lime was used for mortar and plaster, primarily for buildings. In Robe Canyon, it was used to construct the railway.

This is what Clover looks like after a 7 mile hike, the only time isn't a crazy monster, lol.