Icicle Ridge High Point 6.9.06

I was looking for a long elevation gain where snow wasn't a huge factor. I had read some reports for this trail so I knew snow wouldn't be an issue. The lower portions of the trail need brushing and since it had rained recently I became quite wet. The cloud ceiling was around 6500ft so views were mostly stunted. The grade is quite pleasing but it is still a substantial 4700ft of climb to the lookout which comes in at 7029ft ranking it #36 on the Back Court list. Snow becomes consistent around 6800ft and is pretty solid on the North Side below the lookout. I was glad that I brought plenty of clothes because of the cool windy weather. I didn't have any problems finding a straight forward route to the remnants of the lookout. The lookout itself is on an immense flat rock that requires you to use some handholds that are provided for you. I merely touched the summit and quickly made my way back to my pack that I had stowed in a more sheltered location below me. I quickly ate my lunch and then I was off for the long descent to the truck. I was quite pleased with the 5.5 hour car to car time. I, however, was a bit disappointed with the lack of views from the summit. I am sure that the lookout is a wonderful vantage point. Even though I was quite wet by the time I returned to the truck I am sure that it was much better than trying this climb on a warm sunny day. I was simply amazed with the volume of water in both Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River.

Lost Dog Peak 6.8.06

Lost Dog Peak is an entirely unofficial for the unamed Peak that lies just East of Pt. 6260 above De Roux Creek. I felt this name was appropriate due to my wandering Beagles escapades in view of this peak. The goal for the day was for a summit of High Esmerelda Pt. 6765 which is the highest point of the many peaks of the Esmerelda Group. I was pleasantly suprised to find no snow at the De Roux Campground. However consistent snow started right out of the gate making route finding much slower. I made my way to about 4900ft where I erred a bit and ended up above the trail on a subtle spur that tended SW. I was not looking forward to a ford of De Roux Creek due to the very high volume of water and I didn't really want to turn back so soon. The spur provided an easy grade towards Pt 6260 so I decided to press on. The spur was mostly snowfree until 5600ft and the grade became much steeper at around 5700ft. I was forced to unleash the beagle in order to use both hands to help drag myself to the 6000ft ridgeline. I made my way to a small saddle and dropped pack. When I looked down there was no Beagle anywhere, Because the last 300ft took all my attention I didn't really know if he was above or below me. Since the summit of what I thought was Pt. 6260 was easily within my sight I pressed on. My thought my sight lines would be much improved the higher I went. I was greeted with very strong winds and no visibility to the South. I had a feeling I wasn't on the true summit so I took a GPS reading that put me on Pt 6110. Since I was still missing my dog I decided to backtrack to my pack. It certainly a uneasy feeling to think about returning without my beloved pet. I wasn't sure what course of action to take, I didn't see any of his tracks around my pack so I surmised that he must be below me. I made my was to my ridge jump of point and was happy to find my wandering pet. Now my attention turned to how best to get down the steeper portions of the ridge. I decided it prudent to make my way down kick stepping facing the hill. I managed to make it back to the spur with only mildly raising my heart rate. I had no problems refinding the trail below me and I was soon back at the truck. On a curious side note I had passed a older couple on the way in, which suprised me since I didn't see any fresh bootprints on the way in. On the way out I didn't see any signs of their return either. Perplexing

Sasse Mt. 6.1.06

I was hoping for a summit bid for Humerus Hill which lies between Jolly Mt and Elbow Peak. My hope was that at least the first gate would be open on logging road #4315 which starts just after the Cooper Lake Turnoff. The road intersects the Sasse Mt trail close to the Jolly Mt trail. I was at least 3 hours late getting started due to obligations on the home front so I wasn't overly optimistic about my chances. The first gate was shut snugly so I was assured of not making my day's objective. I was only able to walk the road until I intersected with the Sasse Mt Trail. Without any more time before I had other obligations at home I was forced to turn back. The snow was constant and consolidated above 4300ft. I thankfully returned to the truck before the rain became serious. Just before crossing Snoqualmie Pass the rain became so intense I was nearly forced to pull over.

Kachess Ridge Highpoint 5.19.06

The High point of Kachess Ridge is Pt 5525 which ranks in at #61 on the Home Court 100. I scouted the road last week that runs the length of the eastern shore of Lake Kachess so I knew I could drive at least a short ways up road 4824. I was able to drive to 3200ft where I was stopped by snow. I arrived at the ripe hour of 4pm so I was treated with soft snow and beating afternoon sun. The road walk went quite quickly, I was glad I had a map to consult because of the maze of logging roads that criss-cross the area. I dropped pack on the broad saddle just north of my objective. I stayed mostly on the ridge that starts obviously to the south. Most of the ridge is quite benign but there were a few areas that required caution because of the soft snow. I found it easier to scramble some of the rock areas instead of doing a steep traverse through the soft snow. The final push to the summit was easy and open and provides some great views of the area peaks. It was quite stunning to see Lake Kachess over 3000ft below me. I picked my was carefully back to my pack. This area suprised me with some of the sheer rock faces in the area. I was quite impressed with the rock group just to the east of the high point. I think one of the spires has been aptly dubbed ""Little Pecker"". I was impressed with the volume of water in any creek that I passed. I hope this does not translate into landslides and lowland flooding that is plagueing other areas of the state.