Thompson point 12.28.04

With just perfect weather I headed up the Granite Lakes Jeep road on mountain bike. There is a fair amount of blowdowns over the road in the first couple of miles. Nothing that you can't drag a mountain bike through. I kept a good pace until I reached the creek crossing where I dumped the bike and started the long walk to the ridgeline. I had heavy legs today so I wasn't too happy with the time I was making. I didn't hit sustained snow until 3400 feet and then it was mostly patchy. I followed the logging road that takes you directly towards Revolution Peak. The road dead ends at about 4700ft, I just climbed straight up in the somewhat soft snow until I reached the saddle between Pts 5124 and 5454. at around 5000ft. The weather became quite windy and very cold as I contemplated what to do next. As much as I wanted the summit to reward myself for all my hard work, I found my self drawn towards Pt 5124 instead. I just wasn't sure on how the dogs would react to the last push to the summit. I do wish however that I would have pressed on. I did enjoy some nice views of the Lower Middle Fork Valley. I could see the Columbia Tower just poking out of the fog in Seattle. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself when I thought about how my co-workers didn't even realize how nice it was today. I found a sheltered area to eat my lunch and do a little peak counting from my somewhat lofty perch. I decided to use the snowshoes for the descent, which seemed a bit easier. I reached the bike in less than 2 hours and the coast out was easily less than a half an hour. Total time 4hrs to the saddle and 2:15 out.

Mount Si 12.21.04

I was hoping to something a bit more exotic on the shortest day of the year, but time became it's usual impedance. I decided to stick close while still getting some sort of work out. Today's goal was to mountain bike as far on the Mount Teneriffe logging road as I could and then hike the rest of the way to Tenriffe's summit. I made great time the first 3 miles where I decided just to leave the bike for the coast home. I hit sustained snow near 2400ft but not nearly enough for snowshoes. I continued climbing until I reached a juction near 3100ft. I decided to follow the right fork that I knew took me towards Mount Si. It was much farther to Si's summit than I remembered but I made the top before I lost sunlight. I only stayed long enough to open something to drink and put on my headlamp for the long run back to the bike. I enjoyed the nice cushion of snow beneath my feet as I made my way down. I was thankful that the weather had improved the whole day and I missed any rain. The coast out was made more interesting due to the fading light. By the time I reached the truck it was quite dark.

Granite Lake Road 12.7.04

With the snow level flirting with 1500ft I decided to mountain bike until I reached the snow line. I have never used a bike for this purpose. I made it much easier than I expected to the snow line. It was now snowing quite hard as I changed into my boots. I had not really expected so much new snow I could have used my snowshoes above 2000ft. I had an appointment that I needed to be back early for so I turned back at 2800ft. It was quite fun watching the dogs dealing with the heavy wet snow. Soon I was back to my bike for the much easier coast to the truck.

Squak Mt 11.10.04

Finally Tanner's knee could withstand some hiking. I started him 3 weeks ago on leash walking the south side access road for just for about a mile. Last week I decided to do the West Summit and Central Summits. He was doing so well I decided to unleash him for the road walk out. This wasn't a bright idea because not more than a quarter mile into the descent both dogs sited a deer and were chasing the deer down the road at warp 6. Just what his knee needed an all out run steeply downhill. Thankfully no damage was done and Tanner recovered with only minimal soreness the next day. For this week I deemed him fit to be off leash for a real hike. I decided to take Phil's creek trail unil it passes below the East Peak. Here I left trail and bushwhacked to the East Peak's summit. This route is mostly unpleasant with meddling nettles in season. After summitting I was sure I would find trail down the north side. I found bits and pieces leading me more westerly. I dropped to Phil's creek and found this even more unpleasant travel I did a long traverse in a se tack until I found somewhat easier travel. After a much longer descent than I would have liked I rejoined the trail and was back to the car. Be wary very few of the junctions in this system are signed and many do loops which makes route finding quite confusing.

Kendall Peak 10/12/04

With the one dog on the mend I decided to leave both at home... which is always an adventure. The weather couldn't be more ideal as I hit the PCT at Snoqualmie Pass. My intent was to summit Kendall Pk.. The PCT was it's usual less stenous than I would like climb. I left the trail at around 5300ft, there was a cairn to mark the climber's trail that leads to the summit. Use caution as there was a fair amount of rockfall on both summit and descent. The climber's trail was fairly easy to follow as I reached the top in 2:20. The views of area peaks was beyond compare. I stopped and enjoyed the warm sun and my lunch before signing the summit register. The descent went without incident and soon was back at my car.

Hardscrabble Lakes 9/8/04

After Last week's all day affair I was looking for something somewhat shorter. Justin joined me for this trip. I thought he might get a kick out of the Middle Fork Rd, thankfully regraded up until Dingford Creek. We managed to bump or way to the parking area about .5 miles short of the end of the road. It is just past the huge tree that is down on the road. The weather was perfect but I knew it would change to rain showers later in the day. There is a fisherman's trail that tacks to the NE towards Hardscrabble Creek after joining a old logging road. The (trail) is quite overgrown but was suprisingly easier to follow than I expected. The trail,slash old road, peters out in a huge rockslide that is cairned enough to follow without too much of a problem. Most descriptions of this route have you cross the creek about 2/3 of the way to the lake. I chose not to do this and found fairly easy going all the way to the lake. I managed to catch some nice rainbows in the short time I fished. We debated on what to do next. I had hoped for a summit try of Big Snow Mt via Upper Hardscrabble Lake, but with the impending rain I thought wiser. We decided to just to go to the upper lake. There is small pool above the lower lake if you follow the stream about 100 yards upstream from the start of the pool you will find a good fisherman's trail that will take you to the upper lake. I did a little more fishing until I noticed a gully on the south shore that looked that would take me towards point 5598 which I have seen referred to as Hardscrabble Dome. I zigzagged my way up the heather slopes for about 30 minutes to reach the summit. The views are quite amazing well worth the extra 1000ft of climb. The downclimb went much faster than expected and soon I was back to pick up Justin who had stayed at the lake to catch a nap. I didn't want to linger too long because it was quite apparent the it would rain soon. We hightailed it to the lower lake and just passed the big rockslide when it began to rain in earnest. I was relieved to make it through the hardest part of the descent without rain, however the lower stretches became unpleasant due to the rain on all the brush. We both became quite wet and were most happy when we finally returned to the truck.

Enchantment Lakes Loop 9/1/04

With one dog out of commission and not wanting to be unfair and bring his brother along I was solo for the first time in a long time. Since dogs are not allowed in the Enchantments I thought this would be a great time to explore one of the crown jewels of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. I managed to get my self out of bed and the unseemly hour of 4 am. I was pleased to make it the Snow Lakes trailhead by 7. I started off rather depressed, it just wasn't the same without the company of my hiking partners. As I started to get used to the fact that they weren't there I rounded a corner and was shocked to see a mountain goat eating grass in the middle of the trail. I have never seen a goat and wasn't sure what to do. I waited a bit but since the goat was content to eat his grass less than ten feet away I was forced to press the issue. The goat neither seemed afraid or agitated by my presence. As I slowly moved towards the goat he merely moved the same distance forward. Soon I had a new hiking partner as I followed ten feet behind for a quarter mile. I was sure this would have gone on longer but the goat was spooked as we passed some people. I was impressed with the goats physical stature, I have never seen anything with so much leg defintion as well as overall bulk. It was quite an amazing specimen. My goal for the day was to go over Prusik Pass and summit Cannon Mt. This is quite a long ways so I knew I had to keep a good pace. Once I passed Upper Snow Lake the trail became a bit harder to follow, but there are Cairns that easily show the way. I broke out the fly rod when I reached Leprechaun Lake, catching a few smaller cutts. I was quite amazed with the sheer amount of people in the area. I think over the entire day I must have seen 40+ people. That is more people than I usually see in a year of hiking. I fished my way along the trail until I reached the junction for Prusik Pass. This is when my plans changed, I really wanted to see the upper Enchanment basin and I always wanted to see Aasgard Pass. The problem was if I came out the Stuart Lake trail how was I going to get back to my car? I decided that I would risk having to walk the road back to my car if I couldn't get a ride. As it turns out I am quite glad I decided to do this loop. The views from Aasgard Pass are quite stunning, I was taken aback by the view of Colchuck Lake 2200ft below. I was quite worried about the descent but it is well marked and if you take your time it is much easier than want you might expect. Once reaching Lake level I picked my way to the outlet and made the drop to the Stuart Lake trailhead. It was now nearing dusk and my hopes for catching a ride were becoming quite small. I reached the parking lot at 8pm 13 hours after I started. It was now dark and there was no one to give me a ride. I donned my headlamp and sandles and started running the road. After about 3 miles a car came and I managed to squeeze into the back seat. I was so very thankful that I didn't have to walk the remaining 5 or so miles. This was my most productive day ever I passed 12 lakes and did nearly 7000ft of climb spread over 23+ miles. It surely was a day I will never forget.

Bare Mt, Bare Lake

I was hoping for a nice bit of climbing in an area that holds many special memories. I climbed to the saddle just east of Bare Mt. at approx. 4900ft. I climbed to the north side high above Paradise Lakes. The first part is somewhat steep traversing descent but moderates quickly to some rolling rock gardens. I aimed for the saddle that is above Bear Lakes and quickly dropped to the lakes. I set up camp on the south shore. I than began scouting for my next days objectives of Canoe Peak (pt 5706) Coney Lake and Lennox Mt. I had used the saddle between Pt 5449 and Canoe Pk. on a previous trip to Lake Kanim so I knew that that would be no problem. I turned my attention to the gap just to the NW of Pt. 5616. I climbed to the uppermost Bear Pond and found a easy gully that would give me easy access. As I was dropping to the pond when my attention was drawn to my dog Tanner dropping the last 15ft to the lake much more quickly than He or I would like. He came up lame instantly. He has already blown one ACL and the vet said it would only be a matter to time until he did the other one. Why here? Why now? I hastily retreated to camp and with 5 hours of daylight left I was marooned in the tent. I wanted to keep Tanner off his leg and I knew that Tanner goes where I go. I had faint hope that maybe he just tweaked it and all would be well in the morning, although I knew all to well that would not be the case. I spent a less than restfull night debating on what to do the next day. My options were not good. I knew that there was no way that Tanner would make it throught the boulder fields on three legs much less the climb up the saddle to even get to the fields. I also knew that carrying a hundred plus pound dog would be a massive undertaking. I could just go straight down the outlet to the miner's trail that I knew was below me in the basin. But I couldn't find the beginning to the trail and I knew the end where it meets with the Bare Mt trail is quite overgrown and brushy. I decided that down it was to be. I was much relieved to find the trail almost instanly (didn't I just look in the same place yesterday?). Tanners seemed to be doing well enough as I dropped elevation quickly. The trail is not too bad to follow, I lost it at the open mine but I angled to the piece of heavy machinery in the boulderfield and refound the trail there. I continued on to a junction and headed right downstream. The trail now became much more defined and I even allowed myself to relax a bit. I still had to go through the brushy area just before it rejoins the Bare Mt trail. I lost the trail and bashed my way through a couple hundred yards of some cascade brush at it's best. I broke out into a boulder field I sensed that I was below the trail and climbed about 50ft up to meet the trail just a mere 20ft before it junctions with the Bare Mt trail. I was so happy I was nearly home free. Neither I nor Tanner had any problem with the rest. I now play the waiting game until Tuesday when I find out the extent of his injuries.

Pratt Mt 8.3.04

I had planned a try for Garfield Mt Lakes via the Green Ridge Miner's trail. I however, didn't feel up to this very steep climb. I switched gears and chose to do a much less taxing climb. I chose to climb Pratt Mt. using the Pratt Lake trail as an approach. This route spreads the 3300ft climb over 5.5+ miles, Although it would be quicker and involve less climbing by using the Talapus Lake trailhead. Since this climb is not overly difficult I opted to just wear my sandles and carry a light day pack. I was suprised to find quite a bit of water still running providing the dogs with plenty of water. The temps were quite pleasant so water wouldn't have been much of an issue anyway. Since I was travelling so light I made my jump of point in 90 minutes. I left the trail just below 4600ft and followed the rockslide to just SE of the summit and followed the ridge to the open summit. Just before reaching the ridgetop I spotted 2 deer and their fawn not more than 200 yrds away. I was suprised that it went unnoticed by the dogs. I always enjoy the sight of deer running. After a short stay I downclimbed and rejoined the trail. This route is very pleasant and I am sure provides some beautiful views. However today with the low cloud cover I was only able to see as far as Bandera and Granite Mts. I ran portions of the way out making a quick car to car 4 hour roundtrip. I only saw 2 other people, one man was quite suprised that I would consider doing a climb in sandles. He was quite sure I would ""stub my toe or something"", to be quite honest I much prefer climbing in a good pair of sandles.

Lake Julius, Loch Eilenn, Lake Donald

I was hoping for a nice couple day out in an area that I have really yet to explore. I used the Gale Creek Trail to access Lake Ethel. You must cross the railroad tracks in Merrit, too bad for me there were 3 trains playing three card Monty. While I waited the 30 minutes for the trains to swap their positions I packed and repacked trying to figure why I was carrying so much extra weight. After finally putting the trains behind me I followed the old road to the trailhead near 2500ft. The Gale Creek Trail is in good shape as climbs substainally to around 5700ft before dropping to Lake Ethel. Lake Ethel isn't really much to look at and there are enough campsites to house a small army. Since I still had plenty time I pressed on using the Upper Roaring Creek trail to access Lake Julius. I was pretty much worn out from the 4000ft of climb I had already put in so I nixed my plans for camping my first night at Lake Donald. I set up camp in a somewhat secluded spot and treated myself to a well deserved nap. I intended mearly scouting the route for the next days hike to Lake Donald, but before I knew it I had found the fisherman's trail and was on my way up. The fisherman's trail is found leaving from behind the privy at Loch Eileen. The trail is easy to follow due to the numerous cairns. After staying for only a moment I headed back to camp. I was amazed at the fact it only took me 75 minutes round trip. Without my heavy pack I felt as if I was running up the steep trail. I had planned to go to Larch Lake as well as Cup Lake in the morning. I struggled mightily up to McCue Pass even though the climb is not long or steep. When I reached the pass I noticed quite a bit of smoke drifting my way from the North. I decided that without fully knowing the fire risk, I would head back to camp and out. I saw one other hiker who had camped at Lake Donald, I think he came in by motorcycle via the logging roads that crisscross the area. That certainly takes alot of work out of getting to this beautiful area. All in All it was a productive trip, hitting 4 lakes that I have never been to. There was a substanial 7000ft of climb most of which was done with a pack that was much too heavy. Just to make matters more interesting I was again blocked by trains on the way out. Lucky for me it was only about a 15 minute wait this time

Trap Lake 7/20/04

I had hoped to camp at Upper Thunder Mt lake and climb Nimbus Mt as well as Thunder Mt. Too bad for me I didn't fully read the warnings at the trailhead. I thought they were left over from last year. I started early for me and blazed to Hope lake in much less than an hour. The weather was cool and cloudy with quite a bit of wind and there was plenty of water for the dogs on the way to Trap Pass. I made the pass in just under 3 hours. My intention was to follow the climber's trail to Slippery Slab Tower and then skirt the east side of that to some easier ground to take me to the small pass above Thunder Mt Lakes. I was quite dismayed to find warning signs posted not to go into the Icicle Creek drainage. I dropped pack and scouted the climber's trail for about 1/4 mile. It appears to be much easier if you stay on the west side of the ridge. I returned to my pack and downclimbed to Trap Lake. There is a good sidetrail that leads to plenty of campsites. I chose one with a good view of both Slippery Slab Tower and K9 to the NE. I set up camp only slightly annoyed with not being able to achieve my goal and only slightly more annoyed with the bug situation. I returned to the sancitity of the tent for a short nap. I awoke 4 hours later, much to my suprise, I guess I was more tired than I thought. I gave some thought to climbing K9 on the way out, but with the weather unsettled and the route involving a long vegetated gully I thought the downclimb might be dicey if it where to rain. I made great time on the way out passing a party of 10+ as they were just starting out. I think that is more than the total of people I have seen for the entire year.

Sprite Lake 7.12.04

Today's goal was for a summit of Paddy-go-south peak which lies just south of Sprite Lake. I brought along Armando for the ride. Our bumpy ride down the Salmon La Sac Rd was punctuated by a flat tire just as we reached the Paddy Go Easy trailhead. So I spent the first 15 minutes of the trip changing the tire. I haven't been on this trail for nearly 15 years, but I still remember the sign at the start of the trail that say "" MOST DIFFICULT"". The first time I did this climb I would have agreed, but now I would hardly call it above average. It was quite warm and I wasn't sure what to expect from Armando because I had never done a hike with him. Armando set a great pace and we were soon at Sprite Lake. The bugs were so bad that we decided to stay only for a short while. I erred a bit in judgement and I led us to the point more westerly of Sprite lake that tops out near 6400ft. I had a feeling we were a bit lower than where we should have been. We returned to the pass and pressed North doing a bit of scouting for a try of Paddy Go North. There seems to be a few different approaches that might work. I decided that with our water supply running short that heading back was the right call. We descended to the truck and were off to the Brick for a cold beer and some good food.

Cradle Lake 6.30.04

I was hoping for a epic overnight trip, I wanted to camp at Cradle Lake and return over Highchair and Bootjack Mts.. I, as usual arrived at the Jack Creek trailhead much later than I would have liked. I pushed off a little after one and made good time to the crossing of Jack Creek. I passed one man on the way with very little idea of where he was or where he was going. It is quite amazing the lack of planning most people use when in the mountains. The Jack Creek crossing was manageable but great care was needed. I first crossed with the Beagle and then returned for my pack. I had to laugh when I picked up my pack and the Beagle was already there. I was so focused on the crossing I didn't have a clue how he had crossed. I figured since he made it one way he should be able to make again. What a trooper! watching him tempt the rapids with those little legs made the whole trip worthwhile. I rebooted and was off, unlucky for me the trail crosses Meadow Creek contrary to my map. This crossing was deeper and much swifter so I again carried the Beagle to the other side. I found the Cradle Lake trail without any problems. Since I had got such a late start, all day I was planning on camping here. I had good legs today and enough time to make the 20000ft climb to Cradle Lake. The trail was in great shape and easy to follow. I passed a junction at 5400ft that connects with the Blackjack Ridge trail and another junction at 5900ft which must go to Highchair mt. Both these trails were not on my map either. I made it to camp at 6:20 and enjoyed some very nice views. Later I scrambled up Pt 6623 and was rewarded with a beautiful sunset behind The Cradle. The moon was out and shining bright until it was obscured by rain clouds. I got a slight drizzle to help put me to sleep. I abandoned any other climbing due to lack of time. I returned to the truck in a little less than 4 hours

Sasse Mt 6.22.04

I had hoped for a summit of both Sasse Mt and Jolly Mt. I got a much later start than I would have liked so by the time I reached the trailhead it was quite warm. The road that takes you to the trailhead is quite slow but is manageable with some ground clearance. Trail 1325 is in fine shape it does get a little sketchy around the area with quite a few springs. I made the summit of Sasse in less than 30 minutes. The views are quite limited so I set off for my next goal of Jolly Mt.. I followed the Sasse ridge trail until I crossed a logging rd. I took a right on this road and walked to it's end. I was expecting there to be a trail, however after closer inspection of the map I realized that this road was the wrong one. This road was not shown on my map. I left the road and climbed to the proper road which was a few hundred feet above me. I started running a bit low on time and there was no shelter from the unbroken sun, so I stopped and had my lunch. Although I only had around 1000ft of climb left I didn't have the time to make it there and back before I wanted to be home. I backtracked and rejoined the Sasse Mt trail. I continued North until I reached the second logging road which is the proper one. With no more time I hastily returned to the truck.I had hoped for a summit of both Sasse Mt and Jolly Mt. I got a much later start than I would have liked so by the time I reached the trailhead it was quite warm. The road that takes you to the trailhead is quite slow but is manageable with some ground clearance. Trail 1325 is in fine shape it does get a little sketchy around the area with quite a few springs. I made the summit of Sasse in less than 30 minutes. The views are quite limited so I set off for my next goal of Jolly Mt.. I followed the Sasse ridge trail until I crossed a logging rd. I took a right on this road and walked to it's end. I was expecting there to be a trail, however after closer inspection of the map I realized that this road was the wrong one. This road was not shown on my map. I left the road and climbed to the proper road which was a few hundred feet above me. I started running a bit low on time and there was no shelter from the unbroken sun, so I stopped and had my lunch. Although I only had around 1000ft of climb left I didn't have the time to make it there and back before I wanted to be home. I backtracked and rejoined the Sasse Mt trail. I continued North until I reached the second logging road which is the proper one. With no more time I hastily returned to the truck.

Pollalie Ridge 6.16.04

Today's goal was for a summit of the high point (5560+) of Polallie ridge. I used the Pete Lk. trail to join up with the Tired Creek trail which connects with the Polallie Ridge trail. The weather was ideal and the bugs were out in force at the trailhead. I made great time to the old lookout site at Pt 5482 which is one of the best viewing spots to see from the Three Queens all the way to Mt Daniel. I continued on the Polallie Ridge trail until it drops off the ridge. I merely followed the humps and bumps of this enjoyable ridge traverse until I reached the Highpoint. This Highpoint is about 1.5 south of the old lookout site. As I reached the final push to the summit I noticed quite a bit of bear scat along the ridgeline. Upon reaching the summit I was treated to what for me is a rare site, a bear! Well, actually I just saw a glimpse of his rear as he ran away. I waited a minute to give some much needed distance and then continued on. There is some patchy snow and the bugs were of no concern near the summit. I hustled out, so as to make my dinner date, from car to car 5.5 hours.

White Pine Creek 6.9.04

I was hoping for a summit try of Jim Hill Mt.. I had never used the Whitepine trail so I wasn't sure if there was a bridge over the creek. There is only remnants of a bridge and the water was quite high and it would have involved carrying at least one of the dogs over. Since I had a beautiful day and plenty of time, I decided to do some exploring. I backtracked to the Wildhorse junction and followed the trail to just past the Deadhorse Pass basin. From this vantage point I could see some of the route I would have used to climb Jim Hill Mt. According to Beckey the South route is a ""pleasant Hike"", I am not quite so sure. I did find a climber's trail that climbs to Deadhorse Pass, and I am quite sure there is one to Grace Lakes as well. I am sure in time I will be back to explore both those trails.

Navaho Peak 6.1.04

Today's goal was for a summit of Navaho Peak via the Stafford Creek trail. The weather was pleasant and the trail was in good shape, with only a few minor stream crossings. The snow is retreating at a rapid rate and most can be avoided all together. This route has a substantial 4100ft of climb but is spread out over 6+ miles making the grade quite easy. Navaho's summit has a climber's trail that takes you all the way to the top. This route is non-technical and rewards you with some up front and stunning views of the Stuart Range. The weather changed as I summitted the warm weather gave way to some snow and windy weather. After quickly adding a few more layers and signing the summit register I retreated to Navaho Pass to have lunch. At a more than modest elevation of 7223ft this summit is the highest I have climbed in Washington. This was a great time of year to do this climb, I am sure this becomes quite hot and dusty in the summertime. With a 6 hour car to car time, give your self plenty of time.

Iron Peak 5.25.04

After last week's truck breakdown in Easton, I coerced a ride back to fix it. Much to my dismay I noticed halfway up Snoqualmie Pass that I had brought the wrong key chain and I didn't have the keys to the truck. I quickly ( not happily I might add ) turned around and headed home. Like most things in life that don't go your way, it ended up being a blessing. It was nice spending some extra time with my parents it was after all my mother's birthday! I managed to get the truck up and running with a minimal amount of swearing. I said my goodbyes and was on to the next goal for the day. I wanted a summit of Iron Peak via trail #1399. The North Fork Teanaway road is in great shape and parking at the trail head was no problem. The trail is not very steep as it meanders it's way to the pass between Iron Peak and Pt. 6779 which I have seen referred to as both Teanaway Pk and also Genes Peak. There was enough snow on the trail to make it easier to just climb straight up instead of trying to follow the trail. The grade in this area is not steep and it is open and attractive for cross country travel. I left the trail aroung 5600ft and headed SE doing a rising traverse until I reached the ridge line at around 6100ft and found a distinct climber's trail to goes on to the true summit at 6510ft. I followed this trail until 6300ft where I reached a small false summit with some great views of the surrounding peaks. The trail continued on, but with the ridge very heavily corniced I was a bit concerned for the well being of my dogs. I could have easily circumvented this problem, but I wasn't sure I would be able to keep the dogs from walking near these cornices. I decided to return by heading due north directly to the pass and then heading straight down cutting all the swichbacks. The snow was consistent and deep enough to make some great time. The weather was a bit windy but was perfect climbing weather, some filtered sun but not too warm. With a 3 hour car to car time it gave me some extra time to get home and get some much needed relaxation.

Yellow Hill 5.18.04

Today's goal was for a summit of Yellow Hill as well as Elbow Peak. The weather was rather pleasant as I left but there was a forecast for thundershowers in the foothills. As I neared the trailhead it became apparent that I was going to be stuck in some very unsettled weather. I parked near 3400ft where there is a posted ""trail"" sign. It is possible to drive all the way to 3800ft and join the trail there. There was much lightning activity as well as some pretty substantial pea sized hail showers. I am not quite sure what the chances are of being hit by lightning, but it seemed quite a bit higher in the open areas of the climb. I spent the majority of time hunkered down waiting for another hail shower to pass. There was probably 50-60 thunder claps in the less than two hours that it took me to summit Yellow Hill. Some of these claps were so close and so loud that it would really make you jump each time. I have never climbed in any condition quite like this, I was amazed at the length that each thunderclap could be heard. I am quite sure that some were over a minute in length. I gave up on doing the ridge traverse to Elbow Peak, I really had no desire to be out in the open for that length of time. I retreated to the truck as the weather improved. There was only patchy snow until 5300ft where the trail was completely covered. I mearly left the trail at this point climbing the less than 300ft to Yellow Hill's summit. I was treated with some nice views of Mt Stuart with a thunders shower perched at it's summit, making it look like it was wearing a cloud hat. The return home was no less eventful as I lost a bolt on the alternator causing me to loose the fan belt stranding me in Easton with no parts stores open. Kudos for my parents on coming to get my sorry ass.

Mt. Baldy 5.11.04

Today's goal was for Mt Baldy via the Easton Ridge trail. The weather was cool and cloudy and very windy on the exposed ridges. I made great time up this sometimes very steep trail. The Domerie Ridge trail is snow free until the Junction at Pt. 4952. Since I had been to the Thomas Mt summit last year I followed the eastern fork that takes you towards Mt Baldy. The trail is still covered with quite a bit of snow but only strays from the ridgeline once to pass the south side of a rock outcropping. Mt Baldy is mearly a easy walk-up summit and am quite sure the view is stunning. However today visibility was quite low and the wind was quite strong, 30-35 mph sustained with higher gusts. I almost always stay quite warm with minimal clothing, but today I was forced to use many layers to stave off the biting wind. I backtracked my way by mearly following in my footsteps until I reached the junction with the Easton Ridge Trail. Since I had plenty of time I followed this also very steep trail to Pt 4291 which is a third of the way to the Easton Ridge terminus. Again any views were stunted by the low cloud cover. I quickly downclimbed and rejoined the trail and was off to the truck.

Putrid Pete's Peak 5.4.04

Today's goal was for Putrid Pete's Pk via the Mason Lk Trailhead. This was my third attempt at this obscure Pk., that lies between Mt. Defiance and Dirty Harry's Pk.. My attempt last month was halted due to lack of motivation, so today's mindset was a bit more deadset. The weather was cool and windy making the upper portions a bit slippery. I was able to follow the climbers trail to approx 4200ft and then just scrambled the path of least resistance to the summit at 5335. The last bit was a little tedious due to the shattered rock and slippery surface due to the earlier rain. I just tagged the summit and retraced my steps back down without even a moments hesitation. I had a bit of trouble locating the point of the trail where it re-enters the forest. I dropped straight down until I reached the creek at around 3600ft I then angled more easterly and with much relief reaquired the trail around 3300ft. The descent provided some tense moments due to the steepness and lack of good footing. I was suprised that my time up was (1:50) was the same as my descent time. It shows the care that must be taken in descending in these types of condition.

Bandera Mt 4.20.04

My goal today was for a return attempt of Putrid Pete's Pk.. The regional snow level had dropped to under 4000ft overnight resulting in some accumulations. The weather was also very unsettled with very large storm cells blowing through in regular intervals. I decided that staying on trail today might be a better option. I had not been up the new Mason Lk. trail so I thought I would give that a go. Bandara Mt still provides over a 3000ft climb. The reworked trail is much more pleasant that either of the other lake routes. The trail does force some extra elevation on you but you hardly notice due to the pleasing grade. I made great time to Bandera's western summit and picked my way carefully to Bandera's eastern summit. The views were stunted today due to some low lying cloudcover. Mason Lk. is still frozen solid and there seems to be quite a bit of snow in it's basin. Upon returning to the Mason Lk. trail I followed it until the descent to the lake. Having been to Mason Lk on many previous trips I had no motivation to drop to the lake. I returned to the truck with a brisk pace and was there before I knew it.

Putrid Pete's Peak 4.13.04

I had hoped today to summit Putrid Petes Pk, or as I have sometime seen it called Web Mt. This peak is Pt 5335 which lies between Mt Defiance and Dirty Harry's Pk.. I chose to use the Mason Lk trailhead,there is a trail that leaves the logging road at the first switchback. This trail is not mantained but is easy to follow after about a mile the trail splits with the lower branch going to Dirty Harry's balcony and on the logging road that starts on the Fire Academy access road. I took the upper trail which climbs to Putrid Pete's Pk.. The trail becomes less and less obvious as you climb, there is more than enough flagging to show the way. The trail becomes very steep above 4000ft, I climbed to around 4400ft where I became a bit concerned about my descent. After some deliberation I decided that I would make my tedious descent. Since I mostly solo climb it is not unusal for me to turn back, I usually feel good about my choices. Today however I feel like I really should have pressed on. The grade seems to ease somewhat and with less than a 1000ft to go I really wish I would have kept on. I guess that is what is so great about being able to go out as much as I do, there is always next week.

Mailbox Peak 4.7.04

After last week's foiled attempt, I was back for another try. The weather was dry and mild with low cloud ceiling. My goal for the day was to do Mailbox and then traverse to West Defiance. I made fairly good time to the summit where I was greeted with dense cloudcover that limited visibility to less than 25 feet. As I summited I was treated to two men with Pit Bulls that were overly aggressive, I was forced to tag the peak and descend all without breaking stride. On the way down I picked up parts of what I think is the trail that eminates from the Fire Academy. I was alittle concerned when I didn't recognize any landmarks for a 1000ft of descent. I was much relieved when I rejoined the regular trail. Just to add a little spice the truck was acting up when I started it. I limped into North Bend where I stopped and checked to find the cap for the power steering pump was loose and very low on fluid. I was much relieved that it was so simple to fix, or at least that is what I thought. The adding of fluid didn't stop my problems. I realized that a bolt had come out on the alternator allowing it to slide a bit causing the blades to hit metal. Not having any tools with me I decided to try and drive the remaining 25 miles home. One of the best things about having a beat up hiking truck is that you are always $1000 away from a replacement. Lucky for me I made it home with the truck still running.

Mailbox Peak 3.30.04

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday's record temps degraded into some wet and unsettled weather today. I was a little jaded about doing anything in the pouring rain because I haven't been feeling 100. I thought I at least should give it a shot. It was pouring in North Bend so I wasn't too optimistic. However when I reached the Mailbox trailhead it was dry. Despite my sickness I had good legs today as I made my way up Mailbox unrelenting steepness. The trail was just wet enough to soften the tread to provide good traction. There are a few blowdowns and it can become confusing to which trail to follow. I made great time to the big rockslide just below the summit. It now began to snow, and to snow very hard. I chose to use the melted out rockslide instead of using the hard to follow trail. The snow sticking on the rocks made for cautious travel, but was manageable for me. Too bad it wasn't as easy for the Beagle, he became a bit scared and refused to continue. Baxter is usually game for anything so I decided that he probably was trying to tell me something. I descended through the mounting snow with caution, but when I reached to snowless slopes I opened it up. I love dropping on this trail with just a bit of reckless abandon. I am sure my quads will be screaming at me in the morning.

Sasse Mt Logging Road 3.23.04

I was hoping today to make it to the Forturne Creek Rd. but unlucky for me the Salmon La Sac road is still closed at the campground. I scrambled to find a second choice. I had used the Sasse Mt Logging road last year and decided to do a litte more exploring in this area. There was just enough room to park on the west side of the road near the Red Mt Campground. There was quite a bit more snow than I would have expected. I climbed lazily on this sunny and warm day until I reached a junction at around 3400ft. Last year I had continued on the mainline that takes you toward Sasse Mt Trail, this time I opted for the trail less traveled. Taking a left on this spur instead I climbed to a point near 3600ft where there was a perfectly placed snow free stump to eat lunch on. I soaked up the quite warm rays ate my lunch and enjoyed the comfy seat. Despite the rather modest elevation there were some nices views of the snow capped Daniel-Hinman group as well as Davis and Goat Mts. in the forefront.

Dirty Harry's Road 3.16.04

Another nice spring day for me to get out and stretch my legs. I needed something real close today, so I picked Dirty Harry's Rd since it involves very little travel time for me. I climbed Dirty Harry's Peak last year so I stayed on the road unitl only around 3300ft where the road passes a big rockslide. This rock slide provides easy access to the saddle between points 4272 and 4353. As a general rule I try to avoid rockslides in the spring when there is great potential to fall through into unseen holes underneath the melting snow. Lucky for me this rockslides has alot of sun exposure so there wasn't any snow to contend with. I climbed quite easily to near 3800ft where I reached my turnaround time for reaching the gate which closes at 4 PM. This route seems to me would provide easy access to the Upper Granite Lk pond as well as to Point 5335 which I believe is Putrid Pete's Pk.

Ollalie Lake 3.3.04

I just had a small window of time today so I picked something just to get out. I was suprised to find it snowing and sticking on Tiger Summit as I crested the pass. The parking lot for Ollalie Lake trail was just plowed and the snow seemed to be mounting. I made good time up the gentle grade and soon I passed the turn-off for Granite Mt. I stayed on the Ollalie trail until around 3600ft when my time window closed. I hustled back enjoying the nice cushion of new snow under my feet.

Granite Lakes Road 2.18.04

Today's goal was for Revolution Pk. Which is Point 5454 just NE of the terminus of the Granite Lakes Rd at Point 5124. This approach is fairly long and I expected around 7 hours total time for summit and return. I expected some unsettled weather but I was treated to some fairly calm weather today. I made good time to the road crossing of Granite Creek, less than an hour. I ran across a man who had driven just past the creek and was sawing out some of the larger blowdowns that had fallen across the road. I am not sure who was more suprised to see who. He commented that I had a pretty hearty hike to make it to this point. I told him that I wasn't even half way, the look on his face made me wonder why I do what I do. We parted ways with the man saying "" have fun"" in a way that really showed his lack of ability to understand why anyone would walk that far. I hit sustained snow around 2500ft, I followed a old snowshoe track without the need for snowhoes until around 3000ft. I then reached a point were I felt snowshoes were needed, too bad for me one of the pivots broke shortly after putting them on. I like the MSR snowhoes but this is the 3rd time I have broken a pair in the same spot. With plenty of time and a long ways to go I continued on to around 3400ft. At this elevation with new snow and with the trail having less traveler's the going without snowshoes became more difficult than what I was really in the mood for. I stopped for a short while and then returned to the truck without incident.

Teanaway Butte 2.10.04

With today's perfect weather I eagerly set off for a return trip to Teanaway Butte. Teanaway Butte is ranked a lowly 94 on the list of 100 highest summits of the Back Court. The Middle Fork Rd. was devoid of any snow all the way to it's maintained end, which was much different than last week. The area sees heavy snowmobile traffic so the road was packed and made for quick walking. I left the main line after about a mile and used the spur road that ends 350ft below the summit. I left the road here having to put on snowshoes because of the deep unpacked snow. The summit is straight in front of you and poses no difficulties. The last 150ft is steep and in open and deep snow making it quite the lung burning finish. The summit is open and attractive and I was treated to some stunning views of the Stuart Range as well as the scattered peaks of the Teanaway area. The weather was quite ideal with the temps in the mid 50's and not even a breath of wind. Although the climb was much longer than anticipated (approx 14 miles roundtrip) it went very quickly due to not having to break trail. Approx 2:30 up and 1:45 down.

Teanaway Butte 2.3.04

I awoke this morning with a foggy head that even a pot of coffee couldn't burn away. My goal for today was for Teanaway Butte via the Middle Fork Rd. I was on a very limited time schedule, so I knew I had to hussle. I should have known things wouldn't go quite as well as expected when I decided that I knew my route and didn't need to consult it before leaving. I have only been in the Teanaway area once before so I am not familiar with all the roads in the area. I thought the Middle Fork Rd left the North Fork Rd, not the West Fork Rd.. When I reached the 29 Pines Campground I knew a change of plans was in order. I didn't feel like I had enough time to backtrack so I decided to follow the road that runs next to Jungle Creek. The day was nice and the snow was packed due to the snowmobile traffic. I climbed to around 3100ft where I left the road and climbed straight up to the saddle between Teanaway Butte and Pt. 4385. I decided to have my lunch at this saddle enjoying some nice sunbreaks. I had left my snowshoes 200ft below me for the steeper portions of the climb, which was not such a good idea. The snow on the open flat ridgeline would not support my weight without them, after floundering a few more hundred feet, I decided enough was enough. Although little went as planned it sure was nice to be out again. Conditions permitting I will return next week to try from the Middle Fork side.

Kendall Peak Road 1.27.04

I awoke this morning with much more pleasant weather than expected. I had expected heavy rain with low snow levels. I arrived at the Hyak Sno-park with some sun and very warm temps. I didn't even wear a coat for this trip. I started up the road which sees heavy use so there wasn't a need to break trail. As I neared 4000ft there was quite a bit of new heavy wet snow, forcing me to now break trail. I continued on breaking trail until the just before the road crosses Kendall Creek. I stopped when my footprints were deeper than my Beagle is tall. I felt it wasn't quite fair for the little guy, but he didn't appear to mind. On the way down I passed a few groups who were also taking advantage of the break in the weather.

Moolock Mt. 1.21.04

Today's goal was for Moolock Mt.( pt. 4965) which is located between Green Mt and South Bessemer Mt. I used the logging roads that leave the Middle Fork Rd. I managed to escape the house using the great milk-bone ruse. One dog is still on the mend but should be ready by next week. I managed to leave the house at the unheard of hour (for me) of 0800. The Middle Fork Rd. still has quite a bit of snow on it just before the bridge crossing the river and quite a ways past the bridge. The morning fog burned off quickly leaving a beautiful sunny and quite warm day. I felt quite sluggish at first, but when I cut through the open forest instead of staying on the road my legs loosened up. I made great time to the saddle between S. Bessemer and Moolock (2:10). I stopped to have a bite to eat and enjoy some of the finest views of the Pratt river valley and Russian Butte. I now continued on the logging road that takes you directly to Moolock. When you reach the large open pit area angle to the right where the road continues on towards Moolock. I followed this road to the base of the mountain. The slopes are somewhat steep here and I was a little leery to try these without an ice-ax. I was happy to eat my lunch and enjoy the warm sun and beautiful views. I will be sure to return to bag this peak when properly outfitted. I dropped mostly straight down and returned to the car in 1:45.

Happy 3 years TJ!

Mount Tenneriffe 1.14.04

With one of the dogs nursing a reinjured knee and not wanting to be unfair and bring his little brother, I snuck out of the house. I had to laugh at having to be so stealthy, but the dogs would have gone nuts if they even sensed that I was going with out them. I decided that Mt Teneriffe would be today's objective. I used the logging road at the end of Mt. Si Rd. The area seems to have received quite a bit of snow in last week's snowstorm. It seems like the cold was trapped near the ground leaving a inversion of snow. As I climbed the snow grew more and more sparse. I donned snowshoes near the 3000ft level. Despite leaving with a purposeful drizzle the day warmed with some filtered sunlight and grew quite warm. The road has a well worn snowshoe track that I followed to the saddle that overlooks Ranchor Lake at the 4100ft level. I stopped to eat lunch and enjoyed the views. I then followed the snowshoe track that continues to Teneriffe's summit. After about climbing 100ft of elevation on the easy to follow trail my will left me. I didn't really want to finish in the dark and I was running low on time due to my somewhat slow pace on the climb. I decided that since I had already climbed Teneriffe on two previous trips there wasn't really enough to motivate me further. I was a little crest fallen that I had not achieved today's goal, but that melted quickly as I enjoyed the balmy weather and nice views on the way down.

Squak Mt. 1.1.04

With just a little time to dedicate for a hike I chose something as close to home as possible. I left the Squak Mt. parking lot with a light snow just starting. The snow grew in intensity as the hike wore on. There was around six inches at the top which I am sure has doubled by now. I stayed on the access road and made the top in just less than an hour. I ran the the upper portion on the way down, the snow making a perfect cushion on my feet. I saw 4 other hikers on today's trip, and saw signs of a few more. I was glad to see the area gets some use.