Bean Peak 6.22.05

My plan was for a summit attempt of Dog Mt., but when I awoke to steady rain I knew I was in for a change of plans. I hoped for drier weather in Teanaway. As usual it was the right call, as I traded my raingear in for sunscreen. I am sure most people use the Bean Creek trail to summit Bean Pk, but my intention was to make a loop trip. I reached the trailhead around noon with mostly sunny weather that was in the low 70's. I passed the turn-off for the Bean Creek Trail and continued on until I reached the County Line trail. I was pleased that there was still plenty of water for the dogs to drink along the way. My plan was to stay on the trail until it reaches the saddle between Volcanic Neck and Bean Pk. When I reached the saddle I was greeted with some very strong winds. Because of the high winds I dropped pack and made my way easily along the ridge reaching Bean Pk in less than 20 minutes. I had hoped to continue South and descend to pick up the Bean Creek Trail in the basin below. The winds were much less on the summit as I searched for a summit register, as usual I couldn't find one. I retraced my route back to my pack and again braved the high winds. I dropped very quickly to get out of the biting wind and had lunch. The weather looked like it might turn for the worse so I opted to run parts of the descent. I am sure this route is much longer than the usual route, but I always like to make a loop if possible. I was happy to make this trip in 4.5 hours leaving me some extra time at home. I had to laugh as I made my way through a very soggy Snoqualmie Pass on the way home. It still amazes me how different the weather can be in areas that are really not that far apart.