Claire and Marion Lakes 9.10.07

I had a late appointment in Wenatchee that didn't let me go until after 3, so I thought I would try and make something out of a day half wasted. I enjoyed the nice sunny drive over and managed to find my appointment in a town I had never been before. I was hoping to try a more direct route back to Blewett Pass by using the Liberty Beehive road. I managed to make it to around 5700ft before the road overmatched my car's capabilities. I was forced to turnaround which was no small feat. I managed to get stuck for a short time but with some persistence I was able to break free. I backtracked to spot where a truck was parked next to what seemed like a good trail heading up. I thought I would investigate. The tread was good and passed through an area devastated by a massive wind gusts. There were more trees on the ground then were standing. Lucky for me they had all been sawed out. I was suprised to round a bend and find Clara Lake. Just a short ways later lies Marion Lake. There was a man fishing at Marion with a small dog. My dog Tanner and the fisherman's dog didn't get along very well. I was running short on time so I just headed up hoping to climb something. I tried to head for any little pocket of greenery trying to miss the huge unstable Basalt fields. I exited the basalt fields to a tangle of small trees and deadfall before my turnaround time was reached. I was cautious on the way down as not to dislodge any rocks onto my pets. Soon I was back to the car for the long drive home.




Approx 4 miles 900ft of climb