Rainy Lake 6.23.09

With a full day to devote to a climb and the weather cooperating I was looking forward all week to something longish. I was hoping to summit Preacher Mt. high above the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie. I was dismayed to see the road closed sign still up. I knew it was open on the weekend but I was worried that it may have been closed during the week for further road work. I thankfully passed an open gate and had no issues reaching the massive Middle Fork parking lot. I had been to Rainy Lake many years ago so I had a rough idea of the route. I had read 1k's recent report so I knew the crossing of Rainy Creek had changed. I had no issues getting across, it is important to know the crossing is upstream from the convulence with the Middle Fork. The area is braided so many of the channels can be stepped over. Once across I was concerned about finding the trail right away which was a non issue because the trail parallels the creek for the first few hundred feet. The trai itself was easy to follow until it reaches an area of substantial blowdowns but it is so heavily flagged that the lack of tread was no issue. Of late I have been struggling with both my mental state and fitness level and today was even worse. For the lower portions of the trail it felt as if I had my emergency brake firmly locked. With such a long ways to go I knew my pace jeapordized my goal for the day. I kept plugging away and found that once I reached the steeper finish my legs reacted well. I hadn't bothered to set my altimeter so I was surprised when the trail started to descend to the lake. It sure is nice when the surprise is on the side of lessening the amount of climb needed. The lake is still mostly frozen and seems much smaller that it appears on the map. I really didn't make much of attempt to try to talk myself into continuing. I had planned on crossing the outlet and using the subtle ridge to reach the more benign upper slopes. From my vantage point it appears the traverse to Little Rainy Lake is on easy snow slopes. From Little Rainy it appears to be an easy finish. I was intrigued with the snow filled gulley leading in a more direct line. I know some have used this for their approach but I couldn't quite see how the gulley ends. I guess with all the extra time I had I should have explored more. I had a leisurely lunch while batting the infestation of gnats. The descent took longer than I would have liked because it it quite slippery. About half way down I ran into 1K and we chatted for quite some time. It was sure nice to see someone from NWHikers. It is a truly a rare occurence for me. For the most part I enjoyed the Rainy Lake "trail". It does pass through some majestic trees. There are plenty of these monster trees down on the ground to contend with. For you history buffs there is a nice plaque on a rock near the campsites. I found it difficult to read what it said because it is in poor shape.




Approx 9 miles 3000' of climb 7 hours car to car

Chatter Creek 6.9.09

After missing last week I wanted to get out and do a little extra elevation. I had tried last year to do Grindstone but a late May snowstorm forced us to lay low in the basin below the frequent avalanches. I was hoping for a mostly snow free ascent to the basin and my guess was right. As is common knowledge at this point the Icicle Creek Road is closed just passed The Ida Campground. I was able to arrive just after 0800 giving me adequate time I hoped. The weather was partly sunny and very comfortable temperature wise. I was nearly eaten alive by mosquitoes along rushing Icicle Creek. I was hoping this wouldn't be a problem for the entire day which it was thankfully not. I wasn't sure how far it was to the Chatter Creek trail and I was dismayed it took my 30 minutes burning valuable time. The trail was in fine shape from the onset unlike myself who was struggling with motivational issues. My new position at work has added some extra hours and with my wife in the midst of her busy season, I didn't realize how much it has been taking out of me. Of course my aspirations haven't quite adjusted to this new regime. I was feeling quite overwhelmed with the enormity of the day I had planned. I forced myself to plod on resisting the urge to just lay in a nice sunny spot. I reached the Chatter Creek crossing at 4400' and happily made my way over the first portion over a well placed log. The second crossing was another story. I spent 20 minutes trying to find a suitable crossing. Finally I rearranged a few logs across a narrow portion to an island in the creek. This wasn't a suitable crossing for the Beagle so I brought back the Beagle toss. I don't make a habit of this but he seems to enjoy his short flights. I managed the crossing and jumped the other channel and thankfully rejoined the trail. The trail degrades pretty quickly after the crossing becoming very brushy saturated with running water. It is however pretty easy to follow even under patchy snow in the basin. Once in the basin the views open up.


After crossing an avalanche debris field I lost the trail. I just climbed above and traversed until I ran across the trail. The trail again gets serious about climbing but thankfully snow free. There are long stretches where the trail is overrun by running water. Once cresting I was able to see my first objective the small pass just West of 7112'. I wasn't crazy about the long traverse of the cirque to get to that point so I dropped pack. I clearly wasn't comfortable continuing with my plan, but my legs were feeling pretty good. I decided that the slopes East of me looked benign enough for me to reach the ridgeline 1200' above me. I kicked steps up the stable snow with a little more verve in my step without my bloated pack. I reached a small saddle between 6801' and a higher eastern point. I climbed both just for fun. The Eastern point came in at 6893' and had a unusual monolith near the crest which I didn't bother to climb. The view are wonderful of the Chiwaukums area but the lighting was less than desirable for the stunning view to the South.


The descent to my stowed belongings went very well and I wolfed down a quick lunch. The trail back to the creek crossing was tedious but went well. Instead of trying my method of crossing from the ascent I merely waded across without issue. Since the trail below the crossing is in such good shape I jogged portions which my legs seemed to love. Once I reached the road the mosquitoes doubled their effort to drain me dry. I pushed the pace and upon reaching the car I speed changed. Lucky for me the mosquitoes weren't fond of a moving car with the windows down.


Although today was another struggle for me mentally I was quite pleased with the end results. A day of varied conditions was punctuated by a massive thundershower just before Snoqualmie Pass. It was raining so hard that I was sure that my car wouldn't have any paint left.



Approx 12 miles 4400' of climb 8 hours car to car