Eldorado, WA 6/21/14 - 6/22/14

With yet another sunny weekend we cannot not pass the temptation of Eldorado. It means getting up at 4:30 a.m. in order to be at Marblemount Ranger Station before the permits run out. It turns out our worry is unjustified, there is only one party of 2 ahead of us, plenty of permits left. Other areas like Boston Basin, or Hidden Lake Peak are quite open too. Where is everybody? Enjoying the naked bicyclists in Seattle?

 The initial creek crossing is easily accomplished on a wide log which is wet but not slippery.

From there we used several smaller logs to cross marshy areas and another smaller stream. Then, finally, we are on the unmaintained climbers route as the trailhead sign referred to it.

At first there are some blowdowns to deal with but the path gets relatively clear within the first ¼ mile or so and after that there is only an occasional tree to climb over or under.

 It is nice not to deal with snow on the boulder field but we are  not lucky to enjoy the same conditions all the way up. The snow starts at the upper reaches of the second boulder field, and it is soft and weak, and collapsing under our feet. It does not feel the best not to know if our next step is landing on solid rock or a snow bridge. It is a relatively short section though, and if the warmer

temperatures persist for few more days, it might be melted out before next weekend comes.

The glacier is in a great shape all the way to the camp, no visible crevasses along the route or nearby. We camp at the bivi site where we find a water source (decently trinkling snow melt water), it is going well in the afternoon, not so much in the morning, so filling up in the evening is advisable. The toilet is melted out and in working condition, always a good thing.

 We start towards the summit in the morning, not particularly early since we only have about 1500

feet left. We chose to use crampons but the snow is already softening on the east facing slope. Not much route finding needed, it’s quite a straightforward climb. At one spot our rope leader notices a crack which the previous kick steps crossed. We decide to avoid the area by climbing to the left.

 The top still has a cornice hanging towards us, and though there is a slight detour. Instead of

heading straight up towards the knife edge, the route leads us behind it where we found ourselves on a wide ledge, and few steps up a snow bank got us to the base of the final ridge.

The knife edge is not as melted as we were hoping for, and the upper part is much steeper than it usually is later in the season. There is a boot track all the way to the top which we follow but we do not like the approximately 60% slope and the snow condition which are not in favor of successful self arrest should we slip. We make it part way up but in the end we decided to play it safe and turn before reaching the high point.

Ruth Mountain, WA 6/7/2014 - 6/8/2014

The forecast seems promising, and I’m craving some North Cascades views. Ideas are flowing. In the end we decide for Ruth Mountain. Neither of us climbed it before, it will be good to explore new territory.

 We make a plan to camp at the summit to enjoy sunset and sunrise. We leave Seattle optimistic despite the fact the forecast downgraded from mostly sunny to partly sunny but the closer we are to the mountains, the more obvious it becomes that the partial sunshine will be hard to find. Clouds roll across the sky, cutting off the mountain tops. Summit of Ruth might not be the best place to camp after all. We stop at Glacier Ranger station and pick up the permit anyway, just in case it clears later during the day.

The approach is on an easy trail through valley where spring desperately tries to start. First flowers are appearing along the trail, snowmelt creates beautiful waterfalls. Yet the remainders of winter are still present. Large fields of avalanche debris we have to cross, weakening snow bridges that slow our progress. Overall the trail is in better shape that it was last year when we dealt with at least 15 bad snow bridges on our way to Hannegan Peak. This time the number is down to 4.

 Solid snow coverage starts just below the switchbacks to Hannegan Pass. The conditions are

good, both crampons and snowshoes remain strapped to my backpack. Heading up the steep snow covered scramble slope I opt to reach for my ice axe.

With several groups ahead of us a path is set on the traverse to Ruth arm. Once we get there we face a decision. Should we proceed to the top as planned? Or should we perhaps camp here. We’re not the only ones who try to make our mind. A group of three skiers are contemplating as well. In the end they decide to push on. With dark clouds rolling towards us, the summit does not look inviting for an overnight stay.  Thinking we might even head back to the car if weather worsens, we drop our overnight gear and head to bag the summit.

 The views are excellent. We don’t see much of Shuksan or Baker but there are many other peaks that are below the clouds, including neighboring Icy.

In the end we decide to camp on the arm. The clouds are coming and going but otherwise it’s a pleasant evening, warm and calm. We don’t regret the decision. The sky clears just before sunset. Moon rises above Ruth. We have a chance to enjoy some incredible colors.

 The morning brings more clouds. Where there was Ruth yesterday, we stare into a white void. We pack and head down. The clouds are much lower today, the rain is imminent but we make it out dry. Couple hours later we raise our glasses. Cheers to another great trip!

Sahale Camp 6/29/13 - 6/30/13

It’s early on Saturday morning and we are on our way to North Cascades, planning to finally take Eldorado off our list. The forecast for the weekend looks promising, 20% chance of occasional showers and thunderstorms on Saturday but otherwise sunny the whole weekend.

Yet our hope to attain the summit of Eldorado is diminished before we even can set a foot on the mountain. There are no more overnight permits available for that region we are told at Marblemount Ranger Station. Instead we opt for neighboring Sahale Camp with the possibility to climb the glacier towards Sahale Peak. Understandingly we are disappointed but in reality it is not a bad exchange. Sahale camp was voted as one of the 10 best spots to camp in America by Backpacker magazine, and was always my #1 place to spend a night at.

To get there we have to endure the countless switchbacks leading to Cascade Pass and a 10-minute long rain shower. The rain subsides just as we reach the pass but dark clouds rolling above our heads threaten to precipitate more. At that point we enviously look towards sunny Eldorado Peak, but soon the weather clears for us too and we do not see a drop of rain for the rest of the weekend.

While the valley below Cascade Pass is still solidly snow covered, only several snow patches remain on the trail to Sahale Arm, some longer, on a steeper terrain and to be crossed with caution, others do not pose much of a problem.

The two best sites are already taken when we arrive, the one we get has good view but is more of a one person bivi site than a tent site, so we end up pitching our tent on the snow.

We do a little bit of exploring after dinner. There are couple more visible sites, both even smaller than ours, and with less views. Composting toilet is located on the far end. Clouds are coming in, obscuring the views in a very interesting way. We enjoy the evening in a company of our camping neighbor in site 1 watching the clouds, chatting about other interesting places to backpack to and his adventures with packing goats.

Usually I sleep pretty well outdoors but for some reason I wake up multiple times during the night, and at 1:40 a.m. voices from outside our tent get me awake one more time. It seems like people walking by searching for a campsite. They pass our tent and few minutes later I can hear them returning, their headlamps on. I expect to see another tent when we wake up in the morning but there is none and we never learn who those people were, why they arrived so late, or where they went.

On Sunday morning we venture towards Sahale Peak. We do not have aspiration to climb it, class 4 rock is not something either of us is comfortable with, so as planned we reached the base of the summit pyramid and then return to our camp. The glacier is in a decent shape, with couple of easily spotted bergschrunds, and a short section of recent avalanche debris from a slide caused by a skier on Saturday.

Just as usually the weekend flies by and much sooner than we like it, it is time to think about heading home. Our descent is long, and just as we were about to call it uneventful, a black bear emerges on a slope in front of us. It makes its way up a snowy field towards Cascade Pass, glancing at us once or twice, not bothered by our presence, before it disappears into treed area close to the trail.

Yay for another great weekend outdoors!

Island Peak – 19 Days to Departure - Hidden Lake Peak Lookout

WOW would be an understatement for the sight of stars covering the sky as far as the eye could see as we stepped out of the lookout after a delicious dinner consisting of polenta and hearty stew and found comfortable seats on the boulders nearby to enjoy the show. The night was calm and moonless; the darkness long swallowed the surrounded mountains and only an occasional dim flicker of light at the bottom of the valley reminded us of the civilization some 3000 feet below. 

Life could not get much better considering that we had no idea what our destination will be when we left Seattle earlier that morning. All we knew was that Sahale Glacier Camp, our original choice for the weekend, was full, and so were Pelton Basin and Basin Creek as we learned upon our arrived at Marblemount Ranger Station. Our choices shrunk but  we were in North Cascades, and even the limited options called for a tough decision – camp along the ridge of Sourdough Mountain with a spectacular view of Ross Lake to feed our eyes, or head to the Hidden Lake cross country zone to spend the night in the company of some of the most amazing mountains in the area. There were 2 groups already headed that way, and though chances of spending the night in the lookout itself were slim, but we were due for the annual visit so the decision was made to camp by Hidden Lake anyway.

It was an ideal day, warm but not too hot and practically windless with blue sky and clear view of the surrounding mountains which slopes started showing first signs of fall as the flowers faded and the blueberry foliage turned them crimson red.

Our energy level was surprisingly high, and we zoomed through the forested part of the trail, and entered into the meadow, where the trail was the steepest. We did not let the incline slow us down, and even under the load of overnight packs made a good time to the top of the hill. This was where we caught up several backpackers, taking a break after this challenging section and wishing them a good day we passed them and let the trail lead us on, traversing the slope on nearly a flat path with amazing views of Mt. Baker and other peaks everywhere around us. 

Soon we arrived to the final section, a faint path and a boulder field, and then there was the reward – a 360 degree view of North Cascades. The sound of guitar and a chorus of voices from the summit was an unusual welcome, and as we got even closer, a smell of freshly made chicken noodle soup added to our curiosity.

The source was a group of 6 Ukrainian teenagers who arrived at the lookout at an early morning hour with an intention to spend the night; however now after nearly whole day up there they were reconsidering their plan, and indeed after about an hour of deliberating the group announced that they have made their decision…. and that they will be heading back down. 

So there we were, moving in the lookout for the night together with Dave, a navy pilot, who arrived to the top shortly ahead of us, and was happy to share the lodging. We ate dinner with a view of stunning sunset over Mt. Baker, watched the night sky with Milky Way running right over our heads, and woke up to a colorful sunrise with its red hues reflecting of the calm surface of the lake below us. One could hardly find a better place to escape for the weekend!

Island Peak - 92 Days to Departure - Hannegan Peak

Hannegan Peak was one of my first hikes along Hwy 542, and with the walk through green picturesque valley full of magnificent views, challenge of a 3000 feet elevation gain, and a treat of 360 degree views from the top, it instantly became one of my favorite trails, a destination to which I always longed to return. Seeing photos from a recent trip my friend David Chatham took up there deepened that desire and with (finally) a sunny day in the forecast I was sure Hannegan Peak will make a great destination to celebrate the Independence Day.

The trail, as I remembered it, was easy 3 miles before any serious elevation gain started, a walk through a valley full of greenery, wildflowers, and views of never-ending line of peaks rising to the sky.

The peaks were there, standing in their rugged beauty, so were the windflowers - bright yellow wood violets lining the left side, the right side filled with blooms of purple hues. What I did not expect, at least not to that degree, was the amount of avalanche debris in the area, multiple slides tearing down sizable trees, shredding them to pieces, depositing them along the way, sometimes as far as the valley floor. 

The slides, crossing the trail in so many spots I stopped counting, slowed the approach significantly. Some of them were easy to navigate but often the slide presented a snow bridge under which the water rushed and rumbled, and often those snow bridges were not in the best shape. Weakened by the warmth of the summer sun, partially collapsed, and too thin for comfort, there was couple of crossings where we chose to scramble down the muddy hillside holding onto the branches rather than risking falling into the ice cold snow melt water should the bridge not hold.

Once we reached area about ¼ miles before the switchbacks, the snow coverage became solid, and straight up we went, following a nicely set boot track. The sun was now out, the sky nearly perfectly blue, and not much breeze to calm us down. After a little bit of huffing and puffing and a whole lot of sweating, we reached Hannegan Pass. We did not linger long; the promise of the great views drove us up the now very steep slopes. The snow conditions were good and we made a quick progress. Soon we were rewarded by first unobstructed views of Granite Mountain, Ruth Mountain, Mt. Shuksan, and many more, and the higher we got, the more spectacular mountain views our eyes could feast on became.

We were in no rush to head down. We spend over an hour on the summit, striking a friendly conversation with a couple who arrived shortly after us, learning about the surrounding peaks and some interesting routes in the area. Finally the lateness of the day, and the fact we had to be back at work bright and early the following day, made us say good bye.

What a day! And the weekend (and more sunshine in the mountains they say) only couple days away!

Island Peak - 131 days till Departure - Chelan Lakeshore Trail

Several years ago, and I’m not sure where, I’ve heard about a trail that lets a hiker venture into an world of nearly never-ending sunshine, astonishing display of wildflowers, and amazing views. Of course I wanted to go and see it for myself but at that time backpacking was not an option and hiking the 17.5 miles in one day was out due to a limited ferry schedule.

Now that there are no longer restrictions on my recreation activities; and with rain in forecast for the long weekend on our side of the mountains, I was eager to visit Chelan Lakeshore Trail and witness its beauty in company of resident rattlesnakes, bears and cougars.

The adventure started on Saturday morning when after a night at Best Western in Wenatchee and a very non nutritious breakfast consisting of waffles, muffins, and other gluten-full goodies, we drove to Field’s Landing and boarded Lake of the Lake II. Its front was loaded with overnight backpacks; obviously we weren’t the only one with this brilliant idea. It made us little uneasy first. While we were aware of the fact the trail will be busy, competing for camp sites with crowd of this size was not on our to-do list. Luckily after talking with several of the frequent visitors we gained an understanding that the hoards spread in the net of trails available in the area, which helped us ease a little and enjoy the rest of the hour long cruise taking us deep in the mountains, miles past civilization.

The on-foot part of our trip started at Prince Creek where we disembarked the vessel in a sort of organized chaos with everybody picking up a piece of luggage closest to their hands, bringing it to the shore, and then running around in a search of their own packs.

Once united with our belongings, our journey along the lake shore could start. The flower displays did not disappoint. Some slopes were purple with lupines while paintbrushes toned other ones red. We saw an amazing variety of other flowers including giant tiger lilies, columbines, yarrow, balsamroot, wild currant, and many more whose name I’m yet to learn.

Wildlife was also present. Chipmunks, lizards, Osprey flying above our heads. We closely missed a bear encounter (the other wildlife – group of boy scouts just ahead of us – must have scared it away), and as much as I was hoping we will avoid the snakes, I managed to step close to one, and it made me jump when it started slithering in the bushes. I did not see much of it, only part of the body and the rattle, but quite frankly even that was more than plenty.

Our Western Washington bodies not conditioned for the hot and dry 70 degree day broke quite a lot of sweat considering the trail was not much more than rolling hills. Finally after 11 miles we arrived at Moore Point, our destination for day one. It was busy with families already settled in, many who took the ferry all the way here, and were now using their big stoves and ovens to cook gourmet meals, setting up net for badminton, or simply displaying the collection of wine they had for later that the evening. And then, of course, there were backpackers like us, using their jet boils to prepare freeze-dried Mountain House dinners.

Finding a site little away from this scene was surprisingly not a problem. A perfect one right on the beach with large fire pit was calling our name. We made ourselves home and headed to pick firewood for the evening, cooked dinner and rested with cup of chocolate wine after the long day.

The morning came, and we found ourselves hitting the trail before 9:00 a.m, beating many others, including the Boy Scout group that just like us headed for Steheiken. Not only we beat most of our fellow hikers, we also managed to cover the first 2 miles of uphill while the sun was still hidden behind trees, and not so scorching hot.

The day was supposed to warmer than yesterday; but the wind came and it accompanied us for the rest of the way, making it rather pleasant to stroll along the bluff soaking up great views all around us. There was something very calming about the way the wind played among straws of a grassy meadows, about its power forcing waves to crush against the rocky shore, and it’s tenderness with which it carries scent of fragile wildflowers.

Getting up early paid off once more when we arrived to Steheiken and learned there the camp ground was full and there was a very last spot open at the overflow area. We gladly took it. People arriving after us got accommodated on the grassy picnic area which was not sheltered from the wind, as a matter of fact the wind never seemed to calm down there, and they did not have the opportunity to have a fire.

We spent the rest of the time exploring Steheiken and its surroundings. Dinner at the only restaurant in town was good, but the wait was about an hour just to get seats, and of course they run out of the ribs which we were looking forward to.

The social life in town consists of talks the rangers give every evening. The day’s topic was use of plants by Native Americans. It was actually very educational, not only we learned that bulbs of lilies are edible, we also learned how to make rope from bark of trees, soap from leaves of others, and at the end of the presentation we made some smoke using wood plank and a stick.

After an evening spent by fire, and a good night sleep, it was time to say good bye. It was a great trip, which gave us ideas for several future trips, and the fact we were able to get on the earlier ferry and arrive home at somewhat reasonable time, made a great ending to it.

Distance: 17.5 miles + couple short side trails
El. Gain: Appr. 2000 ft