Island Peak – 75 Days to Departure - Steamboat Prow

Once again the weather forecast changed on a short notice just before the weekend and shattered our plans to attempt Mt. Rainier. What to do? Being in the “Rainier” mood, ideas such as Echo Rock, Observation Rock, Hessong Rock, and Skyscraper Mountain came to mind, but as Friday evening rolled in, we found ourselves exhausted after a long week of juggling between work, and preparations for the climb, so in the end we decided for an easier, relaxed outing in Sunrise area where the forecast still promised Mostly Sunny.

It did not look mostly sunny when we left Seattle at around 8:00 a.m., and it looked even less sunny when we drove into a downpour shortly past Enumclaw. We still had no plan of which trail we’ll hike, and with the rain getting stronger, we were not quite sure if we wanted to hike at all. 

Surprisingly the sun was out before we crossed the White River Entrance, and with it our hiking spirit. After a brief stop at the ranger station, we were on our way to Steamboat Prow.

The route started on Glacier Basin Trail which was smooth and well maintained an easy walk under the canopy of evergreens with occasional views that grew more plentiful as we approached the trail’s terminus. Flowers bloomed in numerous colors along this part of our hike, and creeks chirped songs of a happy summer day as they rushed down the hillsides.

Then we entered the basin, a meadow of delicate Glacier Lilies which we soon left behind as we hiked into the harsh environment of the alpine zone. Tall crumbling rock lined the walls, occasional rock fall stirred the dust, and evidence of prior slides littered the valley floor.

The views were incredible, especially after we ascended the initial formidable looking slope, our company here were the Burroughs Mountain, Ruth Mountain, and Rainier itself. Looming over its surroundings Rainier grew bigger as we approached the top of Inter Glacier, and made the final push – a rock scramble to the top of Steamboat Prow where it was so near we could nearly touch it.

Underneath us lay Camp Shurman and from there our eyes followed the route to the summit via the Emmons Glacier. It seemed quite straightforward ascending from the camp, then cutting through seracs, and then a long, steep looking slope. 

This vantage point also provided spectacular views of Little Tahoma, the whole Burroughs Mountain and far beyond, and up close and personal view of the mesmerizing Emmons Glacier.

It was hard to leave this gorgeous world of rock and ice and never-ending views but the evening was closing in and finally we had to say our good byes. The 1800 vertical feet glissade helped us make a good time, and even with our later start, we made it back to the car before it got dark.

RT: 10+ miles

Elevation Gain: 5300 feet

Island Peak - 88 Days to Departure - The Brothers

Gorgeous weekend to head out for a more challenging trip. We left Seattle early Saturday morning, and after a short detour (oops, how many times were we in the area before?) got to the Lena Lake trailhead and started hiking around 11:30 ish. 

The first part of the trip took us to Lena Lake, the trail was well maintained, not as busy as I expected it to be, but then we were starting at a time many locals were already enjoying the lake where we arrived around 14:00 p.m. and found many campsites occupied and people enjoying the hot sunny day.  

After the lake, the trail took us up the Valley of the Silent Man towards the climbers base camp.We found it full, and still having energy left, we proceeded higher up first on a well defined path, later navigating our way through a long blown down area, until we found a great camping spot higher up. We moved in and spent the evening by a fire, enjoying some good chocolate wine.

The morning came quickly. Soon after our departure from camp we reached the snow which at first was firm and not too steep; however we had to cross several snow bridges here, most of which did not look in a good shape, and we made a note to be extra careful on our way down.

The route soon got steeper; the snow was still firm, and with crampons easy going. We had to cross a stream and little bit of rock scrambling followed. We turned left little too soon and things got steep fast, so we retracted and followed a lower path that got us around the cliffs to another snow covered slope. 

This one was long and steep, and led us to the last rocky area where we scrambled to what we thought was the summit; however soon we found out we were mistaken. The summit was further on and between it and us lay a 30 foot drop. It was possible to downclimb the section and connect to the summit path but not being much of a rock scrambler, and being tired already, false summit did just fine for me for this trip.

The way down, with snow still firm and slippery at the steep part, was nearly as challenging as the way up but we made it down in one piece, exhausted but glad we had a great trip.

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 - 123 Days to Departure - Mt.Ellinor

With so many choices here in Washington State, there are mountains we climb and take off the list once and for all, and then there are those which makes us return year after year.  For me, Mt. Ellinor is one of the latter kind.

Located on the Kitsup Peninsula about 15 miles past small town of Hoodsport, this mountain has a reputation of being a short but grueling climb making one’s knees squeak. That might be true in the summer, when a narrow trail zigzags up the steep slopes to the prime views of the Olympics; however for many climbers the spring – after avalanche danger subsides but there is still enough snow pack left for the chute route -  is the preferred time to go.

There are 3 possible starting points for this climb, some might not accessible earlier in the season. The longest one starts from the lower trailhead and gains 3400 ft in about 2.5 miles. On the contrary the shortest one, starting from the upper trailhead, will gain about 2400 feet in approximately mile and half. And then there is a nice scenic ridge run in between those two.

The day was supposed to be partly sunny but the closer we got to the mountain, the faster our hopes to see any sunshine faded. The area was engulfed in a thick layer of clouds with an occasional sucker patch letting our eyes feast on a view that vanished as quickly as it appeared. The breeze, touched by the sporadic remnants of the snow pack, carried the chilliness of the cloudy morning.

Usually, we start at the lower trailhead but this time we drove higher up, and parked together with 4 other vehicles at the intersection with Jefferson Pass, where in a shady corner a mile from the upper trailhead sizeable snow patch blocked the road.

The forest was peacefully quiet, for the first half mile we had it all to ourselves.  We made several brief stops here to admire the softness of the pine needles, baby bear grass getting ready to bloom, and the most interesting piece of bark peeling of a tree in layers.

Most of the uphill was covered on dirt. The snow started just below the area where the trail flattens a little and starts heading for the chute where we arrived just at a time a patch of blue sky let us snap a quick picture, then the whole route once again hid in clouds.

There were others who likely just like us arrived hoping for a nice weather, and were now making their way up the chute, step by step slowly disappearing in the fog. We followed shortly after a quick gear up break. The staircase of frozen steps kicked by fellow climbers earlier was in a great shape. Crampons were not necessary; however I found them helpful, especially when a step off path was required, where the snow was solid and still rather slippery.

Passing several members of the group ahead of us, encountering one goat at the first false summit, and enjoying about 3 moments of sunshine, each lasting for no more that 10 seconds, we made a good time to the top. The view into the Olympics, even though roofed by dark cumulous clouds, was open, and a tiny sucker patch above the summit rocks allowed a peak into the Lake Cushman area. It was kind of like looking through a window, very cool experience actually.

The summit stay was windless and rather enjoyable. Looking towards the neighboring Mt. Washington, we discussed the possible traverse route with one of the locals who has done it several times, and just before our departure, a group of girls shared some of the wine they brought to the top with us.

And then…. of course there was the glissade. More solid at the top, not dangerously icy but hard enough to make bumps hurt, with some tricky spots trying to avoid a tree, dropping adventurers into a deep corridor, and spitting them at the flat area of the false summit. The bottom part was much smoother ride, long, curvy, most enjoyable with the snow softening with elevation lost, leaving us looking forward for next year!

Island Peak - 144 Days to Departure - Mt. Hood

The highest peak in Oregon, Mt. Hood was on our list for about a year. We missed the opportunity to climb it last season, and were keeping a close eye on how this year is unraveling, so when the reports suggested good climbing conditions and weather looked awesome for the whole weekend and beyond, it was a GO.

The long drive to Timberline Lodge was highlighted by a brief lunch stop in Portland during which we also visited the famous Powell’s bookstore, and strolled through a small food market in a hope to catch the Czech stand but they were not there.

The forecast did not lie; the sky was clear blue and temperature in high 70’s. With the Jeeps’ top off we cruised through small communities of Rhododendron and Government Camp, from where we turned to the winding road up to the trailhead.

After registering for the climb and a brief visit of the lodge, we still had time on our hands, so off we were back to Government Camp for an early dinner and several hours of rest at local Best Western.

 The stars were out and moon shined bright when we once again stood at the trailhead at a wee morning hour – just little bit past midnight. The first part of the route was a non technical slog taking us to the top of the ski lift. The terrain was uneven, crossed by multiple sets of frozen footsteps and CAT tracks here, making progress slower than anticipated.

From the top of the Palmer's lift, the route got steeper but still led on a non technical terrain. Here, little above 9000 feet, my body started reacting to the altitude. I felt sluggish, not short of breath, just little nauseated and not quite motivated to make another step.

The avalanche forecast was not good for today. We knew our chances of summiting more or less laid in Mother Nature's hands, and not feeling my best, I set a goal for myself to make it to the Hogsbacks, from avalanche perspective the safe part of the route, and I was quite happy to call it a day there. Yet then the sun started to rise... and we found ourselves surrounded by tall walls covered in white frosty coating reflecting the colors of the rising day, several camp sites tucked in the few wind sheltered areas along the route, and finally the famous Hogsback itself. The scenery was truly spectacular, feeding my eyes and mind with much needed fuel, and after a brief stop to snack and assess the conditions (the route turned out to be in a great shape), I found myself having plenty of energy to continue further so we geared up and off we were for the push to the summit via the Old Chute Route.

The sound of ice crystals constantly shifting down the slope accompanied our steps, at one point their flow was strong enough to cover the route, swallowing our feet in the appr. 5 inches of ice shatters. Then the last uphill came, luckily the group ahead of us kicked decent steps in the steep slope, and we took this staircase directly to the heavenly views of the summit ridge. From there it was just a matter of few minutes to cross to the very top of the mountain where, just as expected, gust slapped our faces, chasing us down after only few minutes and several quick photos.

Date: 5/13/2012
RT: 7 miles
El: Gain: 5200 ft

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

Island Peak 214 Days to Departure - Pratt Mountain

The alarm woke us up into a recognizable sound of rain. Drop after drop splattering on the window, an orchestra of drums practicing Verdi's Requiem. Even before I fully opened my eyes I could clearly picture them leaving wet trails on the glass against dark grey sky of the wee morning hour.



It was the kind of morning when all you want to do is to crawl deep under your covers and stay there for the rest of the day... so we got up and packed, wondering what happened to the "partly sunny" that the forecast promised yesterday.

As we drove to the meeting spot at Eastgate, the sky remained grey and the clouds lingered low, producing heavy drizzle. Half hour later we left Eastgate under the same conditions, headed for exit 47. Our mood was not the greatest, the Jeep was rather quiet as we tried to brace ourselves for the rainfest.



We were so preoccupied with the unpleasant thoughts we did not really notice the conditions started to change, and what a surprise it was to get out at the trailhead and see patches of blue above us that got bigger and eventually took over the sky completely transforming the mood of the entire day.

We covered the first several miles of the route reasonably fast. The trail was broken, and except for several interesting stream crossings and sizable avalanche debris we we stopped to check out for a brief moment, there was not much to slow our progress.



Things got slower once we left the beaten path, and started heading up towards the ridge of Pratt Mountain. Snow got deep quickly here, and it was the typical energy sucking cascade concrete, yet still we managed to keep a decent pace. Perhaps it was the promise of the great views that drove us up fast, and it's for sure we were not disappointed.

On the ridge the winter transformed the trees into frozen status, frosty white limbs beautifully ornamented with sparkling icicles. Further on the other side of the valley our eyes could feast on grand views of Granite Mountain, West Granite, Kaleetan Peak and many more.



Thank you Mother nature, for treating us with such an amazing day!

RT: 9 miles
Elevation Gain: 3400 feet
Trip Duration: 8.5 hours