#14, 12 miles, 2400 ft elevation gain
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| 4th of July Camp overlooking Neve & Colonial Glacier |
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| Trail over a 100 ft waterfall |
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| a little hidden lake behind the July camp |
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| them mountains sure are pertty |
wan·der·lust/ˈwändərˌləst Noun: A strong desire to travel: "a woman consumed by wanderlust".
Sunday, June 24, 2012
4th of July Pass- 6.23.12
4th Of July Pass- North Cascades
#14, 12 miles, 2400 ft elevation gain
#14, 12 miles, 2400 ft elevation gain
Sunday, June 17, 2012
US Forest Service Road 4330- 6.16.12
US Forest Service Road 4330 (from Cle Elum)- Snoqualmie Pass
Hike #13, 10 miles, 100 ft elevation gain
Made a pit stop in Roslyn and stopped in to Maggies Pantry. Great place to stop in and grab some local produce, fresh made muffins and coffee before heading out for camping/hiking. From Roslyn take Salmon la Sac Road past Cle Elum Lake until you past the old ranger station. Before the bridge there is a fork, take the dirt road on the right Forest Service Road 4330.
It's really slow going as you climb a very rutted and potholed 2 lane dirt road. Be on the alert as some 4 wheel vehicles can be coming up or down this road rather quickly around the sharp turns.
It is quite beautiful as you follow the creek along the valley for the 10 miles to the end of the service road. On this day it took about 25 minutes to travel the 5 miles to reach the camping area just below the Tucquala lake. It appeared this was the stopping point as I could see in front of me a 3 foot lingering snow pile and a very unhappy crew of people trying to dig out the sad little subie. So I parked my car, grabbed my pack and headed over to see what I could do to help.
It wasnt too long of digging and trying to jack up the car before a large truck approached on the road and was able to pull the little car out in no time.
At this point as I headed down the road I realized that today was going to be more of a scouting mission rather than a destination hike. It appeared by assessing the map that I was still 5 miles from Deception pass and cathedral rock TH. As I gauged the snow levels around the peaks I wondered how late in the season would the snow be lingering this low? Each trail I came upon looked un-tracked. Scatter Creek and Paddy go Easy did not appear to have any tracks yet this year. And the snow was heavy which lead me to believe if no one else has been traveling them than neither would I.
Scatter Creek was flowing strong and over the road fairly swiftly.
With
a high clearance vehicle would have been no problem but for me I had to
head down stream and make my way over a fallen tree. It was at the
moment I was crossing the creek I realized I had a friend quietly
following me. This deer was quite curious with me and followed me,
shockingly close, for at least a 1/4 mile.
Eventually I parted with my walking buddy and continued down the road passing many open meadows and rambling creeks. The clouds were out but still had a nice view of Cathedral Rock.
Once to the Lake it was a quiet walk another 2 miles to the trail heads. I attempted to give each trail a try to see how far I could get. I started on Cathedral first. I made it about 15 min on a boot trail over what looked to be about 6-8 ft of snow. Soon though the boot trail became faint and totally disappeared. The snow was giving way in some spots and was my cue to turn around.
Made my way over to Deception pass and made it a little farther before the snow level got heavy. Again the boot tracks just stopped. On my return as I reached the forest service road I ran into the kids from the stuck subaru. They looked a little defeated as I told them the trails were not passable yet after they had just spent 3 hrs digging their car out and hiking along a road to head into the mtns to camp. They mumbled something like "worst backpacking trip ever" just as it started to rain.
As I made my way back I stopped for lunch along the lake and watched the rain and clouds move in and swirl around cathedral rock. Despite the lack of actual trail time I was getting excited to plan out some future trips with the many trails that can be accessed from this secluded camping spot.
Hike #13, 10 miles, 100 ft elevation gain
It's really slow going as you climb a very rutted and potholed 2 lane dirt road. Be on the alert as some 4 wheel vehicles can be coming up or down this road rather quickly around the sharp turns.
It wasnt too long of digging and trying to jack up the car before a large truck approached on the road and was able to pull the little car out in no time.
Scatter Creek was flowing strong and over the road fairly swiftly.
With
a high clearance vehicle would have been no problem but for me I had to
head down stream and make my way over a fallen tree. It was at the
moment I was crossing the creek I realized I had a friend quietly
following me. This deer was quite curious with me and followed me,
shockingly close, for at least a 1/4 mile.Eventually I parted with my walking buddy and continued down the road passing many open meadows and rambling creeks. The clouds were out but still had a nice view of Cathedral Rock.
Once to the Lake it was a quiet walk another 2 miles to the trail heads. I attempted to give each trail a try to see how far I could get. I started on Cathedral first. I made it about 15 min on a boot trail over what looked to be about 6-8 ft of snow. Soon though the boot trail became faint and totally disappeared. The snow was giving way in some spots and was my cue to turn around.
Made my way over to Deception pass and made it a little farther before the snow level got heavy. Again the boot tracks just stopped. On my return as I reached the forest service road I ran into the kids from the stuck subaru. They looked a little defeated as I told them the trails were not passable yet after they had just spent 3 hrs digging their car out and hiking along a road to head into the mtns to camp. They mumbled something like "worst backpacking trip ever" just as it started to rain.
As I made my way back I stopped for lunch along the lake and watched the rain and clouds move in and swirl around cathedral rock. Despite the lack of actual trail time I was getting excited to plan out some future trips with the many trails that can be accessed from this secluded camping spot.
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| Trail Head to Deception Pass and Cathedral Rock |
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| End of the boot trail towards Cathedral Rock |
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| Crossing a creek into the snow line towards deception pass |
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| Cathedral rock |
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Rainy Lake- 6.12.12
Rainy Lake, Middle Fork Snoqualmie
#12, 9 miles, 2700 ft elevation gain
This day was not one of my more well planned adventures but as luck is usually on my side made for a better than planned kind of day.
I met a new hiking friend early in the morning. A fellow traveler I met several trails past and planned for a hike I may not have attempted on my own. I prepared for a few different routes off the middlefork and mostly figured we would "go with the flow". But some of the routes were not in the exact location as identified from the wta hike finder???
But in this instance it may have been how fate planned it to be. We ended up
in the main parking lot of the middle fork trailhead and not really sure where to head. So we looked to ask the most well equipped men in the lot who clearly knew where they were going. And turns out they were headed in the same direction. Sheer luck as we seemed to be the only ones on the trail that day and most likely at all yet this season. The trail head was very inconspicuous with ominous looking signs to warn off hikers.
The guys we met in the parking lot, Leif and Damien, reassured us the trail maintenance doesn't happen on the weekend and we shouldn't be turned away by the "blast zone" signs. Well, ok.
So we figured we would follow in after them and trust in their loyal middle fork guidance. The trail was very rustic and new and if they had not been in eye shot we would have been blindly guessing which way to go. There are a few forks that have no identification and without knowing the trail its not clear.
The trail was defined for the first few miles as it meandered along the creek but around mile 3 turns into a very faint boot trail. Around this point is when I started cursing my choice of shoes. My feet had taken a beating from the previous days crawl up
mailbox peak and I was expecting a relatively easy nature stroll (no snow and no wet feet). After my 3rd fall in another creek and my bloody shins I realized I can never enter a trail without overly preparing for any scenario. Our leisurely nature stroll quickly turned into a hardcore mission of "lets see how far we can get and still find our way back".
Not to worry friends who might be reading this I am not a total idiot and when snow tracks in the woods just end into thin air than its time to turn around.
Luckily our well prepared new friends realized we would not have a clue where to cross the creek in the snow and they waited for us to catch up. Offering us to join them they quickly became my beacon of hope.
Now pushing on with our new group there seems to be no tracks or trails but Leif is confident on which direction to head. He told us he had hiked this trail in the summer and it has a faint
boot trail but really rustic. Leif and Damien were headed on to preacher mtn from Rainy
Lake so I knew we would be on our own to get back. The thought made me slightly nervous so I kept looking for trail markers.
We crawled over and under fallen trees, up and down snow gulleys and cracks. I kept looking behind me to keep a guide point to where we had come. The snow fields would be mixed with patches of dry dirt and these are the spots you have to be aware of so not to loose your tracks.
Once we crested a ridge it was a steep snow slide down to the lake basin.
It was beautiful and protected from the snow melt. At a
mere 3700 feet there seemed to be at least 8-10 ft of snow still. It
was gorgeous and serene.
We parted ways with our kind hearted guides. Soon after our departure I realized how confident I am in my own instincts and ability to navigate but am limited without the support of an experienced team. The first few miles back were a bit of a challenge and struggled a few times to find the trail.
This trail is full of challenges and obstacles and am so thankful we met up with Leif and Damien in the parking lot. I owe them for getting us to the lake and for such an amazing day.
#12, 9 miles, 2700 ft elevation gain
I met a new hiking friend early in the morning. A fellow traveler I met several trails past and planned for a hike I may not have attempted on my own. I prepared for a few different routes off the middlefork and mostly figured we would "go with the flow". But some of the routes were not in the exact location as identified from the wta hike finder???
But in this instance it may have been how fate planned it to be. We ended up
The guys we met in the parking lot, Leif and Damien, reassured us the trail maintenance doesn't happen on the weekend and we shouldn't be turned away by the "blast zone" signs. Well, ok.
So we figured we would follow in after them and trust in their loyal middle fork guidance. The trail was very rustic and new and if they had not been in eye shot we would have been blindly guessing which way to go. There are a few forks that have no identification and without knowing the trail its not clear.
The trail was defined for the first few miles as it meandered along the creek but around mile 3 turns into a very faint boot trail. Around this point is when I started cursing my choice of shoes. My feet had taken a beating from the previous days crawl up
mailbox peak and I was expecting a relatively easy nature stroll (no snow and no wet feet). After my 3rd fall in another creek and my bloody shins I realized I can never enter a trail without overly preparing for any scenario. Our leisurely nature stroll quickly turned into a hardcore mission of "lets see how far we can get and still find our way back".
Not to worry friends who might be reading this I am not a total idiot and when snow tracks in the woods just end into thin air than its time to turn around.
Luckily our well prepared new friends realized we would not have a clue where to cross the creek in the snow and they waited for us to catch up. Offering us to join them they quickly became my beacon of hope.
Now pushing on with our new group there seems to be no tracks or trails but Leif is confident on which direction to head. He told us he had hiked this trail in the summer and it has a faint
We crawled over and under fallen trees, up and down snow gulleys and cracks. I kept looking behind me to keep a guide point to where we had come. The snow fields would be mixed with patches of dry dirt and these are the spots you have to be aware of so not to loose your tracks.
Once we crested a ridge it was a steep snow slide down to the lake basin.
We parted ways with our kind hearted guides. Soon after our departure I realized how confident I am in my own instincts and ability to navigate but am limited without the support of an experienced team. The first few miles back were a bit of a challenge and struggled a few times to find the trail.
This trail is full of challenges and obstacles and am so thankful we met up with Leif and Damien in the parking lot. I owe them for getting us to the lake and for such an amazing day.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Mt Teneriffe- 6.2.12
Mt Teneriffe via Boot trail beyond Kamikaze Falls
#10, 10 miles, 3,888 ft elevation
To attempt a climb on a foggy day that is known for its incredible views can be somewhat of a head scratcher. For some people its all about the vista reward, but today the reward was in the journey, and the spectacularly eerie voyage through a forest that holds all of the treasure in her beauty not her conquer.
Trailhead to Mt Teneriffe begins on an old logging road (elevation 950 ft) and continues for this first mile before the trailhead towards Kamikaze falls. Keep your eye out for the trail on the right because markers are lacking for this junction. If you miss the turn and continue on you will bypass the falls completely and stay on the 6 miles of logging road to the Teneriffe summit (or over to Si).
I absolutely love days like this, when the fog layer is real low and you can almost take a bite out of it. Most people look at days like this as an excuse to stay inside but with the rain, fog and wind I find adventure.
From the main trailhead to the falls is 3.2 miles and elevation is 2500. From my map I can clearly see its a steep but straight shot to the summit vs the boring 6 miles of logging road.
For about 500 ft you almost have to claw your way into the dirt with your nose inches from the ground until you reach a very narrow ridge This ridge feels like you are hiking on a knife blade. On either side of you is a straight shot dropping hundreds of feet on either side. If you are afraid of heights this is not for you.
After climbing on the ridge for what felt like hours, I ran into the only other soul (from the falls) on his way down. It gave me the slight reassurance to keep pushing on.
#10, 10 miles, 3,888 ft elevation
Trailhead to Mt Teneriffe begins on an old logging road (elevation 950 ft) and continues for this first mile before the trailhead towards Kamikaze falls. Keep your eye out for the trail on the right because markers are lacking for this junction. If you miss the turn and continue on you will bypass the falls completely and stay on the 6 miles of logging road to the Teneriffe summit (or over to Si). 
I absolutely love days like this, when the fog layer is real low and you can almost take a bite out of it. Most people look at days like this as an excuse to stay inside but with the rain, fog and wind I find adventure.
From the logging road you enter a lush forest dense with trees and unfurling ferns for a steady climb of tight switchbacks along the raging creek. There are many spots to stop and marvel at the heavy late spring flow. As you approach just beneath the falls you have to wait your turn to allow for some people to come down. The landing to stand under the falls can only hold a few people at a time.
From the main trailhead to the falls is 3.2 miles and elevation is 2500. From my map I can clearly see its a steep but straight shot to the summit vs the boring 6 miles of logging road.
I had talked to the guy at Marmot Mountaineer store (where I get all my maps) and he said he's heard of a boot trail behind the falls but never done it. So of course I was curious and wanted to find this unmarked trail.
I wasn't totally unaware of what I was getting myself into but I was blindly heading up a steep mountain with brand new hiking boots purchased the day before and not properly broken in. And the thigh burning begins for a relentless hour and a half.
For about 500 ft you almost have to claw your way into the dirt with your nose inches from the ground until you reach a very narrow ridge This ridge feels like you are hiking on a knife blade. On either side of you is a straight shot dropping hundreds of feet on either side. If you are afraid of heights this is not for you.
At this point I am thinking what are you doing...but I cant stop. My whole body feels like it is buzzing with anticipation and adrenaline. I can only take about 10 steps before I have to stop and turn around to admire the climb and catch my breath. My calves are on fire and screaming for me to stop. But I cant. *As a recap: from the falls the elevation gain is 2388 feet in under a mile.
After climbing on the ridge for what felt like hours, I ran into the only other soul (from the falls) on his way down. It gave me the slight reassurance to keep pushing on.
The higher I climbed the more aware I became to realize without treking poles this trail on the way down would not be safe in the rain. I was already loosing my foot hold from the dirt giving way. And the climber I had passed told me I could take the logging road down as he had run into many hikers at the summit who were doing the same thing. Sounded easy enough.
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| the clouds parted for a brief moment near the summit |
As I hit the snow line the boot trail was easily distinguishable. But after about 20 min in very deep snow I had a moment of inteligence. I was probobly being a total idiot right now. The snow looked very stable and was not worried of an avalanche in this specific spot I was hiking but the thought of it made me second guess myself.
As a solo hiker your senses in elements like this become heightened and your own strength and sense of fragility seem to be your main focus. It went from casual hike to "survival mode" if need be. The tree wells to the earth looked to be over 6 feet so falling in one of them would not be good. When you border on seasonal shifts you have to always be aware of conditions and the thawing snow can quickly turn on you.
As I near the summit (4788 ft) and regain footing on solid earth again I am mixed with a sense of relief and pride. Nothing about what I just did felt easy and my body was nearing exhaustion.
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| searching for the boot trail off the summit |
So when I made it to the summit and saw a couple sitting atop it and I was so relieved not to be alone. The weather had started to turn, rain mixed with ice and after sweating for 4 hours my base layers were drenched. I was trying to add some dry layers as the rain came down and Jeff and Jenny were getting ready to leave. They kindly allowed me to join them.
I didn't even take a moment to eat some food because all I wanted to do was get down.
Jeff and Jenny asked me If I knew how to get to the logging road? Ummm. That would be "No". I was hoping they knew.
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| Jeff finds some tracks |
So we all 3 worked together to make our way down the very steep trees standing between us and a well defined and dry logging road.
As we made our way through the rain, the fog and everything in between we bonded. Swapping stories and laughing our way off the mountain.
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| once on the ledge the trail is well defined |
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| dry trail and parting clouds rounds out a 7 hour hike |
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