tread_tramp

My first unplanned bivy was during a january descent from Muir, in which we were caught in a white-out and a bit off route. So we hunkered down for the night in a snow cave. But we had all our overnight gear so it wasn't that bad. My first unplanned bivy with only a day-pack was on a descent of Mt. Garfield main peak. We got off route and funneled into a ravine which Becky describes as the Lower West-side approach. Long story short, we came to some cliffs as it was getting dark, around 10:30 pm. So we backed up into the trees and got next to a big fallen tree trunk. I had an old Chouinard vapor barrier in my pack that I used for a bivy bag. There was some drizzle during the night but I stayed dry. In the morning we re-examined the situation. Just had to retrace our way back up a bit, step across a stream, then followed a steep wooded hillside that avoided the cliffs.

My buddy and I had just reached the summit of Mt. Index, North Peak as the sun dipped behind the Olympics. So we spent the night right there. Had actually planned to bivy somewhere along the way, so we had enough with us to actully enjoy the the experience. Luckily it was a warm summer evening.

The following is posted in the Northcascades forum: You can get into the area, but it takes a little longer this year. Here's some beta from a recent trail report (posted on WTA): Aug 11, 2004 by Jim Miller Lake Byrne #744,North Fork Sauk River #649,Lost Creek Ridge #646,Pacific Crest (Glacier Peak) #2000,White Chuck River #643.1 - The Glacier Peak Area We left Seattle on Friday August 6 and drove thru the rain and arrived at the Lost Creek trailhead ahead of the rain. We moved one car to the Sloan Creek trailhead and before we could get back the rain caught us and lasted almost steady for 18 hours or so. The we on this trip were Dona Snow-Miller, Rose Alfred, Sarah Fansler, Ray Delger and myself. We threw things together and headed up to the top of Lost Creek Ridge. We inspected the WTA work up near Bingley gap and report it looks good. At some point in here I had a conversation with a guy and his two sons who were headed to Lake Byrne. He asked us where we were headed and I told him we were doing the loop and he asked me if I had seen the sign about the bridges out and washouts and such. I told him we had not seen it but I knew Kennedy Hot Springs was washed out and several bridges on the Suiattle but it shouldn't be a problem. He kind of shook his head and went away. That night we camped about 1/3 mile beyond the Round Lake cut off at a nice spot just off the trail on the low side. There was ground water running through the site but enough high spots for tents. We did luck out with 30 dry minutes to throw up our tents and get dinner heated up. In the morning we had about one inch of water in our bowls which had been left out the night before. On Saturday we moved on to Camp Lake. Rose suggested that this part of the "trail' was harder than the up part the day before. It certainly is no walk in the park! The weather was better but we had to imagine the views. Saturday night was dry and we awoke to great weather and we spent a lot of time on the ridge you cross to get to Lake Byrne checking out ALL the views. After spending more time at Lake Byrne we headed down to Kennedy. The upper mile or so of this trail is pretty rough with gradual improvement in tread condition as you decend. Kennedy, the former Hotsprings, is as washed out as all the pictures show. There is camping on the Byrne Lake side of the White Chuck in the trees and the toilet is still there. There is some sulfur smelling water flowing next to the river. We found a log to walk just above where Kennedy Creek enters the White Chuck. At the end of the log we had a short wade off a small island. We found the spring that the cabin used to be near (the pipe is gone). The toilet is still up the hill and there is a camping sign in a tree pointed to the gravel piles. We found the trail that goes south to the PCT and headed up. Soon we came to a new trail with no signs. We went with the new. Soon it merged with the old and soon enough it split again. We went with the new. The new trail goes more east than the old and we eventually ended up at the PCT where the new trail was marked as CLOSED! We headed south on the PCT and soon (1/4 mi.) came to a VERY washed out trail at Sitkum Creek. It took awhile to figure out that trail actually crossed here as it was easy to walk downstream along this mess. We found some logs to cross on. There are lots of logs but its a jungle. Boulder hopping might work. Immediately after crossing you are at the start of the Sitkum climbers route to Glacier Peak. Heading south again we ended up at Baekos Creek where the next big washout is. We camped here before crossing. Baekos was easy to cross on logs and once we found the trail on the south side (its more upstream than on the north side). I need to add here that each of these washout areas are badly undercut in places and care should be used in approaching. So off we go along a trail that has on it a fair amount of limbs and winter debris and a few logs here and there and I'm starting to think about the next place that could be washed out. Its not long and bingo the bridge over the White Chuck appears and its a wreck and the trail crosses over an area of water falls. I looked upstream and Dona and Sarah looked downstream. There is nothing easy up. The place Dona found is below the falls and its fairly easy to climb down the rock slide to the river. There are traces of an older trail near the river. We crossed on a couple of logs, walked up through the trees and gained the trail. The switch backs up the hill are in need of help both in logging and getting a creek to go back under a bridge. The lower Glacier meadows were great and we hiked on up to a place Dona and I had camped about 20 years ago near the cinder cone. And you know what, someone was there! They were the first folks since Camp Lake. We moved away a bit and had a geat evening. On Tuesday we hiked up over Red Pass to the junction with the North Fork of the Sauk trail. The PCT from Red Pass south could use some help as it is loosing its tread. At this junction we finally read an information sign about the area we had just passed through! Just think we may have missed all the fun if it hadn't been raining at the start (like we might have read the sign). On the hill down to the valley floor there is some water, two places in fact way up in the meadows. It was hot. Ray suggested the only thing missing was the devil himself! We camped Tuesday night at Red Creek. A great place to clean up and cool down. Hiking out the last bit we met the first person we had crossed paths with on the trail since Bingley Gap. And you know what, it was George Winters, the ranger out of Darrington whom some of us know. We saw 7 people, hiked about 30 miles and it something like 10 or 11000 feet of elevation change or whatever. Pretty much there was plenty of water. Bugs were low to non-existant and we had a great time. Warning flags: Bridge out, Clogged drainage, Trail wash-out, Trail over-grown

My guess for that first mountain pic is Chimney rock from the west. But I gotta hunch it's actually Garfield. When I was a kid (60's) I hiked thru Dutch Miller Gap on my way from Salmon La Sac to Snoqualmie Summit. There was a cabin at lake Ivanho at the time; it was rather misty as we passed the lake. There was a little wooden throne right at Dutch Miller Gap. My Dad wanted me to take a picture of him sittin on it. But I refused. This was the route of the Crest Trail, that continued on to Snow Lake and out to Alpental before the rerouted it further east.

The crew that pulled me off Chimney Rock last year was From Wisconsin; prolly the same guys. The guy they lowered to the ledge where I'd spent the night to give me a hand, called me acouple months later and gave me the low-down. Said there pilot had flown missions in Nam. They werew awesome. I'd spent the night there by myself on a ledge at 7k and was thrilled when I heard them coming. Definitely some highly skilled flying in close to the rock face. They pulled me off with a little t-bar contraption on the end of a long line. That was definitely a wild ride when left the ledge on the end of that line dangling several hundred feet above the glacier on about 50ft of line. My hat's off the the national guard and the crews that come in and save our asses when we really need em.

The following is a quote from a post by IAIN on this subject in the Oregon forum: "It looked like they were on Chimney of Space or Central Pillar. Based on the arrangement of gear and other observations, it appeared to involve a factor 2 leader fall onto the belay quite high up on the route. The belay ripped and both fell a very large distance. This is simply speculation."

No Cell phone!!! My God; You just better not climb. The risk factor is way over the top.

Steve Norris, climbing buddy of mine, is trying to coordinate a wreckage recovery of a plane his son stumbled across near Mt Baker. The plane went down in 1942 while being ferried down to Paine Field from a base in Alaska. Here's a link to the story: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/137508_ambrose01.html

I had one of those Joe Brown helmets. But I didn't buy it till The mid eighties when I retired my MSR Helmet. So it's not necesarilly 60's vintage. In fact Mo Antoine and Joe Brown didn't start producing them till '68. They are pretty heavy lunkers. I think The company is called HB now and they make a much lighter bucket for the noggin.

Nice going Rod; I'm glad you went back and got it this year. Was a year ago today that we were on that route together.

Cairns...I don't imagine Raymond Greene was any ways near the writer his brother was, but is moments of being a good read?

Dingford creek trail starts six miles past the Taylor River Junction (1400 ft). At 3 mi is a left fork to 3777-ft Myrtle Lake. There is, or used to be, a fishermans tread that continues up to Pumkinseed Lake. If you take the right fork on the Dingford Creek trail it continues for another five miles to 3886-ft Hester Lake.

from Trail Country by R Wood, publishednin 1968, p.219: ...The Queets River trail follows the river up the valley about fifteen miles to Pelton Creek Shelter. Because the road lies on the south bank, the river must be waded to reach the trail, on the north side. Boots with non-skid soles should be worn, for the current is swift, the water cold, and the bottom of tne river covered with slippery rocks. The crossing is plainly marked at a place near the end of the road where, in late summer, the water is shallow. In other seasons, however, the river is deep and swift, and the crossing treacherous.

A 6-year-old and a 4-year-old are upstairs in the bedroom. "You know what?" says the 6-year-old. "I think it's about time we started cussing." The 4-year-old nods his head in approval. The 6-year-old continues: "When we go downstairs for breakfast I'm going to say "Hell" and you say "Ass." "OK!" The 4-year-old agrees with enthusiasm. The mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6-year-old what he wants for breakfast. "Ah Hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios." WHACK! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mom in hot pursuit, slapping his rear every step. The mom locks him in his room and shouts, "You can just stay there till I let you out." "And what do you want for breakfast young man." "I don't know" he blubbers, "but you can bet your fat ass it won't be Cheerios."

Oh; and a signed 1st edition of Climbing Ice by Yvon Chouinard

ROUTES and ROCKS by Crowder & Tabor 2nd printing: 1966

I have some lighter fluid too. And a 20lb bag of charcoal. Is 6 o'clock early enough for getting the coals goin?

Do you have the charcoal covered? I can bring some of that.

This strategy seems rather contrived. It's not like you have to leave seattle trailing your gear on a bicycle. But if you want to cap off a climb of librty crack with a bivy on the summit, carry the gear up the route. Cacheing gear is fine for a PCT hike. But it seems the Gestalt of The experience would be lost in all the preparation in this instance.

Coming down the east side of Mnt Washington, over in the Olympics, The slope started to slide, taking me with it. When I went from sliding to 'being caried' to tumbling it got my attention. About 500 ft down the slope, with great effort, I managed to stay on top and swim-roll over to the edge of the slide and get out. Once I got out of it I watched as a 40 ft wide slide continued to flow. I could'nt see the lower section of the slide so I imagine it dropped off. One of those events you're glad you can walk away from. I had another close call more recently that I could'nt walk away from. But that's another story.

Die

Muffy, both Matt and I suggested Andy's Diner, and you suggested 3:00 as a good time. Do You need printed invitations sent out to make it official? What's with this 'sorry guys. maybe next time.'

How about having it at Andy's Diner. Then we can meet Muffy and Dan Larson at the same time.

Thanks for the invite Gary. Forest and Tony braved the onslaught of Seattle's well-heeled and got some free food and drinks. The rest of you dirtbags missed out on this one.

His next book should be titled "An Accident Waiting To Happen". Or maybe I could write that book.