[TR] Cardinal, Emerald, Saska - Standards 06/27/2020

[JasonG]

Trip: Cardinal, Emerald, Saska - Standards

Trip Date: 06/27/2020

Trip Report:

 

And this blast from the past brings us to June of 2020..... public lands are mostly open, with the exception of the National Parks.  And @Trent and @ZakG decide it is finally time to branch out and go for the first overnight of our COVID season.  Naturally, since it is June, the wet side lives up to its reputation and so we head east.  Way east.  It is a lot further over to the Entiat than I remember, but it does cut down on the masses.  I think we only saw a handful  of people all weekend, and plenty of space to stretch our legs and tick off a few more of the 100 highest.  At this rate I might be done by the time I reach my full social security retirement age.  But why rush?

 

At this point I remember almost nothing about any of the routes we took, other than we didn't find any major obstacles.  We generally looked at the map and followed our noses, ascending Cardinal the first day after setting up camp.  The next day we went up Emerald, then stayed as high as we could over to Saska.  We met a keen young man on the summit of Saska that was heading over to Pinnacle that same day.  But we just took off our boots and enjoyed some time in the sun instead.  It will have to wait for another trip.  And, if we had been in a rush, we wouldn't have seen a golden eagle fly right under us along the North face of Saska (photo below).  It was a good reminder that good things come to those who wait..... and to those that have their camera handy. 

Day 3 dawned cloudy with snow flurries, which rapidly intensified as we packed to leave with haste.  Thankfully we were heading down and away from the worst of it and we didn't get too soaked or chilled.  But it was another reminder that you often don't really know what is going to happen on these trips.  Best be prepared!

The hills are alive!

Approaching camp (L) and ascending Cardinal (R)

The three photos above are all on Cardinal

 

Heading up Emerald with Saska behind (L), On Emerald near the summit (R)

Looking back at Emerald from traverse to Saska

On Saska with Cardinal above @Trent

Summit views on Saska

 

Golden Eagle on Saska.  I emailed USFS wildlife biologists who work in this area and they say it is the first confirmed sighting in this part of the Cascades.

Signing in to Saska.  Please leave the registers up there, they are a great connection to our friends, some of whom are not with us any longer (RIP TJ).

Heading down Saska

 

Gear Notes:
ice axe, crampon, helmet, fire.

Approach Notes:
North Fork Entiat Trail

[Rad]

Great shot of that Golden Eagle! Hopefully their numbers will increase.

 

[Alisse]

Yes, love the golden eagle photo!

[Matt_Alford]

Jason-

Thanks for the show.  Nice photos.  The Golden Eagle is amazing, likely a rarer sighting than a wolverine in the North Cascades.  I would dare say more elusive than Sasquatch as well,  but Darin has seen several of those.

Matt