[TR] Chikamin Peak - Dog Route 09/05/2022

[olyclimber]

Trip: Chikamin Peak - Dog Route

Trip Date: 09/05/2022

Trip Report:

 

Me and fuzznut climbed Chikamin Peak yesterday via the Mineral Creek trail.  We camped at the trailhead (busy as you can imagine being the holiday weekend).   This approach to Chikamin also uses a little bit of the PCT, and at this time of year the people who will complete the whole thing are coming through, so saw a number of them including a woman with norovirus who was going to take a break from the trail too recover and then hoped to finish it....I guess there was a norovirus outbreak at one particular location on the trail.

 

It is a really beautiful area back in there,  especially when you get off the PCT and go over that little pass....all the mountains and lakes. Spectacle, Stuart,  Glacier, Pete, Lemah,  Chimney, Big and Little Chief, Hinman, Bears Breast, Daniel, etc. 

There were two cruxes for us, one down low by Glacier Lake when you go past that dramatic boulder that is stuck on end.  The boulder field there has big rocks, and one of them I had to lift Kiba up so he could make it, but he cruised the rest, leaping from boulder to boulder.    

Then up on the third class section near the top of Chikamin I had to lift him again to get past the one step.   Our time on the summit was in a swirl of clouds with views that came and went quickly.  Shortly after we left it totally cleared off to a bluebird day.   Up high the views were even better, that is a great summit up there.

My GPS watch said 17.5 miles and 5.5k elevation for the day, but @JasonG tried to tell me it wasn't all that.      I definitely wasn't feeling challenged on the way up after all my Olympic Mountain fishing trail hikes this summer, but man my legs are sore this morning!   Kiba fell asleep almost immediately after getting into the truck, don't think I've ever seen him so tired.

Photo dump, a few out of order:

Gear Notes:
trail running pack, cordelette and full harness to lower the dog (didn't use)

Approach Notes:
via Mineral Creek....wow what a job they did brushing that out! You could drive a Mack truck on it.

[olyclimber]

in case you needed a new ring tone or alarm sound for your phone....

[JasonG]

4 hours ago, olyclimber said:

 tried to tell me it wasn't all that. 

I had the route you took wrong.  It was all that and then some!

Such a beautiful area....looks like a great day!

[olyclimber]

Well, my watch is pretty fancy.  It tells me stuff like this:  

5987 ml Est. Sweat Loss

[JasonG]

5 hours ago, olyclimber said:

5987 ml Est. Sweat Loss

sexy!

[Omnia.Extares]

Hey there! I know this trip was a few years ago, but any chance you'd be willing to share tracks or let me ask you some questions about your route? I would love to bring my pup up with me. Mostly curious if you diverted much from the standard approach. Thanks! 

Edited 2 hours ago by Omnia.Extares

[olyclimber]

29 minutes ago, Omnia.Extares said:

Hey there! I know this trip was a few years ago, but any chance you'd be willing to share tracks or let me ask you some questions about your route? I would love to bring my pup up with me. Mostly curious if you diverted much from the standard approach. Thanks! 

I don’t think I deviated much for the standard approach, if at all. 
I think I may have the tracks, I believe I have my trip on Strava.

Im glad I did it, but I was super worried about Kiba going up and coming down. Perhaps only for a short section, but it was stressful. I’m definitely by far not the only person to take my dog up there, and after this I got Kiba a proper climbing harness.  Just fyi.  But happy to share whatever I got.