Memorial Day in Alpental Valley

[Norman_Clyde]

This no doubt qualifies as boring fare for all of you on steeper terrain this weekend, and I posted a similar report last fall, but I'm in a good mood and I feel like sharing.

 

This weekend I was stuck working in Othello from 9 AM Sunday until 10:30 AM this morning. My late departure for Seattle gave me the added enjoyment of sitting on I-90 for an entire hour in bumper to bumper traffic this afternoon between Cle Elum and the pass, every 3rd car an RV returning to Puget Sound. I had originally planned to go up Si on my return, but the weather was so nice at the pass that I went for the Snow Lake trail instead. By the time I got there at 1:45 it was so warm I was comfortable shirtless in the parking lot. I headed up the trail in running shoes, running shorts, no shirt, a polypro top around my waist, ski poles, no pack, no water. The expected hordes were polite enough to step aside when I came up behind, and I got up to Source Lake in probably 20 minutes or so. The trail was packed slush, very slippery. Hikers without poles were having a time of it, but with poles I could keep at a slow run.

 

At Source Lake I decided to head up toward the Tooth, which as expected had a well established boot track. The sun was blazing, and even shirtless I sweated like a Mountie.* I drew a lot of double takes from everyone decked out in Goretex. But it must have been 65 or 70 up there, no wind, what were they doing so overdressed?

 

It took only another 15 minutes to reach the basin below the Tooth, and I got to Pineapple pass in just over an hour from the car. Several Mounties were just finishing their climb, all looking very pumped. I resisted the temptation to free solo in running shoes just to show them up.* Instead I put my shirt on for the descent and enjoyed a standing glissade down to the lower basin. From there I could move at a loping run in the soft forgiving snow down to the next gully, where I glissaded again down to the lake. I stopped to watch a couple of tele skiers cut some excellent turns down the slope from Chair Peak Basin. The soft layer was not too deep, so spring skiing conditions were actually very good. I had an easy jog back down the trail to the car. The traffic was much less bothersome for the last 50 miles back to town.

 

(* = nod to mountie bashers; mandatory on all cc.com posts concerning the Tooth.)

 

Hikes like this are less ambitious than big climbs, but sometimes they deliver a windfall of quality alpine experience. Today was one of those. On solo climbs I'm often very preoccupied with safety; on my usual fast hikes I'm often preoccupied with time. Today I had neither worry, and enjoyed one of the most carefree alpine afternoons in recent memory. Even though much of the Memorial Day weekend was taken up with work, I still got a couple of precious hours in the mountains.

Edited May 27, 2003 by Norman_Clyde

[chucK]

FAST AND LIGHT !!! FAST AND LIGHT!!!!

[allthumbs]

but did you take the time to smell the roses?

[Weekend_Climberz]

I headed up there on Tuesday 5/27 and only saw one other person on my way down. I saw hundreds of little trails that lead every which way though, and I could see that 60-70 people were there the day before. Hiking during the week rules.

[iain]

which seems to contradict your name on this board

[JoshK]

iain said:

which seems to contradict your name on this board

 

BWAHAHHA

[Norman_Clyde]

I forgot to mention that I carried a cast iron skillet on my head.

 

The original Norman Clyde is still my hero. If I were living up to his memory, I would have soloed the Tooth in big hobnail boots, carrying a hemp rope.

[Dru]

Norman_Clyde said:

I forgot to mention that I carried a cast iron skillet on my head.

 

The original Norman Clyde is still my hero. If I were living up to his memory, I would have soloed the Tooth in big hobnail boots, carrying a hemp rope.

 

And shot a snaffle and fried it up on the summit.