Dome Sunwhack

[Picketeer]

Left Portland last Monday morning, aiming for a first trip into Boston Basin and then up Forbidden. It started raining as soon as we hit Kelso. My climbing partner Eric said upon seeing the first drops, "you know what they say about weather in the North Cascades: if it's not raining, it soon will be." He then suggested we turn around and go climb Stein's Pillar east of Smith Rocks.

 

Instead, we decided to go to 3 O'Clock Rock and sample the fine Darrington granite we had heard about but never climbed upon and see if the weather would turn in our favor for a North Cascades alpine adventure. We made it up to the trailhead in the early afternoon and sampled the Kone, Under the Boredwalk, and some other nameless (to us route) to the left of the Boredwalk. We liked the rough granite (much rougher than the Yosemite aprons we are used to, makes for bomber friction climbing). A fine afternoon, no slips, just cruiser slabwork. Nice backyard, Darrington! Of course, the drive up was a piece of work. When we got down to the car, back rear tire was flat. We decided to camp and limp into Darrington the following day on the pseudo-bike tire spare. There we became aquainted with the fine staff of "The Station". Decent folks.

 

So Tuesday we learn from the Darrington R.S. staff that the weather is s'posed to change for the better on Wednesday. Good enuf for us. But we have changed our mind regarding objectives and decide that we are off to Domeville, figuring we still have four or five days before we have to motor south to the homelands.

 

We make it to the Downey Creek trailhead in the early afternoon, pack, cache, and go. We trudge with our "kitchen sink lite" loads up to what we think is Bachelor Creek, but after groping uselessly in the duff and timber above our campsite for hint of a trail, we realize we are idiots and have camped at the last major creek below Bachelor Creek. No matter, we decide and conk out.

 

We arise for what we realize (having previous experience schlepping in the range--Goodell Creek, Access Creek, etc.) that we are in for a fine day of self-induced trauma. We make it to the Bachelor Creek trail shortly and begin the ascent up the good trail. At this point, I will just mention that Mr. Skoog's topo is basically correct on the position of deadfall, slide alder, and the massive zone of deadfall. All who go this way are referred to his topo (do a search on Dome Peak, posted in June '02). It is a hefty journey. I seem to remember reading a post by Terrible Ted, where he mused that he was not likely to head this way again. I grok that. Since we are old and slow, middle-aged types with the "kitchen sink-lite" loads, it took us all day to make it to Cub Lake. The Sun showed little mercy and blazed throughout the afternoon once we entered the slide areas. We gave thanks that we were in the Cascades and hence crossed many rivelets and so forth and did not want for the H20.

 

A couple of Bachelor Creek trail notes: we crossed the stream at about 4000'. There is a track that stays on the northside of the stream and which is rumored to allow for a traipse through the fabled "open timber" until you can rejoin the main trail around 5400' (Hidden valley land) above the massive region of downfall. Can't tell you about that--looks burly, but suspect it goes. Instead we followed the old tread through the "hopelessly tangled overgrown slide alder". This was not so bad, just hot. Really didn't lose the track but for a few steps here and there.

 

The slide alder region is exited near where Beckey says is good camping (around 4400', about the 3.7 mile mark, along the creek in some nice open timber). After a short distance, the jumbo massive downfall region is observed.

It is impressive and it roughly tracked where the trail switchbacked up to the "Hidden Valley" below Cub Pass.

We followed the trail until smothered by downfall, and then kept in the timber to the right (as ascending) as far as we could until a small rock cliff turned us back right near the 5000-5200' level. From there we ascended as directly up the slope as possible and once we reached the Hidden Valley we quickly recovered the trail above the downfall area. This was a somewhat grueling but straightforward route to circumvent the downfall region.

 

On Thursday, we left our Cub Lake campsite (we wondered why people camp on Itswoot Ridge, being another hour slog from the lake--yeah, I'm sure the alpenglow can make it quite pretty) at 6:30 am and summited around 2:30 pm. We encountered a duo of self-described "bushwhackers" camped just below the north arm of the Dome glacier (6400' level) who had carried over from the Chickamin, having wrapped the Chickamin having approached from the Hanging Gardens

(reported to be not quite a garden yet, but close). The route was straightforward with a couple snow bridge crossings and one scrund/moat crossing on a rapidly melting snowbridge. Conditions were firm (am) to most sloppy (above the schrund/moat coming down the steep finger from the col in the pm). Mostly we just were baked mercilessly on the Dome Glacier. We got sunwhacked. Used all the Banana Boat SPF30. Our times were 8 hr up from Cub Lake; 4 hrs down.

 

On the way out, we took 11 hours (Cub Lake to road), some of which was lolligag time by various nice streamsides, etc. A note on descending the jumbo slide:

we followed the trail from Hidden Valley as far as we could into the slide and then contoured towards the timber across the slide and then followed it down to where the slide ran out near the 4600' level.

 

A great alpine environment, remote with gem lakes, fine forests, and beautiful peaks. I am glad we made the journey. Particularly, now that brews are more ready to hand

 

Last week we noted at least nine ascents (our party, the bushwhacker duo, and a party of five--I am assuming they all made it, some did). When we descended from Cub Lake, nobody was on their way up (Friday).

 

Bug level was uncommonly low. I applied Deet only once or twice in four days. Not that the bugs weren't irksome, just not the usual massive blizzards of them I had grown accustomed to enduring on my recent North Cascade trips.

 

[JoshK]

Nice job. That's a beautiful area fer sure.

[Picketeer]

Despite the Dome glacier broiler, it was great to have sun rather than rain on summit day! The views are outstanding.