[TR] Entiat- Carne Mountain High Route 10/8/2005

[Alex]

Climb: Entiat-Carne Mountain High Route

 

Date of Climb: 10/8/2005

 

Trip Report:

Seeing that the larches had turned but that snow line was descending mas rapido while cragging in the Icicle last weekend, I decided that it was high time to get on one of the October trips I had planned before it really was too late this year. So with the semi-decent forecast for Saturday, my wife and I headed over to the Entiat bright and early Saturday morning to do the Carne Mountain High Route, a traverse from Carne Mountain to Leroy Basin in the Entiat.

 

I had been messing around in the range for a few years, but only last June had ventured to try this (reasonable day-trip) traverse. In June I had lost the trail under snow and in the clouds and ended up descending down Chipmunk Creek, not even half way along from Leroy Basin. Visibility had been poor and I figured I had just lost "the trail" and that if I went just before the snow flew it would be easy going.

 

At the trailhead we were greeted with that full-on winter feeling: dark forboding clouds and a very low snow line! Man, it was depressing and exhilarating at the same time! We were also a little bit late getting out of the house so we resolved to get to the top of Carne Mountian and see what the whole thing looked like. Carne Basin did not dissapoint! There is a real larch forest up there, in this sheltered basin, and it was really awesome!

 

 

On the summit, where we encountered a Mountaineers party of 10 coming down, we scoped out the rest of the traverse. My wife, practical as ever, figured we would just go for it if we could get to Leroy Basin by dark. So we did. The traverse was under 6 inches of snow, but the way looked fairly straightforward and at least we had a map (this time!). Armed with the knowledge that I could at least get down Chipmunk creek again should the weather turn sour, we set off.

 

At first the trail is very easy to follow. Then it becomes less easy. Then it becomes pretty hard. Finally, about a third of the way along from Carne Mountain through Box Creek, we pretty much lost it entirely. Looking at the map we could pretty much figure out where it went, but it required gaining a bit of elevation to go through a high saddle, and it was under alot of snow so we decided to stay low. There was a faint path here, too, with a few isolated cairns. We were only half a drainage away from Chipmunk creek, where I knew I could figure out how to get to Leroy Basin again going the way I had come in June, so we continued on this path.

 

For the most part, this section of the Carne Route is actually pretty well-travelled: you can tell that alot of people have gotten lost and have 'schwacked their way across the Chipmunk Creek basin.

 

 

The day wore on and the larches were awesome, the newly fallen snow was awesome, the travel was awesome. It snowed on us a little bit, it was pretty cold. Really "fresh" weather! The travel was pretty stress free, since I knew a/the way to Leroy Basin from Chipmunk Creek (it requires slogging up a long grassy slope to gain a goat trail that skirts a large cliffband). As the afternoon progressed it got colder and it was really awesome just moving all the time, getting great views, feeling October in full force.

 

We got to the notch overlooking Leroy Basin in late afternoon, ate the last of the sandwiches, and made our way down into Leroy Basin, here a few parties were camped out for the weekend.

 

 

We basically ran down the Leroy Basin trail (so much erosion!) on wobbly quads, and got to the main trail at 6. Hiked out the last mile or so in the dark. In the last few hundred yards to the car, in the deep trees, we got buzzed by a large owl! Sooo cool!

 

Gear Notes:

map, good boots, extra layers, visibility all very useful

 

Approach Notes:

There is snow above 6500 and its sticking.

[To_The_Top]

Nice area

Ran into a party that went up Maude that said a few feet of snow up top.

TTT

[Horse]

I've been looking into a pack hunt up that trail. I was wondering if you saw any deer or track up there? thanks for your time.

[marylou]

That trail comes and goes along the high route, even when there's no snow on the ground.

[klenke]

Test post to verify hotlinking to SP.org.

Mt. Maude from Icebox (Pk 8112) on Ice Creek Ridge on 6/13/04. This is above the Carne Mountain High Route.