[TR] Bath Lakes High Route- Bath Lakes High Route 9/23/2006

[tvashtarkatena]

Climb: Bath Lakes High Route-Bath Lakes High Route

 

Date of Climb: 9/23/2006

 

Trip Report:

Bath Lakes High Route

 

Pics can be found at:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60919971@N00/sets/72157594312155528

 

Route Summary:

Day 1: Downey Creek washout > Sulfur Mtn TH (via mtn bike) > Sulfur Mt

Day 2: Sulfur Man > Bath Glacier Pass

Day 3: Bath Glacier Pass > Canyon Lake > Image Lake > Suiattle River Trail > Milk Creek Trail intersection

Day 4: Out.

 

Trip Summary: Bearmart Blueberry Special

 

Day 1 (Sep 26, 2006): When a nice little creek turns bad

 

The Downey Creek bridge, now a half-bridge, is a fully engineered, reinforced concrete monolith formerly capable of handling the traffic of any two lane highway in America. During one torrential day on October 20th, 2003, over 10 inches of rain fell on the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Downey Creek, normally a pleasant little stream, destroyed two of the bridge’s huge concrete stanchions, shearing the entire structure in half. What is left is a surreal monument to the enormous power of that slippery little Mickey Mouse molecule that sculpts the face of our planet. Nineteen other major bridges in the Glacier Peak Wilderness were also destroyed, some so completely their remains were never found.

 

The Downey Creek washout cut off only two miles of road, but this relatively minor inconvenience transformed one of the most popular trailheads in Washington into a seldom visited backwater. As a result of this near total erasure of human presence and the lack of trail, the Bath Lakes High Route offers an incredible concentration of wildlife in a pristine alpine setting, particularly in the fall.

 

After I stashed my mountain bike in a mossy hollow, I began trudging up the Sulfur Mtn trail at 1:30 pm. The previously night’s carbo loading at the Reading Gaol seemed like such a great idea at the time.

 

I emerged above tree line, dropped and the head of the swampy valley just beneath Sulfur Mtn, and climbed the steep slopes just NW of the peak to gain the beautiful high benches that run along part of the ridge’s western side. I contoured along these benches until they ended, then followed the ridge crest, dropping east when convenient, crossed a saddle, and dropped to another west side bench, where the setting sun suggested that it might be time to bivouac. A snow patch provided water. (Note: This is a very dry route; take extra water carrying capacity and a little extra fuel for melting snow).

 

Day 2: Navigation by Oscillation

 

I hoped to reach Canyon Lake by evening. This would put me in a comfortable position to be back in Seattle by around noon on Friday to take care of some unfinished business.

 

At 7:15 I was heading for the next pass, a beautiful spot of sculpted granite slabs, an unobstructed view of Glacier Peak, and a few seeps for water. From here the route contours high along the southern alp slopes of the divide until drops to a small, grassy pass just SW of Bath Lakes. I tried to drop into the valley before this. Don’t. Delay # 1.

 

At this point, an excellent goat trail (do these animals except any pay?) provides efficient passage across the ridge’s cliffy N side to Bath Lakes. Lower Bath Lake is deep, below tree line, and seems to have a healthy fish population. Unfortunately, the trailer dwellers had gotten to it, so, for the Nth time, I erased their fire ring and packed out their trash so their toothless, methed-out mommies wouldn’t have to. Deny global warming, embrace intelligent design, believe whatever you want, Dick Bo, but Copenhagen tins are definitely not flammable.

 

Upper Bath Lake is a lovely affair surrounded by meadows and scarred by only one wife-beater campsite.

 

Once over the pass above Bath Lakes, high country low culture disappeared entirely. I had been granted a temporary pass into bear heaven. Over the next two days I saw 14 of these animals; up to four at a time on a single alp slope. The area was lousy with them.

 

The route continues contouring high along the ridge’s crest or south side until it reaches the Great Impasse, an east facing cliff (obvious on the map) that runs from the crest downward more than 1500 ft. It was here that I wasted much time and energy searching for a chink in this barrier. Part of my objective on these trips is to boldly go where better men have gone before. In the end, however, I resorted to brute force by dropping the 1500 or so feet and slinking beneath this cliff via a steep deer trail. It might be feasible to down climb or rap either the ridge crest (steep, exposed, and chossy), or a ramp about 2/3 of the way up the cliff, but, frankly, it’s probably quicker to employ gluteus rather than sphincter power and just do the end run.

 

From here Beckey describes the route as continuing along the south side, but there’s another cliff further east. A better route is to avoid this hassle by traversing the Tvashtar Glacier via a pass where the glacier gently kisses the crest (obvious on the map). I camped on a beautiful perch just beneath this pass and watched embers of alpenglow cool on Glacier Peak.

 

Day 3: The Exploding Bear

 

Fresh snow covered a bit of the glacier’s western lobe, so to avoid any surprises I skirted around it on moraine and slabs, then dropped via some scree ramps about 500 feet to the lower, eastern glacier. From here I donned six point crampons (love them) and tiptoed across low angle, un-crevassed ice to Totem Pass. From here I contoured around the final high point and descended alp slopes to a game trail which leads directly to Canyon Lake. Above me, three bears plied the blueberries on Bannock’s southern slopes.

 

 

It’s trail from here on. The walk from Canyon to Image Lake is gorgeous and bear infested. I saw 8 in three hours. While photographing one, I heard a “whomp!” turned, and saw a huge, furry ass explode out of a gulley right in front of me. He tore full speed down the talus for half a mile, paws flying, fur flapping.

 

The trail from the Miner’s Ridge Lookout to the Suiattle River must have been graded by someone’s grandmother. It’s so flat I had to jog it to avoid dying of old age. Due to the lack of use, particularly by horsies, the Suiattle River trail is in superb condition, with the exception of some blow downs. The Fred Flintstonian Canyon Creek Bridge should be its own national monument. The adjacent campsites, enough to accommodate an open air rock concert, match the colossal scale of this eighth unnatural wonder.

 

Further down, the Suiattle’s fat free milky waters have devoured several miles of trail, which has been newly rebuilt on higher ground. The freshly hewn rock still smells of sulfur.

 

I rarely camp below tree line, but night overtook me at the Milk Creek Junction and, after 25 miles, I was more than happy to lie down on the soft, untrammeled trail under a cathedral of ancient conifers. No bugs, save the occasional ground beetle rummaging through the rats nest where my hair used to be. A still night in an old growth forest is such a luxurious way to end a high traverse.

 

Day 4: The Final Hour

 

I was back at the car in an hour to find my aerial adorned with a crawdad head. An hour after that I was sitting in a McDonald’s, taking full advantage of what our civilization has to offer.

 

If you share my contention that Glacier Peak is one of our most majestic mountains, crave solitude, alpine fall colors, and don’t mind sharing a bit of steep terrain with a few bears, then I couldn’t recommend this route more highly

Edited October 4, 2006 by tvashtarkatena

[Gary_Yngve]

Thanks for the report. I love Glacier Peak.

[still_climbin]

Great TR! Sounds like you bearly had a good time. Any pics?

[Off_White]

Nice couple of TR's from you lately, if you're not packing a camera these days and have no pics to tantalize the masses with, please get one before your rambles around Gunsight next year. You've got the writing down pat, but everyone loves a little eye candy.

[tvashtarkatena]

pics are coming. I had a digital with me. I even got a bear shot. Oh wait, that came out wrong.

[tvashtarkatena]

For pics click on the link at the beginning of the TR.

[pup_on_the_mountain]

Beautiful pictures from both trips!! Keep it coming Pat.

[tvashtarkatena]

Beautiful pictures from both trips!! Keep it coming Pat.

 

Whew! Glad the pics worked. I didn't independently test them, and I wasn't sure if flickr.com would present a login barrier to readers. With its quickie upload tool, it seems to be a pretty efficient way to present photos so far.