Napeequa from the North?

[triggerhappy]

I'm a sucker for loop hikes, try to avoid going the same way twice. The Napeequa valley supposedly only has two ways in or out, on opposite sides of the valley. So imagine my surprise flipping through the 75 scrambles book to see a route from Buck pass to High pass. I have map that shows a trail leading down from the pass into the Napeequa valley, making possible a grand loop starting at Trinity, going up phelps creek, over spider gap, buck pass, and back through the valley. While I'm sure it would involve plenty of scrambling and bushwhacking, I'm wondering if this route is possible. Anyone tried it, know anything? Recommendations for scrambling sidetrips along the way?

[dberdinka]

.... a trail leading down from the pass .....

 

Is one of the most beautiful places you will ever visit.

[Kyle_Flick]

Ditto what dberdinka said.

FWIW, last year we did a reasonable day hike from Little Giant Pass (that way you get the Chiwawa River crossing out of the way first) down the trail to the Napeequa Valley and on up to High Pass. The route finding is simpler. We then headed out Buck Creek and had our car parked at Trinity in order to save several miles of road hiking. You might consider a bike, especially if you're thinking of extending the tour to Phelps Creek.

[wolffie]

Go to wta.com, there are many reports on the Napeequa Valley but I don't like their new website design, slow, harder to search. Hope they fix it. Search for "Napeequa" but do NOT limit the "...by region" field; leave it as "include all areas". If they fix it so you can search by author again, look for "Cascade Liberation Organization".

 

I've done the Little Giant - Napeequa -- High Pass -- Buck Creek loop, and liked it so much that I repeated it this year but went up Louis Creek and did the Louis Creek -- Mt. Berge -- High Pass traverse ("Louis Creek High Route"??). Don't miss this. An ice axe is often necessary for High Pass, not always IMHO.

 

You can do Buck, Berge, Cleator (a walkup), Napeequa, Fortress, Chiwawa. I think I failed on every on of these, all in one trip.

 

You could combine that with Suiattle Pass -- Lyman Lakes -- Phelps Creek, or maybe the Massey(sp?) Lake High Route (unfamiliar to me) or traverse Fortress -- Chiwawa -- Red Mt. -- Phelps Creek.

 

Check out Crowder & Tabor, Routes & Rocks.

 

Here's how you go up Louis Creek, alder-free all the way (look for a track up above); the ice axe was really handy on this steep meadow, and it was dry:

 

This is the pass ~6500(??) between Buck and Berge, all larches, would be lovely when yellow:

 

 

These are from the col you go through on Berge's S. ridge:

Looking east (Buck):

 

Looking west (Cleator & Glacier Peak):

 

I like loops, too. From North Fork Sauk, you can go White Pass -- Kodak Pk -- Dishpan Gap (bivvy on summit of Pt 6532' (I think that's right) on the Blue Lake High Route and return via Mt. Johnston and Pilot Ridge (make sure the N Fk Sauk is crossable when you start!). Search wta.org for "Blue Lake High" and you should find my posts. That 6532' peaklet has a great view and you can bivvy there on the Benchmark -- Dishpan Gap -- Bald Eagle Ridge -- Quartz Creek loop. Me and the dog have watched a full moon rise on that summit twice. You can do several loop combos from that N. Fk Skykomish trailhead.

 

I invented a neat loop from the White Pine Creek trailhead (east of Stevens, detailed beta posted on wta.org under the same moniker):

Park at White Pine Creek trailhead, then walk back down the road 0.9 mi and hike up a gated steep logging road to the end of the left fork. You have to bushwhack 1/4 - 1/2 mile straight up a ravine, but it isn't bad. Then you're on the Lake Ethel trail. Hike to the Chiwaukum Ck trail, thence to Ladies Pass (where I bivved, 14 hrs, 23 mi., 8000' total gain, no problem for the corgi). Spent a day playing around, Ladies Peak, Snowgrass, bivvied on W flank of Snowgrass up high. 3rd day was Frosty Pass, Doelle Lakes, Chain Lakes (Bull's Tooth area), then down to Icicle Creek and out via White Pine Creek Trail. You could shortcut from Frosty Pass down Wildhorse Creek, but you'd miss good stuff. There's at least one other old trail in there somewhere, too. Might be worth a 4 day trip, spend a day playing around Bull's Tooth. In early season, high water in Chiwuakum Creek or White Pine Ck could be a deal-breaker, no bridges.

 

That's the trouble with loops -- past your point of no-return, you're committed to a unknown route forward. One reason these websites are so useful.