[TR] Olympics - Bailey Range 7/6/2012

[Rarz]

Trip: Olympics - Bailey Range

 

Date: 7/6/2012

 

Trip Report:

Hiked the Baileys High Divide -> Low Divide 6.6.2012-6.9.2012

 

Tons of snow but the route is passable. Fantastic weather. Routefinding in the snow was the biggest problem; expect slow going.

 

High Divide-> Catwalk: 80% snow cover. Trail visible in a few spots; make sure to find it before rounding Cat Peak. Catwalk is nearly snowless. Boston Charlie camp is currently a lake.

 

Boston Charlie-> Cream Lake. 40% snow cover. Almost normal route conditions on the south-facing slope. The usually-nasty descent to Cream Lake could be made much more pleasant by descending one of the snow-covered river gullies and ascending the relatively brush free valley to the lake from the meadow below.

 

Cream Lake-> Lone Tree Pass. 90% snow cover. River to Cream lake running very high make sure to stay on east (left) side ascending to Mt. Ferry.

 

Lone Tree Pass-> Elwah Snowfinger. 100% snow cover. Snowfinger larger than usual. Can descend the snowfinger to ~1mile above Elwah river trail but beware very high river.

 

Have fun and wear sunscreen!

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe and crampons required. No ropes.

[shaoleung]

Awesome. I was gazing at the range from Olympus all weekend. Camped on the false summit and dreamt of doing the Bailey range again. It has been 11 years.

[Eaglecadd]

I'm doing the Bailey Range again this year and would love to hear more trip reports and especially see any pics anyone could post. Any Idea how long you would estimate until about half of snow would be melted out, but Snow Finger still solid?