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rubywrangler Member
Joined: 04 Aug 2015 Posts: 511 | TRs | Pics
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The forecast was showing a couple of perfect days ahead of this week's storm, so Ruby dog and I snuck out for one last larch march on Sunday and Monday. In spite of my best effort to get an early start, we got moving from the Hatchery Creek trailhead around 11:30am (note: best to check if oven is off before driving 15 miles ).
It was neat to hike through different stages of regeneration from the past fires here. First scrubby switchbacks, then everything charred with absolutely no visible signs of life, then what seemed to be an older burn with silver snags and small trees. You would probably roast in the summer but it was perfect for this fall day.
brushy burn peek-a-boo view from the dead zone grasses and ground covers returning baby trees
There was intermittent snow on the trail above ~4800', up to a few inches deep (i.e. enough to soak my feet and make me regret leaving waterproof boots in the car but not enough to hinder travel). The trail climbs up and over the ridge, then down into the Cabin Creek basin which was full of golden goodness.
looking down on cabin creek basin closer view cabin creek basin
The wind was completely calm all day but picked up as soon as we crested the ridge. I had read about the notorious Augusta winds and considered camping in the creek basin but since we still had a few hours of daylight, I decided to head to the lake first and backtrack if necessary. We arrived at Lake Augusta a little before 4 pm and had it all to ourselves. Aside from an occasional gust the wind wasn't bad so I set up camp east of the lake and we spent some time exploring before the sun fell behind the ridge.
augusta pano larches lining the lake lit larches lazy sunset shot from camp
The winds picked up overnight and the gusts went from occasional to constant by the time we rolled out of bed to see the sunrise at 7. After breakfast we headed up to the Jim-Lou col, then southwest along the ridge toward Pt 7760+, mostly staying just east of the ridge proper to get out of the wind. The ridge was bare in places and had snow drifts up to my knees in others. On the final climb to Pt 7760+, there was enough snow that I had to kick a few steps before getting onto bare rock.
pink augusta gold augusta augusta sunrise pano augusta from the trail to the col on the ridge, big jim in the back cabin creek basin + tarns view to the west looking back down the ridge to augusta ahead to pt 7760+, big lou in the background stuart + enchantments from pt7760+ big lou looking down to ida + across icicle cr valley
The wind was whipping across the big flat summit of Pt 7760+ (big slide? or is big lou aka big slide? I don't know). Anyway, we didn't stick around long, we headed over the summit and down to Lake Ida, which was lovely (and much less windy). I took about a million photos here.
1 of 1000000 2 of 1000000 3 of 1000000 4 of 1000000
After a too-short stay at Ida we went back up and over Pt 7760+ to camp. I wish we had the full day to visit Carter Lakes and tag Big Jim and Big Lou, but our weather window was short for this trip; we had to pack up and head out. Lenticular clouds were creeping east over the ridge as we were leaving at 2 and the sky was completely clouded over to the west by the time we climbed out of the Cabin Creek basin.
clouds telling us to get moving
We made it back to the car at 5:15, just in time for dinner at Fresh Burger Cafe in Lworth for the second time in 8 days!
~19 mi, 7350'
All the photos
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timberghost Member
Joined: 06 Dec 2011 Posts: 1333 | TRs | Pics
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We had a good hunt in the same area. Was nice to not see many other people up there. Although the wind and rain storm was a bit interesting. Many more burned trees down now so the work crews will have their work cut out for them.
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Roly Poly Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2013 Posts: 713 | TRs | Pics
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How was the exit thru the burnt forest in the winds? Any trees falling? I got spooked by the winds the previous weekend. We had trees falling very close to us.
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HermitThrush Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2016 Posts: 384 | TRs | Pics Location: Brainerd Lakes Area, MN |
Good to know there's larches over that way, didn't realize you could get those off of Cabin Creek. Thanks for the report!
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rubywrangler Member
Joined: 04 Aug 2015 Posts: 511 | TRs | Pics
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timberghost wrote: | We had a good hunt in the same area. Was nice to not see many other people up there. |
Yeah, we only saw a handful of other folks too, and most were on their way out when we were on our way in. Was that you that we passed on our way down?
Roly Poly wrote: | How was the exit thru the burnt forest in the winds? |
I thought of your report, actually. Crossing over the ridge was scary in the wind but luckily that seems to be the oldest burn with the most trees already down. Wind was not as bad once we got to where the trail turns north, but we booked it out of there anyway. There were a couple of hunters camped in the charred zone (maybe Timberghost?), I would have been terrified to hang around there very long. Did not see or hear any trees come down.
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JimK Member
Joined: 07 Feb 2002 Posts: 5606 | TRs | Pics Location: Ballard |
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JimK
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Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:44 am
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Thanks for the report and photos. I'm shocked to hear that it was windy overnight. Has anyone ever been up there when it wasn't?
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Bootpathguy Member
Joined: 18 Jun 2015 Posts: 1791 | TRs | Pics Location: United States |
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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Roly Poly Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2013 Posts: 713 | TRs | Pics
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The photos of the lake labeled 1 and 2 of 100000 toward the end of the report look like an infinity pool. Very unique angle.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
You've been getting the colorful trips this year.
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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