[DadFly]

Hiked up to Deception pass Saturday with hopes of going to Jade lake. The snow was about 12" deep at the pass and falling at about an inch an hour. From Hyas lake to the pass the snow depth went from 1" to 12" so I guessed the snow would continue to get deeper as I went up the ridge cross country. This is just deep enough to hide holes between rocks but not support me. With the rain predicted, I decided to go back down to Hyas lake and get out early in the morning. About the time I got to the lake the temperature rose above freezing. Snow turned to rain and large clumps of snow were falling out of the trees. I set up my tent in a spot that seemed less likely to get hammered and ate dinner. The rain got harder and harder and became a downpour for a short time. My tent was getting hammered and a wall of slush was building up around my tent. I went out to remove it twice and dug drainage. Then I fell asleep. When I awoke about 11:30 there was a little water inside the tent. I figured out there was about 1/2" of water under the tent so I got up again and removed the mountains of slush. Water water water everywhere. The snow was about 4" deep with the bottom 2" being slush and running water. I pulled my tent up to a slightly better spot and crawled in. It was at that point I remembered the Scatter Creek crossing. I decided to pack up and descend in order to get below Scatter creek before it got too high to cross. I left camp about 12:30AM in a pouring rain. The trail was 4" deep slush for the most part. Every trickle had become a large swamp. Creek crossings were fast running torrents that had to be carefully negotiated up or downstream. I crossed one set of fresh moose tracks one set of small elk and a set of deer tracks. I arrived at the TH about 2:00 AM and changed into dry clothes. Then I drove down the road to Scatter creek. Sure enough it was a little high. My RAV4 inched down a little way to test the depth. I figured it was deep but nowhere near problematic so I gassed it and pushed water with my bumper. I was glad it was slow moving. I slept down the road a little way and ate breakfast at the Rosalyn Cafe. Very tasty! Saw one car fire ar about mile post 65. It exploded as I went by. Seriously! I stopped to make sure everyone was OK and then heard the fire trucks coming. Made it home in time for the Seahawks game which was interrupted by a power outage in Redmond. Finished the game at Daman's Tavern. GO HAWKS!!!!

[HermitThrush]

Yep, backpacking season is over. Jade Lake would have been pretty cool this time of year but you would likely have had a lot of issues getting up to the Jade Lake basin from Marmot Lake alone, let alone the climb up to Marmot. Good choice.

[Roly Poly]

That was an epic trip!! What do you think the conditions would have been like the next day if you hadn't packed up and hiked out in the middle of the night? We did a trip on the Iron Goat trail thinking that it would be tame there. But there was water gushing over the upper snow sheds at immense volume that I was little worried in a couple of places. I think you are very lucky to get out there unscathed!

[DadFly]

I have seen Scatter creek higher than when I was there. There was a Subaru stuck on the upstream side one year. He had to wait until the water came down. I don't know how long that took. I would have had to just wait it out too. Probably would have taken all day at least. If it had looked any worse I would not have crossed. And I would guess it did get worse through the night and into Sunday. I always have a extra food for this sort of thing. Although my boss would have been annoyed.... If it were not for the Scatter creek issue, I would have toughed it out that night. A quick look around did not reveal any high ground but I could have gone to another camp site and found some. It would also have been nice to find high ground that was not under a tree. Then pack a snow platform and pitch a tent on top of that. As far as the end of backpacking season goes,.... there may be more. It is hard to draw a line at where backpacking season ends and ski mountaineering season begins. All the name of adventure! So much to do and so little time.