Forum Index > Trip Reports > ooo la la(ch) - 4.22.18
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rubywrangler
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rubywrangler
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PostMon Apr 23, 2018 9:04 pm 
I've been trying to persuade someone to go with me to Ulalach for the past couple years. Julia finally took the bait yesterday, and it was just as glorious as I had expected. We took Neiderprum Rd out of Darrington to Squire Creek Road to a signed "last turnaround" about 10 minutes walk from where the road officially ends now. It's not possible to drive to the end of the road due to two slides - one where part of the road has slid into the creek below, and one where the hillside above has slid down onto the road. Julia, Ruby dog and I headed up the old road/trail at about 8am. There was some patchy snow in the morning but it was gone when we returned. It looks like the road gets pretty brushy but it's all clear at the moment. It was about 2.5 miles from where we parked to the old squire creek trailhead. Maybe a hundred yards past the trailhead sign we turned left and headed south, then southeast, up into the forest until we popped out of the trees just below the 4600' saddle east of Ulalach. The route is described in a couple old trip reports and also here; it's straightforward.
one of many stream crossings along the road
one of many stream crossings along the road
trailhead sign
trailhead sign
The forest was nice and open for the first couple hundred feet, then we hit some blowdowns and brush from 2100' until about 2400'. From 2400' I was mesmerized by the awesomely massive trees and didn't take note of the conditions. But we stopped to put on snowshoes around 3200' and it was easy travel from there to the top. We saw lots of cornices hanging over the steep north face of Ulalach so we stuck to patchy trees on the south side of the ridge from the saddle. The summit was also corniced so we stopped on the summit ridge, maybe 40' shy of the top. The views were fantastic in all directions, with just the tops of the highest peaks hiding in puffy clouds.
big trees!
big trees!
climbing
climbing
passing the north face of ulalach
passing the north face of ulalach
whitehorse
whitehorse
north face of ulalach + whitehorse
north face of ulalach + whitehorse
climbing up from the saddle, summit ridge beyond
climbing up from the saddle, summit ridge beyond
summit cornice, nothankyou
summit cornice, nothankyou
squire creek pass, higher squire, big bear
squire creek pass, higher squire, big bear
view from the ridge, summit left
view from the ridge, summit left
three fingers
three fingers
whitehorse
whitehorse
jumbo
jumbo
big four + co
big four + co
sloan, cadet, monte cristo
sloan, cadet, monte cristo
taking it all in
taking it all in
We hung out for about an hour naming peaks and soaking up intermittent sun, then retraced our path down. Such a gorgeous and fun day!
looking back toward the summit
looking back toward the summit
~9 miles, 4000' Used snowshoes, ice axe even more photos

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wildernessed
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Joined: 31 Oct 2004
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Location: Wenatchee
wildernessed
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PostTue Apr 24, 2018 10:16 am 
up.gif

Living in the Anthropocene
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geyer
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Location: Seattle
geyer
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PostTue Apr 24, 2018 10:22 am 
rubywrangler wrote:
taking it all in
taking it all in
So majestic! D̶i̶d̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶e̶k̶?̶ How much did she dive in the snow this week?

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Fletcher
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Posts: 1870 | TRs | Pics
Location: kirkland
Fletcher
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PostTue Apr 24, 2018 10:46 am 
Wow, awesome views of the Boulder River Wilderness from there.

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Nancyann
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Joined: 28 Jul 2013
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Location: Sultan Basin
Nancyann
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PostTue Apr 24, 2018 11:32 am 
What a great trip! It looks like it was a perfect day to be up there for those amazing views! up.gif

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Stefan
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Stefan
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PostTue Apr 24, 2018 12:12 pm 
I think the topographic detail your camera picked up. Nice!

Art is an adventure.
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RichP
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RichP
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PostTue Apr 24, 2018 2:54 pm 
Very nice. Looks like a perfect day out even without the tippy top. up.gif

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Fred Beavon
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Joined: 24 Mar 2005
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Location: Edmonds, WA
Fred Beavon
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PostSun May 06, 2018 12:17 pm 
A truly outstanding trip report. Good work. A unique picture looking down on Exfoliation Dome, our most difficult 4000' foot range summit to attain. I liked how I could click to enlarge and zoom in on it. And I like your shot of Higher Squire on the left and Squire Spire in front of Big Bear Mountain. Squire Creek Pass is down to the right behind the trees.

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