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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2344 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
Booker Mtn 8280'
I started hiking at the Cascade Pass TH at 7:20am on Monday. It was cloudy and even a couple drops of rain fell on the way to the pass. The forecast called for improving conditions, so I was really hoping for that. As I made my way up Sahale Arm, I could see that there is a start to some of the fall colors while it looked like the clouds were trying hard to clear.
I reached the Sahale glacier camp area (7500') only to have to descend a long ways down to the upper Horseshoe basin. The access gully was melted out and it was steep dirt and rocks to the snow patch below. From there, I decided to drop down even further (5900') for a lower traverse over towards a buttress in front of Booker. Many small stream crossings in the choss zone had me going up and down for a while until I just dropped lower to the meadows. There were lots of blueberries to snack on along the way.
clouds putting up a fight fall colors in Horseshoe basin Ripsaw ridge lots of green mosses near the water
As I traversed the meadows and then talus, the skies started to clear. I rounded the 6600' contour buttress and soon accessed a gully on the other side. The gully was melted out until the permanent snowfield near the top (7300'). From there, I traversed more rock and meadows towards a steep rib dividing this area and the Booker summit area. I dropped a little below 7000' and took a dirty ledge towards and old moraine below.
Spider, Hurry Up, Pelton and Magic Mix-up pk Booker Mtn Sahale, Boston and the upper Horseshoe basin
Some talus walking, and another gully had me climbing towards the summit. Nothing technical but I felt I was moving kinda slow. I reached the summit and found the soaking wet register, I could barely make out the names but it looked as if Booker hasn't been visited in at least 5 years.
Booker register Buckner Storm King and Goode Logan
I soaked in the views and sun for a while before retracing my route back to Horseshoe basin. From there, I decided to take a higher traverse using the slabs. I stayed near the 6400' contour for much of it with minor ups and downs, Lots of wet slabs but I think it was easier than down lower on my way in.
waterfalls and slabs
I had to climb back up that dirty gully and then back up towards Sahale camp. Finally, it was all down hill from there. I enjoyed the views of the very scenic Sahale arm in all directions. I reached the TH at 6:50pm with tired legs.
a look at Booker from below Sahale Eldorado to Forbidden Sahale
I drove the bumpy Cascade River road and decided to grab a good dinner at Mondo's in Marblemount.
22.5 miles
8800' gain
11hrs 30min
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tommytownsend Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2009 Posts: 44 | TRs | Pics
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Another mellow day hike with Eric.
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6392 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Tue Sep 04, 2018 8:02 pm
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tired legs, sure. should've taken the shortcut route to save some miles.
sad looking glaciers out there. a decade or so left until they're gone...
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whoami Probably Nobody
Joined: 27 May 2018 Posts: 16 | TRs | Pics Location: Sedona, Arizona |
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whoami
Probably Nobody
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Tue Sep 04, 2018 8:17 pm
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I distinctly remember climbing this (also on a daytrip) with an old friend. We had a great time.
Looks like you are quickly ticking off the Top 200. Awesome work, Eric.
A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.
A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7220 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Tue Sep 04, 2018 8:25 pm
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Thanks for the report. It's always fun to see where you choose to go. How do you pick?
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jdk610 Member
Joined: 21 Aug 2012 Posts: 330 | TRs | Pics
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jdk610
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Tue Sep 04, 2018 8:34 pm
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b00 Member
Joined: 29 Sep 2003 Posts: 1144 | TRs | Pics
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b00
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Fri Sep 14, 2018 12:42 pm
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raising3hikers wrote: | Ripsaw ridge |
love that area of upper horseshoe basin!
booker looks so fun! what great time you made in that rugged terrain. you pick such cool trips. so glad to hit the weather, smoke and time window so perfectly!
:>)
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cartman Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 2800 | TRs | Pics Location: Fremont |
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cartman
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Sun Sep 16, 2018 12:05 pm
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Another good one, and some nice color pics in there.
An alternative way into the basin that avoids the steep gully is to hike that same ridge all the way to its end and drop down and climber's right on steepish grassy slopes then at the base of the ridge turn left and go around the end into the basin. There are old rusted mining odds and ends here, including a lantern.
If Eric is confident in that 22 mile number, and Tom is confident in the 15 mile estimate, then someone is way off.
Matt has 18+ miles for Booker and Horseshoe here.
Eric, you sure about that 22 mile estimate?
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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2344 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
cartman wrote: | If Eric is confident in that 22 mile number, and Tom is confident in the 15 mile estimate, then someone is way off. Matt has 18+ miles for Booker and Horseshoe here. Eric, you sure about that 22 mile estimate? |
Although I have a new GPS, I have tested it against other known distances and I haven't seen it to be off. Even on the Booker trip, I checked it at cascade pass and it was pretty much spot on at 3.5 miles from the TH. My wanderings down in Horseshoe basin wasn't as direct as it could have been because of many deep gullies in the way. It forced me to do many ups and downs that add up. I always try to be as accurate as I can to provide good information for others trying to plan a trip.
iron and Tom took a nice, big shortcut by shooting straight up to Sahale Arm from the last switchback, thus avoiding many trail miles. They also went in the big snow/late snow year where they could take nice and direct routes on snow.
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mike Member
Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 6397 | TRs | Pics Location: SJIsl |
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mike
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Sun Sep 16, 2018 6:03 pm
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raising3hikers wrote: | Although I have a new GPS, I have tested it against other known distances and I haven't seen it to be off. |
I figure at least 10% off the top of a gps track for random roaming errors then take more off for minor side trips. YMMV
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Matt Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
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Mon Sep 17, 2018 9:23 pm
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I was surprised you found so few ascents in the register. I think Booker is a beautiful summit location.
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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jupsal Member
Joined: 20 Aug 2017 Posts: 49 | TRs | Pics
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jupsal
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Thu Sep 27, 2018 10:00 am
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For what it's worth, I did this same trip yesterday and my GPS also said about 22 miles.
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DIYSteve seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Thu Sep 27, 2018 3:55 pm
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Downhill Member
Joined: 30 Jul 2018 Posts: 341 | TRs | Pics Location: Leavenworth |
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Downhill
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Fri Sep 28, 2018 3:59 pm
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Great trip report and beautiful photos - thanks for posting!
The photos of Ripsaw Ridge and HS basin bring back fond memories of a very panoramic bivy spent on the crest of Ripsaw en route to the N. Face of Buckner year ago. Thanks for refreshing that in my mind!
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