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Fletcher Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Posts: 1870 | TRs | Pics Location: kirkland |
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Fletcher
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Tue May 12, 2020 5:42 pm
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The boys finally broke quarantine for some peaks! JakeA, Dave, Reed, Kyle and I had grand plans for a 4 day traverse of the Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness with lots of peaks! Jake and I drove up Wednesday during the day and were dismayed to see such high snow levels above the Twisp River. Once everyone else arrived, we collectively agreed that skiing wasnt going to be worth it and packed up with snowshoes instead.
We all headed out to the Reynolds Creek TH Thursday morning, then Jake, Kyle, and Dave headed back east to drop some cars at the East Fork Buttermilk. This gave Reed and I a chance to stash a couple more beers in Kyle's pack so he could haul them up to camp for us. Training weight for him, niiiice.
After some issues the other dudes had with snow on the East Fork Buttermilk Road, we didnt start hiking until after 9. It was hot. The Reynolds Creek Trail is in decent shape up to snowline, aside from some down logs because of the burn. No snow till about 4800, we put snowshoes on around 5k. Sloppy but decent travel had us cresting the Rennie/Reynolds Col around 2. We dropped down the other side 100 feet and set up camp. Reed and Kyle were bunking together, so Jake distracted Kyle with the pigskin that we lugged up there so that Reed could grab the beers out of Kyle's pack before he could find them. Free beers in the alpine?? Thanks bud!!
Reynolds tick protection snowline mondo cornice on North Reynolds slogging in Rennie
After camp was set up, we set out for Rennie. In true Reed fashion, he broke trail all the way ot the summit. Sloppy but workable conditions. Maybe an hour camp to summit. Excellent views! I forgot to take any pictures from the summit. The register is soaked, we dried it out the best we could.
slogging out Rennie Reynolds Rennie Dave in his natural habitat Sawtooths Devore Tupshin Bonanza South Spec, Flora, and the Fernow Group
Descent was SLOPPY but quick. Back at camp, we drank beers, had dinner, and played a little alpine football. Good times!
sloppy descent Alpine Football League AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL AFL
Up at dawn and moving shortly after, we were pleased to have firm snow conditions. Some steeps getting around the south side of Reynolds warranted crampons. Then we made out way up the west face of Camels Hump on super firm snow. Nice climbing!
alpenglow alpenglow The Hump nice climbing conditions Epic morning in the cascades
We made the summit of Camels Hump at 9 via a fun class 3+ scrabble up the west side of the summit. The rest of our traverse was laid out in front of us and it looked FAR. If we continued east we would be in a very committing position to make it to the EF Buttermilk in 3 days. With sloppy conditions inbound, we decided that it was the right call to drop into the South Fork Reynolds Creek and bail. So thats what we did. Dave soloed Williams Butte that afternoon and we all met up for dinner in Winthrop to hatch some plans for the following days...
I forgot to take photos from Camels Hump and during the descent but I hope some others will add theirs. Felt good to be back in the mountains with the buddies again!
~20 miles
~7k
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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
Kyle carrying your beers, football at camp, sounds like a great time good on dave for tagging Williams butte!
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Jake Robinson Member
Joined: 02 Aug 2016 Posts: 521 | TRs | Pics
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Ditto that Eric, sounds like fun guys! Thanks for the conditions update too, good info.
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Tue May 12, 2020 7:01 pm
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Nice way to get back to the good stuff. Ticks...I've never seen so many as this year. After my last few hikes I just strip down and bag up my clothes that are crawling with the little buggers.
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Nancyann Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 Posts: 2314 | TRs | Pics Location: Sultan Basin |
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Nancyann
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Tue May 12, 2020 8:23 pm
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Excellent way to break quarantine. It looks like you guys had a blast!
What did you have for tick repellent, and did it work? Usually I douse myself in peppermint essential oil and it seems to work, but I forgot it yesterday and brought home two embedded in my skin and one crawler from Hatchery Creek last night. Makes me a little jumpy.
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Roly Poly Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2013 Posts: 711 | TRs | Pics
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Nancy, does the essential oil keep them away? Sounds much nicer than deet.
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Nancyann Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2013 Posts: 2314 | TRs | Pics Location: Sultan Basin |
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Nancyann
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Tue May 12, 2020 9:00 pm
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It does seem to help deter them. I managed to get up and down Dirtyface Peak wearing a sleeveless shirt a couple of springs ago with just peppermint and only had one jump on me right before I got back. That said, if a person seriously wants to avoid ticks they might want to add pyrethrum in addition to the peppermint just to be sure. Or you could be like Hiking Partner whose motto is “just pull ‘em and move on.”
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Nasty buggers had lots in New England permethrin helped and deet. Always seemed to miss one and they crawl into the most embarrassing places, especially if you have a doctor of the opposite sex.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Get Out and Go Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2127 | TRs | Pics Location: Leavenworth |
Fletcher wrote: | ...dismayed to see such high snow levels above the Twisp River |
Um, well...not exactly the worst thing to hear... Just thinking of future plans. Not for skiing anyway, but good to know.
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7216 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Tue May 12, 2020 9:59 pm
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