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Now I Fly
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Now I Fly
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PostMon May 25, 2020 9:48 am 
I'd like to start by thanking all of the folks who have contributed to this amazing site! The information found here at nwhikers.net is incredibly helpful! Thank you! We had a plan to scramble Treen Saturday morning. Thought we had a window in the weather, but it was not to be. We want to sit on Treen's summit, but not while cloud capped. So we part ways and I pondered my options. I had tagged West Bandera several times but never made trip over to the true summit. I'd often wondered if there might be a direct line up the southside. This was my chance to do some exploring. I plotted a route on GAIA, headed to exit 45 on I-90. Taking the Mason Lake Rd (Forest Service 9030), I turned right on the Talapus Lake Road. I found a parking place just west of a creek/drainage I'd scoped near my chosen route. Room for two cars max. If you've gone to the first switchback left you've passed it.
The Line. 3,400 ft. +/-, 2+ miles.
The Line. 3,400 ft. +/-, 2+ miles.
Starts with a steep forest.
Starts with a steep forest.
Some high quality.
Some high quality.
So, with an open mind, Crampons, axe and poles I picked up a game trail just above the truck and started chugging upward through the steep second growth. I always stay with a game trail when I can. Elk had used it recently. Did I say steep? Mossy wet bashing, log crawling, brush thrashing. My kind of fun. To be clear, this is not untypical for NW scramblers. Above the Second growth I traveled through some high quality older growth. Thick enough canopy to keep down the undergrowth. Sweet! Eventually leaving the forest and on to a mix of open boulder/meadow. A bit of last week's fresh snow (6-8 inches).
Out of the woods, on to the snow covered boulders
Out of the woods, on to the snow covered boulders
Out of the woods, on to the snow covered boulders
Out of the woods, on to the snow covered boulders
Soon enough I was kicking steps. I love kicking steps!
Snow covered boulder fields, upper meadows.
Snow covered boulder fields, upper meadows.
steps and clouds
steps and clouds
steps and clouds!!!!
steps and clouds!!!!
Plenty of snow, but I stayed near the edges to minimize my chances of falling into unseen boulder holes. Fast traveling.
steps and clouds, approaching the saddle west of summit.
steps and clouds, approaching the saddle west of summit.
Snow covered boulder fields
Snow covered boulder fields
Summit shot! 
From here I traversed to West Bandera, then down the Mason Lake Trail. Walked the road back (3 miles) to the truck .
Summit shot! From here I traversed to West Bandera, then down the Mason Lake Trail. Walked the road back (3 miles) to the truck .
Before long I approached the ridge just west of the summit. Some nasty snow covered boulder travel on the traverse over. Slow but not too bad, then on to the summit. From there I followed the ridge towards West Bandera. Picked up a track along the way (very helpful, thank you!).
Hiking the Ridge back to West Bandera.
Hiking the Ridge back to West Bandera.
Tagged West Bandera (lots of traffic), then down to the Ira Springs TH. Walked the road back to my truck (3 miles), to finish the loop. day salvaged. :-) Eight miles +/-, 3,800 ft. elev. gain +/-, 6 hrs. maybe. Climb from truck to the ridge was around 3,400 ft. in 2.15ish miles. Where to next!/? Cheers, Brian

Fedor
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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostMon May 25, 2020 10:40 am 
Cool axe MSR Thunderbird I had one of those hockeygrin.gif

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Now I Fly
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Now I Fly
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PostMon May 25, 2020 11:04 am 
I love that axe! It's a beast of a tool! Bought it in 1976! :-)

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Type E
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Type E
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PostMon May 25, 2020 6:45 pm 
I have always given thought of doing Bandara via its east ridge never thought of it from the south . Still haven’t explored the big basin below the summit E

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Bramble_Scramble
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Bramble_Scramble
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PostMon May 25, 2020 7:50 pm 
Type E wrote:
I have always given thought of doing Bandara via its east ridge never thought of it from the south . Still haven’t explored the big basin below the summit E
My friend and I took the east ridge from Talalus about 10 years ago. We then went to the false summit and descended to Rainbow and Island. From there we took 1009 east and descended the ridge between Talapus and Olallie. I believe we went to Talapus and went west through the trees and climbed some boulderfields to hit the east ridge. From what I remember the east ridge had some cliffs you can spot on satellite imagery as well as quite a few other cliff bands you can't see through the trees. I think a lot of it was at least class 3/4 and covered in moss. At a few points we had to do some very steep sidehilling on pine needles to get around the cliff bands. I remember being glad that we wouldn't have to down climb the east ridge because it would have been pretty sketchy. Your results may vary but from my memory you won't be able to take the ridge directly up without doing some serious scrambling.

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puzzlr
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puzzlr
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PostTue May 26, 2020 4:03 pm 
Great job on imagining and following through on this route. You really made the most of a so-so weather day.

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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostTue May 26, 2020 4:44 pm 
Bandara has a heck of a glissade down once avy danger is past.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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