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Mesahchie Mark A Lerxst
Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 700 | TRs | Pics Location: In Wonderland |
Red Mountain via Commonwealth Basin, 7/12/07
Red Mountain, via the old Commonwealth Basin trail, is one great hike. The "abandoned" trail has plenty of character compared to it's neighbor, the PCT. It's slightly primitive, involves multiple creek crossings and some navigation skills - plus it doesn't go a mile out of the way when you're trying to get to Red Mountain.
This particular hike started out "free-form", with attendees arriving at all different times, but coalescing at Red's summit. This week's crew:
Chris M
Carla (dicey) - not 100%, but still a force
Alexei (Magellan) - he's back!
Steve (Yukon222)
Jeremy & Tisha (Schmidt Altitude)
Dave & Chris (The Treadwells) - welcome back, Chris!
Yet & Yours Truly
Steve N - somewhere on the trail!
As hoped for, the temperature at the pass was considerably cooler than back in suburbia, although still warm and muggy with high overcast skies. Makes sense the weather turned to thunder showers half a day later. As expected, it's still pretty buggy out there, giving one extra incentive to move fast up the Red's steep, loose west face.
The trail is in generally good shape, with one significant exception: at the first crossing, the old reliable log with metal grating has moved down stream and is no longer effective. It's replacement, a makeshift bridge of rocks and small logs, is a poor substitute. Good chance you'll get your feet wet here!
The whole group was on top shortly after 8 PM. We enjoyed nice views of the Snoqualmie Crest area - deepening shadows of sunset were particularly striking when looking looking northwest. Dave, Steve and Jeremy produced party favors - excellent! We probably hung out for a half hour before picking our way back down to the trail. Nary a rock was dropped.
Once back on the trail, it seemed darkness fell quickly, and out came the headlamps. We made it back to the parking lot after 10:30 PM, where we met up with Steve N. He had arrived late (even later than me!) and took the PCT to parts unknown. The evening was capped when Yet distributed her newest delicacy: rocky road bars. Yummy!
Good times! Wonder what we'll do next week?
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:49 pm
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TNAB CODE RED!!!
It was a great group, with a lot of laughs. A different thursday night hiking group of six (no official name) was seen at the top. The talked about meeting up with TNAB on Granite Mt at previoius solstice celebrations.
Summit time was limited, as was daylight. Bugs were bad at the basin, and on the scramble. On the way down the flies were relentless, flying in eyes, ears and mouth. Intensely beautiful colors on the way back; Tahoma was lighting up, as were all the perfectly placed clouds. No thunderheads in sight. It took just as long going down as going up!!
No spanking machine this time, but rumor has it people are having multiple birthdays in the same year. In bed by 12:30.
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Foist Sultan of Sweat
Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 3974 | TRs | Pics Location: Back! |
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Foist
Sultan of Sweat
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Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:49 pm
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Nice! I love that hike too, it's my Snoqualmie Pass favorite. Also where I first encountered TNAB ("Trundle Not, Amigos Below").
Any signs of the f***er bird?
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:54 pm
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No bad birds, only naughty hikers. Mark is too nice, I kicked down at least two rocks. That hill is loosey goosey. Me and Carla were speculating that red rock = crap rock. I will probably go back for the ridge scramble, and/or a link up with Kendall Peak.
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Foist Sultan of Sweat
Joined: 08 May 2006 Posts: 3974 | TRs | Pics Location: Back! |
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Foist
Sultan of Sweat
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Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:12 pm
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Carla went??? Tell me that's not the Carla that is currently ill....
Oh damn, I see it is! Wow, she is an utterly unstoppable machine.
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Mesahchie Mark A Lerxst
Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 700 | TRs | Pics Location: In Wonderland |
Foist wrote: | Nice! I love that hike too, it's my Snoqualmie Pass favorite. Also where I first encountered TNAB |
It was great meeting you up there last year, Foist! Alas, no mountain goats this year.
Yes, dicey is unstoppable.
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yukon222 Member
Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 1893 | TRs | Pics
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yukon222
Member
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Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:42 pm
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Dicey, Chris and I headed up the trail together, leaving the lot around 6:10pm. Brush along the trail is fine and the couple of stream crossings keeps you on your toes. Bugs were a little annoying but not unbearable. As we stopped for a quick water break at the base of the final climb up the West face, we watched some of the early starters pick their way thru the upper rocks. Only a couple of small rocks tumbled down.
Views on top were nice again, although a little hazier towards the west than we had last week from nearby Snoqualmie Mtn. Due to the crumbling West face, it was a slow descent which allowed plenty of photo opportunities of the sunset. Quite a bit of the Western sky was lit up, these photos really don't do it justice. Especially with the inky blackness of the intervening ridges.
dicey & chris & mark ascending red mtn west face PCT & Kendall Peak whippets checking out descent sun slipping behind snoq mtn going down snoq mtn erupting sun clouds over snoq mtn last bit of sunset ridgline
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Yet Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 2634 | TRs | Pics Location: Happily Ever After |
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Yet
Member
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Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:38 pm
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I fell in the stream. Twice. Got more bruises and scratches on top of old ones. Almost got trundled. Sweated more than I weigh. Almost got carried off by bugs (won't that be nice). And in recent weeks, have been left behind, gotten lost on the trail, and put through the most traumatic spanking machine ever. Why do I keep coming back?
Yukon Pours A Cold One Chris Rocks! Never Caught Empty Handed Rock Buddies I Want My Chips Back
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Tread Well Member
Joined: 07 May 2007 Posts: 11 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue |
Red Mountain rocks... and sometimes rolls down the hill too. Nice hike.
Red Mountain Trail and elevation profile Where is that darn trail anyway? Piece of cake daahhling... Gotta love that The pond of primorial ooze
Chris had a blast. She'll be back.
Tread Well
Dave Schultz
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Sat Jul 14, 2007 12:04 am
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Good stuff, guys. Hopefully SA and code 92 will input soon.
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Schmidt Altitude Whippet Entourage
Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 803 | TRs | Pics Location: The Quah |
Sorry, everyone. We were especially tired today...not sure why (must have been the hot week)? How about a teaser photo until we get to the rest tomorrow....
The group at Red Mtn
"Forest 101: These big wood stick things are called trees. The big rocks are called mountains, and the little rocks are their babies." Elliott from Open Season
"Forest 101: These big wood stick things are called trees. The big rocks are called mountains, and the little rocks are their babies." Elliott from Open Season
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Sat Jul 14, 2007 12:33 am
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Of course, you guys can't post before midnight. Okay, rest up, and we will wait patiently for tommorow.
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ADrewzki Snow angels are hot
Joined: 27 Apr 2007 Posts: 188 | TRs | Pics Location: Denver |
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ADrewzki
Snow angels are hot
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Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:48 pm
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Sweeeeet. I miss the TNAB hikes. They were a definitely high point in my week. Hopefully I'll catch up with the group in October sometime after I return from deployment. Stay safe all.
Andrew
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:57 pm
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Andrew, you stay safe. Thanks for going so we can live free.
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Schmidt Altitude Whippet Entourage
Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 803 | TRs | Pics Location: The Quah |
Better late than never....just like TNAB, right? We took a little detour to bag Red Pond....hey, we still bag lakes, remember?
1 label Jeremy and Chris up the trail Red Pond Red Pond Rowena Where's Kiefer? Scramble up Jeremy gives Yet a pep talk View back down the valley Getting closer (if you zoom in to the upper left side, you can see a guy in the process of falling! ) Yet experiences the hiker dictionary term "climbax"... Thompson dominates the view Cloud light show Thompson and Pk 6696? (it's just before Overcoat) Rainier bathed in beautiful colors Alpine glow as it should be Cloud curl Cloud ripples
"Forest 101: These big wood stick things are called trees. The big rocks are called mountains, and the little rocks are their babies." Elliott from Open Season
"Forest 101: These big wood stick things are called trees. The big rocks are called mountains, and the little rocks are their babies." Elliott from Open Season
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