Forum Index > Trip Reports > Earl peak cloud factory, 11.29.2008
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
Opus
Wannabe



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 3700 | TRs | Pics
Location: The big rock candy mountain
Opus
Wannabe
PostSat Nov 29, 2008 8:17 pm 
Seems Earl peak is the place to be lately so off we went to join the party. Everyone else must have finished off the booze and snacks because all we found were some clouds and a whole lot of wind up there. But we didn't have to use our rain gear, aside from wind protection, so that's always a plus! The crew this trip included myself, JimK, MiddleE, Trailpair, and Brewmaster and his son. The road in was largely clear of snow, just some thin packed stuff approaching the trailhead. Someone has also cut in fairly deep drainage ditches across the last part of the road. Even Brewmaster's sedan made it through but drive carefully. We left the trailhead around 9:45 and made the summit around 2.5 hours later, thankfully with no sight or smell of the dead horse along the way. The trail was covered in a thin layer of slippery slush after crossing Bean creek but overall very snow free. Views were local but not too bad. We could see out to the neighboring peaks and swirling clouds in all directions. Before long the wind chased us off the top and we chose to slip slide our way back down to the cars, making it in a brisk 1.5 hours. Equal drive to hike time ratio for this one but well worth it to escape the rain and get in another 7000 ft peak before the snows hit! And thanks to Barry's enrollment in the Suzanne Driving School we were out and back in record time!
That's a new warning.
That's a new warning.
Summit assault
Summit assault
Cloud factory
Cloud factory
fo
Earl peak
Earl peak
I'm the Michelin man (photo from JimK)
I'm the Michelin man (photo from JimK)
Frozen tarn
Frozen tarn
on
Lichen
Lichen
Heading down
Heading down
Ice
Ice

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
GeoTom
Member
Member


Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 3215 | TRs | Pics
Location: Earth
GeoTom
Member
PostSat Nov 29, 2008 8:26 pm 
Nice. up.gif
That's a new warning.
That's a new warning.
It's actually been there since late September

Knows literally nothing
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
TrailPair
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Apr 2005
Posts: 1699 | TRs | Pics
TrailPair
Member
PostSat Nov 29, 2008 8:35 pm 
We were just happy that we didn't get rained on! Had it not been so windy on the summit, we would have considered running the ridge to Bean Peak. Oh well.....next time!
Jim K and Bob
Jim K and Bob
Golden light below summit
Golden light below summit
David (Opus) and Bob on west ridge
David (Opus) and Bob on west ridge
Mystical trees
Mystical trees
Judy's Peak
Judy's Peak
A sunbreak below the summit
A sunbreak below the summit
K on "South Summit"
K on "South Summit"
Earl summit
Earl summit
Hikers above the rocks
Hikers above the rocks
Middle E, Opus, and Jim K
Middle E, Opus, and Jim K
Brewmaster and his son, Peter
Brewmaster and his son, Peter
Peter and David on left. Bob, David, and  Barry on summit.
Peter and David on left. Bob, David, and Barry on summit.
Bob with Bean Peak
Bob with Bean Peak
...oh yea, we want to acknowledge Peter for his fancy footwork crosssing Bean Creek....and keeping his boots dry.....

This thing called work is interfering with my play
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Middle E
no more moustache



Joined: 10 Feb 2008
Posts: 432 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle, WA
Middle E
no more moustache
PostSat Nov 29, 2008 8:46 pm 
Opus wrote:
And thanks to Barry's enrollment in the Suzanne Driving School we were out and back in record time!
Didn't you see all those cars passing us? It was a C- effort for sure. dizzy.gif My camera refused to take pictures until I set the date and time, but here's my offering...
Saddle below Earl Pk
Saddle below Earl Pk
Ridgeline from the summit
Ridgeline from the summit
Bean and Mary, somewhere
Bean and Mary, somewhere

pithy yet insightful signature
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
silly_traveler
~ roaming ~



Joined: 04 Jun 2006
Posts: 1525 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue
silly_traveler
~ roaming ~
PostSat Nov 29, 2008 9:00 pm 
Looks like nice day considering it was very drippy on the westside! rant.gif I shoulda joined you guys hmmm.gif but didn't wake up until you started up the TH embarassedlaugh.gif I managed to do a short hike and got soaked head to toe!

♫ You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. And you're the one who will decide where you'll go. Oh the places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver



Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 1763 | TRs | Pics
Location: Welcome Pass
Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver
PostSat Nov 29, 2008 9:01 pm 
Dukes of Earl
Middle E wrote:
Opus wrote:
And thanks to Barry's enrollment in the Suzanne Driving School we were out and back in record time!
Didn't you see all those cars passing us? It was a C- effort for sure. dizzy.gif
tongue.gif To both of you! My fancy footwork (aka "lead foot") has managed to get me through the brutal "pilgram trails" of Boston just fine, thank you very much! lol.gif Sorry I missed the fun. agree.gif winksmile.gif s.d.

Four-paw buddy lets me tag along!
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Movenhike
\m/..mmmmetal\m/



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 642 | TRs | Pics
Location: Leavenworth, WA
Movenhike
\m/..mmmmetal\m/
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 12:09 am 
Awesome. I'm glad that you folks had favorable results. The day we had, mayun, we shoulda run the ridge to Bean Peak, I feel guilty now sorta biggrin.gif

"Make it your Friend" -John Bull
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
MikeBeebe
Seeking the Ur



Joined: 05 Aug 2008
Posts: 279 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle, Washington
MikeBeebe
Seeking the Ur
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 3:08 pm 
GeoTom wrote:
Nice. up.gif
That's a new warning.
That's a new warning.
It's actually been there since late September
Wow, that thing's been dead a long time!

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Brewmaster
Member
Member


Joined: 19 Feb 2008
Posts: 30 | TRs | Pics
Location: Issaquah, WA
Brewmaster
Member
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 3:27 pm 
Glad to have my son Peter home for Thanksgiving vacation. We both enjoyed the hike up Earl. Was not so sure that my Acura would make it up over the water bars on the road. Just a dusting of slick snow, but actually made it fairly easily. I had put the snow tires on and probably would not have made it otherwise. Despite all of the signs warning of the Dead Horse, we did not see (or smell) any signs of it. Here are a few pics from the trip (that Peter took). The clouds forming on the back of the ridge were amazing. Must have something to do with slightly lower pressure below the ridge as the wind whips over the top causing the moisture to condense out? I am sure that someone will explain this a lot better.
Opus pointing
Opus pointing
Middle E up ahead
Middle E up ahead
Clouds forming 1
Clouds forming 1
Clouds forming 2
Clouds forming 2
Heading  up to the top
Heading up to the top
Almost blown over
Almost blown over
And the stats.
Earl peak track
Earl peak track
Earl peak elevation
Earl peak elevation
All in all a great trip, despite the long drive. The lack of rain made the trip worth it.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger



Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 5129 | TRs | Pics
Location: Alaska
Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 5:46 pm 
Looks like a great trip. I really enjoyed my trip up to Earl earlier this year. I wonder why one would should make noise when approaching a dead horse? Hmmmmm

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver



Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 1763 | TRs | Pics
Location: Welcome Pass
Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 6:34 pm 
Brewmaster wrote:
Opus pointing
Opus pointing
confused.gif Was Jim's pointer broken???? hmmm.gif eek.gif embarassedlaugh.gif s.d.

Four-paw buddy lets me tag along!
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
GeoTom
Member
Member


Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 3215 | TRs | Pics
Location: Earth
GeoTom
Member
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 8:42 pm 
Bryan wrote:
I wonder why one would should make noise when approaching a dead horse? Hmmmmm
The sign was there on September 20, the day after the horse died. The horse was actually in the creek, but on the Turnpike Trail. Why make noise? Suppose a bear or some other critter is eating the horse? The noise is in order to scare that animal (or animals) off before you get to the horse.

Knows literally nothing
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Joey
verrry senior member



Joined: 05 Jun 2005
Posts: 2794 | TRs | Pics
Location: Redmond
Joey
verrry senior member
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 10:34 pm 
Since we own a backhoe, I'm the local dead horse undertaker in our neighborhood. None that I have encountered so far (8 and counting) require any noise to be made. What am I missing regarding the USFS warning?

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Opus
Wannabe



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 3700 | TRs | Pics
Location: The big rock candy mountain
Opus
Wannabe
PostSun Nov 30, 2008 10:44 pm 
Joey wrote:
Since we own a backhoe, I'm the local dead horse undertaker in our neighborhood. None that I have encountered so far (8 and counting) require any noise to be made. What am I missing regarding the USFS warning?
They're worried about the dead horse attracting some predator, then an unsuspecting hiker walks up and spooks it. Making noise should hopefully scare off whatever may be up the trail.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Curtissimo
Member
Member


Joined: 05 Sep 2007
Posts: 295 | TRs | Pics
Location: Mexico Lindo y Querido si Muero Lejos de Ti
Curtissimo
Member
PostMon Dec 01, 2008 2:23 pm 
regarding the notice for the horse this is very common in Montana when I went to Glacier NP some trails were even closed due to a dead elk on the trail. Grizzlies are attracted to that like dogs to a dead bird. I am sure bears can smell something like that a mile away. you guys should have gone up on Sunday weather was beautiful! Looks like a great trip in any event.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Trip Reports > Earl peak cloud factory, 11.29.2008
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum