Forum Index > Trip Reports > Black and white and Red (mountain) all over 2.14.2009
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Opus
Wannabe



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 3700 | TRs | Pics
Location: The big rock candy mountain
Opus
Wannabe
PostSat Feb 14, 2009 9:45 pm 
What's black and white and red all over? Red Mountain (Salmon La Sac) on a cloudy day! Okay so we had some blue thrown in there too. What better peak for Valentines day than Red mountain? After securing a Snopark pass (we didn't know if we needed or not but better to be safe) we parked on the shoulder of the highway across the Cooper lake bridge and set out down the groomed snowmobile trail. After about 1.5 miles we came to the Red Mountain trailhead and started up the hill. Snowshoes went on right away and stayed most of the trip. Snow conditions varied wildly over the day from hard pack icy crust to deep fluffy powder and a slidey layer on top of an old crust. The climbing was pretty steep through the trees and the heel elevator bars of the snowshoes helped greatly. We were especially nice and let Barry do most of the work, even though he had no gaiters. In the open areas of deeper steep snow Barry and Suzanne floated up quickly while Jim and I floundered, too heavy to make solid steps in the slidey snow. We all eventually regrouped below a short steep section above the trees to remove snowshoes. Out came the ice axes and Microspikes. Thankfully it was short and higher we were again on soft snow. Back on with the snowshoes. Nearing the top we swichbacked up a steep slope towards the final section. I took one step forward and immediately slid 12 feet back. After some tiring short switchbacks Jim and I caught up. We ate our lunch surveying the last steep slope to the top before again trading snowshoes for Microspikes and ice axes. Barry led the way while Suzanne and I kicked deeper steps for our descent. Views from the top were limited but still pretty with the billowing clouds and snowy trees. Across the valley towards Jolly Mountain the sky began to clear. We'd hoped to traverse over to the middle summit but it was already 2pm, 4.5 hours since leaving the car. Snow conditions were not so good so we opted to just descend. The snow was much better going down, great for plunge stepping. I managed a very short glissade before the deep powdery snow stopped my fun. Aside from a brief encounter with a tree hole we made it back down to the groomed road in blistering time. Stepping through the little ditch along the road and onto its surface Jim was hit with severe leg and arm cramps, trapping him in the ditch. We of course had a deadline to get this report published so we pushed on. If anyone is heading up there in the near future pack an extra sandwich for him. While we didn't set a speed record with our 4.5 hour ascent the snow conditions we made it down in less than 2 hours! Pretty good I think for the difficult snow conditions. Great Valentines day out in the mountains with friends, especially lacking a valentine myself. Click here for all the photos.
GPS tracks
GPS tracks
Steep
Steep
Climbing higher
Climbing higher
Steep slope
Steep slope
Tired Gusto
Tired Gusto
Second wind
Second wind
Snow shapes
Snow shapes
Looking back
Looking back
Sunbreak
Sunbreak
Summit
Summit
Going up
Going up
V for Valentine
V for Valentine
Cloudy tree
Cloudy tree
Ridge
Ridge
Heading down
Heading down
Sunny summit
Sunny summit
Edge of the world
Edge of the world
Summit panorama
Summit panorama

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GeoTom
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Joined: 19 May 2005
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GeoTom
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PostSat Feb 14, 2009 9:52 pm 
cool.gif Like "Edge of the World' up.gif

Knows literally nothing
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TrailPair
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TrailPair
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PostSat Feb 14, 2009 9:57 pm 
You guys had to work hard for tha summit...good job! And Jim, don't make fun of Bob's cramps hockeygrin.gif

This thing called work is interfering with my play
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JimK
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Joined: 07 Feb 2002
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Location: Ballard
JimK
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PostSat Feb 14, 2009 9:59 pm 
Hmm.... reading that report and looking at the pictures it sounds like I didn't make the summit. Oh, and I have a lousy Internet connection down in this ditch. Bob, I will never make fun of your cramps. Seriously painful.

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John Morrow
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Location: Roslyn
John Morrow
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PostSat Feb 14, 2009 10:13 pm 
One of my favorite skis in the right conditions. Jake and I almost headed there instead heading for near Snoqualmie pass where we thought the new snow would be a bit deeper on Humpback Mtn. http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=12301.0 Would have been great to have just "run into" you all up there! Glad you had a fun one. Love the view from the top and that pretty basin! John

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
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Middle E
no more moustache



Joined: 10 Feb 2008
Posts: 432 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle, WA
Middle E
no more moustache
PostSat Feb 14, 2009 10:15 pm 
It was a good trip, but I would have enjoyed it more if I had not forgotten those gaiters! Fortunately it was not too cold, and the exertion kept the feet warm (mostly)...
Road crossing
Road crossing
Summit ridge in the distance
Summit ridge in the distance
Suzanne on the ridge
Suzanne on the ridge
Last bit to the summit of Red
Last bit to the summit of Red
Clouds lightening
Clouds lightening
Ridgeline
Ridgeline
Here's a photo of JimK showing he was close to the summit.
Lunch below the summit
Lunch below the summit
Gee, that one looks a little higher
Gee, that one looks a little higher
Cooper Lake from Red Mtn.
Cooper Lake from Red Mtn.
Other Teanaway peaks in the clouds
Other Teanaway peaks in the clouds

pithy yet insightful signature
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Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver



Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 1763 | TRs | Pics
Location: Welcome Pass
Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver
PostSat Feb 14, 2009 10:56 pm 
My Valentine's
Opus wrote:
. . .especially lacking a valentine myself. What? I thought I was YOUR Valentine??? lol.gif makeout.gif
Second wind
Second wind
Valentine heart
Valentine heart
What better place to be than out on a Red Mountain with your special beaus wub.gif - all four of them - on Valentine's Day?! David covered all the main points - here's my photo collection for the day. Great Trip! up.gif winksmile.gif
Crowd joins us!
Crowd joins us!
Our destination off in the distance
Our destination off in the distance
Man describing the destination
Man describing the destination
Man with a destination
Man with a destination
Soooo  happy! Feb. 14, 2009 - heading to Red Mountain
Soooo happy! Feb. 14, 2009 - heading to Red Mountain
Our destination
Our destination
Crossing the creek
Crossing the creek
Shifting "sands" of sugary snow 
(say that five times!)
Shifting "sands" of sugary snow (say that five times!)
False summit ahead
False summit ahead
Barry heads to the sub-summit
Barry heads to the sub-summit
Sub-summit footwear debate
Sub-summit footwear debate
Blue peeking through to the north
Blue peeking through to the north
Cooper Lake to the north
Cooper Lake to the north
David just about to summit - valley below
David just about to summit - valley below
Looking south/southwest from summit
Looking south/southwest from summit
Looking South to the other summit
Looking South to the other summit
The boys on the summit
The boys on the summit
Oh yes, Jim K DID summit - and the pointer still works!
Oh yes, Jim K DID summit - and the pointer still works!
Tracks of snowballs running down the mountain
Tracks of snowballs running down the mountain
Fairly steep little hill!
Fairly steep little hill!
Slow glissade for David
Slow glissade for David
Jolly Mountain across the valley to the east
1 label
Jolly Mountain across the valley to the east
Red, White and Blue!
Red, White and Blue!

Four-paw buddy lets me tag along!
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EastKing
Surfing and Hiking



Joined: 28 Mar 2007
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EastKing
Surfing and Hiking
PostSun Feb 15, 2009 1:35 am 
Great TR and photos!!! up.gif up.gif Is the road clear to head to Jolly Mountain. That will be my destination next week to finish off what I started in December.

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.
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gone
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gone
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PostSun Feb 15, 2009 3:18 am 
"Red, White and Blue!" biggrin.gif That really is a steep little hill. Wandered around the bottom of it last fall, will have to climb it for sure this summer. Can't imagine kicking up it with snowshoes through that much snow and that much steep, though. Nice work! up.gif

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JimK
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JimK
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PostSun Feb 15, 2009 8:57 am 
Yeah, it's a bit steep. The first 1 1/2 miles of road gains 300'. From there it's only 2 miles to the summit gaining 3200'.

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Opus
Wannabe



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 3700 | TRs | Pics
Location: The big rock candy mountain
Opus
Wannabe
PostSun Feb 15, 2009 9:47 am 
EastKing wrote:
Great TR and photos!!! up.gif up.gif Is the road clear to head to Jolly Mountain. That will be my destination next week to finish off what I started in December.
You can drive as far as the Salmon la Sac snopark, beyond that it's snowed in so you will be on snowshoes from the start. We went up Jolly last May on snow pretty much the whole way and it's a real haul. In snow like we had on Red it would be even harder. Bring a lot of recruits to break trail! Trip report from last year with route info here.

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tigermn
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tigermn
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PostSun Feb 15, 2009 11:35 am 
Opus wrote:
EastKing wrote:
Great TR and photos!!! up.gif up.gif Is the road clear to head to Jolly Mountain. That will be my destination next week to finish off what I started in December.
You can drive as far as the Salmon la Sac snopark, beyond that it's snowed in so you will be on snowshoes from the start. We went up Jolly last May on snow pretty much the whole way and it's a real haul. In snow like we had on Red it would be even harder. Bring a lot of recruits to break trail! Trip report from last year with route info here.
Yea I'd call 6+ miles one way and 4800 climbed a pretty good haul especially in the snow. Do you have the actual GPS data/tracks still hanging around somewhere?

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Opus
Wannabe



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
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Location: The big rock candy mountain
Opus
Wannabe
PostSun Feb 15, 2009 6:18 pm 
tigerjr wrote:
Yea I'd call 6+ miles one way and 4800 climbed a pretty good haul especially in the snow. Do you have the actual GPS data/tracks still hanging around somewhere?
We even wore Gusto out on that trip. The map in the trip report I linked shows my GPS tracks but I do have the data file if anyone wants it. Most of the route is pretty self explanatory - up the road, then follow the ridges to the top.

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Highwalker's Daughter
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Highwalker's Daughter
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PostSun Feb 15, 2009 6:26 pm 
Fantastic pictures - looks like a great trip even for the tired doggy.

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Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver



Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Posts: 1763 | TRs | Pics
Location: Welcome Pass
Sadie's Driver
Sadie's Driver
PostSun Feb 15, 2009 9:10 pm 
Highwalker's Daughter wrote:
Fantastic pictures - looks like a great trip even for the tired doggy.
Gus is resting comfortably lol.gif winksmile.gif
Snowdog takes a break
Snowdog takes a break
up.gif

Four-paw buddy lets me tag along!
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