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gone Member
Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 1051 | TRs | Pics
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gone
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Fri May 29, 2009 7:20 am
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A continuous cacophony of cross-valley gunfire set the tone for last night's TNAB assault on West Bandera. Amidst a barrage of multi-caliber bangs and booms, a relatively compact TNAB group of Malachai Constant, Larry, ewb, Zeusdaddy, Yukon222, Mike, Elisha, BarbE, SeattleHikertoo, OneTwoLaugh, Nature Man and Magnum, along with a K9 contingent of Zeus, Athena and Digger, took aim at the mild, medium, and spicy grades of the Ira Spring Memorial trail. It was a long and pitched battle, but when the smoke cleared and the sun set, the gang had taken nearly 8 miles of trail and 3,720' of elevation, and West Bandera was down for the count.
As with TNAB's earlier assault on Putrid Pete, the Bandera trek began with a moderately well flagged half mile bushwhack 600' up from I-90's exit 42 along Mason Creek to the heavily damaged and still closed road. From there the way is west to the empty trailhead, then continues straight through to the trail proper. The trail shortly makes a right hand switchback and begins a steady southeast climb for nearly two miles to the next switchback. There are two significant slides/blowouts on the trail here, both easily skirted, one at what is now a small creek before Mason Creek, and the other at Mason Creek itself. The latter crossing is a bit hairy, requiring one to trust a jumble of splintered logs to avoid the fairly deep and fast moving melt water.
After switching back left, right, and left again, the trail passes beneath the remains of the last real snow field, which reaches to just above the trail beyond the next right switchback. There were some tracks heading up it and some old glissade gutters coming down it, but it's all melting out pretty quickly. Most of the gang stuck to the trail, side-hilling the snow patches, which were steep but brief, and with fairly solid footing.
Hanging a right at the Mason Lake trail junction, the way turns up, up, up, gaining over 1,000' in a short half mile to the West Bandera summit. Snow was still solid in the trees, and was a mixed bag when approaching and leaving them. Postholing opportunities may soon be abundant until more of the rocks are exposed.
The weather couldn't have been better. No clouds, a very slight breeze, and a nice warm sun. There were some occasional bugs, but they mostly stuck to the shade and were not at all aggressive. The views at the summit went on forever, exposing numerous volcanoes and other Cascadian peaks in every direction. Snacks and water were shared, pictures taken, and Yukon222, when asked about a high pitched whistle, which was heard a few times between gunshots, ventured a ghostly tale of Dirty Harry blowing an end of day whistle on his trusty old logging truck o' these many years later. Chilling. Or maybe it was just the Bandera banshee? We may never know.
The descent into the setting sun and waning gunfire was peaceful, picturesque, and (mostly) trouble-free. The trail's incremental grades, which provide a great warm-up on the ascent, are almost healing on the descent, allowing one's stride to grow gradually longer and more comfortable as the miles add up. Until eventually, you're back at the empty trailhead facing a dark bushwhack back to I-90.
My experience was slightly different. Rounding the trail's last switchback, I was spooked by what I thought was a male voice in the trees to my right. Being an experienced scaredy cat, I knew this was likely a trail marauder of some sort, and it was best to just close my eyes and run, which I did all the way to the trailhead. There I had a mild heart attack as I stumbled upon a gang of loitering TNABers, who were pretending to be enjoying the mild evening, but were actually waiting to provide me some company for the trip's last leg.
Thank you, MC, BarbE, and OneTwoLaugh! You guys are the best!
(Oh, and it just dawned on me that if I could hear you guys at the trailhead over my frightened breathing, there's a good chance you all could hear the various sounds emanating from me on the night's still air for a very long time, and for this I am deeply sorry, but in my defense I will say 1) it's natural, dang it, and 2) er ... look, a marauder! )
Good times, TNAB! Good times.
Larry, MC, Digger PreNAB Failure #1 Failure #2 (Mason Creek) Snowfield Mason-Bandera Trail Junction I-90 Sun Bandera Log Magnum Cornice Surfing Kaleetan and Chair Peaks I-90 Sunset Sunset Sunset Moonrise
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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Fri May 29, 2009 7:45 am
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Eric, I thought the TNAB bylaws said something about carrying and using a camera? Who's gonna believe bushwhacking in the dark, if you don't have pictures to prove it?
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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gone Member
Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 1051 | TRs | Pics
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Fri May 29, 2009 7:53 am
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Scrooge wrote: | Eric, I thought the TNAB bylaws said something about carrying and using a camera? Who's gonna believe bushwhacking in the dark, if you don't have pictures to prove it? |
True that! They're coming, promise.
Dark Bushwhack for Scrooge
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wamtngal Member
Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 2382 | TRs | Pics Location: somewhere |
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wamtngal
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Fri May 29, 2009 8:34 am
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Hah! Very nice report, ewb - I also enjoyed the homage to the Bandera Banshee...I still remember that moment like it was yesterday.
Opinions expressed here are my own.
Opinions expressed here are my own.
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
A few pix but not as good as EWBs
Her Highness Time to Go UP Lens Flair View from Trail up More Flair Hot Time in the City Cliche'
"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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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
I was there this morning. How far did you all drive in? To the big washout?
It was some good driving.
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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yukon222 Member
Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 1893 | TRs | Pics
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yukon222
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Fri May 29, 2009 1:55 pm
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ewb - very nice write up although I think you mistakenly did a "too good" of a job and may be required to write more of them in the future.
DSD_1513 - upper slopes of West Bandera DSD_1519 - Soaring Seattlehikertoo DSD_1523 - and the landing turned out well too! DSD_1534 - the edge DSD_1544 - all the colors DSD_1549 - worth the descent in darkness to view the sunset
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huron Member
Joined: 13 Sep 2004 Posts: 1028 | TRs | Pics
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huron
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Fri May 29, 2009 2:25 pm
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Welcome back veteran TNABers Mike and Alisha!
TNAB on the ridge Snow melting fast
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Yet Member
Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Posts: 2634 | TRs | Pics Location: Happily Ever After |
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Yet
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Fri May 29, 2009 4:39 pm
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BarbE Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 1153 | TRs | Pics
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BarbE
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Fri May 29, 2009 6:27 pm
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seattlehikertoo Member
Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 582 | TRs | Pics Location: Finding an alternative to Mailbox Pk |
Another nice TR...Thanks Eric...I have some pics...Again, sorry about the Iphone pics.
Devastating washout Washout gives way to a new waterfall on the trail TNAB muscle men discussing how they leaped over the washout so easily Tahoma under crystal clear skies Tahoma beginning to glow Glowing trees below the summit ridge Glowing trees talking to Tahoma True summit on the right. Granite Lookout and Kaleetan in between the trees. TNAB-Bandera-090528 006 TNABer on the sun-baked west summit ridge TNABer on the sun-baked west summit ridge
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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Fri May 29, 2009 7:32 pm
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Dark bushwhack, unexpurgated edition.
.
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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gone Member
Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 1051 | TRs | Pics
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Fri May 29, 2009 9:02 pm
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gone Member
Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 1051 | TRs | Pics
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Fri May 29, 2009 9:04 pm
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seattlehikertoo wrote: | I have some pics...Again, sorry about the Iphone pics. |
Sorry, schmoory - dude, your iPhone takes fantastic pics (or, rather, you do with your iPhone). "Glowing trees talking to Tahoma" and "TNABer on the sun-baked west summit ridge" are both wonderful!
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Go Jo of the lykkens
Joined: 08 Jun 2003 Posts: 2248 | TRs | Pics Location: Around The Bend |
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Go Jo
of the lykkens
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Sat May 30, 2009 1:34 pm
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OK, now that I'm finally finished pouting about missing the start of the TNAB season I'm ready to comment on the great write up, fantastic sunset photos and all around fun-ness of this week's hike.
You guys are making it tough to sit on the sidelines, but it sure is a motivating factor to do my PT exercises every day! Thanks again ewb for your literary efforts.
Look Ma, no boot! 'you're coming with us?' ankle is a bit fired up
I made it to the top of my driveway this week and out to the fire station & back (.5mi & 18ft elev gain), but alas no spectacular sunset shots...
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