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harrymalamute
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harrymalamute
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PostMon Sep 15, 2014 6:44 pm 
This is a story of Buckwheat malamute going to the eastern Pasayten wilderness in NE Washington with humans Harry & Ronn. Sept 8th Harry drives to the end of FR 300 in the SS Malamobile beginning of the big adventure via Cathedral way trail. This trail descends 2.2 miles to intersect the Chewuch river trail.
parking at the end of FR 300
parking at the end of FR 300
King Buckwheat ready for the big adventure
King Buckwheat ready for the big adventure
packs are loaded for 6 days. Ronn 55lbs, harry 42lbs, Buckwheat 10-15lbs Temps are in the cool 40's and make for comfortable hiking, we average 10 miles a day making first camp at the four point river crossing. (not great but doable)site.
cathedral way trail
cathedral way trail
horse camp before tungsten lake trail
horse camp before tungsten lake trail
4 pt river camp
4 pt river camp
Ronn & Buck
Ronn & Buck
chewuch river tr
chewuch river tr
Sept. 9th Buck leads us up stream towards Remmel lake. we pause at tr.565 Lesmiz trail. but stay on Chewuch trail thinking we'd swing into Remmel lake but never found a trail even though GPS said we were very close.( anyone know the secret way?) continued on to the bypass trail (sign stated boundary trail but it played out as 565 and rejoined the Lesmiz trail up top)
trail below remmel lake
trail below remmel lake
Pasayten Wilderness 020
Pasayten Wilderness 020
remmel mtn
remmel mtn
Pasayten Wilderness 029
Pasayten Wilderness 029
looking back towards remmel mtn
looking back towards remmel mtn
Pasayten Wilderness 033
Pasayten Wilderness 033
Pasayten Wilderness 037
Pasayten Wilderness 037
trail towards cathedral lake
trail towards cathedral lake
Easy terrain brought us towards upper Cathedral Lake and the magic kingdom of Amphitheater mtn & Cathedral peak and our camp for the next two nights.
Pasayten Wilderness 048
Pasayten Wilderness 048
Pasayten Wilderness 051
Pasayten Wilderness 051
cathedral peak
cathedral peak
cathedral peak
cathedral peak
morning snow
morning snow
Pasayten Wilderness 057
Pasayten Wilderness 057
amphitheater mtn
amphitheater mtn
Pasayten Wilderness 040
Pasayten Wilderness 040
Pasayten Wilderness 065
Pasayten Wilderness 065
Pasayten Wilderness 066
Pasayten Wilderness 066
cathedral lake
cathedral lake
cathedral lake
cathedral lake
Those two nights would register a coool malamute 20 degrees on the button. we rested and explored the lake
Pasayten Wilderness 075
Pasayten Wilderness 075
cathedral peak
cathedral peak
Pasayten Wilderness 084
Pasayten Wilderness 084
amphitheater mtn
amphitheater mtn
sun bathing at cathedral lake after a 20 degree night
sun bathing at cathedral lake after a 20 degree night
hitch rail at cathedral lake
hitch rail at cathedral lake
stretching
stretching
Pasayten Wilderness 105
Pasayten Wilderness 105
Sept. 11th we pack up and head over Cathedral pass
views from cathedral pass
views from cathedral pass
flanks of cathedral pass
flanks of cathedral pass
,Harry & Buckwheat at Cathedral pass
,Harry & Buckwheat at Cathedral pass
cathedral peak
cathedral peak
Pasayten Wilderness 137
Pasayten Wilderness 137
cathedral peak
cathedral peak
Pasayten Wilderness 147
Pasayten Wilderness 147
cathedral peak
cathedral peak
Some of the nicest hiking ever with grand views and liquid cold air helping Bucky run cool despite much of the water dried up this time of year. We make our way to Apex pass ( very pretty area)
apex pass
apex pass
apex pass
apex pass
Pasayten Wilderness 156
Pasayten Wilderness 156
Pasayten Wilderness 158
Pasayten Wilderness 158
trail towards apex pass
trail towards apex pass
Pasayten Wilderness 167
Pasayten Wilderness 167
Then on to the Tungsten mine and just past for good water
tungsten mine
tungsten mine
Pasayten Wilderness 169
Pasayten Wilderness 169
Onward to Scheelite pass and then teapot dome area. making it our toughest day with 3 passes.
tungsten mine
tungsten mine
Pasayten Wilderness 169
Pasayten Wilderness 169
tea pot dome area
tea pot dome area
Pasayten Wilderness 179
Pasayten Wilderness 179
We didn't know it but stopped at a good camp .5 miles before the actual teapot camp,but were happy we did after almost missing the other camp the next day.
Pasayten Wilderness 179
Pasayten Wilderness 179
Sept. 12th Buckwheat is really starting to exhibit soreness and exhaustion on our way to Sunny pass. Harry and Buck proceed slowly and meet Ronn up at Loudon lake area (lake very drawn down to a large puddle)
trail towards louden lake
trail towards louden lake
sunny pass
sunny pass
Ronn near loudon lk
Ronn near loudon lk
views near sunny  pass
views near sunny pass
Our original plan was to finish out over Windy peak and down to our starting point. we could see there was no way Harry and Buck could do this under our current condition after 5 days of heavy packs so we reinvent a new plan to camp below Sunny pass at the large tree camp with good water and in the morning hike out towards Iron gate but drop down to the middle fork Toats Coulee trail were strong man Ronn would drop his pack and walk the forest road 7 miles and retrieve the car. That night we shared our camp with some horse/mule packers coming in for the high hunt and harry finish his rum ( medicinal purposes ) and shared trail and horse stories.
camp below sunny pass
camp below sunny pass
sharing camp below sunny pass with horse packers
sharing camp below sunny pass with horse packers
Sept. 13th Ronn leaves .5 hours ahead of Harry & Buck. as soon as Harry & Buck leave Harry can tell Buck isn't doing very well. moving very slow with a stressed look on his face. we go a short ways and Harry realizes that he's gotta strap Bucks pack onto his or Buck just isn't going to make it the last 8 miles out. This did the trick and Buck was able to finish out the trail and recover in a much better way. we could look over at windy peak and know there was no way we could have gone up and over that mountain.
windy peak
windy peak
There was very little water on the way out but harry shared his with Buck and the cool 40-50 degree temps helped a lot. anything warmer and Buck would have melted like frosty the snowman. Big happy ending, Ronn made it out to middle fork and talked a camper named Mike into a ride to the car so when harry and Buck showed up an hour later the Malamobile was there waiting for us. Yahoo! (thank you Mike & Ronn) Bucky was so happy to jump into the back seat of his car. What an wonderful trip with a great friend and awesome canine companion. Harry loves Buckwheat wub.gif and the Pasayten wilderness.

hikes and climbs with malamute
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Kim Brown
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PostTue Sep 16, 2014 11:09 pm 
What a happy, lucky dog Buck is! Still hard to see the burnt snags; they make for a gorgeous landscape, though. But it's hard. Looks like a great trip, and I enjoyed your photos and write up. Tons of abandoned trails in the Cathedral area.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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Ski
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PostWed Sep 17, 2014 10:24 am 
great work! up.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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D. Inscho
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PostWed Sep 17, 2014 9:04 pm 
You covered some miles & terrain! Thanks for demystifying some of that Pasayten goodness. Sounds as though Bucky is feelin' some age? Fine salvage at the end though. up.gif

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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MLHSN
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MLHSN
What goes here?????
PostWed Sep 17, 2014 10:40 pm 
What kind of tent is that? My wife and I are thinking of doing a DIY project similar to that for us and the two kids.

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tmatlack
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 4:16 am 
I'm jealous. Too many miles between me and Tungsten. That photo of Harry chillin' in the tent is muy precioso! Such exquisite dignity on that big boy! He must have tough paws for a long hard trail like that. Tom

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tmatlack
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 4:16 am 
I'm jealous. Too many miles between me and Tungsten. That photo of Harry chillin' in the tent is muy precioso! Such exquisite dignity on that big boy! He must have tough paws for a long hard trail like that. Tom

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Chico
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 6:07 am 
Like the photos. It's "Toat" and not "Tote" by the way. And sadly the hunter/horse packer appears to be doing just what they shouldn't. Tying an animal to a tree is not good for the tree. If you note that the bottom has sparser branches at the bottom than others in the area (some in the far background) it's because of this practice. I see a rope tied to the tree and it appears to be going to the mule's halter. It's also possible they are using a picket and using the trees as anchors. But again, bad practice. Animals should not be allowed to get in the tree like that.

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D. Inscho
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 6:22 am 
Chico wrote:
And sadly the hunter/horse packer appears to be doing just what they shouldn't. Tying an animal to a tree is not good for the tree. If you note that the bottom has sparser branches at the bottom than others in the area (some in the far background) it's because of this practice.
up.gif up.gif I see a lot of this damage throughout the Pasayten.

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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Chico
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 8:06 am 
D. Inscho wrote:
I see a lot of this damage throughout the Pasayten.
Education! You don't need trees to picket a horse or mule. And I'm pretty sure the USFS wilderness stock user web pages say not to tie stock to trees. Not sure what the local RDs do but the commercial packers should be on notice I would hope. Hard to deal with the hunters and other stock users since they get a permit at the trailhead just like everyone else. Update - not seeing anything on the USFS web pages. Sent an email to the Forest PIO.

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Jasper
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 8:15 am 
4 Paws up! up.gif up.gif up.gif up.gif

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harrymalamute
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 8:28 pm 
Quote:
Still hard to see the burnt snags; they make for a gorgeous landscape, though
As Much as the Chewuch river trail is a bit of a slog, the burn areas do reveal a cool rock scape of boulders and formations you wouldn't ordinarily see. the kind of landscape that has you thinking elves and fairy's are hiding behind.
Quote:
What kind of tent is that?
That is a DIY made out of Joann fabric silicone/nylon. with some 2 mil plastic for the floor. It was its maiden voyage. I like the design but the fabric was limited as in it sagged with moisture from outside and inside. I was lucky on this trip not to get hit with bad weather. If I was to do it again I would search for better quality material, but it was nice to have a 1lb tent.
Quote:
He must have tough paws for a long hard trail like that.
Actually neither Buckwheat or I are in very good shape. the malamutes spend all summer lying in the dirt trying to stay cool, so I was very attentive in coordinating or gauging his energy. Mals have an instinct to pull hard and if I let him he could really shred his paws. so to keep him flowing without over exerting I would mix things up while traveling. exp. sometimes use my partner to walk ahead and block him or place Buck behind me but usually just have my human partner go on ahead out of sight so Buck and I could just settle into a good pace. frequent water and cold temps help the malamute the most.
Quote:
And sadly the hunter/horse packer appears to be doing just what they shouldn't. Tying an animal to a tree is not good for the tree.
Chico you are correct. When they arrived right at dark I offered to share the site thinking of the animals well being. I assumed they would use the large trees in camp to set up a high line (as I would have) In the morning I asked one of the guys about it and he said the guy in charge was old school and always did it that way. ( no excuses ) just saying. they also didn't bring any feed for the horses and the grass they did eat didn't have much in it for them. Instead of being confrontational I chose to share my own horse camping stories and methods hoping to plant some seeds for thought. I was fairly exhausted going into day 6 keeping my focus on getting buck out in good shape. and yes they were hunters not outfitters. they also offered to pack Buckwheat out on a mule if need be so I had a hard time not liking the guys despite their poor technique. The whole trip was so rewarding on many levels, the weather, trails, scenery, the energy flow, my companions. I felt like a malamute just living in the moment and knowing I was living in the moment as it was happening. and that's what its all about.

hikes and climbs with malamute
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Ski
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 9:11 pm 
Quote:
Instead of being confrontational I chose to share my own horse camping stories and methods hoping to plant some seeds for thought.
^ the wisdom, prudence, and seasoning that comes to all of us, eventually. up.gif

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Chico
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PostThu Sep 18, 2014 9:39 pm 
Don't expect a reply from the forest PIO but one would hope they add something about it to their web pages. I'll bet this hunter is not a member of BCH as we know better. LNT is pretty well indoctrinated. And LNT is all education. Just means we need to do a better job.

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