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Scrooge
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: wishful thinking
Scrooge
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PostTue Jan 22, 2002 7:55 am 
Pappy. I'll let Steve know you're interested. He's not registered with us but he does check the site from time to time. I know he was following Randy's "Brush" thread. My experience is that he's very willing to share his knowledge but doesn't care for all the scrapping we get into.

Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker



Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
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PostTue Jan 22, 2002 1:54 pm 
I too would be interested in the P-traverse. I still want to overland it to South Cascade lake though.

"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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Stefan
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Stefan
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PostTue Jan 22, 2002 3:02 pm 
It is possible to go from Yang Yang lakes to Cascade Pass in one day. It is about 7.5-8.5 miles one way with about 5000-5500 feet of elevation gain (going north). I had some friends who went from Cascade Pass to the Spider-Formidable col, then climbed Spider and back to the col--all in one day. They left at 7:00 in the morning from the parking lot. I do not know what time they got back to the col camp. They were decently strong people. But I do NOT recommend you go to Cascade Pass on your way out. I recommend you go out via the High Log Creek route out to the trail, and then hitch a ride in a car, or drop your buddy’s car off at the trailhead. The High Log Creek route is a totally brush free route. The friends went from LeConte Pass (above Yang Yang Lakes) to the road in 6.5 hours using the High Log Creek route. I definitely think you can do LeConte in a one day outing from Yang Yang lakes. Combining Sentinel and LeConte into one day is a bit iffy. The friends I speak about did Old Guard, Sentinel, Hoch Joch Spitz, and Post, carrying only day packs in one day. Let me know if you want to read their trip report. I can also get you into email contact with the guy who planned it. Stefan

Art is an adventure.
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reststep
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reststep
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PostTue Jan 22, 2002 3:42 pm 
Backpacker Joe, when you do this route up Downey Creek are you planning on returning the same way you go in?

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostTue Jan 22, 2002 4:06 pm 
Yes. The only other ways in are UGLY as I see it. I thought about going from White Rocks over to Spire glacier then out Cub and Itswoot lakes, but that's still the same Downey creek route out. TB

"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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lopper
off-route



Joined: 22 Jan 2002
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lopper
off-route
PostTue Jan 22, 2002 4:31 pm 
Stefan---I would very much like to read their trip report. Brush free route? Them's pretty strong words in that neighborhood.

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Stefan
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Stefan
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PostTue Jan 22, 2002 5:44 pm 
Lopper, either email me or R-E-G-I-S-T-E-R. I can't email you the Ptarmigan Peaks story unless you R-E-G-I-S-T-E-R.

Art is an adventure.
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#19
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#19
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PostTue Jan 22, 2002 6:31 pm 
Scrooge, thanks for the reminder about the report in WTA. Stefan, Good info. Thanks. I'd have to see the brush free exit out High Log to believe it. Seems unlikely given it's location - but as they say, I've been wrong before. And I would love to read the report of your friends trip. I'm registered so feel free to e-mail if you have the report.

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lopper
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Joined: 22 Jan 2002
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lopper
off-route
PostTue Jan 22, 2002 7:20 pm 
OK, lopper takes the bait. I'm thinking powerful High Log Creek thoughts. You may even get Sawyer to register for this!

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Steve F.
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Steve F.
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PostTue Jan 22, 2002 10:47 pm 
Scrooge emailed, asking me to comment on this thread. I went on that traverse last August from N to S (should be in Backpacker sometime soon). We had a strong party of 3 but with the other two taking tons of photos it was a leisurely pace. Packs were relatively light, except by Backpacker Joe standards -- I'm guessing about 40 lbs. They were testing tents and lugging photo gear. Anyway I think a strong party, in good visibility, could do Yang Yang to Cascade Pass in a day. There is a photo on wta.org of Le Conte Pass in the "January" photos. A few crevasse problems late August in that low snow year, as you can see from the photo, but they didn't really slow us down that much. Away from glaciers, there is now a very well beaten path. Still you may run into some routefinding fun. The paths fizzle out in a few places where everybody gets confused and spreads out, or it's snow covered. Just talked to a guy Sunday who did it earlier in August '01. They ran into a party of 17! One of them was 9 years old. There is a brief report on wta.org and a longer one on Ptarmigan Story and here is a photo of Yang Yang lakes. Have a great trip!

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