[Slugman]

I told my friend Craig about my trip to Independence Lake last week, and how a much better place was just up the trail from there, and he suggested we go there on Sunday. I picked him up in Everett at 6:30 am, and by 9 am we were on the trail, after a stop at Coal lake for a few pictures. Up and down and up and down to Independence lake, then a rest, then we tackled the "B*tch". That unsavory term perfectly captures my view of the trail from Ind. lake up to the ridgetop. It gains 1,100 VF in well under a mile, and the grade is relentless. My dog Daisy loves Craig, so she ditched me to hike with him, always up ahead since my normal slowness reaches epic proportions on super-steep trails. Since I can usually only hike about 600 VF per hour regarless of distance, I felt I did pretty well to get up in 1 1/2 hours. That works out to slightly over 1/2 mile per hour, which sounds pathetic, but is also 750 VF per hour, which is good for me. I figure the ascent rate of the trail at close to 1,400 VF per mile, which is pretty steep. When we hit the ridgetop, we went left off-trail to a great but difficult-to-reach viewpoint of Three Fingers, Whitehorse, Mt Baker, Big Four Mtn, and Devil's Thumb. It was a brush beater, with some sidehilling that was barely do-able for me. There was no place to sit, and just enough room for Craig and I to stand at the same time at the best view spot. We stayed there an hour anyway, the views were so good. We beat our way back to the trail, and went up past the tarns and snow-covered meadows, reaching the second ridgetop and our first view of Glacier Peak. We went off trail to the right a short way, and were rewarded with a view of Big Four and others. Back on the trail again, we countoured over towards North Lake, which could be seen far below through the trees. We declined to descend to the lake, instead climbing up the ridge behind us to its knife edge. I stood at a spot with panoramic views in three directions including Glacier Peak, and a sheer drop to instant death in two directions, on a ridge about 8 inches wide. That was cool. We stayed there until 3:15, the latest we could and be back to at least Ind Lake before dark. The descent to Ind lake was tough on my knees and legs, but I manged OK with my cane-like hiking stick. I would bring two trekking poles next time, if only to use as brakes on that descent! We hit the lake at 4:40 and rested for 15 minutes, conversing with a group of 8 who climbed a peak on the other side of North Lake. One of them asked me if I had ever done Three Fingers, and I said no, because I had no equipment or skills for the glacier. Another then quipped that I should therefore be a leader for the Mountaineers! Several of them knew me as Slugman from WTA reports, but the info made them laugh, so I wasn't sure that was a compliment. They were amazed by Daisy the Wonder Dog and her ability to comprehend English. When I told Daisy to "back up" and she did (natch!), using her patented "leap backwards in a see-sawing motion", they all cracked up. We made it back to the car by 5:15, using our headlamps for maybe the last ten minutes. We went about 6 miles total, with a gross elevation gain of 2,300 VF. (Net gain 1,400 VF, 200 VF off trail, 700 VF due to major downhill sections (on the way in) of the trail to Ind Lake and North lake trail on the ridgetops.) Here are a few pictures, featuring peaks. The "backside" refers to the fact that these peaks are usually seen from the other side from the road(s). "Devil's Toothbrush" is the name I gave to the ridge with the slot canyons all along its side, only some of which are visible in my picture, since Devil's lake and Devil's Thumb are nearby.

Glacier Pk-Devil's Toothbrush