[Quark]

I buzzed out of town early Friday morning toward Twisp, my foot a little heavy on the gas. Just as I was thinking I should slow down, a bright green Honda Civic darted out from behind me going about 100. Five or six antennae sprouted out in five or six different directions from the body of the skittering neon cockroach, and from two of them fluttered and snapped two skull-and-crossbones pirate flags. Across the whole back window of the car, a white and red sticker shouted, “I’m Headed To Margaritaville!” As he spazzed by me like a bat out of hell, I began to relax about my benign little highway infraction. I took another sip of coffee, and bumped the accelerator back up to a mere 85. I figured my personal little flagship, the S.S. Margaritaville, is sure to flush out and subsequently occupy any cops who might be ahead of me. I hit the 3200’ trailhead at the crack of noon. I repacked my backpack (again), downed another quart of water and started up the trail. In 4.2 total miles this trail gains 3842’. That doesn’t sound too bad until I add that the first 2.5 miles or so are of typical grade - meaning the remaining half makes up what the previous half didn’t do. At about 3 miles you come to the confluence of Scatter and Slade creeks, a great place to tank up and soak your feet. After realizing that great waterfall straight ahead and waaaaay up high is falling from Scatter Lake, your destination, you swig some more agua, lace up the boots and hit the hot, rocky, and now steep trail. From the horsecamp, the trail doesn’t waste any time with the final thrust up to the lake. (“You say you wanna go to da lake? O.K., so I take you to da lake.”) Enter a sweet hanging meadow about halfway up the Scatter Creek waterfall, then 10 minutes later you’re standing at the shore of shimmering blue-green Scatter Lake nestled in a cirque at 7042’. Wow. This lake gets most use in fall during larch viewing and deer hunting season. I hit it just right for the lushest flora and tolerable weather. I wouldn’t want to come here in late July or August – that sun hitting the rock, sand and scree all day radiates heat into the cirque like an oven. Lucky for me, the cirque creates its own wind, and at least in early July, a circuitous path of icy-relief is constantly on the move here. In between icy-cold gusts of wind, the sun was baking-hot. After the icy blast, the hot sun felt good, and after the hot sun, the icy blast felt good. And so it went all weekend. I had the whole place to myself. I didn’t see anyone until back at the trailhead Sunday afternoon. Saturday I scrambled up un-named Pt. 7840’ just east of Abernathy Peak. I named it Pointy Orange Peak, mainly because it’s pointy and orange. It’s easy to spot the route – you just follow the obvious contour of vegetables, then sorta pick your way to the ridgeline and up til there’s no more up. It took me about 1.5 hours up, choosing larger rocks to stumble over rather than dealing with the loose scree (one step up, 4 steps back). I spent about 2 hours on the summit soaking in the 360 views, reading my book, and pretending I’m a big shot. You know – pretending I’m giving speeches and ordering people around - stuff you do when you know darn well there ain’t no one gonna see you do it. It took only about ½ hour to get back to camp – all you do is – wheeee! plunge-step for about 15 minutes down the scree slope of slatey slivers back down to the vegetables, bushwack a little, recover from the obligatory rock-rolling-under-your-left-foot butt splat, and you’re home free. I’m sporting a bruise the size of the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (just the downtown area, not the whole thing). I’m not a flower freak, or so I say…but I was constantly delighted by the showing of flora on this trip. There are lots of meadows along the Scatter Creek trail. To name some: larkspur, tall bluebell, lupine, blue and pink penstemmon, orange hawkweed, lots of phlox, scarlet and orange paintbrushes, lots of white bog orchid concentrated along the banks of one stream, buttercup, desert parsley, buckwheat, lots of stonecrop at the lake, and at the inlet of the lake are acres of elephant heads in full bloom! There are plenty of others, too. But I didn’t take photos of all of them and cannot remember. I don't know the name of any of the Big Dumb mountains in my photos. Seems I should recognize that massive double-pointy one (that's a geological techical term). Was this short backpack trip was well worth the 400+ mile drive? Yeah.

Abernathy & Washington Pass area

Lake & Mr. Big Stuff

Big Dumb Mountain

Moi

Toward O Canada

Orange Hawkweed

[peppersteak'n'ale]

Sweet Looks like you found a real gem for a place

[Backpacker Joe]

Another good one Quarky. Any other pictures of the lake/lakes? TB

[Andrew]

Wow wee! Those mountains are quite attractive, especially towards Canehda. Much thanks!

[Quark]

[MooseAndSquirrel]

Wow, stunning country, nice pics. You do get around. Of course you didn't circumnavigate St. Helens but not too shabby nonetheless. The loneliness factor in such a beautiful area was a nice bonus.

[Newt]

Quark, with you, there's only one thing I love more than your reports. It's your sense of humor. They're both great. Newt

[Tom]

Wow! Great TR and pics.

[Quark]

I admit the TR is a little goofy and long, but when I get goofy and giddy there's nothing I can do about it but let it out. Pointy Orange was one of the best little summits I have ever done. It's easy as anything, but the views can't be beat. I wanted to bag Abernathy because it was sorta in my way - I couldn't see Gardner, et al, which was behind it. But I couldn't see how to get around three big blobby bloops of rock (I hope you're able to follow my geo-techical terms. If it's a problem, let me know and I'll use laymen's terms).

[frankm3]

Nice TR as usual Quarky Jo. Nice sunglasses.

[Dayhike Mike]

Gorgeous pics...sounds like you really had a good time. Wishing I was there.