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Schmidt Altitude
Whippet Entourage



Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 803 | TRs | Pics
Location: The Quah
Schmidt Altitude
Whippet Entourage
PostFri Jul 06, 2007 1:52 am 
Though our initial 4th of July backpack plans had been a little more extravagant, some hitches were hit in the road that caused us to scale back. The goal was still the same, though: to summit a peak that would enable us to have a prime viewing spot for fireworks in the puget sound area. Consider that mission, accomplished. agree.gif Day 1 : 7-4-07 Tisha had a class to get back for Thursday night, so we headed out for the easily accessible Silver Lakes area to hang out around the peaks there. After much hectic packing and repacking antics, 3pm struck and we were on the trail, making our way to upper Silver Lake. Though the day was hot, the trees made ample cover for us to make good time to the lake. From there, it was onward to the saddle in order to scout out for the best prime view of fireworks extravaganza.
Tisha runs into some stinging nettle
Tisha runs into some stinging nettle
Silver Lake
Silver Lake
Silver Lake
Silver Lake
Tisha at Silver Lake
Tisha at Silver Lake
Jeremy heads up from Silver Lake, leaving all that fishing behind  :bawl:
Jeremy heads up from Silver Lake, leaving all that fishing behind bawl.gif
After some scouting, we found a prime spot atop one of the unnamed peaks NE of the saddle (6030 - anyone know the name - we decided upon Silver?). We were stoked for the awesome fireworks that should be all around us that night.
Rowena checks out the Silver Lake Pass
Rowena checks out the Silver Lake Pass
Kiefer breathes in the fresh mountain aroma
Kiefer breathes in the fresh mountain aroma
Jeremy on unnamed peak above Silver Lake
Jeremy on unnamed peak above Silver Lake
Above Silver Lake
Above Silver Lake
Once the prime camp spot was located, packs were left behind in order to summit Welch Peak, 6110, hitting a minor peak along the way - about 5940. Some fun scrambling - we especially enjoyed the catwalk up to the main Welch Peak (6110).
Looking at Welch Peaks
Looking at Welch Peaks
Jeremy on way to Welch Peak catwalk
Jeremy on way to Welch Peak catwalk
Tisha on way to Welsh Peak
Tisha on way to Welsh Peak
Jeremy at Welsh Peak summit
Jeremy at Welsh Peak summit
Rowena is one hot whippet!
Rowena is one hot whippet!
View back to camp
6 labels
View back to camp
Tish with Mt Townsend behind from Welsh
Tish with Mt Townsend behind from Welsh
Once Welsh was summitted, it was back to camp to set up for the fireworks show. We checked back in with nature's refrigerator to see how our celebratory 4th of July champagne was doing while the whippets took a snooze.
Nature's Refrigerator
Nature's Refrigerator
Whippets find the nalgene to be a suitable pillow
Whippets find the nalgene to be a suitable pillow
Once camp was setup, it was time to eat dinner and enjoy the show smile.gif
Kiefer at camp
Kiefer at camp
Tisha enjoys the pre-show beverage
Tisha enjoys the pre-show beverage
A little smoochy, smoochy for Kiefer
A little smoochy, smoochy for Kiefer
Sunset lights over Straits of Juan De Fuca
Sunset lights over Straits of Juan De Fuca
Sunset over Townsend
Sunset over Townsend
Dinner preparations
Dinner preparations
Rainier light show
Rainier light show
Kiefer needs a touch-up
Kiefer needs a touch-up
Sunset lights
Sunset lights
Sunset lights
Sunset lights
Jeremy at camp
Jeremy at camp
Seattle fireworks
Seattle fireworks
Jeremy enjoys the show
Jeremy enjoys the show
Lights on display
Lights on display
Seattle at night
Seattle at night
Tisha keeps warm
Tisha keeps warm
Day 2 : 7-5-07 Restless sleep as always, but it was a very warm and buggy morning (lots of deer flies! irked.gif) so getting up was a chore. After a pleasant breakfast, we set out to summit Hawk Peak and head out Tull Canyon (something we'd planned to do in a day - but the fireworks show made up for the longer journey.) We did a little counter-elevation, filled up our waterbottles at a snow-melt creek, then headed up the especially loose eek.gif rock to the saddle S-SE of Silver Lake.
Looking towards Hawk Peak and saddle route
Looking towards Hawk Peak and saddle route
Jeremy on way to saddle
Jeremy on way to saddle
After the loose rock (the real tread was still a bit under snow), we had a nice break at the saddle to snack and snooze.
Baker from saddle
Baker from saddle
Whippets snooze
Whippets snooze
Hawk Peak from saddle
Hawk Peak from saddle
Inner Constance from saddle
Inner Constance from saddle
From the saddle, there was tread to follow to the area above Tull Canyon pass (or Worthington-Hawk saddle as called by Olympic Mountain climbing guide). Here, we dropped the packs to follow the traverse up to Hawk Peak for our final summit of the trip.
Silver Lakes from way to Hawk Peak
Silver Lakes from way to Hawk Peak
Baker from way to Hawk Peak
Baker from way to Hawk Peak
Looking back towards pack drop-off point
Looking back towards pack drop-off point
Jeremy and whippets heading to Hawk Peak
Jeremy and whippets heading to Hawk Peak
Constance from Hawk Peak
Constance from Hawk Peak
Jeremy on Hawk Peak
Jeremy on Hawk Peak
Tisha on Hawk Peak
Tisha on Hawk Peak
Back to the packs!
Back to the packs!
Cool flowers
Cool flowers
We followed tread until it peetered out, then made our way down the valley of Tull Canyon. The route basically heads down the center of the valley, eventually hitting trail on the right side of the creek (when heading down) until it gets close the the wreckage of the bomber where it crosses the creek before descending down to the Tubal Cain trail.
Jeremy heads down Tull Canyon
Jeremy heads down Tull Canyon
Wreckage camp sites
Wreckage camp sites
Looking back up the canyon
Looking back up the canyon
Once we were back on trail, it was quite easy mileage back to our Explorer - though we must say the rhodies were making quite the distracting display. biggrin.gif
Tish and rhodies on Tubal Cain trail
Tish and rhodies on Tubal Cain trail
We made it back to our vehicle at 12pm, and it was quite hot on the trail by then!! Stats: Mileage : ? Elevation Gain: About 5200' Time Spent Hiking: 9.5 hrs Peaks: 3 Fish Caught: 0 bawl.gif Mines: 1 Plane Wreckage: 1 Whining Whippets: 2 shakehead.gif Mosquitoes Fed: About 1 million waah.gif P.S. Tazz - It's not just you - we've noticed the slightly off-kilter pictures from the S3 no matter what we try... hmmm.gif

"Forest 101: These big wood stick things are called trees. The big rocks are called mountains, and the little rocks are their babies." Elliott from Open Season
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Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker



Joined: 16 Dec 2001
Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostFri Jul 06, 2007 6:07 am 
Great report as usual guys. up.gif

"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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ree
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 4399 | TRs | Pics
ree
Member
PostFri Jul 06, 2007 7:18 am 
Very entertaining pictures! up.gif Jeremy getting a puppy kiss is very funny. Incredible view of the sound. Your avatar cracks me up. up.gif

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GeoTom
Member
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Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 3215 | TRs | Pics
Location: Earth
GeoTom
Member
PostFri Jul 06, 2007 7:22 am 
Very nice. I like the Nalgene pillow for the dogs. embarassedlaugh.gif They can find almost anything to be comfortable.

Knows literally nothing
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Randy
Cube Rat



Joined: 18 Dec 2001
Posts: 2910 | TRs | Pics
Location: Near the Siamangs
Randy
Cube Rat
PostFri Jul 06, 2007 12:14 pm 
Nice work. Jeremy, I need one of those pink Nalgenes! biggrin.gif

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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline
Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
PostFri Jul 06, 2007 1:30 pm 
Nice plan and execution.

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Ancient Ambler
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Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 1092 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bainbridge Island
Ancient Ambler
Member
PostSat Jul 07, 2007 6:24 am 
Very cool trip. Thanks for the great photos.

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