Forum Index > Trip Reports > Navajo Peak 10-15-07
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Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger



Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 5129 | TRs | Pics
Location: Alaska
Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger
PostMon Oct 15, 2007 10:56 pm 
With Bearhead Mt not accesible, and the weather to the east looking favorable for most of the day I was off to the wonderful land of the Teanaway. Driving on the Teanaway Road I saw these black freakish looking birds along the road everywhere, I had to swerve to avoid hitting two drunk ones staggering in the road, crazy goblins!!!! After passing many pickup trucks and a 10 year old on the road with a rifle I got to the Stafford Creek TH and started hiking at 8:15. The clouds were high and the temps were in the low 40's, yup, this was going to be a great day for sure up.gif With fall here the smells of the forest were intoxicating, it smelled so good to be out of the city, that's for sure. There were a lot of horseshoe prints and road apples on the trail, you'd think this was the Oregon Trail or something! The leaves were a bright shade of yellow and I did see a few randome larches on the way up. I got to the juction of the Stafford and Standup Creeks in 1hr 30m. The sign up there said 4 miles back to my TH, the Green Trails says 4.8, whatever... Stopped for a snack and to listen to Standup Creek just a few feet from me. After about 10m I got back on my way. About 3/4 mile later the landscape changed to a very surreal moonscape with Earl Peak dominating the view to the west and Navajo up to the NE. Made it to Navajo Pass and got a decent view of the Chants peaks, though partially obscured by clouds. What an awesome spot the pass is, great views and a great spot to pitch a tent!! Followed the trail to the east for a bit then found the boot path leading up to the summit. The trail got pretty steep fairly quick, or so it seemed. I couldn't see the summit until I was just 30' below it since there are trees almost the whole way up, beats Miller Peak with all of it's false summits that's for sure. Mt Stuart was cloaked in a Linticular cloud for a while but slowly exposed herself to me over the next hour or so. There was some snow and larched below the summit to the east, the contrast between them was very pretty. I perused the summit register and snacked for about 30min before heading back down. On the way down I made a video which included me trying to re-create a rollercoaster ride down the trail, the video turned out very shaky and my right knee ended up very sore frown.gif what the heck was I thinking shakehead.gif By the time I got near the pass Stuart was fully exposed winksmile.gif and like any typical guy, I pulled out my......camera!!! lol.gif The rest of the way down was uneventful but horrible for my knee..... I did hear a group of guys hoot and holler as they must have shown their buddies Bambi's father that they had bagged frown.gif Oh yeah, I stopped along the Teanaway Road to visit with a horse eating next to the fence, pretty horse biggrin.gif Full set of pics here. Sights and sounds video with summit pano
Mt Stuart with clouds
Stafford Creek
Stafford Creek
Goal for the day
Goal for the day
Brown grasses
Brown grasses
Ummmm
Ummmm
Bug trails on tree
Bug trails on tree
Golden Fern
Golden Fern
0 037
0 037
Navajo Pass
Navajo Pass
Campsite at Navajo Pass
Campsite at Navajo Pass
Linticular cloud on Stuart
Linticular cloud on Stuart
Boots and larches
Boots and larches
Tangled mess of roots and rocks
Tangled mess of roots and rocks
Tree with Earl Peak in the background
Tree with Earl Peak in the background
Framed larch
Framed larch
Earl's bowl looks like it would be fun to snowboard in
Earl's bowl looks like it would be fun to snowboard in
Full Pano
Full Pano
Summit Pano small
Summit Pano small
They look so nice with a dusting of snow on them
They look so nice with a dusting of snow on them

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Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics
Location: Inexorable descent
Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostMon Oct 15, 2007 11:18 pm 
Glad you got out and got larched B. A finer viewpoint not found.

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reststep
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Dec 2001
Posts: 4757 | TRs | Pics
reststep
Member
PostThu Oct 18, 2007 7:28 am 
Nice trip report and pictures Bryan. I am going to have to try and get up in the Teanaway more next year. How was the Stafford Creek Road?

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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TrailPair
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Joined: 17 Apr 2005
Posts: 1699 | TRs | Pics
TrailPair
Member
PostThu Oct 18, 2007 8:51 am 
I imagine it took a lot of effort to place all those rocks in that knarly root ball! hmmm.gif Nice report! up.gif

This thing called work is interfering with my play
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wildernessed
viewbagger



Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics
Location: Wenatchee
wildernessed
viewbagger
PostThu Oct 18, 2007 10:10 am 
That is a great place, I'm on Navaho Peak / Pass version 3.0 as of this year, a great spring and fall trip. I have alot of the same pics you have, and I have the same ones from diffrent trips dizzy.gif , I guess it looks great every time winksmile.gif , nice pics and good choice for a destination. up.gif up.gif P.S. I have the knarly rootball x 3 ! doh.gif

Living in the Anthropocene
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Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger



Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 5129 | TRs | Pics
Location: Alaska
Bryan K
Shameless Peakbagger
PostThu Oct 18, 2007 10:11 am 
Reststep, the Stafford Cr road was in mediocre condition in some spots. Some areas had 6 inch deep potholes that were a few feet in diameter, other spots resembled washboard, for the most part though the road was in adequate condition that will allow pretty much any car through at the right speed. TP, you wouldn't believe how long it took me to get those rocks placed in just the right spots lol.gif lol.gif lol.gif

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