Forum Index > Trip Reports > Chicago Peak -- 16 September 2008
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Alpendave
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Joined: 01 Aug 2008
Posts: 863 | TRs | Pics
Alpendave
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PostSun Sep 21, 2008 8:04 pm 
One of the benefits of being the husband of a horse logger's daughter from Trout Creek, MT, is that a trip to the in-laws' often means a trip to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. The original purpose for our trip was to do some canning (which has tasty dividends through the winter) and to escape from Spokane for a couple days. My in-laws have about 50 acres with a little bit of frontage on Swamp Creek -- and a dandy little camping spot, I might add. With the canning done (we have a great system) we took Tuesday to recreate a little. Because of a bumper crop, we had to spend an hour at the neighbors u-pick blueberry farm where we quickly got 25 pounds worth between the 4 of us (my wife, her mom, and youngest sister). After that, it was off to Rock Creek Road and Chicago Peak. Rock Creek Road is a little bumpy, but otherwise in pretty good shape. The side road that climbs up to Chicago Peak starts off well enough, but eventually deteriorates into something that would make you regret the absence of good ground clearance and four wheel drive. Luckily, we had a Jeep that could, for the most part, do the trick. At the start, we had about a quarter tank of fuel, which was just enough for the round trip. Just past the worse rough spot, my mother in law noticed a huckleberry patch that was too good to pass up. We dropped her off and continued to a spot just below the 2nd to last switchback on the road. We hiked the remaining half mile or so to the trailhead which is somewhere around 6 thousand feet above sea level. The weather was quite warm, but not too oppressive. At the trailhead, there was only one other vehicle (I love the Cabinets!). The trail, which never gets too terribly steep, gets the steepest part over with in the 1st quarter mile or so. We did find a nice spot to take a break in the shade and revel in the fact that there were no mosquitos to torment us. Darlene (my wife) and Doris got a little ahead of me (can't remember why I was dawdling) and spotted a nanny and kid goat which decided they were to good to let me see them, let alone pose for my camera. After futilely pursuing them up a hillside, we gave up and got back on the main trail. Doris decided that such a perfect day should not be without a moment of repose, and therefore let us go up to Chicago Peak while she napped on a nice rock outcropping with a spectacular view of Rock Peak.
Darlene cooling off in the shade
Darlene cooling off in the shade
Meadows and rocks near the start of the trail
Meadows and rocks near the start of the trail
The double-summited Rock Peak
The double-summited Rock Peak
Darlene on the trail with Chicago Peak straight ahead
Darlene on the trail with Chicago Peak straight ahead
Darlene and I continued a little further up the trail which comes out on a nice bench on the eastern aspect of Chicago Peak. The bench extends to Milwaukee Pass and around the southern part of St. Paul Peak to Cliff Lake. From the bench, we noticed a grassy slope that led up to a notch in the south ridge of Chicago Peak and left the trail for our objective. As we walked up the beautifully slick carpet of beargrass, the views kept getting better.
Rock formations on Chicago Peak
Rock formations on Chicago Peak
Toward Engle Peak again
Toward Engle Peak again
Much more quickly than I anticipated, we were at the notch and found that the slope on the other side was a bit gentler than the one we came up. From below, it looked like there might be some exposed scrambling near the top, but this was not the case. It was basically and pleasant meander from here to the summit.
The tip-top of Chicago Peak
The tip-top of Chicago Peak
There are two summit blocks, but they are so close together that the difference between them is entirely negligible. Darlene took one, and I took the other. Being without a camera herself, she decided that the flying ants on top warranted a short stay and so went down a little lower on the peak. I on the other hand, felt it wouldn't be right to deprive my fellow nwhikers of vicariously participating in the climb, and so endured the little buggers long enough to get some summit view photos which included Snowshoe Peak and environs, the Scotchman Peaks, St. Paul Peak, Rock Peak, Copper Lake, Cliff Lake, Noxon Reservoir, and the Montana-Idaho divide.
Copper Lake on St. Paul Peak
Copper Lake on St. Paul Peak
Summit of Chicago Peak looking south
Summit of Chicago Peak looking south
South ridge on Chicago Peak
South ridge on Chicago Peak
Part of Rock Peak and Engle Peak
Part of Rock Peak and Engle Peak
Looking north from Chicago Peak
Looking north from Chicago Peak
North to Snowshoe Peak
North to Snowshoe Peak
After the summit photo shoot, I started back down to meet Darlene. I found a nice perch above the notch and snapped a photo of her as she contemplated her route back down through the slick beargrass. When I got down to where she was, I noticed how neat the rock was with the neon-green lichen and stuff, and snapped another photo. There was also a nice patch of mountain ash that was turning color for the season. Seeing the opportunity for fame and glory, some flying insect flew right into one of the photos.
Darlene contemplating the way down
Darlene contemplating the way down
Cliff on Chicago Peak
Cliff on Chicago Peak
Another view of the cliff
Another view of the cliff
A bug steeling the show in this photo
A bug steeling the show in this photo
Mountain ash in fall color
Mountain ash in fall color
In a short time we made it back to the bench, where there was a nice patch of beargrass that was still in bloom. Must have had a lot of snow last winter. I took a couple more photos and then we started back on the trail. We found Doris, and then headed back to the road. The one other party up there (who we didn't see at all on the trail) was taking a break at their vehicle. Doris and Darlene, who had gone ahead of me since, again, I was dawdling with my camera, were enjoying a nice patch of huckleberries on the side of the road. After we all had our fill, we started back down to the vehicle. One little huckleberry bush in particular really caught my attention with its bright red foliage.
Beautiful flowers and a beautiful girl
Beautiful flowers and a beautiful girl
Beargrass blooming in September?
Beargrass blooming in September?
Walking the road back to the Jeep
Walking the road back to the Jeep
Fall color on a huckleberry bush
Fall color on a huckleberry bush
We drove down to where mom was and saw that her time was well spent. In the short amount of time it took us to climb the peak and get back, she had filled a gallon sized freezer bag with some of the best food nature provides. We all headed back down with me driving and paying particular attention to the low fuel level. We had an 8th of a tank, but we were also in the middle of nowhere and not really that close to where we could buy fuel. A ways down, mom realized that she left something behind a rock where she was berry picking, so we turned around and retrieved it. We still had enough fuel though. Besides, that gave us another opportunity to drive by a bunch of mountain ash that were exceptionally beautiful with their fall foliage and deep red berries. We got back to Highway 200 and found a gas station to replenish the fuel tank. Then it was on to Big Sky Pantry to replenish ourselves with ice cream cones. smile.gif

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bobbi
stillaGUAMish



Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 8012 | TRs | Pics
Location: olympics!
bobbi
stillaGUAMish
PostTue Sep 23, 2008 9:22 pm 
i gather we have more washingtonians here on board and montana seems like a long long ways. thanks for sharing your hike with us! i'll keep this TR in mind for when and if i make it to montana. chicago peak sounds like fun....and the cabinets? okay.... i love having ice cream after a hike up.gif

bobbi ૐ "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!" - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
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trailjunky
Backcountry Bumpkin'



Joined: 14 Jun 2004
Posts: 1124 | TRs | Pics
Location: timberline
trailjunky
Backcountry Bumpkin'
PostWed Sep 24, 2008 1:13 am 
Sweet! up.gif Thanks Dave, we need more trips from the Inland Northwest. Looked like another glorious day in the Cab's. Wow, you had another car at the trailhead, must have been a busy day for the trail. wink.gif Glad you and Darlene could get out and catch another trip before the snow flies.

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