Forum Index > Trip Reports > Saska Peak - North Fork Entiat River Valley 7/17 - 18
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wildernessed
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PostSun Jul 19, 2009 8:41 pm 
Location : W of Entiat, Wa. Map : GTM - Lucerne Guidebooks : Summit Routes Stats : 22 mi, 5600' r/t
Saska Peak - North Fork Entiat
Saska Peak - North Fork Entiat
Steve and I backpacked into the North Fork Entiat River Basin Friday afternoon beneath Saska, Emerald, and Cardinal for an early alpine start on Saska Peak 8404' Saturday morning. The trail is in good condition, with quite a few side streams offering plenty of water access points. The wildflowers are near peak, and no snow was encountered until just below Saska's South Ridge, and then only a small consolidated section. Mosquitos were at a minimum. We were up early and followed the South Ridge until the last 300-400' where we downclimbed to the East side and followed a scree - talus field up, to just below the summit regaining class 3 rock for the last stretch. Nice views, we were up there at 0700 hr., it was really hazey to the North in the Sawtooth - Pasayten area. I enjoyed all the other peaks in the area, especially Emerald, but I think Saska is a better scramble. We were back in the basin at 0830 and packing up to beat the heat. Another good one Steve, a very good one !
Upper Entiat River
Upper Entiat River
Emerald near sunset
Emerald near sunset
South Ridge route of Saska from across the Upper Basin.
South Ridge route of Saska from across the Upper Basin.
Ghetto camp
Ghetto camp
Early morning ascending just to the West of the South Ridge before gaining and following it.
Early morning ascending just to the West of the South Ridge before gaining and following it.
Cardinal
Cardinal
Steve enjoying the predominantly class 3 ridge with the North Fork Entiat River Valley in the background.
Steve enjoying the predominantly class 3 ridge with the North Fork Entiat River Valley in the background.
Ridge
Ridge
Gopher
Gopher
Devils Smokestack on Entiat Ridge to the West.
Devils Smokestack on Entiat Ridge to the West.
Ridge
Ridge
Clark and Luhana
Clark and Luhana
Spectacle Buttes and Maude
Spectacle Buttes and Maude
Seven Fingered Jack
Seven Fingered Jack
Fernow
Fernow
Copper
Copper
Bonanza
Bonanza
Glacier
Glacier
Pinnacle Peak
Pinnacle Peak
Looking East down Bearcat Ridge.
Looking East down Bearcat Ridge.
Steve on Saska's summit with the 9k' club behind him.
Steve on Saska's summit with the 9k' club behind him.
Looking towards Gopher, Choral, and Duncan Hill.
Looking towards Gopher, Choral, and Duncan Hill.
North Fork Entiat Basin below Pyramid Creek Trail / Saska Pass.
North Fork Entiat Basin below Pyramid Creek Trail / Saska Pass.
Silver Star through the haze in the distance.
Silver Star through the haze in the distance.
Choral Peak through the tress from Upper Entiat Basin.
Choral Peak through the tress from Upper Entiat Basin.
Glacier
Glacier
w in Entiat Basin beneath Saska and Emerald
w in Entiat Basin beneath Saska and Emerald
w on saska
w on saska

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raising3hikers
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Joined: 21 Sep 2007
Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics
Location: Edmonds, Wa
raising3hikers
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PostSun Jul 19, 2009 8:50 pm 
Looks like you had a nice view or two of some mountains up there up.gif up.gif Very nice pics Thanks for the TR

Eric Eames
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Magellan
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Magellan
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PostSun Jul 19, 2009 9:01 pm 
Very nice! I would like to run those three together someday.

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Get Out and Go
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Joined: 13 Nov 2004
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PostSun Jul 19, 2009 10:38 pm 
Looks like another great area Rob. agree.gif Way to get at it. smile.gif

"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go." (Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart) "Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry. Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky." (Thanks, Tom Petty)
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wildernessed
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PostMon Jul 20, 2009 7:17 am 
Get Out and Go wrote:
Looks like another great area Rob. agree.gif Way to get at it. smile.gif
I had some reservations with the heat and called Steve saying maybe we should look at Spirit Mountain (7900') as a dayhike early in and out, but he said it didn't appeal to him. To me it has appeal because of it's position below and between Hoodoo, Bigelow, Oval, Star etc..., it's always interesting looking at big mountains close in and slightly below their prominence. But once we got out there and put some miles on in the 80's Steve said, "Maybe I should have given Spirit a second thought." But it worked out well in the end, and I finally saw the basin without snow.

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Bloated Chipmunk
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Bloated Chipmunk
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PostMon Jul 20, 2009 7:37 am 
wave.gif MM & I were @ the nearby Pyramid Mtn. this wknd. (TR coming soon). Thanks for the nice pics & report. Now I have an idea what it's like to do Saska. wink.gif

Home is where the hiking is. "Peaks that have come and gone four times should halt a man in his steps." -- William O. Douglas A balanced diet is a margarita in each hand.
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wildernessed
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PostMon Jul 20, 2009 8:02 am 
Bloated Chipmunk wrote:
wave.gif MM & I were @ the nearby Pyramid Mtn. this wknd. (TR coming soon). Thanks for the nice pics & report. Now I have an idea what it's like to do Saska. wink.gif
Saska is pretty straightforward, the trail goes just beyond the end of the ridge, after that gain the ridge from it's left (west) side using the rock instead of trying to battle the loose talus and scree following the path of least resistance. It is a T100, so you will see past wear marks. There are several loose gully's and you switch sides of the ridge to avoid gendarmes, but it works and is generally pleasant. You'll eventually come to a higpoint after which there is a break in the ridge and you have two options, to either downclimb the ridge and then reascend the craggy ridge and exit to your right onto a talus - scree slope or just downclimb to the talus - scree slope and ascend. Near the summit you will again climb up some easy class 3 rock. Though the route has a lot of loose rock, there is always some good rock for hand and foot holds, just check it first. I really wish the haze to the North wasn't so bad we would have had so many more views.

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wildernessed
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PostTue Jul 21, 2009 6:38 am 
Magellan wrote:
Very nice! I would like to run those three together someday.
They could all be done in the early Spring, and Pinnacle is easy in the Spring also. Saska didn't have as much of an access and crappy rock problem, so it could be done anytime without being a slog.

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