Forum Index > Trip Reports > Wallaby 7995 (USGS Washington Pass), 6/26 – 6/27/10
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline
Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
PostMon Jul 05, 2010 8:04 pm 
Dates: June 26-27, 2010 Destination: Wallaby Peak 7995 (USGS Washington Pass) Originally I had planned to do Graybeard on Saturday, car camp, and then climb Wallaby and maybe another peak on Sunday. But we finished Graybeard early, and I realized that I probably could make it up Wallaby Saturday evening, for a summit camp to enjoy a clear night atop the peak. Since I was car camping, I already had a sleeping bag, pad & stove with me. So I wedged them all into my day pack (hooray for floating hoods) and headed for Wallaby.
Wallaby Route Map
Wallaby Route Map
It was a glorious overnight on the summit – clear warm weather, the dramatic rock of Kangaroo ridge, and a fine lookout to watch the entire course of sunset and sunrise, and even moonrise and moonset. With clear views and the leisure to linger long hours on the summit this overnight gave me the privilege of watching the entire progression of light from full day into night and back again, as the world’s rotation dipped the peaks from daylight through the rainbow refraction of the atmosphere into darkness and then raised them back up again into the new day. The process was like a luminous benediction, as the peaks were bathed in the warm glow of sunset, wrapped in a gentle cloak of night beneath the wheeling stars, and then kissed awake by the brightening colors of dawn. Actually, the sunlight never left me throughout this night, for just as the sun set in the northwest, the moon rose glowing full and orange in the southeast. Throughout the night, the snowfields gleamed bright in the moon’s reflected sunlight as it arched across the southwestern sky. And before dawn the moon stood opposite the sun again, crossing paths with the pastel rainbow band of descending sunrise before dawn.
Night meets day in a glowing band of dawn light
Night meets day in a glowing band of dawn light
Saturday Evening Wallaby Ascent From the hairpin, I hiked up the valley, staying somewhat right of the creek where the terrain was more open. Larches along the way showed bright green springtime needles, a promise of the gold that would fill this valley in autumn.
My car at the hairpin, with Kangaroo Pass & Wallaby
My car at the hairpin, with Kangaroo Pass & Wallaby
Spires of Kangaroo Ridge
Spires of Kangaroo Ridge
Bright green larches
Bright green larches
From Kangaroo Pass, I followed the directions from TDD’s report up to Wallaby’s summit –scrambling on the crest about halfway up, then traversing snow on the right to get around an outcrop, then snow & scree up to the summit.
My shadow at Kangaroo Pass, with Kangaroo Temple behind
My shadow at Kangaroo Pass, with Kangaroo Temple behind
The ridge up Wallaby
The ridge up Wallaby
Tracks around on east side of the ridge (photo taken on return)
Tracks around on east side of the ridge (photo taken on return)
Around the corner & up to the summit (photo taken on return)
Around the corner & up to the summit (photo taken on return)
Sunset I reached the summit at 8:30pm, half an hour before sunset, just in time for the alpenglow display to begin. The gold-toned rock of Kangaroo Ridge glowed magnificently in the evening light.
My shadow arrives at Wallaby summit, with Gardners behind, 8:37pm
My shadow arrives at Wallaby summit, with Gardners behind, 8:37pm
Kangaroo Evening 8:36pm
Kangaroo Evening 8:36pm
Kangaroo Evening 8:52pm
Kangaroo Evening 8:52pm
Alpenglow on eastern Kangaroo Ridge & Gilbert 8:42pm
Alpenglow on eastern Kangaroo Ridge & Gilbert 8:42pm
Out southwest, the sky faded to soft pastels above the skyline
McGregor & Dome
McGregor & Dome
Later Kangaroo darkened to a silhouette against the glowing clouds
Kangaroo Silhouette 9:00pm
Kangaroo Silhouette 9:00pm
Kangaroo Silhouette 9:24pm
Kangaroo Silhouette 9:24pm
In the northwest, the sun burned a fiery hole into the horizon. Above the horizon, a few lines of clouds looked like they had been scorched in the setting fire – glowing bright, then fading to deep orange embers, and finally to blackened silhouettes. Even long after sunset, a sullen orange glow remained at the sky’s lowest edge, shading upward through deepest shades of blue into starry black depths.
Sunset above the Hairpin 8:53pm
Sunset above the Hairpin 8:53pm
Sun descending in the northwest 9:03pm
Sun descending in the northwest 9:03pm
Sun half down between Golden Horn & Tower 9:07pm
Sun half down between Golden Horn & Tower 9:07pm
Sun down behind Tower 9:15pm
Sun down behind Tower 9:15pm
Last Light 10:20pm
Last Light 10:20pm
After Sunset But I wasn’t left in darkness, for I turned around and found the full moon rising in tandem with the setting sun. When I first arrived, I put on my extra jackets, but the two hours of sunset kept me too busy to change fully into warmer layers. With the light finally fading out, I was glad to add more clothes, fire up my stove, and enjoy some hot tea. I even had ramens that luckily had been in my car.
Moonrise 9:37pm
Moonrise 9:37pm
Steaming hot tea
Steaming hot tea
Ramens and moon
Ramens and moon
Sunday Morning Sunrise The moon had been so bright that it almost kept me awake at night. Eventually it was overtaken by growing light in the morning sky. Glancing occasionally out of my sleeping bag, I saw the sunrise band of light intensifying above the horizon and climbed out to resume my summit perch. Stepping up on top, I looked over to the edge, exclaimed out loud, and grabbed my camera from its holster. Burning wings of clouds were fanning out above Silver Star’s summit.
Pre-sunrise band dropping past the moon toward the horizon 4:47am
Pre-sunrise band dropping past the moon toward the horizon 4:47am
Fire over Silver Star 4:54am
Fire over Silver Star 4:54am
Meanwhile the rainbow light descended onto lines of lenticular clouds that were crowning the highest peaks out west. It was fascinating to watch progression of the light not just downward onto the peaks but also westward across them - lighting up my own summit first, and then later reaching Bonanza and Glacier peaks farther west.
Sunrise descending toward the western lenticulars 4:55am
Sunrise descending toward the western lenticulars 4:55am
Sunrise touching the highest lenticular 4:58am
Sunrise touching the highest lenticular 4:58am
Sunrise touching Bonanza & reaching down Copper 5:01am
Sunrise touching Bonanza & reaching down Copper 5:01am
Alpenglow across the western horizon 5:12am
Alpenglow across the western horizon 5:12am
Full light across the western horizon 5:29am
Full light across the western horizon 5:29am
Closer at hand, the light made the lower faces of Kangaroo ridge glow again.
First light touching eastern Kangaroo Ridge
First light touching eastern Kangaroo Ridge
And dropping fast down the faces
And dropping fast down the faces
And warm morning light spread across the neighborhood.
Liberty Bell Morning
Liberty Bell Morning
Kangaroo Morning
Kangaroo Morning
Morning shadow on the summit (and the moon still up)
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Morning shadow on the summit (and the moon still up)
Morning Light & Shadows I enjoyed the privilege of watching the day continue developing for hours atop my summit perch. West of me, shadows of Kangaroo Ridge dropped down the sides of adjacent Early Winters Ridge.
Peaks & Shadows of Peaks
Peaks & Shadows of Peaks
Shadows of Kangaroo Temple & Wallaby
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Shadows of Kangaroo Temple & Wallaby
Shadows of Kangaroo Ridge
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Shadows of Kangaroo Ridge
I scrambled back and forth around the summit admiring the rocky faces of Kangaroo Ridge. The summit of Kangaroo stood above it all as the ridiculous steep pointy slab that it is. A dome of rock east of Wallaby especially caught my attention, its clean curves looking like it belonged in some other mountain range.
Kangaroo Ridge summit
Kangaroo Ridge summit
Kangaroo summit (note cairns on other summits to right)
Kangaroo summit (note cairns on other summits to right)
The Dome east of Half Moon
The Dome east of Half Moon
Other peaks acquired more definition and detail in the morning light. The clouds spreading wings over the Silver Star’s summit reminded me of the mother ship’s arrival in Close Encounters. Nearby, I could see into the summit gully of Big Snagtooth, whose shadowed recesses have kept it hidden from pretty much every other view.
Jack, Golden Horn, Tower, Ballard, Azurite
Jack, Golden Horn, Tower, Ballard, Azurite
Clouds over Silver Star
Clouds over Silver Star
Big Snagtooth
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Big Snagtooth
The sun warmed my own summit as I packed up my bivy site enjoyed a leisurely breakfast.
My bivy site
My bivy site
Shadow on my summit perch
Shadow on my summit perch
Summit perch looking over the shoulder to Silver Star
Summit perch looking over the shoulder to Silver Star
Exit Originally I intended to go catch another summit today. Hinkhouse beckoned on the far side of the hairpin. Even more tempting, a continuous snow gully led up to the crest of Copper, which I had missed getting last fall. But it had been such a fine morning on Wallaby’s summit that I decided just to relax and enjoy what I already had, watching the day develop and napping in the comfortable sunlight. Around mid-morning, gathering clouds stole my warmth and I headed back down to the valley.
Last view of my summit perch
Last view of my summit perch
My car waiting at the hairpin 2800 feet below
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My car waiting at the hairpin 2800 feet below
Below Kangaroo Pass, I discovered something I’d missed on the way up, a snowy lake. Last time I swam in such a slushy lake, I practically froze my toes. This time, being only 45 minutes from the car, I simply waded in with my boots and clothes on, for a much less painful swim.
Kangaroo Pass Tarn 6300
Kangaroo Pass Tarn 6300
Kangaroo Ridge reflected in Kangaroo Pass Tarn
Kangaroo Ridge reflected in Kangaroo Pass Tarn
No cold feet for this swim
No cold feet for this swim
Then it was a quick hike back down the snow, through the larches, and out to the car.
Last year’s larch needles
Last year’s larch needles
This year’s larch needles
This year’s larch needles
Mid-day Clouds over Wallaby
Mid-day Clouds over Wallaby
Stats: SR20 Hairpin 5150, Kangaroo Pass 6600, Wallaby 7995 Ascent 2.5 miles, 2800 feet, 3:15 hours

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Spotly
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Spotly
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 8:12 pm 
What an excellent way to spend an evening. Those morning shots are awesome. ...oh, and ...brrrr.

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the Zachster
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 8:14 pm 
Matt, I love the way you enjoy your trips to the fullest extent. Slush dips and all! Great pics. up.gif Glad you had such a great trip.

"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 8:30 pm 
Krazie Climbers and Krazie Matt the submarine commander. Great pics as usual.

"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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raising3hikers
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 8:36 pm 
Wow! way to capture the sunset and sunrise up.gif Looks like a good trip

Eric Eames
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Dayhike Mike
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Dayhike Mike
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 9:09 pm 
Gorgeous! What a perch for an evening of great views!

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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iron
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 9:19 pm 
awesome matt! love the timeline photography. and the lenticulars are gorgeous! i still have no idea how you can jump in that water. nutz!

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RichP
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 9:35 pm 
Solo trips like this are often the most memorable.

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Scrooge
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Scrooge
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 10:40 pm 
What a beautiful way to spend the day ...... and night. A good one, Matt. up.gif up.gif
On the other hand, not all experiences are created equal. dizzy.gif
Does it count as swimming, when the medium is slush? huh.gif

Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.



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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
PostMon Jul 05, 2010 10:46 pm 
Quote:
I simply waded in with my boots and clothes on, for a much less painful swim.
huh.gif

"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
PostMon Jul 05, 2010 11:20 pm 
I guess I'll have to stop posting photos of the swimming, since it gets draws too much attention compared to the proportion of the trip. I was in the water for about 2 minutes and on the summit for 14 hours. The summit left much more lasting impressions.

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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Quark
Niece of Alvy Moore



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Quark
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PostMon Jul 05, 2010 11:28 pm 
NIce lookin' trip, Matt. You had some nice clouds to photograph, too! up.gif

"...Other than that, the post was more or less accurate." Bernardo, NW Hikers' Bureau Chief of Reporting
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Scrooge
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Scrooge
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PostTue Jul 06, 2010 5:28 am 
Matt wrote:
I guess I'll have to stop posting photos of the swimming, since it gets draws too much attention compared to the proportion of the trip. I was in the water for about 2 minutes and on the summit for 14 hours. The summit left much more lasting impressions.
Don't do it, Matt. Please don't deprive us of the touches that personalize the poetry. We may appreciate your apprehension of each change in the lighting and the clouds, but we can't respond to each one the way we can the swimming and the Earl Gray tea.

Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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silence
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PostThu Jul 08, 2010 7:40 am 
sweet ... great tr and pix matt .. you make my heart melt ... esp with these poetic words of yours ... The process was like a luminous benediction, as the peaks were bathed in the warm glow of sunset, wrapped in a gentle cloak of night beneath the wheeling stars, and then kissed awake by the brightening colors of dawn.

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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