Forum Index > Trip Reports > Blackjack Ridge to Highchair to 6600 Ridge (kinda)
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Tall Hiker Man
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Joined: 23 Jun 2006
Posts: 346 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cashmere
Tall Hiker Man
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PostTue Aug 17, 2010 10:29 am 
This was a glorious day in the mountains! The air was crystal clear & the destination was unique and well worth the trip. Kyle D & Kyle Flick joined me again for this trip. We also added Charlie another friend of mine. Stay tuned for Kyle D's sure to be great photo's!!! I have it on good authority that he'll be posting them over the next couple days. We started on bikes at the Icicle Road washout around 6:30. The 5 mile ride was a very nice way to start a hike. By 7:10 we were heading up the Blackjack Ridge trail. The trail was in pretty good shape. After a few miles the views begin to open up.
Chiwaukums & Grindstone
Chiwaukums & Grindstone
We left the trail below Bootjack Mtn. and followed the ridge up to Bootjack. Kyle D was feeling cocky near the summit.
Hello Ladies!
Hello Ladies!
Kyle Flick was feeling a little self-conscious about his "man-pris."
My real pants are over there!
My real pants are over there!
The views were great - Bootjack Mtn would be a worthy destination by itself!
Rainier is cool
Rainier is cool
But we continued along the fun ridge to Highchair. What a great place!
The ridge to Highchair
The ridge to Highchair
Black Pine Drainage & The Icicle
Black Pine Drainage & The Icicle
Views
Views
We left the ridge and ventured into the basin below Highchair looking for water. There's a tarn in there but we held out for a stream - and found one. That basin was incredible. Lush green with the orange rocks in the cirque all around us. What a spot! From the basin we went straight up the middle of the bowl to reach the summit ridge. Travel was very easy up to Highchair from the basin. Here's the evidence.
Our route to Highchair from the basin
Our route to Highchair from the basin
Final push to Highchair
Final push to Highchair
We then followed the ridge to the true summit
Highchair ridge to peak
1 label
Highchair ridge to peak
The views from Highchair were wonderful. Especially given the clear day. We could clearly see Baker & Adams. Glacier, Rainier & Daniel were stunning!
The money shot
The money shot
Mt. Daniel
Mt. Daniel
Volcano
Volcano
Views
Views
Our route from Bootjack Mtn.
Our route from Bootjack Mtn.
6600 Ridge & beyond
6600 Ridge & beyond
The payoff
The payoff
Laughs on the summit (THM, Kyle F, Kyle D)
Laughs on the summit (THM, Kyle F, Kyle D)
Snowall Creek
Snowall Creek
Next we set our sights on 6600 ridge. I've wanted to explore this ridge for years, ever since my first time up Windy Pass (mt. Cashmere). We immediately hit an obstacle that forced us to drop slightly down the ridge to the Snowall Creek side.
The tough spot
The tough spot
We were able to find a semi-workable route through the exposed spots. However Charlie wasn't comfortable with that route (I'm not sure I was either) so we left Kyle & Kyle and decided to drop down even farther down off the ridge, then traverse the hillside until we could go back up. Unfortunately, my buddy, who was not comfortable with this much off-trail travel, was not at all excited about more travel on anything rocky. So we had to drop at least 1,500 feet down in order to traverse without being on rock. He was moving much slower by this point & I didn't think there was any way we could make it back to the ridge in either direction (plus that meant lots more rock travel). So I made the decision to bail into the Snowall Creek drainage and aim for French Creek. I radioed The Kyle's and let them know what our plan was. They continued along 6600 ridge and I'm incredibly jealous. I was fully aware that the trail in Snowall was faint at best, so I didn't harbor much hope of finding it. However, the travel wasn't too horrible in there. Not too cliffy or brushy. We found many well-established game trails that helped.
Looks like a trail...
Looks like a trail...
Looks less like a trail...
Looks less like a trail...
My friend was less than enthusiastic about this portion of the trip, but we worked our way down slowly but surely. After 3.5 hours we made it to the French Creek trail (which was brushier in many places that Snowall without a trail). I've been curious about the Snowall Creek drainage, it's a very remote area. If you ever want to not be found - head there! Travel back out to the Icicle was uneventful. We reached The Kyle's waiting patiently back at the car around 8:30. I can't wait to see Kyle D's photo's of what we missed on 6600 ridge!

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veronika
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Joined: 25 Apr 2010
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Location: On the road
veronika
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PostTue Aug 17, 2010 6:15 pm 
Nice! looks like fun. up.gif

Take risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping I may not have anyone rocking my world right now but, I don't have anyone messing it up either.
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the Zachster
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Location: dog training
the Zachster
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PostTue Aug 17, 2010 9:36 pm 
I miss getting in there since the road was washed out (I'm not a biker rolleyes.gif ). Bootjack was always a fun little hike when we were visiting Leavenworth. Thanks for the report and photos!

"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
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Location: Inexorable descent
Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostTue Aug 17, 2010 9:51 pm 
Nice trip. up.gif It's on the list... agree.gif

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Tall Hiker Man
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Joined: 23 Jun 2006
Posts: 346 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cashmere
Tall Hiker Man
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PostWed Aug 18, 2010 5:00 am 
rbuzby wrote:
Way to shepherd the neophyte through the scary off trail-ness. He may have trouble going many places if he doesn't like his boots touching rock. rolleyes.gif
Ain't that the truth! He'll stick to established trails from this point on. It was surprising. He's in great shape and has done the Enchantments loop in a day so I thought he'd be up for this. For whatever reason though, the off-trail stuff didn't sit well with him. It surprised him too. He was never comfortable. It was a good lesson for both of us.

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kyle d
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kyle d
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PostWed Aug 18, 2010 7:32 am 
Thanks for organizing the trip THM. Finally got some pictures uploaded. Did you even try blackmail with the "man-pris". hockeygrin.gif Here is an approximate route for the Kyles. The 6600 ridge was most diffucult right next to High Chair, then became easy meadow strolling as we moved along. The descent off the ridge went very well, there are lots of very good game trails (with their number and quality we were thinking elk, though I don't know if there are elk there). The last 300 flat yards or so near the road were dense vine maple, so if someone repeats they may want to consider a variation on the ending.
Our very approximate route.  According to Topo 11 or 12 miles, and appropriately, 6600 feet of gain.
Our very approximate route. According to Topo 11 or 12 miles, and appropriately, 6600 feet of gain.
According to TOPO, it is, accordingly, about 6600 feet of total elevation gain. Hard to beat a scenic ridge walk on a clear day. And for a bonus I got to test out the swimming hole along the Icicle at the end of the day. hockeygrin.gif Many pictures:
Wildflowers
Wildflowers
Forested valleys
Forested valleys
Getting closer to Highchair
Getting closer to Highchair
Between BootJack and Highchair
Between BootJack and Highchair
Rainier
Rainier
Harding with what appears to be gullies created by recent thunderstorms
Harding with what appears to be gullies created by recent thunderstorms
Towards Glacier Peak
Towards Glacier Peak
6600 ridge and the Monte Cristos to Mt. Baker.
6600 ridge and the Monte Cristos to Mt. Baker.
THM taking some pictures
THM taking some pictures
Jack Creek valley
Jack Creek valley
BootJack views
BootJack views
Almost to BootJack
Almost to BootJack
Some local peak
Some local peak
Bootjack
Bootjack
Eightmile
Eightmile
Swimming hole
Swimming hole
Chiwakums
Chiwakums
Kyle F working his way up the ridge with a small peak in the background.
Kyle F working his way up the ridge with a small peak in the background.
Heading up to Highchair, Stuart and Sherpa look on.
Heading up to Highchair, Stuart and Sherpa look on.
Highchair views.
Highchair views.
Kyle F. working his way along the 6600 ridge.  Ingalls and Harding in the background.
Kyle F. working his way along the 6600 ridge. Ingalls and Harding in the background.
Kyle F on the 6600 ridge.
Kyle F on the 6600 ridge.
Kyle F working the 6600 ridge just beyond Highchair
Kyle F working the 6600 ridge just beyond Highchair
Easier ridge strolling.
Easier ridge strolling.
The Central Cascades
The Central Cascades
Snowall Creek
1 label
Snowall Creek
The 6600 ridge, we pretty much followed along the crest.
The 6600 ridge, we pretty much followed along the crest.
The Crux of 6600 ridge  -lots of slabs
The Crux of 6600 ridge -lots of slabs
Looking back at the ridge between Bootjack and Highchair.  Cashmere in the background.
Looking back at the ridge between Bootjack and Highchair. Cashmere in the background.
Subalpine fire cones below Highchair
Subalpine fire cones below Highchair
Open ridges
Open ridges
Open ridges
Open ridges
Stuart
Stuart
Point 68?? on 6600 ridge.
Point 68?? on 6600 ridge.
West into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness from 6600 ridge
West into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness from 6600 ridge
Stuart Range
Stuart Range
Views from point 68?? on 6600 ridge
Views from point 68?? on 6600 ridge
Views
Views
Monte Cristos, Sloan, Baker from 6600 ridge
Monte Cristos, Sloan, Baker from 6600 ridge
6600 ridge views, nearing the end of the ridge
6600 ridge views, nearing the end of the ridge
The end of the meadow hiking.  Cashmere in the distance
The end of the meadow hiking. Cashmere in the distance

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wildernessed
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Joined: 31 Oct 2004
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wildernessed
viewbagger
PostWed Aug 18, 2010 8:16 am 
up.gif Very nice, way to close a loop !

Living in the Anthropocene
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Tall Hiker Man
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Location: Cashmere
Tall Hiker Man
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PostWed Aug 18, 2010 10:01 am 
Great Photo's Kyle! I decided I'd rather make fun of Kyle Flick's "manpris" than blackmail him... Totally worth it!

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chiwakum
not credible



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 980 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
chiwakum
not credible
PostWed Aug 18, 2010 11:32 am 
thanks for the report and great pics from both of you. I've had my eye on this for awhile and would like to get around to doing it before they fix the road. I considering doing it as part of a longer loop backpack this fall or next year.

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Bloated Chipmunk
Cock Rock Searcher



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Bloated Chipmunk
Cock Rock Searcher
PostWed Aug 18, 2010 8:54 pm 
I remember eyeballing Bootjack & Highchair from Harding last summer. Thanks for the informative TR. up.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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