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Tall Hiker Man Member
Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 346 | TRs | Pics Location: Cashmere |
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
We left the trail below Bootjack Mtn. and followed the ridge up to Bootjack.
Kyle D was feeling cocky near the summit.
Hello Ladies!
Kyle Flick was feeling a little self-conscious about his "man-pris."
My real pants are over there!
The views were great - Bootjack Mtn would be a worthy destination by itself!
Rainier is cool
But we continued along the fun ridge to Highchair. What a great place!
The ridge to Highchair Black Pine Drainage & The Icicle 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 Final push to Highchair
We then followed the ridge to the true summit
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 Mt. Daniel Volcano Views Our route from Bootjack Mtn. 6600 Ridge & beyond The payoff Laughs on the summit (THM, Kyle F, Kyle D) 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
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 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 Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 3015 | TRs | Pics Location: On the road |
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veronika
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Tue Aug 17, 2010 6:15 pm
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Nice! looks like fun.
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.
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 Member
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 4776 | TRs | Pics Location: dog training |
I miss getting in there since the road was washed out (I'm not a biker ). 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"
"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:51 pm
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Nice trip. It's on the list...
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Tall Hiker Man Member
Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 346 | TRs | Pics Location: Cashmere |
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.
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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 Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2007 Posts: 521 | TRs | Pics Location: Ogden, UT |
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kyle d
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Wed Aug 18, 2010 7:32 am
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Thanks for organizing the trip THM. Finally got some pictures uploaded. Did you even try blackmail with the "man-pris".
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.
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.
Many pictures:
Wildflowers Forested valleys Getting closer to Highchair Between BootJack and Highchair Rainier Harding with what appears to be gullies created by recent thunderstorms Towards Glacier Peak 6600 ridge and the Monte Cristos to Mt. Baker. THM taking some pictures Jack Creek valley BootJack views Almost to BootJack Some local peak Bootjack Eightmile Swimming hole Chiwakums Kyle F working his way up the ridge with a small peak in the background. Heading up to Highchair, Stuart and Sherpa look on. Highchair views. Kyle F. working his way along the 6600 ridge. Ingalls and Harding in the background. Kyle F on the 6600 ridge. Kyle F working the 6600 ridge just beyond Highchair Easier ridge strolling. The Central Cascades The 6600 ridge, we pretty much followed along the crest. The Crux of 6600 ridge -lots of slabs Looking back at the ridge between Bootjack and Highchair. Cashmere in the background. Subalpine fire cones below Highchair Open ridges Open ridges Stuart Point 68?? on 6600 ridge. West into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness from 6600 ridge Stuart Range Views from point 68?? on 6600 ridge Views Monte Cristos, Sloan, Baker from 6600 ridge 6600 ridge views, nearing the end of the ridge The end of the meadow hiking. Cashmere in the distance
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Very nice, way to close a loop !
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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Tall Hiker Man Member
Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 346 | TRs | Pics Location: Cashmere |
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 |
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chiwakum
not credible
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Wed Aug 18, 2010 11:32 am
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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
Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 2993 | TRs | Pics Location: Margaritaville |
I remember eyeballing Bootjack & Highchair from Harding last summer. Thanks for the informative TR.
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.
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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