[Yet]

Cooney Lake, Switchback and Martin Peaks: Oct 16-17, 2010 Mr. & Mrs. Mesahchie aka Mark & Yet (with Rufus the dog) The adventure begins at home. Saturday at 8 am, the gear is in the car and the dog is in the backseat. Mark and I set out for the long drive. We’ve done this many times before; the familiar, scenic route to a favorite place, the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. We settle into a comfortable routine. Mark drives, I doze off in the passenger seat. Rufus is content with being a dog in the back. I wake up and babble about nothing and everything, Mark listens and grunts once in a while. I love our life! Today our destination was the Foggy Dew Trailhead (~3500’)! We arrived sometime in the early afternoon. The air was cold and crisp, but the sun was warm and bright – a beautiful day! We noticed only one other car at the trailhead as we prepared to hike in. This trail gains about 3700’ in about ~8 miles. Nice and gentle as can be.

Mark and Rufus

Yet and Rufus

Snake on the trail!

Mark set a nice pace for dog and wife, arriving at Cooney Lake (7241') in about 4 hours with the requisite breaks and whatnot. The larches were denuded with their needles now carpeting the ground in gold. We had this wonderful place all to ourselves. We picked our campsite and set our packs down. My hands immediately froze so the first order of business was to bundle up in not one, but two puffy jackets. Brrrrr! We quickly set up the tent and I made the beds while Mark made waters. The golden sky gently transitioned into a soft dusk before enveloping us in its velvety darkness. But not completely, for the half-moon that adorned the sky threatened to rival the sun’s brightness. Then one by one, the stars came out to regale us with their twinkling. Ah, this is heaven! After our sumptuous feast of Mountain House dinners, and armed with our hot water bottles, we settled in for the night. It was 8:30 p.m. I fell into a restful sleep almost immediately. Two hours later, Mark announced that he was taking Rufus out to pee as he drank half the lake earlier in the evening. I went, too. After all, the family that pees together, stays together. I find it a chore to get out of a nice lovely cocoon, put the boots on and force oneself into the cold night. But once out there, to be wowed by the beautiful sky, the moon and the stars, and the mysterious shadows of the mountains and meadows … what a truly special treat! Sunday morning was no less gorgeous than the preceding day. We were hiking by 7:30 am, bathed in glorious sunshine.

Shadows

Gold

Cooney Lake

It was like a fairy tale, and we were just so happy to be there!

Following Mark and Rufus.

Enveloped in sunshine. Stamped and sealed.

Good morning, mountains!

For this morning's agenda, the plan was to do a clockwise loop starting with Switchback Peak (8321') heading southwest of Cooney Lake. What a fun little hike up to the peak!

Home

Doesn't he look happy?

Summit Cairn

This trip has a special bonus: Mark's 50th Top 100 = Switchback Peak.

Who's

Your

Daddy!

We found not one, not two, but three registers!

Register?

More Registers?

Three registers!

Mark happily signed two of the three registers to record this momentous occasion. The third one was drenched.

Mesahchie Mark #50

Rufus was there, too!

One a Day!

I joined the celebration.

Yet on Switchback Peak

Summit Pringles

Yummy!

We were surrounded by beautiful views!

Too soon it was time to go. We had another peak to visit!

Heading Down

Can't Stop Smiling

Man and Dog Surveying their Kingdom for the Day

Talus Ridge Hop to Martin Peak

Cooney Lake

Shadows and Mountains

Following Mark and Rufus to Martin Peak

Looking Back at Switchback

Larch Shot

False Summit

We're going there?

Yes We Are

Yet on the Rocks

A little over an hour of fun talus hopping ensued, and then we found ourselves on Martin Peak (8375').

Summit Shot

Rufus on Martin Peak

Posers on Martin Peak

More beautiful views here!

We took photos, we hydrated and snacked. Then it was time to head back to camp.

Rufus is Rocking it

Is beautiful, Yes

Is happy, Yes

Tree and the Giant Dog

Heading Back to Cooney Lake

Just Skipping Along

Man and Dog

Horse Camp

Our Home for Two Awesome Days

I Has Something on my Nose

It was a perfect 4-hour, leisurely loop in beautiful country, beautiful weather, beautiful company. Mark and I couldn't be happier! We contentedly broke down camp and hiked out. Even when our feet were tired and our packs felt heavier, we were still happy.

Bye, Sawtooths.

This concludes our Chelan-Sawtooths trips. For now. Mark has visited all the T100 peaks in this area, and I even inadvertently bagged a few! What a wonderful finale to a fantastic season.

[Sadie's Driver]

[twodogdad]

That was a Happy 50th & 51st! N

[huron]

50!

[Hiker Mama]

Great trip, you two!

[Ingunn]

Happy 50th, Mark!! How many does that make for you, Yet?

[bobbi]

congrats Mark on #50.....not fond of the snake..... Yet, i chuckled about your 'routine'......my Mark drives, i almost immediately say, "i sleep now', etc. so glad that your marriage is still blissful

[Yet]

Thanks, everyone! SD, Rufus is a happy dog! It was funny to watch him be all sleepy when we got home last night though. Poor puppy! Ingunn, I think I have 12 now. Started last year with Windy Peak. I just follow Mark when I can and I end up on some peak one way or the other. Usually, it's the other. Bobbi, I should have said ... we settle in a comfortable routine, or at least, comfortable for me! Of course, the marriage is still blissful. Why wouldn't it be? It's not like I'm high maintenance or anything.

[Mesahchie Mark]

What a great trip, and what a great way to cap a great year! Much thanks to my wonderful wife for capturing the experience and saving it here, to be remembered and enjoyed this winter. The Foggy Dew approach to Cooney Lake did seem long, especially since we were in forest for much of it. Does anyone know what the distance is, trailhead to lake? Summit views from Switchback and Martin were excellent - a 3 volcano day. I cannot get enough of this stuff! Why are there now THREE registers on Switchback? Only two were signable! Heading home Sunday evening, following the sunset on the Columbia River definitely lent an air of finality to the trip, and to the 2010 season...but one can hope for more!

[Roald]

"...After all, the family that pees together, stays together..." So that's the secret. Thanks for the TR!