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Forum Index > Trip Reports > Breakfast at Welldiggers (2/5/11)
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EastKing
Surfing and Hiking

Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics
Location: 77 miles from Seattle!

	EastKing Top Surfing and Hiking
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:26 pm Top

Welldiggers Ass

Arrowhead and COmpany

Heading Up

I was checking the weather forecast and it looked like Saturday morning there was going to be a small break so I decided to capitalize on the situation and head over to Stevens Pass. I invited my speedster friend Gabe along and we were off to a an early morning hike in the mountain.

Morning in the mountains

Looking north

Morning light

Once we left the trailhead by the Stevens Pass Ski Area overflow lot we on our way up the hard crusty snow. This snow was very compact and at times around 4000 feet it was nearly ice. Any hiking from 4000 feet to 5000 feet at least on this weekend will probably require traction devices. The good thing was though there was very little in the way of postholing until we hit the ridgeline at 5000 feet. From there we took off our microspikes and put on the snowshoes and headed up through the burned out are to the summit of Welldiggers Ass.

Burnt woods

Killer Tree!!!!:O

Sunlight only a couple miles away

EastKing (keeps shirt on to hide the extra weight)

Gabe throwing to Arrowhead

Arrowhead and COmpany

Though there was very little in the way of views on the absolute summit there were plenty of great views on the way up to the north and excellent views on the eastern side of the summit ridge towards the Chiwaukums, Arrowhead and many, many others.

Heading down

Snowy woods

A views

Going down was uneventful except the weather was beginning to change as we were heading back. Overall this mountain is a great choice in a medium to higher avalanche days because there is very little chance of a person running into a situation here. All the slopes are either forested or below 10% grade if you take the proper route to the summit. I would highly recommend Welldiggers to a beginning snowshoe group.

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.

Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis

Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 4836 | TRs | Pics

	Josh Journey Top a.k.a Josh Lewis
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:40 pm Top

I almost never use this emoticon, but this is a perfect time. Welldiggers

Wish I could have came but I had something important I had to take care of. Looks like you had a good time.

dicey
custom title

Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 2870 | TRs | Pics
Location: giving cornices a wider berth

	dicey Top custom title
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:42 pm Top

EastKing wrote:

I would highly recommend Welldiggers to a beginning snowshoe group. The trip up has the views and true hike feelings but without the heavy fear of avalanche danger.

Hmmm....not always safe: Yodelin Avalanche

I'm not always sure I like being older but being less stupid has advantages. http://www.flickr.com/photos/32121172@N00/sets/

Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis

Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 4836 | TRs | Pics

	Josh Journey Top a.k.a Josh Lewis
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:47 pm Top

Well, safer than most peaks in the area.

How often do you hear of Steven's Pass closing due to high avalanche danger? (Ok maybe it happens every now and then, but in those conditions that's when you stay out of the mountains).

EastKing
Surfing and Hiking

Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics
Location: 77 miles from Seattle!

	EastKing Top Surfing and Hiking
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:01 pm Top

dicey wrote:

EastKing wrote:

I would highly recommend Welldiggers to a beginning snowshoe group. The trip up has the views and true hike feelings but without the heavy fear of avalanche danger.

Hmmm....not always safe: Yodelin Avalanche

Good point dicey. I am glad you caught me here. Personally if the Avy danger is a 4 or 5 no one showed be in the mountains period. Pick a dive and head for higher ground on a later date. I have changed that statement in the TR. This peak is far safer than many others in the Stevens Pass area including Cowboy Mountain, Big Chief, Tye Peak and Sky Mountain. With Stevens Pass receiving nearly 500 inches of typically wetter snow yearly, avalanche danger is always a great concern. One should not be lured into a false sense of security like my initial statement said.

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.

dicey
custom title

Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 2870 | TRs | Pics
Location: giving cornices a wider berth

	dicey Top custom title
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 7:26 pm Top

No worries

Just thought I would throw in some interesting history, didn't mean to jack your TR. As a safety measure, I never assume that people reading TR's have any common sense, so I would never say anything is 100% safe 100% of the time. (Not that you did) Nice pics, btw.

I'm not always sure I like being older but being less stupid has advantages. http://www.flickr.com/photos/32121172@N00/sets/

Magellan
Brutally Handsome

Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics
Location: Inexorable descent

	Magellan Top Brutally Handsome
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 8:53 pm Top

I loved this gladiator movie.

EastKing
Surfing and Hiking

Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics
Location: 77 miles from Seattle!

	EastKing Top Surfing and Hiking
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 9:46 pm Top

Magellan wrote:

I loved this gladiator movie.

Funny thing is he missed Arrowhead and hit Middle Chiwaukum instead!!!

Speaking of Middle Chiwaukum, Gabe just volunteered for trailbreaker on it!!! He needs to find that trekking pole!!

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.

Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent

Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to the Prom(inence)

	Redwic Top Unlisted Free Agent
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 10:14 pm Top

On the minus side: You didn't invite me.

On the plus side: I had great tracks to follow to the summit, today.

60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.

EastKing
Surfing and Hiking

Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics
Location: 77 miles from Seattle!

	EastKing Top Surfing and Hiking
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 10:34 pm Top

Redwic wrote:

On the minus side: You didn't invite me.

On the plus side: I had great tracks to follow to the summit, today.

Oh no, I knew I forgot something! Sorry, it was a last minute decision (weather and work) but you are invited on the next adventure which will be next Saturday and Sunday (unless you can get out of work next Thursday). Thank Gabe on the trailbreaking!

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.

CC
cascade curmudgeon

Joined: 13 Sep 2006
Posts: 647 | TRs | Pics

	CC Top cascade curmudgeon
	Sun Feb 06, 2011 11:28 pm Top

EastKing wrote:

dicey wrote:

EastKing wrote:

I would highly recommend Welldiggers to a beginning snowshoe group. The trip up has the views and true hike feelings but without the heavy fear of avalanche danger.

Hmmm....not always safe: Yodelin Avalanche

The Yodelin avalanches that killed the people in 1971 were on the other side of highway 2 at the development, specifically, off the north side of pt. 5322. There are several chutes in that area that go almost every year, although the avy that caused the fatalities was a small one (only a couple hundred feet) that started at the PCT and was not in one of the chutes. There were also avys off the south side of Lichtenberg that destroyed unoccupied cabins. The area was much less treed at that time. There are no chutes on the north side of welldigger, where the Yodelin ski area was, and I have never seen an avy there (in 17 years). That said, obviously it is not absolutely safe in high avy conditions.

First your legs go, then you lose your reflexes, then you lose your friends. Willy Pep

Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent

Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to the Prom(inence)

	Redwic Top Unlisted Free Agent
	Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:30 am Top

EastKing wrote:

Redwic wrote:

On the minus side: You didn't invite me.

On the plus side: I had great tracks to follow to the summit, today.

I was just teasing, buddy! Except for the "great tracks to follow" comment... I really did appreciate that, as I never once needed to whip out my snowshoes.

------------ And "CC" is correct. The only past Yodelin avalanches I am aware of occurred on the other (north/west) sides of Highway 2. I wouldn't consider the northern slopes of W.A. as high avalanche terrain, but the same could not be said for the southern slopes of the peak. Fortunately, those southern slopes are not necessary to reach the summit.

60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.

beaudaddy
Coast To Cascades

Joined: 25 Feb 2010
Posts: 401 | TRs | Pics
Location: Tulalip, WA

	beaudaddy Top Coast To Cascades
	Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:14 pm Top

Breakfast @ Welldiggers Ass? WOW! You should open up a little breakfast diner and name it that... Probably do pretty good. By the way, what was for breakfast? Way to find a window in the weather!

https://instagram.com/beauramsey/

EastKing
Surfing and Hiking

Joined: 28 Mar 2007
Posts: 2082 | TRs | Pics
Location: 77 miles from Seattle!

	EastKing Top Surfing and Hiking
	Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:30 pm Top

beaudaddy wrote:

Breakfast @ Welldiggers Ass? WOW! You should open up a little breakfast diner and name it that... Probably do pretty good. By the way, what was for breakfast? Way to find a window in the weather!

Cow chips were my breakfast food!

Just kidding! It was three turkey sandwiches. I think that would be a cool diner name and thought it made a catchy title for this TR!

YouTube | SummitPost Saw the depths of despair. Now I am salvaging what time I have left on Earth.

Redwic
Unlisted Free Agent

Joined: 23 Feb 2009
Posts: 3292 | TRs | Pics
Location: Going to the Prom(inence)

	Redwic Top Unlisted Free Agent
	Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:19 pm Top

Are you sure it wasn't Rocky Mountain Oysters?

60 pounds lighter but not 60 points brighter.

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