Forum Index > Trip Reports > Middle Fork - Dutch Miller Gap - Summit Chief
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Stefan-K
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Stefan-K
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PostFri Sep 30, 2011 1:51 pm 
Man this summer is just flying by... This report is from last week Wed.-Fri. (19-21.09.2011) a trip with my skiing buddy Zack. The idea was to go climb Bears Breast. One would think that with a name like that it would get visited more often, but maybe that's just me... regardless, the mountain is fascinating, not a wimpy face on the whole formation - there's the slabs, the jutting diagonals, the steep gullies - plus it is a bit of an approach... Enticing name or not, this is no simple mountain, no mere dayhike (though it has been done as such). Sparse beta Beckey-wise (except for the summit block), and likewise on the internet.* I like it. So then, Waptus or Middle Fork? I know the Middle Fork. Always wild and lush. Never been up Waptus way. Seems long, flat, and dry. And a longer drive. And then there's that grandfathered double standard, horses but no bikes allowed. If they were, it may be more appealing as an approach - or if someone were to offer me a ride on a horse... I wouldn't say no. But nobody did, so the Middle Fork it was. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. I've spent a good amount of time in the MF (seems a no-brainer if you live in Seattle or anywhere nearby - so close yet so wild - though I must say, I do appreciate the brain dead..). But I've never been all the way up it, never taken the trail all the way to Dutch Miller Gap. The idea and planning all happened in less than a day. We took off on bikes from the Dingford parking lot Wed. around 2pm.
Middle Fork bike 1
Middle Fork bike 1
Middle Fork bike 2
Middle Fork bike 2
Dutch Miller trailhead bridge.  (the rope ended up as training weight...)
Dutch Miller trailhead bridge. (the rope ended up as training weight...)
Ditched the bikes at the Dutch Miller trailhead, hiked in about four miles, and set up camp. Made a fire, and had sweet huckleberries within arms reach! Not too shabby. Alpine starts were not part of the agenda on this trip... it may have been a different report had we done so, but I don't regret it. It certainly would have been preferable not to have hauled rope and gear for naught... chalk it up to training weight. Nice though to have leisurely starts, time to explore a beautiful and astonishingly complex area (Dutch Miller Gap) and to jump in a lake. Thursday morning was overcast, but Overcoat still visible.
blackmetal Overcoat  (view from campsite in the morning)
blackmetal Overcoat (view from campsite in the morning)
With perfect hiking temps we thoroughly enjoyed the Dutch Miller trail as it passes through beautiful and varied terrain. I don't think I've ever been on a trail that has visibly received as much trail building attention as say the Snow Lake trail has, and yet sees 1/10,000 of the traffic (if that!). I'm sure there's a story there somewhere (besides the closing of the road of course).
Iron Cap slot - anyone up for a ski adventure this winter?
Iron Cap slot - anyone up for a ski adventure this winter?
after miles of a trail often overgrown suddenly this, a bridge built for a tank...
after miles of a trail often overgrown suddenly this, a bridge built for a tank...
Dutch Miller trail bridge
Dutch Miller trail bridge
lots of frogs on the way up to Dutch Miller Gap
lots of frogs on the way up to Dutch Miller Gap
Dutch Miller Gap
Dutch Miller Gap
Lake Ivanhoe
Lake Ivanhoe
the wall of Bears Breast  (west)
the wall of Bears Breast (west)
Got to Dutch Miller Gap shortly before noon, took a look around, ate some and decided - the weather being what it was - to head over to Summit Chief. Picked our way around a waterfall from the Gap trending west and then south to a long traverse along the south ridge comprising the Chief's. Lots of cool terrain and fun route finding.
waterfall up from Dutch Miller Gap on the way to the Chief's south ridge
waterfall up from Dutch Miller Gap on the way to the Chief's south ridge
looking back down waterfall
looking back down waterfall
south Chief ridge looking west  (our traverse to Summit Chief middle left)
south Chief ridge looking west (our traverse to Summit Chief middle left)
some nice slabs enroute
some nice slabs enroute
and a lot of Lupine, never seen so much!
and a lot of Lupine, never seen so much!
Arriving on the Summit Chief massif we were intermittently swaddled in low flying cloud formations. The eastern satellite looked enough like the peak for Zack to drop his pack and scramble quickly to the top.
Zack on Summit Chief's eastern satellite peak
Zack on Summit Chief's eastern satellite peak
It looked good, certainly more 'peak' like in terms of immediate summit exposure, but it wasn't the summit. From there we traversed over aiming for the gap in the SW ridge. Towards the end of the traverse we attempted to go directly up but retreated when an increase in the exposure/climbing threshold was met. That's when we decided to drop down to the uppermost snowfield's moat (may or may not not be there in subsequent years, seasons) which would take us directly to the SW ridge gap - and it did. We quickly scrambled to the summit proper. Looked all around for the summit register, but found nothing.
moating 1
moating 1
moating 2
moating 2
more moating fun  (chillin' my ass)
more moating fun (chillin' my ass)
moist to opaque summit (Chief) views
moist to opaque summit (Chief) views
back at the gap
back at the gap
Summit Chief goes down as my shortest summit stay ever. We now had approximately two hours to get back to Dutch Miller Gap before darkness... going back down the waterfalls in the dark did not seem like a good time... Crawling back through the moat and doing the traverse seemed too laborious and time consuming. The lower snowfield seemed the quicker route. Getting down to it was steep but we fairly quickly found a way and - more importantly - the one edge of the snowfield that was still attached to the rock.
Zack launching the snow lip
Zack launching the snow lip
me, working on my instant snowman transformation  (dual time lapse)
me, working on my instant snowman transformation (dual time lapse)
The day was relatively cool and thus the snow fairly firm, but to be safe we decided increased weight distribution and decreased time spent on the the snow lip was in order, so launched it with a sitting glissade. Steep at first, but with a leveled run out. For the rest of the way we pretty much backtracked but went higher over the final shoulder to the Gap rather than the lower and longer traverse we had done earlier. Somehow managed to get back w/o headlamps! And as a bonus arrived back in camp at that magical hour when the mosquitoes abate, yes!
Friday morning sun coming up over Ivanhoe
Friday morning sun coming up over Ivanhoe
Lake Ivanhoe
Lake Ivanhoe
Lake Ivanhoe
Lake Ivanhoe
Bears Breast, just when it started looking like fun
Bears Breast, just when it started looking like fun
Headed around Lake Ivanhoe over to Bears Breast and poked around some in the morning, but realized we wouldn't have time and still get back to the car that evening. Slowly headed back to camp over the top of the Gap through some pretty amazing terrain.
Dutch Miller Gap environs
Dutch Miller Gap environs
Little Big Chief mountain
Little Big Chief mountain
view Tank Lake-wards
view Tank Lake-wards
lake (I jumped into far side)
lake (I jumped into far side)
tracks
tracks
tracks
tracks
tadpole pollywagus
tadpole pollywagus
Had a snack back at camp (we weren't the only ones -
snake snack
snake snack
snake
snake
And then packed up for the way back down -
Iron Cap Mt.
Iron Cap Mt.
Dutch Miller trail (special landscaped section 2)
Dutch Miller trail (special landscaped section 2)
Little Big Chief mountain
Little Big Chief mountain
Dutch Miller trail
Dutch Miller trail
Overcoat and Chimney Rock from Dutch Miller trail
Overcoat and Chimney Rock from Dutch Miller trail
Zack tending his blueberry bush,  at our 1st campground (on the way back)
Zack tending his blueberry bush, at our 1st campground (on the way back)
mushrooms growing on the trail
mushrooms growing on the trail
a regal looking Alaska cedar
a regal looking Alaska cedar
Scaly Chanterelle "Gomphus kauffmanii" growing on trail
Scaly Chanterelle "Gomphus kauffmanii" growing on trail
Dutch Miller trail
Dutch Miller trail
political constituents mapped sideways: VDR hotspots
political constituents mapped sideways: VDR hotspots
almost back to the bikes
almost back to the bikes
Made it back to the car w/o headlamps... just barely. Perfect timing! Fun trip. Still want to climb Bears Breast if anyone is up for it... * there is a nwhiker BB report by 'Stefan' coming from the other (east) side on snow, which is interesting. When I first saw those ramps they looked like they'd be fun to ski. Stefan and company were on foot. Nice route.

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RichP
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PostFri Sep 30, 2011 5:20 pm 
That snake pic is just wild! The whole valley seems like a wild place since the road was closed. In fact, I like it better that way. I noticed all the work was going on that trail the year that the gate was shut. I suppose in anticipation of a long stretch of time with little or no maintenance. Looks like a great climbing adventure up.gif .

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Mike Collins
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PostFri Sep 30, 2011 6:56 pm 
My trip report could have taken you to the top of Bears Breast from Dutch Miller Gap http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2008-09-16.1471124144 but Summit Chief is a worthy objective too. Google Bears Breast Washington and it is the first listing.

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Stefan-K
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PostSat Oct 01, 2011 2:31 pm 
Thanks Rich
RichP wrote:
I noticed all the work was going on that trail the year that the gate was shut. I suppose in anticipation of a long stretch of time with little or no maintenance.
interesting, that makes sense. I was thinking trail building had a correlation with usage but here it's almost the opposite... I agree with you, I don't mind the road being closed. __________
Mike Collins wrote:
My trip report could have taken you to the top of Bears Breast
wow! I like that idea... virtual transportation, sign me up. As mentioned, it was more a time factor, i.e. the lack of it. I appreciate the link Mike, and read it, but it seems a bit unclear... having just looked at BB first hand, and been up it a ways, there's certainly more than one Y shaped gully. I'd be interested to know which one you took. Got pics?

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Mike Collins
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Mike Collins
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PostSat Oct 01, 2011 2:59 pm 
Stefan-K wrote:
having just looked at BB first hand, and been up it a ways
In reading your report it seemed as if you hadn't gotten closer than the Dutch Miller Gap trail at 5,000 ft. My report is written from the vantage point of 5,480 ft. This highpoint is right on the county line and overlooks the two tarns which are due west of the summit and due north of Dutch Miller Gap on the USGS map. Sorry no pictures taken during the approach.

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Backpacker Joe
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PostSat Oct 01, 2011 5:11 pm 
Damnit I wish they hadnt gated that road!

"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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touron
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PostSat Oct 01, 2011 5:28 pm 
Very nice! up.gif up.gif up.gif

Touron is a nougat of Arabic origin made with almonds and honey or sugar, without which it would just not be Christmas in Spain.
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Stefan-K
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PostSat Oct 01, 2011 5:35 pm 
Mike Collins wrote:
In reading your report it seemed as if you hadn't gotten closer than the Dutch Miller Gap trail at 5,000 ft.
Stefan-K wrote:
Headed around Lake Ivanhoe over to Bears Breast and poked around some in the morning, but realized we wouldn't have time and still get back to the car that evening. Slowly headed back to camp over the top of the Gap through some pretty amazing terrain.
Mike, you may recall this lake (as well as few other pics from above), county line runs right through it right around 5400' :
lake (I jumped into far side)
lake (I jumped into far side)
maybe you've even been in this gully around 6100' :
Bears Breast, just when it started looking like fun
Bears Breast, just when it started looking like fun
or can see your route on this pic which is very close to the vantage point you describe:
the wall of Bears Breast  (west)
the wall of Bears Breast (west)

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puzzlr
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PostSat Oct 01, 2011 5:38 pm 
Thanks. Good reading and pictures.

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Mike Collins
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PostSat Oct 01, 2011 8:22 pm 
In almost the exact center of your lower photo is a "Y" shaped gully. The left arm has green junipers on it. The route to the prominent notch next to the summit block is up the right arm of that "Y". Because the rock in the gully is abraded it lacks the oxidized patina of the bedrock. In my report I mention the "white stone" of the gully. It is not lily white but whiter than the surrounding gray rock. We camped adjacent to the tarn in your photo. My referenced vantage point was a rocky knoll some 80 vertical feet up but south of the tarn.

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bpw
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PostSun Oct 02, 2011 10:56 am 
Nice trip! I've taken a liking to this area.
Backpacker Joe wrote:
Damnit I wish they hadnt gated that road!
With apologies, I'm glad they did. smile.gif Nice and quiet up there...

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twodogdad
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PostSun Oct 02, 2011 11:47 am 
Photo of the Year:
Stefan-K wrote:
snake snack
snake snack

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Stefan-K
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PostSun Oct 02, 2011 12:07 pm 
welcome!
bpw wrote:
Nice trip!
likewise Ben... damn, that's a lot of biking! seen a bit of snow melt since then... _____________________ thanks puzzlr... I know you appreciate the MF too. Ever done East Preacher? That's a wild and beautiful one too... What's next? _____________________ Mike - We did consider that way but explored a gully further South. As I am wont to say, there's always more than one way in the Cascades... I'm curious though, the straight gully below the Junipers that you describe, how was it? Angles always change with point of view, but from what we could see that bottom part looked pretty steep. Interesting too what you said about the color of the rocks. I'm wondering if the difference is truly the result of abrasion, or perhaps a coating of calcium carbonate? Here's what I observed in another gully along the Dutch Miller trail:
calcium carbonate run-off deposits
calcium carbonate run-off deposits
Seems to be a coating of calcium carbonate, dissolved from above and coalescing with the rock as it runs off. _____________________ Niko - Nice to know that there's always alternatives should one run out of food up there... also notice how she's got one eye on me, like I might take away her frog

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Mike Collins
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PostSun Oct 02, 2011 12:22 pm 
Stefan-K wrote:
I'm curious though, the straight gully below the Junipers that you describe, how was it?
Any difficult Class 4 sections are once you are above the right arm of the gully. The lower portion is user friendly. There are short sections of Class 4 above the right arm. Not prolonged.

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Jim Dockery
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PostSun Oct 02, 2011 1:08 pm 
Cool TR, and great snake shots up.gif I want to see it with that frog half way down!

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