[Honey Badger]

Chiwawa Mt. (8602', p1522') October 13, 2011 Don Beavon, StefanK, Dicey & fwb Weather; Cold, real cold, like winter cold (low 30s) clear skies

Chiwawa bound Summer seems gone and a jump through fall to a winter feel. About 16 days to the T100 awards party and I had only 2 peaks on my list. Weather was going downhill, but I’d found an unexpected beautiful weekend and a rewarding trip to Dark. Now with 10 days left to the party and one peak to do I wasn’t sure if another weather window would open while conditions were still “easy”. Again and again I looked. The weather forecasts were dark and wet. Bummer. Then a one day window opened for Thursday. My manager and coworkers were behind me in completing the . Maybe so I’d focus more on work? Dicey was up for a midweek trip and somehow Don Beavon was wrangled into it as well. Both had done the peak, but would gladly repeat. Maybe to make sure I tagged the top of #100. StefanK signed up last minute. Well, nearly. In a matter of a few hours, he got his daughter taken care of packed and on the road. Soon, all four of us were packed into the Westie heading east… in the wet rain. What happened to that sunny forecast? Up Highway 2 and over Stevens Pass the rain persisted. If the forecast was wrong and wet I was not up for this trip. By the Lake Wenatchee the rain had stopped and the moon was now attracting my attention. A few hunters had already set camp at different camp grounds up the Chiwawa River. For our camping we had the area to ourselves. A nice eve and pizza provided by Don. A little finagling and we had the Westie arranged and top popped. More room than a tent and easier to fold up. Alarm set we drifted off to sleep in the ever cooling eve. Walk by moonlight Morning was cold and dark. After scones we were off in the dark to try and find the trail.

H Badger working on his banana and scone

Then across the creek, past lights at Trinity and easy going up the wide flat trail. Stefan with endless energy disappeared into the darkness.

H. Badger was far ahead waiting for us at the trail sign. Darn that guy is fast

Past the turn off for Buck Creek trail the trail was as wide as an old road. We all were down with shutter delay. The moon hovering above the ridges. Then morning light spectacularly lighting up Buck Mountain and further along Fortress. A little powwow and we decided upon dropping to the meadow over the high route. A long traverse in new snow thinly over rock didn’t sound too appealing.

Morning sunrise on Fortress

The trail drops a few hundred feet then some twists as the woods open to meadows with some tree debris. 2/3 of a mile from the crossing of the river, somehow the idea of a log bridge sounded good. The smart ones kept walking, while Don and I found a 15-20 log to carry. Past a creek, through mud, up, up , then into another opening. Seemed to go on forever and I think Carla and Stefan may have thought we were a little daft. Okay, they maybe said something more like loco. Still it sounded better to walk a log bridge than wade the river in below freezing temps. Still, uphills, turns and little creek crossing were… let’s say “interesting”. Shortly after the well used campsite in the trees we dropped our burden next to the river. We’d been ready for knee deep. Obvious the cold and late season was much easier for crossing. While we set the log, Stefan walked across frozen rocks in the now shallow water.

Don walking the log

Love the fall colors contrasted with the new snow

Across the meadow on the right (north?). A faint trail lead right into the woods and up to a treed ridge. Up the ridge in large trees. When the large trees ended in small a turn toward Chiwawa (right) crossing a creek and into an autumn colored basin that still had traces of unmelted snow from last year.

Another stream crossing with ice on the rocks.

Still snow from last winter

Another food break and another choice on which way to go. Ahead a gulley and a potential route on its left. But, what would it be like in a treed area? Too steep? Ahead more left a field of giant boulders and a weakness that looked plausible.

H. Badger checking out the first choice gulley and Chiwawa

Group deciding route. Don’t let the sun fool you, it was cold.

We decided on the gulley to the right, then upon getting closer changed our minds for the giant boulders. The weakness was a gulley with flowing water. Some steep frozen heather and ice covered rock.

Don, Dicey and Stefan in the boulders

Stefan smiling as we transition into the gulley

steeper with water and ice

Early season snow gets deeper The pitch flattened and the few inches of snow in the gulley filled into about a foot. Now in the sunshine a good excuse for another little break near a lone golden larch.

The lone larch

Ahead a maze of gulleys filled with snow. What would be the best option? Up a waterway, up a partial rock covered ridge. We veered left to a gulley with a smooth bed of old snow leading up and to the right(ish).

Don leading up the gulley

some hidden streams to be aware of.

Another hour and we reached the ridge and a lower saddle to the right of a bump on the Chiwawa-Fortress ridge. The fluffy ever deepening snow made for slower going and a lot of kickstepping. A beautiful sunny day I felt plenty of energy to keep kickstepping. Passing off for Stefan to have turns.

The morning sun felt nice

from near the ridge the summit was to our right

nice smooth footing

Exiting the gulley

Just a little scrambling to spice it up.

at the saddle, now a veer right to the south side ridge

Looks good, but watch for holes!

Our route veered up and eastward to a ridge, following it left then as the pitch became rock cliffs, back left (NE?) finding a week spot to the more SW side.

Heading to the South ridge

Dicey with Fortress in the background

Not nearly enough fun of just new snow, we enjoyed the snow on slippery hidden slabs and knee deep snow with holes opening to swallow us. And they did.

In the firing range…

Looking down the southwest face of Chiwawa with Fortress and Massey behind

Stefan topping the ridge

The holey mine field to the summit

More wind up high, we donned coats for the final couple hundred feet to the two summits (1:18pm).

On the summits

Done checking out Bonanza and Lyman Lake

Mr. H. Badger on the summit of Chiwawa (Copper, Fernow, &FJ and Maude in the background.

Stefan getting a picture of H. Badger

View north from Cloudy Pass to Copper (Bonanza and Lyman Lake in the middle)

Ridge from Copper to Este Butte

Fernow

Seven Finger Jack

Clark and Luahna

Tag #100/T100 We tagged both, the further one measure a foot or so higher. Sunshine and great views. Didn’t feel any different from other peaks. Time for food along with more shutter delay and Don had something hidden in his pack.

Smart people get out of the wind

We gathered and Don presented a small bottle of Brut Champaign and a congratulations for finishing the T100 list. It was nice to have a nice acknowledgement, yet it felt like just another great dayhike and summit with spectacular views. Best part was a hike with good company and great views. After a relaxing break, food and socializing we started our way down. We’d hoped it’d go quick and an option of going up Fortress and down Buck Creek. The snow proved to slow things down and the upper ridge of Fortress didn’t look inviting with snow. Fortress wasn’t in the cards for today. As it was I guessed we’d get back to the van past 7pm.

Time to head down

this was careful rock (hole) dodging area

One fairly steep section

Too thin to glissade Down the snow, care being taken to not find a sink hole, front point a short steep section then snow fields. At the saddle more north on the decent down a gulley of old snow. A long ways down a right hook over a more complex drop to another gulley to intersect our up tracks.

Surprised at the accumulation of recent snow

The sound of a small plane and a yellow speck came over the peak. At first we thought it could be Scurlock, but then I noticed it was a wing over (Cessna). Would have been fun an image from the summit of my #100.

Don taking in the sights

The array of rocks and gulleys were like a maze. Can you find the hikers in the photo?

Looking SE down the Chiwawa valley

Sun, snow, rocks… like a good spring day

The frozen gulley had melted out

The area with a few inches of snow had melted out and the morning rock with ice was now dry for much easier walking. Tight gulley, fresh water, giant boulders and finally the upper basin.

Afternoon sun on Chiwawa. Now much warmer than our way in

Gorgeous break spot with sunshine. Thin clouds were forming, looked like a weather change on the way. Forecast had rain by 5pm, but it never happened. We pretty much followed the way we came up, down the ridge, across the now thawed meadow, over the log in the creek and back up the trail. Not much to report on the way back except for finding a cairn marking the old Massey trail.

Last look at Fortress and Chiwawa

Into the dark Before the buck trail night had fallen. Back at the van a little after 7pm there were hunters preparing for the night. With temps dropping and a promise of wetter weather we were glad to have pulled off a beautiful trip in stellar weather. It would be a late night, with a celebratory burger stop at the Headwaters and not getting back to Seattle til well after midnight. A heartfelt thank you to Carla and Don for repeating, Stefan for joining. And to DonB and Matt for offering join on my 100/100 if I did it during the weekend. That last chance one day window later proved to be followed by a dry weekend. I would have loved camping in the basin but with the weather predictions ay off this autumn it wasn’t to be (this time). My latest thought… Do the hikes for the beauty of them and not because of some list. Chasing a list can spoil the real reason for being in the mountains. Best use of a list is as an excuse to go where you may not go otherwise. Thanks for reading and happy trails. fwb Stats: 15 miles, c5850vert ascent, 13.5hrs

[raising3hikers]

Glad you got your weather window for #100. Congrats on finishing the list I guess the second hundred will be calling? Great pics as always

[iron]

woot! congrats franklin. way to knock them off, while still enjoying the beauty and all the other intangible goodies that come in the mountains.

[RichP]

Looks like a perfect finish. Chapeau!

[Matt]

Congratulations, Franklin. Definitely more snow than I'd have expected. Must have been great fun for scrambling over boulders.

[jbaillie]

Great Job on #100. You comments on the "list" are spot on. The list just gets one to areas that might be overlooked.

[Stefan-K]

nice TR Franklin, astounding detail recall... 'twas indeed a beautiful hike. The mystery of each postholing step in that giant white blanket of snow (am I going down to my ankles or up to my crotch?) was more than payed back by the scenic splendor of it all. Starting the hike by an almost still full-moons-shine was indeed icing on the cake. Stellar company - mais oui! some more pics -

Buck Mountain by moonlight

DFC

first light on Fortress

investing ("future returns are no guarantee of past performance...

THE LOG

and vested beauty -

ice mosaic

7534

7635

rising returns

gulley

up

Chiwawa River below

larch!

a couple of portraits (other end of the firing range...)

man of the hour in front, 7FJ behind

Carla and Fortress

looking west

up top

topping out west summit Chiwawa

Carla on Chiwawa west summit

Franklin and Don topping out on Chiwawa east summit

Don on western Chiwawa summit

looking down Chiwawa south face

summit rime

sock monkey with Bulger Badger: Chiwawa #100 !

edit: some identity conflation going on here? So confusing... who is the Bad-ger really?? heading down -

Glacier Peak, Fortress Mt.

heading back down

short steep section

Chiwawa Fortress gap

looking back up

[veronika]

Congratulations. Looks like a great trip.

[honey badger]

Thanks for the compliments. It's all dicey's fault (just kidding). Was just doing hikes out of books, then she talked a bit about the Bulger List. By the time I had 40 of them I figured, well, might as well check more of them out. Important part to me was to not hike solely from "lists" and to try keeping the Big Boy list as a lower percentage of trips. I was able to do that with the Big Boy trips being less than 25% of peaks per year. Well, this year I came closer to 50% with the thought of getting past the list. Also a fun goal to see some structure. Made for good researching on areas, seasons, trip lengths and timing. I almost missed Dark due to transportation and a few more difficult due to snow, or lack of. Looking back on all 100+ Big Boys I remember each. Each with it's own flavor and those I shared the trip(s) with. Some great in their solitude, while others special for their shared experience. Some seeing the popularity by many visitors and how others were lifted in spirit by their accomplishment. And those much simpler and of course those that surprised me (e.g Tupshin, SE Twin Spire...) The trips to the mountains remain in memories, though all so temporal. Glad I have accounts and images to spark the memories. A thought just sparked. I remember while we were waiting for Matt to return to Colchuck while we waited to party. Hikers arriving wondering what was going on. And more astonished to see a full size german chocolate cake on the summit...

[silence]

i am so happy for you franklin .. having watched you one step at a time ... this trip is sweet since we were up in the chiwawa basin not too long ago .. we planned to climb the peak but it just didn't work out for us .. when i showed carla's pix to robert ..he said .. wow .. we just have to get back there and get er done .. thx for the ride this summer .. it's been a blast!!!!

[BarbE]

Congratulation, Franklin! Excellent TR and summit shots.

[Paul M]

Congrats on the accomplishment… and I second the thanks for all of the great write ups and great shots along the way.

[wamtngal]

Huge congrats, Franklin! Great show of determination! But I think Mr. Honey Badger is lying to you...he looks more like a sock monkey species to me!

[ale_capone]

Nice work crew! Awesome looking day. Congrats Franklin! Great show of true determination.

[Backpacker Joe]

Krazie Klimbers know no seasons! Great pics. Nice work.