Forum Index > Trip Reports > Cutthroat Pass 10-18-2011
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pasayten
Class of 65...



Joined: 18 Aug 2011
Posts: 536 | TRs | Pics
Location: Winthrop, WA
pasayten
Class of 65...
PostTue Oct 18, 2011 7:19 pm 
Noaa said Tuesday (today) would be the best day this week for the east slopes of the Cascades... Clear and sunny... clouds and rain coming in later this week. So I called a new friend (Jim) from church and neither of us had ever been up the popular Cutthroat Pass trail... So today would be the day... We met at the Rocking Horse Bakery in Winthrop for a quick breakfast and then headed up towards Rainy Pass to the trailhead... It was a awesome clear day for a quick day hike... There were about 4 other rigs at the TH and we started out at 8:45am...
First views heading up the Cutthroat Pass trail...  looking back across valley
First views heading up the Cutthroat Pass trail... looking back across valley
Wow...   awesome peak with October snow
Wow... awesome peak with October snow
Met a couple early on who were moving slowly up the trail and said hi... Do not think they were hiking all the way up to the pass... Met another guy further up taking a break and smoking a large cigar... He was coming down and a happy guy... Thinking he must have hiked up much earlier... We arrived at the pass at about 10:30... It was an easy and fast hike... The trail has packed snow at the upper 2 miles and was just a little icey/slippery... Glad I had my walking poles... lol... At the top of Cutthroat Pass, we decided to leave the trail and head up to the ridgeline north of the pass... We were looking for a good luinch spot with "views"... lol...
Heading up to a ridge north of Cutthroat Pass
Heading up to a ridge north of Cutthroat Pass
Cutthroat Pass at left
Cutthroat Pass at left
Cool rock platform!
Cool rock platform!
We followed somebodies footsteps thru the snow to climb the ridge... There were just a few spots that had snow (over 12") of any significance... East to pick your way thru it... We found a great lunch spot out of the breeze with expansive views...
Looking northeast...  Pacific Crest Trail follows hillside at bottom part of picture
Looking northeast... Pacific Crest Trail follows hillside at bottom part of picture
Looking north from ridge
Looking north from ridge
Jim is liking the sunny day up here
Jim is liking the sunny day up here
Looking east along ridge from where we just came...
Looking east along ridge from where we just came...
Lunch break on ridgeline above Cutthroat Pass with Jim
Lunch break on ridgeline above Cutthroat Pass with Jim
What an awesome place for lunch
What an awesome place for lunch
After an hour of basking in the sun... sitting on my warm foam pad I had also packed along... smile.gif and discussing all the pros and cons of living on this fallen world... We decided to head on back down... Left lunch spot around 12:30... We decided to hike out the ridge to the west a little more and then drop down and intersect the trail a little below the pass... Just had to be careful going across a few large boulders where the "holes" were covered in snow... Once again, glad I had my poles! biggrin.gif In little time, we were back to the main trail and headed out...
Crossing back to the trail
Crossing back to the trail
Lyall larch near the top of the pass
Lyall larch near the top of the pass
Taking in the views on the way back down
Taking in the views on the way back down
On the way out, we met one guy headed up for the day with a large camera in hand... and 3 others with a nice dog who also had a pack headed up with full packs... Must be planning on staying the night or headed up the PCT or some other destination... Wonder if they were NWH? I forgot to ask... Probably find out in the trail reports the next few days...
On the way back to the trailhead...  awesome sunny day...
On the way back to the trailhead... awesome sunny day...
Arrived back at the TH at about 3:00... What a great day!!! Down the road back to Winthrop... with a stop at the Mazama Store of course for some fresh drip coffee... lol... All in all, a great sunny day in the high country... and hooking up with a new hiking friend... Will now be looking at the NOAA reports for the next clear and sunny window... hockeygrin.gif

Happy Trails... pasayten
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Forum Index > Trip Reports > Cutthroat Pass 10-18-2011
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