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Stefan Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 5085 | TRs | Pics
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Stefan
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:31 am
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Went out with Eric J., Mike H., Carrie H., Eric E., Don B., and Bret D. to climb some peaks up the White Chuck road. We started at the White Chuck trailhead…well it really is boulders and hopped on our bikes. Okay. This is a former road. I thought it would be decent ride. It was a pain to haul the bikes up this intentionally abandoned road…and I was seriously thinking this was a bad idea. Ride a little bit, walk the bike, ride the bike, walk the bike. Eventually at about our stopping point in 2 miles we ditched the bikes. Up into the forest we went and the forest was actually pretty good for cross country travel. Around 3300 feet we hit snow and around 4000 feet just after crossing the upper road we donned on the snowshoes soon enough. Peak 5625 was our first goal. The summit is treeless and had glorious views in all directions. About 4 hours up to here from the cars. No wind and tshirt time! Our next goal was to get to Meadow Mtn. traversing ridgelines. Sometimes the ridges were open and treeless, and sometimes there were trees. What I thought was going to be a 2 hour traverse….turned into 3.5 hours. The final ridgeline summit to Meadow Mtn intimidated me so we opted to go down on the west side just before some rock pinnacles and some cornices and then reattain the ridgeline and then up to the summit. The summit even had better views than Peak 5625. Great stuff! On the way back Don B. took a closer look at the ridgeline and we went through without having to go back down...what a relief! It tooks us about 2.5 hours going almost straight down to the road. Before you get to the road you have to cross Owl Creek and we crossed at a very active beaver site. The road still had quite a bit of snow at this point so we snowshoed it for awhile. When we got to the bikes, I was kinda dreading the ride down because of all the effort….however, the ride down turned out to be a lot of fun and made the bikes all the while worth it!
11:30 hours roundtrip…about 6000 feet of gain.
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Hulksmash Cleaning up.
Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics Location: Arlington |
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 9:46 am
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I was gonna ask where on the trail you encountered snow.
Did ya enjoy cycling the close portion of the White Chuck road?
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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Stefan Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 5085 | TRs | Pics
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Stefan
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:05 am
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Hulksmash wrote: | Did ya enjoy cycling the close portion of the White Chuck road? |
Down Yes!...up NO!
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Matt Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:33 am
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Nice trip. Wish I could have gone.
Is this a photo of Mike giving a thumbs up to Carrie's butt?
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6391 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:16 pm
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Matt wrote: | Is this a photo of Mike giving a thumbs up to Carrie's butt? |
butt of course!
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cascadeclimber Member
Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 1427 | TRs | Pics
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Looks like a fun trip with great views.
Bringing Iron to kick steps is officially cheating, though
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
Any pics of the condition of the White Chuck beyond its closed section? Hows the 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
"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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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6391 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 12:55 pm
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Backpacker Joe wrote: | Any pics of the condition of the White Chuck beyond its closed section? Hows the road? |
picture berms every 50-200', downed branches and trees, rocks and a malaise of other goodies seemingly designed to get in the way of bike tires.
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cartman Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 2800 | TRs | Pics Location: Fremont |
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cartman
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:50 pm
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An inspired choice by Stefan and a good trip with everyone. The route to Meadow looked sweet, but still being sick I only went to the first peak and headed back the way we came up, though a little west of Stefan's route line closer to the drainage.
Interestingly, about 500' above the WC road very close to this drainage I came across an abandoned two-room cabin with an intact corrugated roof. Probably not visible until within 50' from any direction, not on any abandoned road, and completely surrounded by trees. No intact windows or doors. Had a couple of rusting bed springs and other junk, but I didn't go inside. Didn't look like anyone had been near it for years, maybe decades.
Anyone know anything about the history or use of this cabin?
BPJ, the road is actually in better condition after the first half mile or so. Still, at most of the creeks crossing the road you'll be getting off the bike to get past. After the second mile it was covered in snow, so not sure after that.
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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
This area had high expectations for me and it past them right up. I've been wanting those views of the NW side of Glacier Peak, it was so close with nothing in the way. The North side of Lost Creek Ridge looked pretty impressive also, along with Black and Red Mtns.
Stefan has a unique way of loading bikes on his vehicle but it sure works well! The bike ride wasn't too fun on the way there but pretty good on the way back. It was a great pick for a hiking destination. Those kind of trips have me thinking of more in the area. It was a fun little scramble to the top of Meadow.
Glacier Peak a lonely little tree Sloan high above Lost Creek Ridge Iron's turn for the Meadow summit heading back up the ridge the beaver's have been busy on Owl Creek drippy moss
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Boot Boot
Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 31 | TRs | Pics Location: Tacoma |
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Boot
Boot
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Mon Apr 23, 2012 7:50 pm
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Which peak is it in the fourth photo?
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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
Boot wrote: | Which peak is it in the fourth photo? |
Stefan's 4th photo is of Black Mtn
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Backpacker Joe Blind Hiker
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics Location: Cle Elum |
Is there a reason you guys didnt attack the Meadow Mtn trail from the Crystal creek road and road 2710? You can drive your truck all the way to the 2710 junction.
"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
"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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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:38 am
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raising3hikers wrote: | Glacier Peak |
Indeed a great view of Glacier.
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Stefan Member
Joined: 17 Dec 2001 Posts: 5085 | TRs | Pics
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Stefan
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Tue Apr 24, 2012 11:23 am
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Backpacker Joe wrote: | Is there a reason you guys didnt attack the Meadow Mtn trail from the Crystal creel road and road 2710? You can drive your truck all the way to the 2710 junction. |
I believed the Crystal Creek road would be full of snow...and hence a mucho longer approach/retreat.
Crystal Creek road starts around 2600 feet....we had snow on the White Chuck road at 2000 feet.
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