[pasayten]

A few of my local friends here in the Valley hunt deer up in the Scramble Point area, so I figured I would check it out while it was still "quiet" and unarmed... No seekrit lakes up here, but it could be a seekrit hunting area... lol... BeyondLost also had a fine set of pictures posted on an old report that also drew me to explore area. I got to the Beyond BeyondLost TH (Monument) at about 8am on a nice sunny and clear day... The junction was easy to find and I was soon cliiimmmmbing up the trail... Jeesh, wish I still had my horse... lol... Some kind soul marked the trail in a few places and in a little while views were present...

Somebody kindly marked some of the trail sections with stacked rocks

Gardner Mtn view from trail as it climbs up the hill

There was one car at the trailhead and I met the occupant, a fellow nwhiker, coming out from an overnighter... At about 4500ft, I came across one of our reptilian friends...

The snake was right on the trail at 4500ft... I moved him off with a hiking pole... :-)

Rattlesnake on trail at 4500ft...

This is actually one of BeyondLost's pet snakes... I think he even has a name for him... The rest of the climb was uneventful except for the views...

Looking Back

Trail starting to break out in the upper basins

Lost River Canyon

Finally breaking pout into the upper basin where there is the "Hunters Camp" and water... finally water... The area around the basin is the site of an old burn and many snags still exist...

Trail crosses small stream below Hunters Camp... only good water in area

Looking up the basin towards Scramble Point

Trail climbs thru old burn area to Hunters Camp

Hunters Camp tent frame setup

Hunters Camp below Scramble Point... Last water

Watered up, I headed up to open hillsides on to Scramble Point... Very flat top... and great views around...

On top of Scramble Point... good views all around

Robinson Mtn

Eureka Creek drainage and Pistol Peaks

Flower

Dry area flower on Scramble Point

Robinson Mtn from Scramble Point

Looking back down the Mehow Valley

Pistol Peaks

Looking south from Scramble Point

Looking southwest from Scramble Point

Looking northwest from Scramble Point

While I was eating lunch, a coyote came cruising over a saddle and did not see me... I whistled and he stopped to see what I was... He had a rodent lunch hanging out of his mouth...

Coyote with lunch hanging out of its mouth...

Coyote with lunch... Maybe for pups?

I asked him what he had and determining I was a human thing he took off at a dead run... Didn't drop his lunch though... After lunch, I decided to hike out Beauty Ridge a ways to another higher point... Wow... even better views...

Ridge above Harts Pass Rd and Slate Peak Lookout near center

Silver Star in its glory

Gardner and Silver Star

Looking back at Scramble Point and Goat Peak in distance

Silver Star from a high point along Beauty Ridge

Needles in background

Beauty Peak

Beauty Creek Basin

Beauty Creek basin between Robinson Mtn and Beauty Peak

Cool basin below Robinson Mtn

Looking northerly along Beauty Ridge as it climbs to the Peak

Robinson Mtn

Robinson Mtn in backgound to left and Beauty Peak to right

High point north of Scramble Point which is the reddish knob

Beauty Peak

Looking north along Beauty Ridge

Looking north along Beauty Ridge

Methow River canyon

Gardner left, Silver Star right

Silver Star behind tree

Needles with Liberty Bell behind?

Getting to be around 3:30pm and time to start heading back....

Going back down the trail and Gardner Mountain complex

Stopped at the Hunters Camp and decided to check out out a few more things.. There was an old discard stove... and a few tools and grates...

Tool/Grill Stash

Back at the Hunter's Camp

Old stove discaded over bank

Now an artifact

If I come across a packer that serves the area, I will ask him about packing out the trashed stove... The wind had picked up and was whistling thru the burned snags and actually making kind of a spooky sound... Would be interesting on a new moon dark night... Started the steep hike back down at about 4:00...

Goat Wall

Goat Peak in distance

Starting to climb and looking back at Lost River Airport area

The trail would be tough on a horse in steepness and in some parts of the trail where natures runoff has removed trail tread and left more of a streambed effect... Hence I found two lost horseshoes on the trail down... I was back to the trailhead at about 7:30pm... The trail was a pretty steep up/down and with the heat during the day, I was a tired puppy back at the car... Mazama Store was closed... so I called in an East 20 pizza to pick up on the way home in Winthrop... All in all, a great pre-Medicare birthday hike...

[puzzlr]

Big snake!

[SnapSlap]

Wow that snake is a bit healthy looking!!

[BeyondLost]

Still one of my favorite local hikes! You do have to work a bit to get there but fine views up there. Yes, a lake would be nice though. We've been seeing more coyotes around lately. Probably no coincidence that I have not been seeing any cougar lately. They do seem to like a nice coyote snack to supplement the deer diet.