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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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Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:33 am
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I've been on several summits for sunset, but there are only two people with whom I've deliberately planned a day trip to watch sunset from the summit: Mike Torok (Trapper Peak 2003) and Yana Radenska (Goat Mountain 2012). They were my two companions for this trip to Jackman Peak.
The result:
Jackman Peak 5205, 1:00pm, bright mid-day sunlight
Bonus Peak 4795, 5:05pm, exactly at sunset
East Cement Peak 4830, 7:25pm, 2:20 hours after sunset, black moonless skies above dense trees
Driving the Road
The biggest question mark for this trip was how far we could drive up the Jackman Creek Road. Just after we turned off the highway, we found a lead truck with a wide load sign parked on the road. The driver suggested that we pull off, because a lowboy with logging equipment was coming down the road. We waited about 10 minutes and then the truck carrying a loader went by. Lucky we met it there, because the road's only one lane wide higher up.
Onward we went, finding little snow on the first part of the road, and that had been plowed to the side. Further on, the snow plowed snow formed low walls on each side, but the road itself was plowed bare all the way to the bridge. At the far side of the bridge, the plowing ended with a nice turn-around space. Crossing the bridge, I almost had to fold in my mirrors, because it was plowed only a single vehicle's width wide.
Driving the plowed road Jackman Loop GPS track
Hiking the Crusty Roads
Our first goal was Jackman Peak 5205. (Note that this is the unnamed 5205 point by Clear Lake, not Jackman Ridge, which is on the opposite side of Jackman Creek.)
We hiked the road 1.1 miles to the major hairpin at 2570 feet. Then we cut uphill to a lesser road, and followed it further east till we were across a creek at 3400 feet.
It was snowshoes all the way. The crust on the road was almost strong enough to hold. Almost. Sometimes. Other times we were breaking through, though only about four inches. Still it took steady effort, so our pace was moderate.
Artillery in the Forest
Now we left the road and hiked straight uphill through the woods to reach the wide ridge east of Jackman Peak at 4750 feet. Sections of softer snow made for hard work, but we still made slow but steady progress.
The day became warm and sunny as we continued.
Midway up, we began hearing loud sharp booms in the woods. What the heck was it?
Rifle shots?
Blasting?
Artillery practice?
No, it was a closer and more immediately problem. Thick heavy clumps of snow were dropping out of the trees and banging into the crusty snow. Some of them were 18 inches thick and dropping straight down from 60 feet above. We hurried upward, hoping that it would be better on the crest, and that we wouldn't suffer head or neck injuries from the snow bombs. The trees also began to rain steadily from melting snow. Both a hard hat and an umbrella would have been nice.
Jackman East Ridge
Atop the ridge, the trees had much less snow load and travel was much more peaceful. The ridge curved smoothly upward with some nice open glades on the crest. Looking ahead, we could see that the summit was bounded by cliffs, but our ridge provided easy low-angle access.
All the way in, I had been pre-occupied with route-finding and trail-breaking and neglected to take any photos until this point.
Jackman summit Yana on the summit ridge Approaching the top Mike near the top
Jackman Peak 5205, 1445P
Mike & Yana on Jackman, looking at routes to bonus peaks Me on Jackman Jackman summit tea My shadow looking down to Clear Lake and out to Bacon
Jackman had great views into the North Cascades, running a wide arc of Baker, Shuksan, Bacon, Electric/Logger/Diobsud, the Snowfield Group, Eldorado, Cascade Pass, and distant views of the PtarmiganTraverse, Snowking & Chaval. The following photos follow a curve from north to east to south.
Shuksan Watson Bacon (and Pickets) Electric Butte (and Thornton) Logger Butte (and Jack Mountain) Diobsud Butte Snowfield Group & Big Devil Eldorado 5 labels Cascade Pass Peaks (Forbidden, Buckner, Boston, Sahale, Triad) 12 labels Ptarmigan Traverse, Snowking, & Chaval
Bacon dominated the center of the views. The core of the view, from Shuksan to Bacon to Diobsud:
13 labels Shuksan, Watson, Bacon, Electric, Logger, Diobsud
The Bonus Peaks
Now it was 1:30pm. Enough time to comfortably get back to the car before dark.
But instead we could add a bonus peak. Or two bonus peaks. How could we resist continuing on to Point 4795 ("Bonus "), on a side ridge further north? We wouldn't want to leave it an orphan. And then there was Point 4830 ("East Cement"). Sure, you could drive almost to the top in summer, but we'd have to go almost over the top of it anyway to return from Bonus. It was tree-covered anyway, so the view would be about as good after dark as in daytime.
I'll have to finish this report later.
I wanted to get at least this much of the report posted tonight, since the plowed road was an unusual situation this time of year. Since it looked like most of the logging was done, it may not get any further plowing. The most recent storms have probably put some new snow on the road, but it will probably still be driveable for now. I'm going back on Saturday to try Patent & Pending peaks on the opposite side of the road.
"Bonus" 4795 summit photo, 5:12pm "East Cement" 4830 summit photo, 7:30pm Snow on the Jackman Creek bridge, 10:07pm
“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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Fri Feb 08, 2013 10:43 am
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quite the views from these obscure peaks! great shots of eldorado.
pretty rare to get three new peaks for a group of seasoned peakbaggers. most excellent photos and story, per usual.
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