Forum Index > Trip Reports > Jackman 5205, Bonus 4795, & East Cement 4820 (USGS Sauk) 2/2
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline
Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
PostFri Feb 08, 2013 1:33 am 
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
Driving the plowed road
Jackman Loop GPS track
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
Jackman summit
Yana on the summit ridge
Yana on the summit ridge
Approaching the top
Approaching the top
Mike near the top
Mike near the top
Jackman Peak 5205, 1445P
Mike & Yana on Jackman, looking at routes to bonus peaks
Mike & Yana on Jackman, looking at routes to bonus peaks
Me on Jackman
Me on Jackman
Jackman summit tea
Jackman summit tea
My shadow looking down to Clear Lake and out to Bacon
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
Shuksan
Watson
Watson
Bacon (and Pickets)
Bacon (and Pickets)
Electric Butte (and Thornton)
Electric Butte (and Thornton)
Logger Butte (and Jack Mountain)
Logger Butte (and Jack Mountain)
Diobsud Butte
Diobsud Butte
Snowfield Group & Big Devil
Snowfield Group & Big Devil
Eldorado
Eldorado
Cascade Pass Peaks (Forbidden, Buckner, Boston, Sahale, Triad)
5 labels
Cascade Pass Peaks (Forbidden, Buckner, Boston, Sahale, Triad)
Ptarmigan Traverse, Snowking, & Chaval
12 labels
Ptarmigan Traverse, Snowking, & Chaval
Bacon dominated the center of the views. The core of the view, from Shuksan to Bacon to Diobsud:
Shuksan, Watson, Bacon, Electric, Logger, 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
"Bonus" 4795 summit photo, 5:12pm
"East Cement" 4830 summit photo, 7:30pm
"East Cement" 4830 summit photo, 7:30pm
Snow on the Jackman Creek bridge, 10:07pm
Snow on the Jackman Creek bridge, 10:07pm

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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iron
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Joined: 10 Aug 2008
Posts: 6391 | TRs | Pics
Location: southeast kootenays
iron
Member
PostFri Feb 08, 2013 10:43 am 
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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