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wolffie Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 2693 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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wolffie
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Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:15 am
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This is a good place to be in spring or early summer when the weather is iffy on the west side.
One of 5-6 crossings that might get you wet at higher water in early spring. Serviceberry, a great landscaping shrub. Get Amelanchier alnifolia (not A. californica), the wild type, not the King Edward cultivar. Good berried; attracts birds including waxwings. Earl's N slope. Still enough snow for play 6/1/13.
Sat 6/1/13
Standup Creek road is doable with low-clearance street car.
Standup Creek trail is delightful: flowers, birds, no bugs yet, insignificant blowdown (maybe 6 over 12", 8 that you could get with a pruning saw), mild brush (one could do a lot with a loppers though), no snow by the time you'll get there. About 6 stream crossings with wet-foot potential, but I was able to carry the dog and keep my feet dry.
If you're going to do the high ridge route from Earl to Navaho, your last running water will be the spring just above the trail junction. No need to carry water before there (I don't know how late in the summer this spring keeps running). Water is flowing below Navaho Pass. Townsend's solitaire singing at the pass.
Much less snow than I'd expected. Summer seems a few weeks early. Stashed the snowshoes near the car. I've bee there mid-June with snowshoes, and met skiers, but that 95° F. weather a few weeks back really melted-off the south sides. Snow travel conditions excellent, only occasional postholing, a few inches of mush-on crust and easy for a corgi with 6" legs. Soft step-kicking, almost no hard snow except in the morning. I was happy to have an ice ax for just a few parts of this route.
Lots of Mountaineers doing self-arrest practice on the N side of Earl, as usual. We glissaded the N slope and traversed to Navaho Pass, all on snow. Running water along there. Got to Navaho summit by 5 PM. Small bivvy site. 4 people left the summit as we approached; 1 guy showed up next morning; those were the only people we saw besides the Mounties. A few others left tracks Sunday.
Overwhelmed by alpine scenery. Transfixed by visual splendor. Stuart, schmuart. Earl (at left). Navaho Pass off-frame at right. The north ridge route is an easy scramble. 3 Brothers West, dry.
Sunday 6/2/13
Packed up and glissaded to the Navaho-3 Brothers West saddle. Stashed gear and hiked up 3 Brothers West. Many cairns, now gone, marred the obvious ridge. You can see Temple Ridge from here.
Yeah. Temple Ridge. Cool. Hurryup with that meal. Awestruck by mountain majesty. Rendered speechless by the wonders of Nature. Stupefied by earthly grandeur X-rated Earl N ridge; skirt red gendarmes on left (west).
The Plan had been to do the ridge walk to Miller and hike out the road, but when you're up around 7000' with snow and the world-class scenery of the Stuart Range and the whole point is to get high and stay high and grok the view, it makes little sense to go down and away from the snow and peaks and hike out a motorcycle trail and a road. So we went back to Navaho, got to the summit at 5 PM, same time, same place, a day older and not an hour richer, having accomplished nothing, a pointless day frittered away.
Slept poorly. Too many stars. No moon. Wind died. Knocked the tent down to watch sky TV. Horizon hazy but light pollution not too bad. Alkaid, the tip of the Great Bear's tail, was near the zenith after sundown. Orion and Taurus are gone; we watched Gemini set and watched Cancer, Leo, Virgo, & Libra go by, and stayed up for Scorpio and Sagitarius. Could see Corvus (a crooked square near the S horizon). We don't get to see this part of the sky except near midsummer, since it's below the equator.
Got wet with heavy dew, but it was only a 1-dog night, and a corgi fits in your sleeping bag. Eventually yanked the tarptent back up (it's only 1 cord, neat trick). This is a good way to de-tick the dog -- they all crawl onto you -- but I put Advantix on the dogs before I take them to the east side, and haven't found any ticks from this trip yet.
Monday 6/3/13
4 ways to get out of here:
1. Hike out Stafford Creek Trail.
2. Descend SE ridge of Navaho to the saddle, then descend to the Stafford trail.
3. From Stafford Ck Trail, ascend Standup Ck Trail to the saddle SE of Earl, thence out Standup Ck.
4. From Navaho Pass, walk W up the crest, skirt the little knob, and follow the N ridge of Earl, thence out Standup.
#4 is the obvious way to stay high and soak scenery, and it's a lot easier than it looks. Viewed from Earl summit, a couple of craggy orange gendarmes look unappetizing, but we easily skirted these on the west side, which was dry. There's some arguable ice-ax terrain along this ridge, but mostly just walking the crest. Snow was soft.
Best of all, my beast showed no signs of the lameness that necessitated his evacuation last autumn. This is important to both of us.
Along the crest of Navano, some ignoranus has been sawing off the tops of healthy live whitebark pines, apparently in winter, the stumps being a few feet above current snow level (some older, some fresh this year). Who does this -- delinquent Boy Scouts on bad acid? Maybe the same types who build cairns on obvious ridges, make fire rings above 6000' (I eradicated 3), leave poop bags on trails, and shoot-up road signs? The top of one was left beside it (see photo). Some osshales shouldn't be allowed anything sharper than a rubber ball.
Heliskiers' vandalism for an LZ is my best guess.
Vandalism near Navaho summit 6/2/13. Heliskiers? This and at least one other is winter 2013 -- note top lying on snow -- others older but recent. 3 Brothers West in background. 7000'; an old tree until some stupid child decided he was more important. Navaho summit rim, cut winter 2013, fresh. Heliskier vandalism? 6/2/13. Note that there's plenty room for snowmobiles to maneuver here without cutting anything. 7200'; that was an old tree! Navaho summit area, north rim 6/2/13. This is at least 1 season old. Recently cut live boughs were found on the W rib also, some distance from the summit, without obvious stobs nearby. His father is Cary Grant. Really.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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Eric Peak Geek
Joined: 21 Oct 2002 Posts: 2062 | TRs | Pics Location: In Travel Status |
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Eric
Peak Geek
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Tue Jun 04, 2013 11:43 am
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KarlK Member
Joined: 18 Jun 2009 Posts: 584 | TRs | Pics
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KarlK
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Tue Jun 04, 2013 11:53 am
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Glad to hear the corgi is on the mend.
As to the truncated trees on Navaho, heli-skiing outfits have been known to do unauthorized tree work to improve landing sites. I'm not sure if Navaho is a heli-skiing venue, but might be worth reporting to the forest service.
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wolffie Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 2693 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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wolffie
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Tue Jun 04, 2013 12:41 pm
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Hmmmm. 3-4" dia, 3-5'' above current snow level, and larger trees nearby (although they were right near the crest). Standing deadwood is nearby, I think, and even Cub Scouts don't burn live green wood. ??? Photos pending; I'll email to USFS.
I also observed a couple of small live boughs, ~1" dia., sawn this winter, on the snow on the ascent route near the top.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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newtrout Member
Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Posts: 125 | TRs | Pics Location: Central Washington |
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newtrout
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Tue Jun 04, 2013 5:54 pm
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I'm sure it was probably snowmobilers. The route into Stafford Creek Basin goes right over the summit of Navaho. It's a well-travelled route in the winter, and getting more popular with increasing sled-access skiers and boarders. Have to admit that I'm not sure why someone would do any cutting up there. There is plenty of room for snowmobiles to get through as is. I won't speculate publicly.....
Why don't you post the photos here, too, please. I'll cross post them on some of the snowmobiling sites to get the word out.
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Gwen LO Girl-of-the-Month
Joined: 14 Feb 2010 Posts: 1673 | TRs | Pics
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Gwen
LO Girl-of-the-Month
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Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:13 pm
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wolffie wrote: | Photos pending |
Eagerly awaiting my corgi fix (and still wishing you'd bring them by the Maple Leaf Grill some weekday afternoon for love and bacon).
Tomorrow's not promised to anyone, so be bold, scare yourself, attempt something with no guarantee of success. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve. -Olive McGloin
Tomorrow's not promised to anyone, so be bold, scare yourself, attempt something with no guarantee of success. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve. -Olive McGloin
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wolfs Member
Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 302 | TRs | Pics
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wolfs
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Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:02 pm
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There are no helis flying skiers in the Teanaway, or anywhere in WA outside of North Cascades Heli's permit area around Hwy 20.
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KarlK Member
Joined: 18 Jun 2009 Posts: 584 | TRs | Pics
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KarlK
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Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:13 pm
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wolfs wrote: | There are no helis flying skiers in the Teanaway, or anywhere in WA outside of North Cascades Heli's permit area around Hwy 20. |
I checked on this claim and it appears to be correct with respect to FS permits for heli skiing in Washington.
That begs the question: what about the possibility of un-permitted hell forays into the Teanaway?
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IanB Vegetable Belayer
Joined: 21 Jul 2010 Posts: 1061 | TRs | Pics Location: gone whuljin' |
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IanB
Vegetable Belayer
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Wed Jun 05, 2013 3:48 pm
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Awestruck by mountain majesty.
Adorable!
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
"Forget gaining a little knowledge about a lot and strive to learn a lot about a little." - Harvey Manning
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joker seeker
Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 7953 | TRs | Pics Location: state of confusion |
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joker
seeker
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Wed Jun 05, 2013 5:28 pm
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newtrout's theory seems a lot more plausible than the heli notion (and thanks, by the way, newtrout, for continuing to get the word out on things like this over in the snowmo community).
I would think that frequent enough forays to warrant cutting trees would have caught some attention by now. And were the cut trees even next to the sort of flat areas that are big enough for a heli to reasonably land and load/unload?
Most uncool.
Unlike the corgi.
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gb Member
Joined: 01 Jul 2010 Posts: 6303 | TRs | Pics
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gb
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Wed Jun 05, 2013 5:32 pm
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There is no heli-skiing in the Teanaway as has been said here. In any case, cuts for heli-skiers would be right on the ridge top at a landing site, not on a slope. Those cuts can only have been made by snowmobilers trying to make an open path up Navajo.
Send the photos to the local and district Forest Service offices to show the wisdom of allowing snowmobiles in the backcountry. Senators Murray and Cantwell might also be interested as the Forest Service is to re-evaluate it's policy regarding snowmobilers.
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meandering Wa Member
Joined: 25 Jun 2010 Posts: 1516 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond |
Christmas tree harvesting by snowmobilers?
hard to imagine but people do the damnest things
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wolffie Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2008 Posts: 2693 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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wolffie
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Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:48 pm
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gb wrote: | cuts for heli-skiers would be right on the ridge top at a landing site, not on a slope. |
That fits exactly. Right on the ridge top near the summit. I recall plenty of room for snowmobiles to maneuver there.
If you visit Navaho, check it out and see what you think. Check out other summits also.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
Some people have better things to do with their lives than walking the dog. Some don't.
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Stratoonist Member
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 20 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn, WA |
Sometimes snowmobilers (or skiers) will saw off trees for firewood to build warming fires. I've seen that elsewhere. Any signs of charcoal or burnt wood on the ground nearby?
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Stratoonist Member
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 20 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn, WA |
I looked at the photos again and saw that there is no ground exposed yet and it looks like the fallen green tree tops are lying there. So much for my warming fire theory. Maybe it was just some barbarian aholes wanting to count tree rings.
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