[Matt]

Date: 12/29/2013 Destination: "Anthracite" (5002ft, 402P) & "Beaver" (5113ft, 593P), USGS Silverton Party: Matt, Dicey, Lindsay, Gabrielx, GeoTom, Martin S, Dave Creeden, fwb, Michelle These are two Mountain Loop Highway peaks on opposite sides of a col, south of Coal Lake (thus the "Anthracite" name) and north of Beaver Creek (thus the "Beaver" name).

Anthracite & Beaver GPS Track

Coal Lake Road Lessons learned from the drive to this trip: Yes, you can drive a Subaru to the Coal Lake trailhead in current snow, but probably you shouldn't. Tire chains are very helpful in the snow, but only if you bring chains that actually fit your tires. You can use runners to make the chains fit well enough to move the car, but only about a hundred feet at a time. So we drove the Coal Lake Road 98% of the way to the trailhead, but then Franklin's car got stuck only a few hundred feet from the end. It turned out that neither his chains nor Martin's would fit his car. Thus ensued 1.5 hours of various shoveling, pushing, pulling, and chain-rigging in order to move the final 0.1 miles to the trailhead, where it was flat enough to turn the car around. By the way, Martin's Explorer made it with no problem.

Trying to pull the car out – didn't work

Wrong-size chains attached with a hero loop

Coal Lake to Beaver-Anthracite Col We finally got started hiking with intermittent wet snowfall. Coal Lake was frozen hard enough that we could walk across its surface, which saved post-holing through the boulder fields along the edge. Beyond the lake, we suckered ourselves into heading too directly uphill toward the cliffs below beaver. Then had to traverse left with some ups and downs to reach the easier terrain below the Anthracite-Beaver col. We hit the ridge a bit south of the col, so followed it back north to the col, bypassing an unmarked steep point on the west (lake) side.

Coal Lake Trailhead target sign

Walking across Coal Lake

Anthracite 5002 We followed the ridge crest from the col to Anthracite. At the end, a wider meadow led almost to the summit, and then a brief steep bit in the woods for the actual summit. Clouds covered most of the view.

Anthracite viewed later from near Beaver

Walking across the easy part

Turning a corner on the brief steep part

Matt, Michelle, Lindsay, Dicey, GeoTom, Franklin & Gabriel (Martin & Dave had already departed)

Beaver 5113 Onward to Beaver. While hiking back to the col, a glimpse through the trees showed Beaver's summit crest looking a bit narrow and steep.

Beaver Summit, from the ridge near Anthracite

The first part was easy snow on the crest. We took off the snowshoes to continue just east of the crest where it became narrower. Then there was a rocky gap circa 5050 feet, where a steep gully cut through the ridge. Some parties reported finding their way across a ledge here, but it looked slippery and nasty. We dropped down about 100 feet on the east side, where a short steep corner let us into the gully, then we were able to kick easier steps up the far side to the summit. The snow was stable and held good steps today. In higher avalanche conditions, however, all of this travel on the east side of the crest would be on potential avalanche slopes. 3448 Departing the col toward Beaver. 3452 Martin & Dave traversing down to the gully entrance

Gabriel (with his new ice axe) while Lindsay approaches the steep corner

Dicey, GeoTom & Michele rounding the steep corner

Coming up easier snow on the summit side of the gully

Beaver's summit was a snow-covered rock block, with room for only about three people at a time on top. To get off the top without breaking the steps, the simplest method was just to jump off into the soft snow below.

Franklin jumping off Beaver summit

Lindsay jumping off Beaver summit

Beaver summit block

There were many red coats. Everyone but Dicey had a red jacket, though she did have her mulberry colored fleece coat. The reds were never quite all visible at once, because several people alternated them with blue layers.

Six red coats & two red hats. The unseen photographer (me) also has a red coat.

Red coat for me also.

The earlier delays actually turned out lucky for our summit time, because we had the clearest views of the day while we were on top. It was a fine view of the Mountain Loop Highway and peaks laid out below us. The lack of snow, however, was appalling. Slopes were almost bare below 4000 feet.

The southern Mountain Loop peaks: Lewis, Del Campo, Gothic, Morning Star, Sperry, Vesper, Big Four, Hall (click for full size)

Big Four, the monster of the Mountain Loop

Hall & Marble

Looking west to Anaconda, Long, Bald, Fletcher, & Liberty

Forgotten & Stillaguamish

Future traverse between Stillaguamish & Pemmican

Exit On our exit, we made a more direct line down, which worked better. We actually could glissade for a couple hundred feet on the barely covered slope below the woods. For going uphill, you have to get through the woods and into the open terrain, but then turn left and go straight up the slope as soon as you can, starting at about 3700 feet. Back at the lake, it was actually fairly warm under cloud cover, so I took a brief swim in the open area of water near the inlet.

A bit of glissading on the barely covered slopes

A brief swim at the end

Stats: 5 miles, 2280 gain, 6:15 hours

[GeoTom]

My non-blue layer was actually orange instead of red. That's progress for me though as I normally dress in very drab attire. Fun trip, even with the lack of views. A few of my photos:

Stuck

Ice skates would have been useful

Into the boulder field

Michelle descends

Almost to the ridge

The pink yeti makes an appearance

Christmas frogs on Anthracite

Anthracite summit gathering

Final ridgeline

Gabriel watches the others

Matt photobombs Michelle

Hall Peak

Looking down on the others

Frogs on Beaver

Full flickr set: Anthracite Peak & Beaver Peak; December 29, 2013

[Jim Dockery]

Another cool Mt. Loop adventure. Franklin is braver than I driving up that road in a Subaru! Nice pics of the peaks

[raising3hikers]

nice trip that swim looks like a cold one

[iron]

[Type E]

Looks like a fun trip full of interesting terrain. E

[like2thruhike]

After being stuck I now pack a '1x'1 piece of 3/4 inch plywood for jacking the car up to put chains or digging out and plenty of bunji cords to keep the chains tight. You don't want chains coming off and destroying your fender or severing a brake line. I just googled "sand ladders". They're big with the 4 wheelers but they're be useful to any vehicle in any season as well. They give you a firm space for momentum to get up and out. Kinda like a tow strap, you might not need it but when you do you're glad you had it when you do. Nice pics. No group photo in the water? I thought you were hardcore.