Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mt. Fernow (Entiat) - 08.10-11.14
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
GeoTom
Member
Member


Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 3215 | TRs | Pics
Location: Earth
GeoTom
Member
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 3:37 pm 
"One peak is good fer now, I'll save the other one fer later" I thought to myself as I was sprawled on the summit of Mt. Fernow gazing over at Copper Peak. Get it? Fer-Now, Fer-Later? Not so funny? I shouldn't quit my day job just yet? Damn. Here's the story, more or less how it happened (All times are estimates): Sunday August 10, 2014 0300: Backed the truck out of the garage. The garage door was open, so no damage was done. 0314: Detour for Highway 522 closure. I'm behind schedule already, so maybe I should turn around and go back to bed. 0343: Finally arrive in Monroe. Safeway and Albertsons aren't open yet. I will need to find a sandwich elsewhere. 0515-ish: Stopped to fill the truck with gas and buy a sandwich at Coles Corner. Gas station sandwich...what could go wrong? 0623: Squeeze into a parking space at the Phelps Creek trailhead next to a younger couple getting ready for their Spider Gap-Buck Creek Pass loop. Notice that the skies are somewhat smoky. 0645: Start hiking the Phelps Creek trail. Pass younger couple. They wish me luck. I'm going to need it. 0750: Arrive at the junction with the Leroy Creek trail. Think about turning around and heading home. Decide to continue uphill. 0920: Arrive at Leroy Basin and search for a suitable tent spot. 0930: Find tent spot and drop my pack. 0931: Fend off attacking marmot and set up my tent.
Angry marmot is angry
Angry marmot is angry
0946: Filter enough water to fill the bottles I will carry to the summit and a bladder I plan to leave at camp. 1003: Stretch a little and take a short nap. 1029: Wake from nap and find my map and route notes. 1044: After considering turning around and going home, decide to start the ascent.
I headed uphill towards the visible low spot
I headed uphill towards the visible low spot
Pleasant terrain
Pleasant terrain
Go to the notch. No, the other notch. No! The other, other notch!
Go to the notch. No, the other notch. No! The other, other notch!
1211: Arrive at the ~7,700 foot saddle above the Gloomy Glacier. Look down other side, decide to turn around and head home.
Gloomy
Gloomy
A bit of Fernow peeking around the corner
A bit of Fernow peeking around the corner
A look west
A look west
1212: Reconsider my decision to turn around. Look for a safe descent into Gloomy Basin. 1224: Questioning my route choice, but figure that 'It will go' 1321: Arrive at the bottom of the Gloomy Glacier in one piece. Swat at the horsefly trying to kill me. Miss horsefly. Curse at horsefly. Consider turning around and heading home.
The moraine is getting closer
The moraine is getting closer
1332: Start up lower waterfall notch. The spray feels good. 1347: Arrive at the top of the lower waterfall notch. Photograph paintbrush. 1348: Gaze at the next part of the route. Decide to go home.
Partway up the first waterfall notch
Partway up the first waterfall notch
Paintbrush at the top of the notch
Paintbrush at the top of the notch
I ascended the right side of the waterfall until I crossed over to the left. Makes sense, right?
I ascended the right side of the waterfall until I crossed over to the left. Makes sense, right?
1355: Somehow I am still ascending. And that g@##amn! horsefly is still trying to kill me. 1444: After a surprisingly pleasant ascent, I find myself staring at a partially snow covered talus field. Look for 'keyhole' notch through SW ridge. 1544: See 'keyhole' notch from below after a painfully slow ascent through loose rocks. Make note to find better descent route. 1546: Somehow squeeze my stout self through the notch and see the Spectacle Buttes and Mt. Maude obscured by smoke. Eyes start itching from the smoke. There's still enough visibility to see a nice ledge system leading to the SE ridge.
Still a ways to go
Still a ways to go
Lingering snow on crappy talus
Lingering snow on crappy talus
Keyhole notch
Keyhole notch
Smoky Spectacle Buttes and Maude
Smoky Spectacle Buttes and Maude
Ledgy
Ledgy
1559: Arrive at SE ridge and see Copper Peak. Look up and smile as the rest of the way looks easy. No longer considering going home. 1606: Arrive at the summit and trip over the summit register. Press OK button on SPOT. Turn my phone on and have enough service to send Dani a text message. No reply. She's obviously left me for someone else.
I was on Fernow, I'll save Copper fer later.
I was on Fernow, I'll save Copper fer later.
Soapy and the kids
Soapy and the kids
1643: Start descent. Find another cairned route ~100 feet higher than my earlier traverse, but since I stashed my poles at the keyhole notch, decide to return the way I came.
Some of 7-Fingered Jack visible
Some of 7-Fingered Jack visible
1738: Stop to eat and drink a little. Wish I had brought the stove and a meal with me. Swat at the f@*&%ng horsefly again. This time he has a friend. I may not survive this onslaught. 1842: Arrive at the basin above the lower waterfall notch. See good camp sites and make note for the next time I pass through. Laugh at myself as I probably won't be coming through again. 1859: Arrive at the bottom of the Gloomy Glacier again. Dread the 1,100 foot climb back out. Consider crying.
Nice camps, but not for me
Nice camps, but not for me
Goodbye, fer now
Goodbye, fer now
Paintbrush!
Paintbrush!
Last 1,100 foot climb of the day
Last 1,100 foot climb of the day
2008: Finish ascent out of Gloomy Basin. Took a slightly better route, except for the upper couple hundred feet of talus that moved if I thought about looking at it. 2009: Take a break watching the sun get lower over Chiwawa Peak. 2018: Trip over cairns that I didn't see on my way in. Maybe someone put them up after I passed through? Or maybe, just maybe, they formed spontaneously.
Almost sunset
Almost sunset
A view of the tarn I didn't visit
A view of the tarn I didn't visit
Sunset near Fortress and Chiwawa
Sunset near Fortress and Chiwawa
Cairns I didn't see on my way in
Cairns I didn't see on my way in
Goodnight
Goodnight
2115: Arrive at my tent to find eveything intact. Start stove for a late dinner and clean up a little in the nearby creek. 2134: Consider packing up and hiking back to the trailhead. Laugh at that idea. 2158: Go to bed. No more horsefly. smile.gif Monday, August 11, 2014 0558: Awoken by a deer nosing around the nearby fire pit. Unzip tent and say good morning. Deer stares at me without saying a word.
My alarm clock
My alarm clock
0613: Fight through a swarm of mosquitoes to grab my food bag and find something for breakfast. 0636: Start breaking camp. 0701: Decide to head home. 0914: Arrive at trailhead to find my truck intact and the beer still cold enough. Look at watch, decide that it's not too early to drink the beer. 0915: Toss empty beer can back in the cooler. Change into clean clothes. 0928: Start drive home. 1130ish: Burger and shake at Zeke's. 1223: Get knocked over by Jasper as I walk inside the house. The GPS track tells me I went ~16 miles with a hair over 8,100 feet of total gain. That feels about right. The mosquitoes were slightly annoying, but manageable. The flies were a bit more annoying to me. The sky was very smoky to the east and southeast, but hopefully that area got a bit of rain last night and today. I found the routefinding to be easier than anticipated, other than my little error at the top of Gloomy Basin on the way in. I also found the route easier than I expected, with much less exposure than I had read about in some descriptions, but maybe all that smoke was obscuring my vision. The same photos and more on flickr: Mt. Fernow; August 10-11, 2014

Knows literally nothing
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Fletcher
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Posts: 1870 | TRs | Pics
Location: kirkland
Fletcher
Member
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 4:23 pm 
Nice, I want to do Fernow this season. Hopefully after the smoke clears a bit.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



Joined: 13 Feb 2007
Posts: 7216 | TRs | Pics
Location: Stuck in the middle
puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 4:59 pm 
Fun report -- what number is this? I was in a party of 6 that started off a Fernow/SFJ/SB/Maude trip and we lost two that went home after the first day on Fernow. It's pretty brutal with all the ups and down.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
RichP
Member
Member


Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics
Location: here
RichP
Member
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 5:23 pm 
Wow. I'm glad I did Fernow from Holden when one still could. It was actually pretty nice dayhike.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
ree
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 4399 | TRs | Pics
ree
Member
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 6:40 pm 
U R funny. lol.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
raising3hikers
Member
Member


Joined: 21 Sep 2007
Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics
Location: Edmonds, Wa
raising3hikers
Member
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 6:58 pm 
thanks for posting smile.gif it's amazing how many miles those black flies will follow

Eric Eames
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Magellan
Brutally Handsome



Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics
Location: Inexorable descent
Magellan
Brutally Handsome
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 9:38 pm 
Nice work, up.gif Tom.
puzzlr wrote:
...what number is this?
Yeah, what he said. Asked.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
twodogdad
Member
Member


Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Posts: 846 | TRs | Pics
Location: seattle
twodogdad
Member
PostWed Aug 13, 2014 9:51 pm 
That was an inspired--and inspiring--series of afterthoughts, Tom. Ah, the mystery of the dogged fly: is it one all the way or his brother or his two brothers taking turns at harassing you? But your "angry marmot" caption takes the funny biscuit. N
GeoTom wrote:
Angry marmot is angry
Angry marmot is angry

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Dani
Kimtah's Mom



Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 136 | TRs | Pics
Dani
Kimtah's Mom
PostFri Aug 15, 2014 8:57 am 
Cute Tom, for the record I am still with you so you must be doing something right. dizzy.gif

Keeping GeoTom in line since 1998
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Snowdog
Member
Member


Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Posts: 1027 | TRs | Pics
Location: on (& off) the beaten path
Snowdog
Member
PostFri Aug 15, 2014 10:09 am 
So typical - make it sound easy. hockeygrin.gif

'we don't have time for a shortcut'
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Jetlag
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 1410 | TRs | Pics
Jetlag
Member
PostFri Aug 15, 2014 10:52 am 
Useful route description, however tongue-in-cheek. Love the "almost sunset" photo. Not looking forward to driving that road again.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
wildernessed
viewbagger



Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics
Location: Wenatchee
wildernessed
viewbagger
PostFri Aug 15, 2014 4:52 pm 
up.gif Interesting. I had Fernow on this year's "Things to do list" via the Entiat. The wildfires have stifled my Entiat, Twisp, Pasayten plans. Nice effort !

Living in the Anthropocene
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mt. Fernow (Entiat) - 08.10-11.14
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum