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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Location : Twisp, Wa.
Access : SR 153 > Twisp River Rd. > Rd. 4420 > Rd. 80 to Eagle Creek TH
Maps : GTM - Buttermilk Butte, TOPO
Destinations: Silver Lake - Battle Mountain 7710' - Snowshoe Ridge summit 7816'
Stats : 17 mi, 6400' r/t
Silver Lake - Battle Mtn. - Snowshoe Ridge
After last weeks backpack into the Sawtooth Wilderness and the good conditions (weather, no bugs, views, terrain, solitude) Steve and I agreed on a trip which would have us backpacking up the Eagle Lakes trail, fishing Silver Lake, summiting Battle Mountain a long time destination whose time had arrived, and day two summiting Snowshoe Ridge then backpacking out. It was an aggressive agenda but in the end you do what you can do.
I had been tracking the weather and we went in knowing there was a 30% chance of rain Thur. and weren't quite sure of the conditions at the head of Eagle Creek Basin. When we left the TH it was mostly cloudy but warm the trail conditions were good and we forded Eagle Creek several times which was running slightly high and fast. After the second ford we started running into blow down maybe 5-8 a few significant but manageable before hitting the lake. The creek at the lake was high and the log gone so we found a narrow spot and did a running "Thelma and Louise" over it. We set our packs down and had lunch put on some DEET and I my wind shirt and hat as extra armor . The mosquitos were out and found us rather quickly. We were rigged and circled the lake fishing and the funny thing was that around the lake the mosquitos weren't to bad. We had fun playing catch and release with 12 - 15" trout until Steve's arm gave out. We spent 2 hours there fighting the good fight before leaving to head up to the basin below Eagle Pass and the saddle between Battle and Snowshoe Ridge. Like last week we started seeing easily navigatable snow around 5800', enjoyed early wildflowers, and the forest canopy.
Second ford of Eagle Creek Steve likes ! Slaying them in bug protection gear.
We arrived at the stream that intersected the trail and headed off trail up the open basin to camp on a bench with some views central to both peaks and water. We picked a nice location with views of Oval and Eagle Pass.
Nice tent view of Oval... Fly Creek 1 and gear.
We then had time to get our summit packs together and though the weather looked "iffy" we headed up a NE ridge to Battle.
Picking a route up Battle. Nearing the summit of Battle. Looking ESE down towards Eagle Pass...
It was cloudy but nice on the summit until it started raining and continued to rain. First rain of the day though we did get some summit shots off before descending.
Courtney's NE face South Fork of War Creek drainage between Snowshoe and Black Ridges. Looking East at Snowshoe Ridge. Finney Gray Spectacle Buttes (foreground) from Battle. Millham Pass area. Cardinal Light but continuous rain started a few minutes after we summited Battle Mountain. Black Ridge runs South into Sun Mountain. From Battle sun, rain, and rainbows.
It rained the whole way back then stopped which allowed us to gather some firewood build a fire, dry gear off, and eat supper (Got Probar, but dried apples were good as a side). Eventually everything was dried out and I hit the tent.
I woke up early real early there was the moon, some blue sky and faint orange to the East. I watched the sunrise over 1-2 hours while drinking coffee before Steve got up.
Sunrise on West Oval and Tuckaway. Nice transient stream for morning coffee water.
He had some hot chocolate, we packed up and left for Snowshoe Ridge, the sky was blue and sunny.
Heading up out of the Upper Eagle Basin. Camels Hump and Reynolds Saddle between Battle and Snowshoe Ridge. We came up Snowshoe Ridge on it's crest which was massive boulders but returned quickly about 200' below the ridge avoiding most of the large stuff. Snowshoe Ridge is a real pile. Steve gathering intel looking South towards Battle. Oval Pinnacle Mountain North Gardner Abernathy and East Abernathy Snowshoe Lake from the summit. Battle 7710' from Snowshoe Ridge 7816'. There are two summits within several feet of each other I went up one and Steve the other. His looke higher so I traversed the ridge top over to the second. Battle Mountain 7710' and friends from Snowshoe 7816' Battle Mountain Looking South 2 Battle Mountain Pano 3 Black Ridge and South Fork of War Creek Cardinal - Emerald - Saska - Millham Pass - Pinnacle Millham Pass area from Snowshoe Ridge 7816' Tuckaway Peak - Eagle Pass - Battle Mountain from Snowshoe West Oval - Tuckaway - Eagle Pass and the beautiful upper basin we camped in as we descended from Snowshoe Ridge. West Oval and Tuckaway Peaks - Eagle Pass Wowza looking South from Battle Mountains summit.
It was good, we gained some valuable intel, and what a day. Snowshoe Ridge at the crest is continuous massive boulders so on the way back we stayed a few hundred feet below the top of the ridge and that looked to be the best way up. We packed up and made the necessary march out. Good Stuff !
Fording Eagle Creek.
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olderthanIusedtobe Member
Joined: 05 Sep 2011 Posts: 7687 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
Nice pictures. Snow is going fast on N. Gardner. I can tell there's less than a week ago when I was there. Looks like a fun trip.
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HitTheTrail Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 5452 | TRs | Pics Location: 509 |
Wading across freezing knee deep rushing streams, releasing 15” beauties while swatting mosquitoes, rain storms, boulder hopping, drying out around a Smokey fire! How could I have passed up all this just to take my wife out on a non-eventful overnighter up the Icicle? Well, at least you managed to get some great photos.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
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HitTheTrail Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 5452 | TRs | Pics Location: 509 |
wildernessed wrote: | |
What, you don't believe I could get her out? It was her idea. Check out the gear thread.
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Distel32 Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2014 Posts: 961 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
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Distel32
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Sat Jun 06, 2015 7:59 pm
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Good stuff
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carlb328 Member
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 327 | TRs | Pics Location: Yakima, WA |
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carlb328
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Sat Jun 06, 2015 8:31 pm
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
carlb328 wrote: | Nice fish! |
We were playing cast and catch for 2 hours it was good stuff. It should always be that fun.
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Get Out and Go Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2127 | TRs | Pics Location: Leavenworth |
You boys are back at it again, huh...Nice one.
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
"These are the places you will find me hiding'...These are the places I will always go."
(Down in the Valley by The Head and The Heart)
"Sometimes you're happy. Sometimes you cry.
Half of me is ocean. Half of me is sky."
(Thanks, Tom Petty)
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Justus S. Member
Joined: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 1298 | TRs | Pics Location: WA |
Nice! Beautiful area up there. I still remember the massive amounts of mosquitoes around Silver Lake.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Justus S. wrote: | Nice! Beautiful area up there. I still remember the massive amounts of mosquitoes around Silver Lake. |
I remember Steve. Commenting, "Poor Justus did that loop in here and had to stay at this bug pit". I think you were here later in the summer and the bugs were much worse.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Get Out and Go wrote: | You boys are back at it again, huh...Nice one. |
A little bit of everything and quite enjoyable if you don't mind the crowds the basin was wider and more open than the Crater Lakes trip giving us less snow and the lower elevation lake allowed us some good fishing, but both trips seemed similar. Good recon trip. Stuck at home now with the hound dog. Maybe something this weekend.
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sooperfly Member
Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 1232 | TRs | Pics Location: North Central Wa. |
I see the babies I planted have grown up and are decent sized! There should be two different class sizes of fishies in there.
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Thanks for your hard work which allowed us to have such a good time. Snowshoe Lakes looked interesting we have some business up that drainage so a visit might be in order.
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sooperfly Member
Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 1232 | TRs | Pics Location: North Central Wa. |
You'll get a fish every cast in lower Snowshoe. When we planted it in 2010 there were tons of fish already and you'd have a swarm chasing your lure every cast. Size won't be as good as Silver but we put triploid cutties in so there should be some decent ones mixed in.
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