[wildernessed]

Location : West of Carlton, Wa. Access : SR 153 > Gold Creek Rd. > Turn right at Foggy Dew CG Maps : GTM - Prince Creek, TOPO Stats : 20 miles, 6500' r/t loop

Foggy Dew Peak7674 - Cooney Lake - Merchants Basin Loop

Having wanted to do the highpoint on Foggy Dew Ridge (Foggy Dew Peak 7674) for quite some time and mix in Cooney Lake wasn't a hard sell for Hit the Trail so we were on the trail a long Foggy Dew Creek around 0900 hr. under generally overcast skies. The forecast just several days ago was sunshine, then mostly sunny, then partly sunny, but the reality ended up being generally overcast. The trail was in awesome shape and easily backpacked under a forest canopy and not a single blow down all the way to Cooney Lake. I had intended to go up the Martin Lakes Trail but evidently that is unmaintained and full of blowdown so we took the paralell trail. We arrived at the lake to find no one. Excellent. We found a nice campsite set our tents up, then Hit the Trail decided to rest a bit, I could have, but saw some fish were jumping so went around both sides of the lake and caught some 8 - 10" Trout using yellow / orange rooster tail. They had no interest in the green or black. After awhile Hit the Trail asked if I was ready to do the peak and of course I was, but it was overcast with high clouds and raining very lightly. The plan was to drop down find the Foggy Dew Ridge trail and skirt East below the peak and then up. We didn't initially find the trail so just headed East cross country then turned North up the seemingly path of least resistance towards the summit area and shortly there after found and crossed the ridge trail which we decided we would follow back when we dropped back down to determine where it came out exactly. The trip up Foggy Dew Peak was steep over very mixed terrain and the top of the ridge was broken and eroded forming three highpoints the last one being the laid back summit. I think it may slightly over hang into the Martin Creek Drainage. It had been raining the whole time with more coming our way so we took some qick pics and headed back down. We hit the Foggy Dew Ridge trail and followed it back and there were motorcycle tread marks and freshly cut downfall a long the way. The trail drops down abruptly to the (Martin Lakes / Cooney Lake) trail around 6820' and is not very obvious at all from the main trail. From there we regained our elevation back to Cooney Lake still in the light rain and had a sorta supper. The rain stopped eventually and the skies started to clear partially. We walked around the lake / basin then called it a day. A long day.

Lighter, faster, stronger. I took the Hokaa One Tor Speed Mid on their first backpack.

Lunch near the lake.

Cooney Lake below Switchback.

And there was some fishing going on.

From the basin the plan is to follow low on the ridge trying to find the Foggy Dew Ridge trail then heading up the path of least resistance.

The third highpoint is the charm.

Foggy Dew summit.

Hit the Trail summit shot in light rain.

North Navarre - South Navarre

Lower Foggy Dew Peak 7674' the summit is farther East.

I went to sleep with my Rogue Wave playlist on my iPod and woke up and it was pretty chilly half hanging out of the 20 degree bag so I zipped up and slept like a log until around 4am, something about the blue light coming through my tent I am always up early. Out of the sack and ready for morning coffee Hit the Trail was up also so we drank coffee for maybe 1.5 hours and watched the night turn into day.

Early morning colors.

Foggy Dew - Cooney Lake - Merchants Basin_1922_edited-1

View of Foggy Dew's summit area which lays back and can't be seen from the lower trail. The ridge is broken and the summit is the third of three eroded highpoints.

Cooney Lake Basin.

I hadn't really planned on it but we decided it would be neat to loop up to the Pass above Cooney Lake on the NE side of Switchback Peak and drop into Merchants Basin and reconnect with the Foggy Dew trail. More beta, more views, more good stuff. We headed up and encountered thin soft snow above the lake for the most part and were able to circumvent any as needed. There is still a small amount remaining at the Pass just before the jct to Merchants Basin or the other Pass to Angels Staircase. We easily kicked steps in maybe 8 times and were on top of the Pass and the basin beyond that was virtually snow free, we could see the trail going to the other Pass and it did have a small cornice remaining which I suspect is easily negotiated. From there it was a nice walk down into Merchants Basin where we took a break then on to the jct. with the Foggy Dew trail and out. There were no trail obstructions / down fall the entire way and both Passes were hike-able. There is also plenty of water a long the entire route. The mosquito's are out and will probably only get worse. What a nice early trip we had a little bit of everything. Thanks again for your company Hit the Trail.

Soft, shallow snow above Cooney Lake on the way the Pass easily navigable around.

Large tarn with fish above Cooney Lake.

Nice shot of the approach to the saddle between Switchback and Martin with Martin Peak far right. We dayhiked in via Foggy Dew Ridge a long time ago came up Cooney and did both Martin and Switchback then dropped into the Pass, down Merchants Basin and out

Looking back at Martin - Foggy Dew - Cooney Lake and quite a bit of haze early a.m.

The Pass above Cooney Lake still holding a small amount of soft snow. We were able to kick steps in and everything beyond is snow free. The lower portion of Switchback Mountain on the right.

Rainier to the South from near the Pass on Switchback. Old Maid in foreground.

Sunrise Lake / Basin.

The trail that goes up o the Pass that descends Angels Staircase still holds a small cornice which is easily passable.

Bryan Butte - North Navarre - Sunrise after descending down from the Pass at Switchback.

Water resupply in Merchants Basin.

Nice wildflowers while dropping down out of Merchants Basin into the Foggy Dew Drainage.

Backpacking in Merchants Basin

Descending into Merchants Basin Sunrise - Sunrise Lake ahead.

Martin with Cheops background right.

Pass above Cooney Lake - Switchback - saddle between Switchback and Martin from Cooney Lake - Martin from Foggy Dew Peak

Sunrise Mountain and Lake Basin - Switchback_edited-1

Switchback - Cooney Lakes Basin and approach saddle to the ridge between Switchback and Martin

Switchback to Martin and approach saddle each from Cooney Lake

Sunrise - Switchback - Martin - Cheops - 8033 from the summit of Foggy Dew 7674'

[HitTheTrail]

One of my goals this summer was to visit more of the lakes along the Sawtooth ridge, and I have been doing that. It’s easy, just TXT Wildernessed and see what his plans are for the current week. They usually include a trip up around one of the lakes up there somewhere. It is just that the trip will include a peak or two also. But they usually are not so bad and do have views! Another great trip, I am starting to love that alpenglow 4:00 am coffee hour. Glad I joined him on this one.

Wildernessed in front of Foggy Dew Falls

HitTheTrail by Foggy Dew Falls

Wildernessed at Cooney

Wildernessed heading to our peak

On the summit of yet another unnamed 7500+ peak

On the summit pointing at past peaks he has done

Safe until September

Cooney from the pass

Wildernessed on the top of pass to Merchants Basin

HitTheTrail on the Pass

Dropping into Merchants Basin

[Backpacker Joe]

Nice trip guys. Great pics too.

[wildernessed]

Thanks BPJ and Hit the Trail for sharing the experience we made some great escapes over time and this was one of them. Here is our TR when we did the Foggy Dew Ridge - Martin - Switchback - Merchants Basin day hike a few years back which is open now. Foggy Dew Peak from the summit of Switchback...

Cooney Lake and Foggy Dew Ridge from Switchback's summit.

West side of Foggy Dew Peak from Martin Lakes...

Close up of Foggy Dew Peaks West face.

East side of Foggy Dew Peak from Crater Creek trail...

Looking South from a 8k' peak up Crater Lakes Basin at the North side of Foggy Dew the highpoint to the lower right.

Looking South across ridges at North Navarre and South Navarre

[Distel32]

Good stuff guys

[wildernessed]

[mike]

When I was up there years ago a couple of weeks later in the season we were chopping through cornices to gain the ridgetop.

[Get Out and Go]

That would be nice to hang out there at elevation in these days.

[wildernessed]

Yeah it was nice to be up there early in the year and quite a surprise not to see anyone at the TH or around the lake or basins. At just over 7300' it was comfortably cool and while the NWS said it would be a low of 50 it was probably in the 30's at night.