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Snuffy
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Joined: 28 Dec 2012
Posts: 315 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everett, WA |
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Snuffy
Member
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 Fri Mar 24, 2017 4:31 pm |
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We did a "2nd Annual" hike to Hex on the ONE bright day this week. Well, it was my second trip but my friend Elle hikes this every year. So happy she let me in on this little gem.
http://www.musthikemusteat.com/hex-mountain/
We had the whole place to ourselves, I guess no one else thought to play hookie on Hex yesterday.
From the summit.
Along the summit.
There was less snow than last year and Cle Elum had been completely thawed out then.
Cle Elum
I just love that final push to the summit when you feel like you are going to touch the sky.
Final push.
The road is plowed to about 3050ft where the road continues NE to the ridge. Too much flagging making it confusing, there is no need to travel crosscountry. You turn off onto a nonplowed road.
Turn at 3050ft on road to the right. Ignore flagging further on.
Complete trip report is in the first link along with GAIA.
You don't find yourself standing at the top of a mountain without having started out in the valley.
You don't find yourself standing at the top of a mountain without having started out in the valley.
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Randito
Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008
Posts: 9513 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
Snarky Member
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Fri Mar 24, 2017 5:11 pm |
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Nice report on an enjoyable destination.
One little detail -- the big lake below Hex Mtn is Lake Cle Elum, not Lake Kachess.
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Snuffy
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Joined: 28 Dec 2012
Posts: 315 | TRs | Pics
Location: Everett, WA |
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Snuffy
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Fri Mar 24, 2017 5:14 pm |
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Duh, one lake over. Thank you, Randy!
You don't find yourself standing at the top of a mountain without having started out in the valley.
You don't find yourself standing at the top of a mountain without having started out in the valley.
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Just_Some_Hiker
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Joined: 02 Jan 2013
Posts: 691 | TRs | Pics
Location: Snoqualmie, WA |
Kinda sad to see it melting out. This has been one of my regular after-work ski spots this winter.
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joker
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Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Posts: 7953 | TRs | Pics
Location: state of confusion |
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joker
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Fri Mar 24, 2017 10:03 pm |
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| Just_Some_Hiker wrote: | | This has been one of my regular after-work ski spots this winter. |
I haven't been up there in years, but there is some fun skiing up there. Do you start from the road by the Newport Creek pullout, much as snowshoers typically do, or from somewhere else? Seems like there might be good potential for more fun on the lower half from a little up-lake but I have never really tried to suss out parking+route for that.
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Just_Some_Hiker
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Joined: 02 Jan 2013
Posts: 691 | TRs | Pics
Location: Snoqualmie, WA |
| joker wrote: | | I haven't been up there in years, but there is some fun skiing up there. Do you start from the road by the Newport Creek pullout, much as snowshoers typically do, or from somewhere else? Seems like there might be good potential for more fun on the lower half from a little up-lake but I have never really tried to suss out parking+route for that. |
Yeah, I usually just head straight up FS-116 to the Hex trailhead. However, if you pass the trailhead and continue along FS-116 for a little bit you'll encounter a logging road which forks off and runs along the west side of Hex. It's not on the map but it's plainly visible in satellite imagery. The slope has been partially logged so there's some good skiing over there. Unfortunately if you continue down the slope all the way to the lake you'll run into some private residences, and maybe some cliff bands.
In the summer another way to approach Hex is from the Sasse Mountain trailhead, off of FS-4305 (just passed The Last Resort). This might be a good ski in the winter but FS-4305 gets completely taken over by snowmobiles.
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joker
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Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Posts: 7953 | TRs | Pics
Location: state of confusion |
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joker
seeker
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Tue Mar 28, 2017 11:23 am |
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Thanks. Yeah, there's a guy who used to post multiple overnight trips/season up that way on TAY, including multiple trips along Sasse ridge ranging both well north and south of Hex (as far north as Jolly). I might be up for Hex again now that I have TLT5 boots - my first generation of AT boots were just no fun on flat road approaches like on Hex, whereas my T2 telemark boots were quite OK there. One of the clearcuts that drops off the ridge that the summer trail travels used to be big old pine tree skiing back in the mid-90s. Was quite beautiful and fun. Then it was a mess of logging slash obstacles for some years, but then mellowed into a fairly nice open skiing slope. I've pondered some slopes that drop off from along that ridge that travels toward Jolly, but it's a case of "so many options, so little time..."
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