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geyer Member
Joined: 23 May 2017 Posts: 462 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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geyer
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Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:55 pm
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Date: November 4, 2018
Distance: 9.2 miles
Accum. Elevation Gain: 3600'
Total Humans Seen: Zero, zip, zilch, nada
I was ready to go home after a fun weekend cabin trip on Lake Wenatchee when I realized that it was only 1 pm and there were still ~4 hours of daylight left. I picked my brain and thought of a place that I had wanted to go a few years ago, before getting distracted by McClellan peak in my planning stages... I was thinking it would be about 3 miles from car to summit, but I was off by about 1.5 miles (which is probably the difference between me returning to my car in pure darkness vs some glow).
When I got to an intersection in the forest road, I turned left only to be met by 6" deep muck about 100 yards later, that I was lucky to not get stuck in. So I turned around and parked at the intersection. Turns out, it wouldn't have mattered, because the road is washed out another 100 yards past the muck.
There's about 2.7 miles of road walking followed by 1.2 miles of trail hiking followed by 0.3 miles of do-whatever-the-hell-you-want to get to the ridge. The day had been extremely windy in Leavenworth (so much so that a tree fell and knocked all the power out to the town, which is also probably why we were leaving at 1 pm.) However, the east side of Wedge Mountain was completely still; only when I hit the ridge did I get rocked with a brisk wind that nearly knocked me off my feet. I checked the NWAC weather station data today and it showed 59 mph max gusts and 35 mph average winds at Dirtyface Lookout around this time of day, which doesn't surprise me.
It was a quick stay on the false summit, which has a summit register in a rusty mailbox, but no pencil to sign it. Then I headed down after the sunset colors disappeared and ran most of the way, making it to my car in total darkness about 4:30 after I left. Good thing I brought a headlamp...oh wait, the batteries were dead :/
Views from the ridge towards McClellan and the Temple some larches still hanging on Tumwater Canyon made this one all spooky Snow Creek Wall Cashmere Icicle Ridge is in the clouds Mailbox peak...err umm Wedge Tumwater Temple Simba - all that the light touches will be yours smooth as Cashmere Leavenworth
Bonus:
On Saturday, I went on a short hike with my cabin crew and Bill, the red coonhound. Bill is old and likes to smell everything, and isn't too keen on climbing over logs...
I don't know what everyone's looking at... Bill's too old for this sh## Hidden Lake
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Schenk Off Leash Man
Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 2372 | TRs | Pics Location: Traveling, with the bear, to the other side of the Mountain |
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Schenk
Off Leash Man
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Tue Nov 06, 2018 1:21 pm
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I want to commend you for taking Bill, being so kind to him, and helping him make the trip!
Nature exists with a stark indifference to humans' situation.
Nature exists with a stark indifference to humans' situation.
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Get Out and Go Member
Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2127 | TRs | Pics Location: Leavenworth |
I was the general vicinity myself on Sunday morning, when the wind was howling. I came up from the Leavenworth side and the road was in typical bad shape, lots of seasonal puddles and pondlets. Wonder what the road conditions are from the Blewett approach.
Mountain Home Ridge Mountain Home Ridge
"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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geyer Member
Joined: 23 May 2017 Posts: 462 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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geyer
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Tue Nov 06, 2018 9:56 pm
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Get Out and Go wrote: | I was the general vicinity myself on Sunday morning, when the wind was howling. I came up from the Leavenworth side and the road was in typical bad shape, lots of seasonal puddles and pondlets. Wonder what the road conditions are from the Blewett approach. |
I took the road from the Blewett side. Pretty good conditions until that last intersection.
I actually saw a few muddy footprints near the ridge and was a little surprised to see other people had taken the same path as me to the top. Might have been you!
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