Forum Index > Trail Talk > Your favorite long non-technical endurance days?
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colorado91
Cody



Joined: 07 Mar 2019
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Location: Bellingham
colorado91
Cody
PostThu Mar 07, 2019 1:22 pm 
Hey everyone, I'm new to the northwest and excited to get out there and explore everything Washington has to offer. I have bought just about every guidebook and read tons of TRs here and at cascadeclimbers, but I always like to get personal recommendations if people are willing to share. I'm interested to hear your favorite long endurance adventures, non-technical or semi-technical (chill class 3 and below), the closer to Bellingham the better but I'll be all over the state this summer. I ask because I'm training for some ambitious fastpacking range-traverses and long thruhikes, mostly in Colorado where I'm from but I'm so stoked to explore Washington, get to know the mountains, and make this my home. Ideally, I'd love high mileage/high elevation gain days, maybe long up-and-down ridge runs or cirque/range traverses, love to get and stay above treeline, and as I'm frequently alone, loops are very appreciated. Thanks for any ideas you have!

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jared_j
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PostThu Mar 07, 2019 1:47 pm 
What does high-mileage mean to you? The heavy hitter cascadeclimbers contributors in this realm are Leor Pantilat ('off_the_hook') and 'seano'. My suggestions below may not be high enough mileage for you, but are what I think are premier in terms of scenery / scrambling / "cascade-ness". I'm a fan of Mt. Maude / Seven Fingered Jack. There's a thread on cascadeclimbers where Leor Pantilat did a 1-day trip of these combined with Mt. Fernow which is fairly remarkable. Any permutation of these is a "lollipop" from the trailhead. It's a long dirt road drive to the trailhead. Doing the traditional route on Maude will involve some snowfields and having traction devices (and maybe a short axe) would be prudent for most (though I'm kind of a chicken so take that with a grain of salt). Black Peak's South Ridge is a mellow scramble, around 13 miles so not very long. The views from the summit are pretty good (when it isn't smoky!). This might be a good daytrip as part of a weekend up in the WA pass area; I think it's the premier nontechnical scramble off of Highway 20. There's a perma-snowfield up there that's about 30 degrees at the top, I think it's worth taking traction devices in late summer as it's pretty hard and in the shade most of the time. The West Ridge of the North Twin Sister is about a 16 mile round trip with a lengthy (boring) preamble on forest roads. That said, the scramble itself is great and it is popular with the Bellingham-ites for a reason. Very doable with a "trail runner" mindset. There aren't really opportunities to get water along the way. Late summer, the West McMillan Spire is probably a reasonable daytrip for a hardy and adventurous scrambling soul. There's some "no BS" creek crossings to be done on the Goodell Creek approach, and if you go early in the summer their melt flow could be puckeringly raging. Going later in the summer will also make the cracks on the glacier below nice and apparent. This one is harder in real life than it is on paper. There's at least one cascadeclimbers trip report of some folks doing this in a day. Sahale is a primo scramble, and should be at the top of any list for an out-of-stater. If you go "early summer", you may get bonus miles due to Cascade River Road not being driveable all the way to the Cascade Pass trailhead. Goat Rocks offers some fine long loop trail-running type terrain in an above-treeline setting, but in my opinion is kinda similar to some of the stuff you'd find in southwest CO and as such wouldn't go out of my way to hit it (plus it's a longer drive from B-ham). There's lots to do in the Enchantments area. The "thru-run" is perennially popular, and while scenic I think is a bit over-hyped as a standalone. Cashmere Mountain via Windy Pass is a nice trail-runn-y scramble that is far less crowded. The "thru-run" works best with a car stash, but parking is a hassle on the weekends due to the popularity of this area. Del Campo and Gothic Peak from Gothic Basin is fairly scenic, and again not terribly long (maybe too short for you!). Vesper and Sperry Peak is also a nice combo daytrip in the same area off of Mt. Loop Highway. These aren't as high elevation, and will be snow-free earlier in the summer than some of the higher-elevation stuff. I've fantasized about trying to figure out how to link all of these as a long day but I don't think it would work (otherwise it probably would have already been done). I haven't been into the Pasayten but it is guarded by a lengthy approach and one could easily conjure trips there to satisfy a "long trail run" aesthetic. Dunno if the scrambling is of quality. Finally, I think it's worth it to do some sort of trip up to Eldorado / Klawatti Icecap vicinity for an out-of-stater. This is properly glaciered and probably ought not be done solo. The east ridge of Eldorado itself is reasonable as a daytrip from the parking lot for fit parties (but again, you cross a real glacier with real cracks). Jaw-dropping scenery, but this isn't "trail running" terrain.

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Jake Robinson
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Jake Robinson
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PostThu Mar 07, 2019 2:14 pm 
Tons of possibilities, here are a few random ideas in the Glacier Peak Wilderness (one of my favorite areas and it's a great place for these kinds of fastpacking/trail running routes) -Spider Gap - Buck Creek Pass Loop would be doable as a long single-push hike/trail run (~45 miles and 7000 gain) -Little Giant Pass - High Pass - Buck Creek Pass loop -Glacier Peak - 35 miles and 11000 gain, involves glacier travel or loose class 3/4 scrambling if you take Disappointment Peak route -Closer to home, the Issy Alps 50k is about 35 miles and 13000 gain. Not the most scenic, but a good off-season endurance challenge

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colorado91
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colorado91
Cody
PostThu Mar 07, 2019 2:35 pm 
Sorry, I should have clarified what I meant by "high mileage". I was thinking in the 20-30 range, but if a hike is particularly demanding or scenic, I certainly won't turn up my nose at something lower. Above 30 is...not going to be a single day for me, but I still welcome the suggestions as a way to test out my bivy gear. These all look like amazing suggestions and exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you so much for such lengthy and detailed responses, I really appreciate it. Time to get browsing/making that summer to-do list.

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olderthanIusedtobe
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PostThu Mar 07, 2019 5:03 pm 
For close to Bellingham, you gotta check out various stuff along the Mt. Baker Hwy. Can't go wrong out there. For longish options, there is a great loop north of Hannegan Pass via Copper Ridge and Chilliwack Valley. Maybe a bit beyond 30 miles. Even longer if you throw in the side trip to Whatcom Pass (but that might be the best part). All kinds of options for long traverses, could work out some kind of loop if you stash a bike, look at Yellow Aster Butte, Welcome Pass, Excelsior Pass, High Divide. Miles and miles of ridge top, mostly on trail and some easy off trail. PCT runs along the west side of Glacier Peak and there are a bunch of feeder trails all along that stretch that you can use for loops or traverses. White Pass/Pilot Ridge loop via NF Sauk is fairly popular, I'm fairly sure that can be done in a day. Unfortunately TH access is messed up right now for West Cady Ridge, that has a couple nice loops (23 and 30 mile variations). You could use some combination of Cady Creek, Cady Ridge and Little Wenatchee River for a loop, can do some out and back along the PCT to extend your mileage. Poet Ridge traverse is fairly much non-technical but physically challenging. Seven Lakes Basin/Heart Lake in the Olympics (a bit more logistics w/ catching a ferry to get out there) is a nice 20 mile loop up the Sol Duc drainage.

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Jaberwock
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PostThu Mar 07, 2019 10:25 pm 
3 day wonderland loop came to mind when you said leisurely and higher milage.

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uww
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uww
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PostFri Mar 08, 2019 12:13 am 
My suggestion was already taken, but nice thread. up.gif

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skiorkayak
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skiorkayak
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PostFri Mar 08, 2019 12:51 am 
Blue glacier overlook via the Hoh river. 36 miles round trip but not difficult to do in a day. Some even summit Olympus and still make it a day trip. Need a permit if you camp.

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williswall
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PostFri Mar 08, 2019 12:57 am 
I desire medium danger williswall.com
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andypandy
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PostSat Mar 09, 2019 10:34 am 
Hannegan Pass up to Hannegan Peak, follow the ridgeline North and pick a gully to drop back to the trail and head out toward Copper Ridge LO, follow the trail straight back over Hannegan Pass. 22 miles and around 7k elevation gain. Black flies can dominate the first 3 miles. Excelsior Ridge, get up high and follow the Ridge either way, pick your mileage and scrambles. Skyline Divide, out and back, follow until the trail peters out and choose your own adventure from there. Lots of good options on the East side of Ross Lake for loops and gain. Sourdough mtn has a good ridgeline as well. Early season Baker Lake is a good option, but nothing significant for elevation gain. Early season for us is June. If you aren’t comfortable moving on snow you might want to add that skill set. The Chuckanuts just South of Bham are usually snow free (not currently) and has enough options to keep the winter crazies at bay. Lake Whatcom is good too. Download the Washington Trails Association app to see what other people have done recently and keep checking the in on this site for good trip ideas and beta.

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Eric Hansen
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PostSat Mar 09, 2019 11:28 am 
Andy, like your picks and share your enthusiasm for Hannegan, Excelsior and Skyline. One tweak to suggest on Hannegan Peak. Rather than "follow the ridgeline North and pick a gully to drop back to the trail and head out toward Copper Ridge LO, follow the trail straight back over Hannegan Pass" Alternatively, consider dropping off Hannegan Peak summit (some talus) onto its east ridge and continuing past that ridge's saddle (eastward past some nice tarns). As the ridge begins to rise again the Copper Ridge Tr. is nearby, down a mellow slope to the southeast. It is also possible to ascend the ridge further east and round the top of the Hells Gorge gully (and a second one west of it) before dropping to the Copper Ridge Tr.. Note: I've looked down on this from Hannegan Peak. And, on another trip worked west from the saddle halfway up to Hannegan Peak when a deluge convinced me to retreat. I have not ground truthed the top of that route but suspect it reasonable (if dry). https://www.topozone.com/washington/whatcom-wa/summit/hannegan-peak/ Edit: OP, colorado91, the topozone map does not show the FS trail that ascends to Hannegan Peak summit from Hannegan Pass

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andypandy
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PostSat Mar 09, 2019 4:01 pm 
East is what I meant; mental map got a little turned around.

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kbatku
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kbatku
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PostSat Mar 09, 2019 8:53 pm 
Chinook to White in a day is a classic - right around thirty miles and it's all downhill wink.gif

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rstoddard24
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rstoddard24
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PostSat Mar 09, 2019 9:37 pm 
Check out the Ultra Pedestrian Wilderness Challenge routes: http://ultrapedestrianwildernesschallenge.com/ A cool community behind them too, find the group on Facebook if your interested. The folks who do the routes are split ~50/50 between ultra runners and fastpackers (for the longer routes runners become fast packers...) Easy pass, devlis dome, bakers dozen are fairly close to B-ham. The Glacier Peak wilderness and pasayten wilderness routes cover wild, beautiful country

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veronika
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veronika
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PostWed Mar 20, 2019 4:43 pm 
Leroy Basin.

Take risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping I may not have anyone rocking my world right now but, I don't have anyone messing it up either.
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