Forum Index > Trip Reports > East Fay to Pleasant traverse + Observation Rock (Rainier) - 8/8/2021
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geyer
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geyer
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PostTue Aug 10, 2021 10:15 pm 
Date: August 8, 2021 Distance: 12 miles Gross Elevation Gain: 4880 ft Humans Seen: +/- 30 The weekend plan was to head to the Olympics, which NWS was showing as the only sunny mountainous region in Washington on Sunday. But when I wake up at 4 am, my body is like "Hard pass." I sleep for a few more hours, make breakfast, check weather elsewhere, text my friends to see what they are up to, and promptly leave for Rainier without waiting for a response paranoid.gif Without a plan, it's a "Do it live" kind of day. I don't even know which part of Rainier I want to go to, but about 30 minutes into the drive, I reach the day's first crux: 410 to Buckley or 161 to Eatonville? SKRRRRT Hard left! OK sunrise it is. No wait, what's that? An audible?? SKKKRRRRT SKRRRT Hard right on 165 to Carbonado? I haven't seen last minute decision making like this since the Helsinki episode of 1919, and I think we all remember how THAT turned out! Upon arrival at Mowich Lake, cars are lined up on the outbound side of the road about a 1/2 mile before the campground, but I get lucky and snag a spot pretty close to the parking lot. Alright now, decisions, decisions. What should I do? I follow some people to the trailheads and notice that my map shows a trail going to the left while everyone else is going to the right. I go left. 3 minutes later, I'm standing in front of a sign that says "Trail unmaintained beyond this point" but it's MRNP, so an unmaintained trail is probably better than 90% of the maintained trails in the state anyway. I press onward.
Mowich lake morning fog
Mowich lake morning fog
Knapsack pass
Knapsack pass
A deer greets me near Knapsack pass as if to say "Most excellent choice, duderino!" and then continues to eat her grass, giving zero shits to my presence. I arrive at the pass and find my first trio of trail humans, taking a breather after the grueling 1.6 mile expedition from their car. One of them throws her apple core into the bushes... ummm... I think about continuing on the main trail but decide to take a detour up to East Fay Peak, which Peakbagger says is actually taller than Fay Peak. I make it to the top. Well that was a lot shorter than I expected. From here, I'm thinking, What can I do to make this day more interesting so I decide to traverse the ridge between East Fay and Pleasant, at least as far as the terrain will let me. But then the clouds come in and I can't see more than 5 feet in front of me. Not ideal for traversing mildly exposed terrain on crappy rock. So I wait.
The clouds dissipate and I continue on. spicy. The clouds move in an out a few more times, goddammit, I left my inreach at home but I'm pretty sure this goes to Pleasant at this point is what I tell myself. An hour and 0.6 miles later and I'm standing on the summit of Mount Pleasant. And guess what? The view is quite... ... ... Pleasant! Really had you going there, huh? I take the trail down and the flowers start popping, but at this point, I'm thinking to myself alright how can I turn this into a loop? Pretty easily, it turns out, since there are two well-traveled paths up toward the Flett glacier and through the upper reaches of Spray Park.
View from Mount Pleasant
View from Mount Pleasant
Ok, now the flowers are REALLY popping. I lay down in the middle of the trail and get my camera out. Gotta get the shot, gotta get the shot. Mosquitos feast on my delicious iron-rich plasma. Doesn't matter. All that matters is this field of flowers and these swirling clouds and those way-too-bare glaciers. Nailed it I check the shot to see if I did in fact "nail it" wow this is utter trash. Screw it, I'm out of here. I like my blood too much.
View from the wonderland
View from the wonderland
The trail goes on and I go on with it. I run into some skiers - months 13, 16, and 34 of Turns-all-year for these champs. Nice going, dudes. And then I run into more people. and more skiers. Why is it that every volcano seems to be more populated 5 miles from the trailhead than the actual trailhead?
View from the wonderland
View from the wonderland
Flett skiers
Flett skiers
Flett
Flett
At this point, I'm 60% sure I'm ready to explore spray park and that sweet blue tarn a few hundred feet below me, but the choss beckons (great title for a memoir, if anyone wants to pay me royalties). I see a team of two getting ready to ice climb the Flett headwall and mentally take note that I will probably beat them to the top of Observation rock. They definitely weren't racing me, but I needed some mental entertainment.
A couple of guys getting ready to ice climb the flett headwall
A couple of guys getting ready to ice climb the flett headwall
Coming around the final turn on some of the trashiest garbage rock around, its geyer, by several hundred furlongs! And the crowd goes wild I find a nice rock to sit on and watch as the clouds pass by in front of Rainier for a good 40 minutes while pondering the next move. I can either go down the way I came, or try to take Ptarmigan ridge down towards Tilicum Point and traverse over to the tarn (why is Tilicum Point even named on the maps? Anyone know?) I attempt for Ptarmigan, sparing myself the likely pain of falling on my butt and sliding halfway down the mountain on volcanic rock. When I get to the ridge, the clouds come in extra strong and I can't see a thing. I begin to wonder if the ridge would even be feasible. Maybe the Flett is the safest option in this case. I decide to sit and wait 10 minutes for the clouds to pass before backtracking. Lo and behold, the clouds open up and I see the Flett open up in front of me, with a nice quarter mile long snow ridge between me and the cleaver. On the left side is the headwall, with a few open crevasses and on the right side is flat snowfield. I think about it. I don't like it. But I walk over it. One small longitudinal crevasse was opening up on the flat side, but no lateral crevasses, as expected.
Obs Rock summit pano
Obs Rock summit pano
looking over to the Mowich glacier
looking over to the Mowich glacier
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
From here, I skedaddle down the cleaver to some snowfields for shoe skiing and boulder hopping until I reach the tarn that had been calling my name. This place is pretty surreal but I'm ready to get back to my car. A fun path leads the way back through Spray Park - which is absolutely going off with wildflowers right now, by the way - and eventually back to the Wonderland. I run most of the Wonderland back to the car where that 1/2 mile long lineup of cars has thinned out to pretty much just my car. buncha filthy casuals
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
Flett moraine lake
spray park tarn
spray park tarn
spray park
spray park

RichP, raising3hikers, jaysway, Schroder, Tom, neek, Bluebird, Dave Weyrick  awilsondc
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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostSat Aug 14, 2021 7:46 am 
Ahhh yes, the old decide where you are going to hike on the drive there! I haven't pulled that move in a few months, I'm probably due. Very entertaining report. I loved the "Do it live" link. lol.gif That's a cool area. I need to head back for Observation Rock. I meant to climb it a couple years ago when I went up there it and Echo Rock, but fell asleep on some choss (what, it was beckoning!) and when I woke up I didn't have time. I'll have to check out that tarn up there! Looks awesome!

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silence
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silence
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PostSat Aug 14, 2021 2:16 pm 
Nine times outta ten you're going to be in the clouds in Spray Park, no matter what the season ... you lucked out. So did our friend and his buddies. We turned backed on our attempt at Observation. They elected to go on and once they summited it opened up enough to catch a fleeting view. July 22, 2012

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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Joey
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Joey
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PostSat Aug 14, 2021 4:20 pm 
That last pic with the flowers and stream is a winner. WTA has a pic contest coming up.

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