Finally a break in the weather after a couple months of PNW yuck! I decided to head up to Welch Peaks as a trip report from a couple days ago reported the area mostly snow free. However, the day before the trip had some significant precipitation and on the drive in I was really nervous about snow conditions and if I'd even be able to make it to the trailhead. Hoping to get to the summit by sunrise I did an early wake up and got to the trailhead around 5:00am. Fortunately the road in was snow free until the last couple miles which was covered by ~2 inches of snow, and driving was pretty easy. By 5:15 I was on the trail.
The mountain was never under more than 6 inches of snow, except in drifts, making it easy to follow the trail up. About 30 minutes in I put on microspikes for the extra traction but I could have done without just fine. It was an easy hike up to the turn off to Silver Lake. There had been boot prints most of the way up to this point, but nobody had gone off towards Silver Lake leaving me to break trail which was a non issue with this little snow. There was one downed tree to cross, and soon I was at the saddle ready to start the cross country portion.
Snow covered trail
Start of the cross country portion
Glacier Peak
Welch Peaks
Townsend in alpenglow
The final rocky ridge to the summit
The sky was a beautiful dark blue with purple tones. Dawn colors were beginning to emerge to the east and the sound was covered in a sea of clouds. Stoke was high as I made my way over to the summit. There were several ups and down along the way, a couple of which I bypassed by traversing around them. The crux was a 10 foot section of class 3/4 to get up onto the ridge shortly before the summit. I made the summit around 20-30 minutes before sunrise and proceeded to set up my tripod to take some photos. It was colder than a (insert your favorite saying here) up there! I struggled to simultaneously take pictures and keep my hands warm, but I got a few good shots. Sunrise was beautiful and cleansing to the soul. I stayed up there for a little under an hour before heading back down.
Constance and Warrior (dawn)
The Brothers
The summit at dawn
Baker and Shuksan
Summit views north
Sunrise!
First light on Townsend
Hawk Peak ridge
Glorious views!
Constance and Warrior in first light
The descent was just as good with early morning light hitting the peaks and my body warming up with the constant movement. There was what appeared to be a brocken spectre without the spectre on the way back which was cool. Almost my second spectre sighting. The trail down was uneventful aside from a jingling noise I kept hearing. I took my pack off five or six times tightening straps and rearranging buckles trying to get it to stop. Eventually I figured out it was loose microspikes. I made it back in just under 5 hours. Great quick little trip. I loved it!
Half a spectre
Back at the saddle
Hawk Peak's north ridge
Last look at Welch Peaks
8 miles 3k gain I'm guessing, somewhere in that neighborhood
That half a spectre is really cool, lucky you to get to experience it. Wonderful palette of sunrise colors above the cloud layer, nice rewards for getting up so early and braving the cold!
I related to two things you talked about:
1- Struggling to take photos in cold weather. I keep a set of thinner gloves in which I can work the camera controls and a pair of heavier gloves, but sometimes the thinner gloves are too light for the eastcoast's frigid conditions and then one just has to tough it out.
2- The jingling of microspikes. As soon as you wrote it I knew what it was, even before your following sentence.
-------------- 'Gali'Walker => 'Mountain-pass' walker
bobbi: "...don't you ever forget your camera!"
Photography: flickr.com/photos/shahiddurrani
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-------------- 'Gali'Walker => 'Mountain-pass' walker
bobbi: "...don't you ever forget your camera!"
Photography: flickr.com/photos/shahiddurrani
I related to two things you talked about:
1- Struggling to take photos in cold weather...
Yep. I haven't found a good solution. I wore mid weight gloves which I could still operate the camera with, and had over mitts with chemical hand warmers in them but it didn't really help much having to take them off all the time to take photos. I mostly just blew warm air into my fists continuously for almost the entire time I was up there. Brrrrr! As far as the microspikes... Now I know.
I hit 196 BPM doing the summit push to Welch Peak earlier this summer. Highest I've ever seen my heart rate go. Some awesome 360 degree views up there and I had the summit to myself. Funny given the proximity to the immensely popular Townsend.
Great photos. Congrats on a doing that hike with the ridge covered with snow. That hike from the saddle is a not all that easy even with no snow.
Thanks! Yeah, it was a little more challenging with snow,that's for sure. This photo shows the ridge terrain best.
awilsondc wrote:
The final rocky ridge to the summit
I think this was just after the crux, which was a 10 foot section of class 3/4. There were definitely some spots on the ridge that made sense to traverse around rather than try to go up and over. Fun stuff though, but definitely a little more involved than the Townsend trail.
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I made it back in just under 5 hours. Great quick little trip. I loved it!
Now I know.
