neek Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2011 Posts: 2329 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle, WA |
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neek
Member
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Tue Sep 27, 2022 5:41 pm
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"This is not one I would repeat" may have been uttered a few times during this trip. The scenery is world-class, but the choss relentless! Already, however, the memory of the final slog has consolidated into a handful of atrophied neurons that promise not to mention it often, and I'm left feeling a perfect balance of beauty, challenge, and companionship.
I have developed the bad habit of starting too late for long days, but Selena and TJ convinced me that it would be best to crash at the Cascade Pass trailhead and start at the crack of dawn (which lately has been occurring too late for comfort). So I hung out in the Ash Way P&R Friday night while they battled Bellevue traffic, but there were leftovers to eat and other nwhikers to chat with, so it all worked out. Night was uneventful (no bear visits) and we started up the Cascade Pass trail at about 6:12am Saturday.
We got to Sahale Arm pretty quickly, watched people make fools of themselves on the glacier, and headed east at the 7600' camping area, level for a bit then dropping 1000' (ugh) down a scrambly bootpath to a nasty key gully that led to the slabby zone. Aside from some water over very slimy and slippery rocks (I only fell once!), this part was very pleasant and scenic, with Ripsaw Ridge and the summit of Buckner coming into view (not to mention all those tantalizing Ptarmigan Traverse peaks to the south). But the easy terrain didn't last, and the higher we went, the looser things got. It wasn't scary, just annoying, very slow going to avoid faceplanting or starting rock slides. There were a few snowfields to cross; crampons advised, I concluded, after trying to be macho on the first one. We eventually got to the top, or at least what some people consider the top, the northeast peak not looking very inviting. Did the usual summit stuff: snack, take pics, send inReach message, look for nonexistent register.
Notable events on the return: running into Alden and Rikki, watching helicopters fly around Doubtful Lake, almost running into a small bear in the dark near Cascade Pass (that's when you know it's time to turn the headlamp on).
If it is determined that the northeast peak is higher, will I repeat? Probably not. Although possibly I'll be back for Booker some day.
Big thanks to TJ for driving and for waiting hours for us to return from the summit push, and to Selena for proposing the trip!
Smoke from McAllister fire Copper?
Downhill, HitTheTrail, jaysway, Bowregard, SeanSullivan86, Silas, GeoTom, silence, freddyfredpants, hikerbiker, SpookyKite89, mosey, Lightning_bug, fourteen410, zimmertr, Gimpilator, Eric Gilbertson, mike, RichP, raising3hikers, reststep geyer, awilsondc, Bluebird, ~*CutebutChossy69*~
Downhill, HitTheTrail, jaysway, Bowregard, SeanSullivan86, Silas, GeoTom, silence, freddyfredpants, hikerbiker, SpookyKite89, mosey, Lightning_bug, fourteen410, zimmertr, Gimpilator, Eric Gilbertson, mike, RichP, raising3hikers, reststep geyer, awilsondc, Bluebird, ~*CutebutChossy69*~
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