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salish
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salish
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PostThu Jun 19, 2003 10:12 pm 
I spent a fascinating couple of hours this evening discussing the Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass section of the PCT with an 87 year old woman who hiked it with her family back in 1965. This is the mother in law, of my brother in law. Her late husband had been heavily involved in the BSA (Troop #156) and Mountaineers and their entire family (and scout troop) spent many years hiking the Cascades. Her husband died in the late 1970's and her hiking career pretty much ended, but her memory is as crisp as it was back then and she can recall every little detail of every single trip, down to what each kid wore and what they ate for dinner, and how the mosquitos were terrible at, say, Pratt Lake back in 1965. She knows I am interested in hiking and brought to dinner a tattered old Seattle P.I. news clipping from 1965. It was an article about their family's hike from Stevens to Snoqualmie, and had pictures of her, her husband, and their (at the time) 12 year old son. At the time it was pretty rare for an entire family, including the wife and children, to make such a hike. The article actually showed the food menu she made up for 10 days of hiking, detailing what they had for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks every day. Maybe not too surprisingly, a lot of the food was what many of us take these days: hard cheese & pilot bread, Rye King crackers, Zoom hot cereal, plenty of chocolate and raisins, nuts, and hot cocoa, etc. No specially prepared hiking foods at all. I think she said they had an old Optimus stove (Swedish Hand Grenade) they brought along just in case the wood was too wet for a fire. And of course all this stuff went into Trapper Nelson packs, with huge sleeping bags billowing out of the top. I asked what kind of boots they wore and I think she said they were standard Sears patrol boots. This was a fun night because you could see her eyes light up with the memory of each hike, campfire, and misadventure that so often happens to families who hike. And it was a lot of fun for me to sit and listen to stories about the Alpine Lakes area and PCT before it became so hugely popular. Anyway, nothing more to add here, just hope you all can be as fortunate as I am in being able to hear these wonderful stories from our elders. Salish

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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Sawyer
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PostThu Jun 19, 2003 10:32 pm 
They did the hike pre-Kendall Katwalk, which was blasted out in the early 70's. So they probably hiked down Dutch Miller Gap to Goldmyer, then up the Rock Creek Trail to Snow Lake and out to Snoqualmie Pass behind the homes in ALpental. Another section they probably hiked was from Glacier Lake through Surprise Gap to Deception Lakes, another abandoned section. Ahhh... the good ol' days...

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salish
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salish
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PostFri Jun 20, 2003 6:13 pm 
I hadn't thought of that, but of course you are right. I'm looking forward to chatting with this person again. Every time she started talking about one aspect of her hike that would trigger some other memory on another hike somewhere and she would start chatting about another trip. She never did mention the end of that particular trip and how they ended up at Snoqualmie. Good point.

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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Ulrich
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PostFri Jun 20, 2003 6:52 pm 
Most likely the lady followed Louise B. Marshall's 'High Trails" -a guide to the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington- first published in 1962. A nice little book to have in one's library.

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Dante
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PostFri Jun 20, 2003 6:59 pm 
It's always great to get a little bit of the oral history of the cascades from one of the old timers. BPJ has a great story about running into a 70 to 80+ year old at some high lake and asking him about how they did it. This thread reminds me--does anyone know which group of Boy Scouts (or maybe even Cub Scouts) pioneered the Alpine Lakes High Route in the Becky Books? IIRC I read a group of Scouts did it first . . .

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lopper
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PostSat Jun 21, 2003 6:16 pm 
They may also have used the steep and lovely CCT route from Goldmyer up through Red Pass. That was the route that Eric Ryback used in 1971 on his Canada-to-Mexico trek. A giant sign at the Burntboot crossing used to caution all parties with stock to use the Rock Creek route. Also advisable in early season because of a steeeep snowslope below the northern crest of Red Pass. But Ryback did it in June, and he didn't have an ice axe.

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Tom
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PostSat Jun 21, 2003 6:43 pm 
When I hiked up to Red Pass a few years ago I remember looking down on that steep slope and wondering how there could ever have been a trail there, much less the cascade crest trail.

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Sawyer
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PostSat Jun 21, 2003 11:00 pm 
The route N of Red Pass still has a few switchbacks near the top. Then it's lost in avalanche-scoured terrain until you go left under the cliffs of Lundin (a few hundred vertical feet lower). THen it appears again, plain as day. You can eye this from the ridge under Red Mt as you approach Red Pass. A fine, grand route. Lopper and Son were found on this very trail one fine late summer day by yours truly.

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lopper
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lopper
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PostSun Jun 22, 2003 12:44 pm 
This should be a good season for a couple more "commando" maintenance forays there. Wimpy snowpack means early melt-out of the gulley. Sawyer and others have done the Commonwealth-Red-Goldmyer-Rock-SnowLk-Alpental loop. It is a classic one day feast. There is still some work to be done halfway down the dive to Goldmyer (clipping out the brush and step-notching big logs). No WTA passes to offer but a prime place to work. The looming cliffs of Lundin, roaring falls serenading from Iceberg Lake, Thomson glowering across the Goat Creek chasm. It's a dry ridge. We recommend a large water container and sharp tools.

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MooseAndSquirrel
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PostSun Jun 22, 2003 9:25 pm 
Quark wrote:
what about a commando trail maintenance trip on the troublesome cr trail, lopper?
Is there a lot of deadfall, etc. on it recently? Hiked it 3-4 years ago as far as the creek where it poops out. Surprisingly good shape for an abandoned trail from where it leaves the official loop near the campground. Lots of pink ribbons blazed the trail somewhat.

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lopper
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PostSun Jun 22, 2003 10:03 pm 
I'd like to work on the route up towards the 'timber cones' below Twin Lakes. It would be good to toil for a couple of days with a rest and recupe camp at the TC campground. I don't intend to create a 'new' trail so much as snip out the remnants of the prospector and game tracks going my way. It will need to wait for another late spring, though. I have too many Gulliver-type home tie-downs happening this year. The CCT over Red Pass is higher on the pecking order for me because I find more kinetic satisfaction in clearing out switch-backs on a steep ridge rather than on a valley-pound. Also, being a view- junkie, I enjoy the commute-hike to the CCT work site. The TC valley still has its own strong attraction. I eagerly devour all the trip reports and research notes that people have posted. Thanks to all.

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Timber Cruiser
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PostWed Jun 25, 2003 12:02 pm 
I did the Steven's to Snoqualmie in 1967. I was looking through my old maps to check the route and found the attached schedule and menu from a later trip. These were pretty standard for the "50 Milers" I did back then. We started at Deception Falls but I don't remember where we ended up the first night. The second was at Hyas Lake. The next was Waptus where we found a mess of cougar tracks chasing a deer. We stayed at the old shelter at Lake Ivanhoe. The latrine was a long strip of cedar bark strung between two trees overlooking the valley far below. Couldn't resist diving into the lake from the tall rocks along its shoreline even though it was as cold as it was blue. Long hike the next day to Goldmyer Hot Springs. We got in late so we camped just across the river from the mining cabins. During the night a procession of "hippies" streamed by our camp. They had been living in the remains of the old resort cabins but the health department and county sheriff were coming up the next day to roust them. Not sure if they had reached commune status but heard they were living out the las of their days there waiting for the predicted end of the earth. The next day as we enjoyed the hot springs we heard a lady coming up the trail playing a tambourine. She seemed to be ready to join us, but I think half a dozen teenagers were too much even for her uninhibited lifestyle. Last night was at Snow Lake. Unfortunately what I remember most of that place was the pile of garbage in the old guard station foundation. Animals or birds had spread a significant amount of it across the nearby creek. Never forget the sight of a feminine product on a rock in the creek. Haven't been back since but assume that it is not as bad as back in the "good old days".
1969schedule
1969schedule
1969menu
1969menu

"Logging encourages the maintenance of foilage by providing economic alternatives to development."
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salish
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PostWed Jun 25, 2003 5:23 pm 
That's great, TC. What a memorable trip it must have been, and it's neat that you saved these old lists. Your gear list reminds me of my youth and the hikes we took. Gear was pretty simple back then. Why did scoutmasters always tell you to bring Ivory soap? because it floats? I'll bet you grew tired of hardtack and cheese, too. Do you recall much from the "shake down" hike into the Necklace Valley? Salish

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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Timber Cruiser
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PostThu Jun 26, 2003 4:16 pm 
Can't remember too much about that hike except it was typical early summer weather (wet), the trail was not well used (brushy), and the river crossing was treacherous. It seemed like such a dismal area due to the weather. There was a small party of very ill equiped hikers who had crossed over La Bohn Gap that we gave first aid to for hypothermia. The weather had really caught them by surprise.

"Logging encourages the maintenance of foilage by providing economic alternatives to development."
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