[KascadeFlat]

Thanks for posting these recent trips to the foothills? Dumpster dives? Not sure what to call these little guys! All stuff near home and I love seeing what they look like without having to go.

[RichP]

They seem a lot less like dumpster dives on a bicycle. The ride down is always the most rewarding part of the trip.

[Malachai Constant]

Went from old tent camp 4 to WT2 via K3 and Marats Bridge, quite a few blowdowns on K3 one of which was tricky to get around. Sunny and beautiful on top. Once we got into clearcut it was a howling gale 30-40 knots. Hid behind a shipping container for lunch. Talked to a guy who was removing tagging for Fatass Run who advised. WT3 instead of Preston. Windy to WT3 summit, chose to go down cable line to junction with WT3. Then down WT3 to lower junction and cable line to road to avoid wind. Lower cable line surprisingly good not much mud and not too skiddy. Dumpster dive par execellance.

[Stefan-K]

[KascadeFlat]

Lake Isabel - 2/4/23. I have always wondered why I don't see more winter trips up to Isabel. We didn't solve that particular mystery yesterday but we did manage to have a lot of fun. The weather cleared up just in time for us to catch some great views of Index and Persis on the way down.

[kitya]

[Roly Poly]

Lake Elizabeth.

[zephyr]

[wyattmullen]

I moved up to Marblemount recently and was looking for places to possibly ski tour in the area. I saw the logging road heading up the south face of Marblemount Peak and wondered if it would provide adequate access to the alpine. I'm not sure I would recommend this as a ski tour to anyone, but it was a cool experience to explore a little known area this past Saturday (2/20). It's about 3.5 miles and 2,000' up the logging road from Cascade River Road until you begin the bushwhack (at a clearcut where the road ends around 2,600'). A couple inches of recent snow started at 2,000', but it wasn't enough to skin along the road and certainly wasn't enough to ski in the forest. The forest was mostly open although there was a touch of dormant devils club and some slide alder to navigate around. I put on my skis at 3,200' and did some more gymnastics until about 3,600' when the snow got deep enough to enjoy the skinning. At 4,200' the trees really start to thin and some steepish glades emerge (30-40º) which I skinned up. Definitely some old avy evidence so you'd want to really pick your path carefully with unstable snow, but the snow felt pretty solid going up. I reached the ridge just before 5,000' and then skinned through the undulating terrain for about a mile passing over the LOJ Peak 5,260 along the way. The summit is treed, but there are some openings for views mostly to the north, but it was completely clouded in while I was up there. I was behind schedule so I skinned back to where I had gained the ridge and then had about a thousand feet of decent skiing before the bushwhack and too many miles in ski boots. 12.6 miles, 5,100' gain, 6.5 hours elapsed

Snowy open areas on the ridge

Snowy trees

Some nice rime on the trees

Not super fun to ski through this

Decent clear cut view from the end of the logging road

[Sky Hiker]

[Malachai Constant]

Poo Poo Bluebird

[Now I Fly]

Our plans were to do Hex, but with I-90 closed we opted for South Bessemer. We all agreed, South Bessemer is a much longer day than Hex!

Cheers, B!

[jaysway]

Now I Fly, I have shamelessly taken inspiration from you and decided to head up to South Bessemer yesterday evening for sunset. There is continuous snow on the road starting at about 2K'. This hike has relatively little avalanche danger, especially if you leave the road at around 4,400'. I ran into one group maybe a mile and half up the road but otherwise was alone. I did see a couple sets of animal eyes reflecting in my headlamp on the way down less than a mile from the gate. Seeing animals at night is my least favorite thing about hiking at night because I am always worried it's going to be a cougar. I'm fairly certain I saw deer, but the brief glimpse I got of one of these creatures after they left the trail it looked shorter and more muscular like a cougar, but I feel like my mind was projecting what I was worried about and honestly I didn't get a good look. This place has surprisingly great views for being so close to Seattle. Next time, I want to do this earlier in the winter when the snow level is lower.

[catsp]

Few days ago on Granite

[neek]