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Matt Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 4308 | TRs | Pics Location: Shoreline |
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Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
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Tue Aug 11, 2015 12:26 am
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Dates: August 1-2, 2015
Destination: "Blue Mtn" 6562 (542p), Johnson Mtn 6721 (1261P), June Mtn 5946 (246P) [USGS Benchmark]
Party: Sadie's Driver, MiddleE, Snowdog (plus Isabella), Dicey, Matt
Synopsis
Saturday we hiked the Cady Ridge trail over Blue Peak to Blue Lake, then did an evening trip up Johnson Mountain.
Sunday we hiked out via the slightly longer trail over June Mountain.
Very hot. Not much water. Nice views. Scary firestorm cloud. Refreshing lake. Lots of blueberries. Felt like late September. Great companions.
GPS Track Blue Lake Evening
Saturday
Cady Ridge Trail to Dishpan Gap
First we hiked the Cady Ridge trail to meet the PCT, then took the PCT to Wards Pass and Dishpan Gap. Our main concern was staying in the shade enough to not overheat on yet another hot sunny day this summer.
In the distance, we watched the Wolverine Fire blow up into a towering firestorm cloud.
At the Little Wenatchee trailhead. Is it autumn already? Glacier Peak appears behind the shoulder of Indianhead Peak Blueberries and fireweed along the trail Watching the Wolverine Fire blow up behind Clark Mountain
Our other concern was water. We started out carrying a lot, since we didn't know if everything might be dried up before Blue Lake. Happily there were still a couple tiny streams flowing from a damp hillside just south of Wards Pass.
Descending off Cady Ridge toward the PCT and Ward's Pass Near Ward's Pass, looking back at Cady Ridge
"Blue Mountain" 6562
We took the old Blue Lake High Route trail over Blue Mountain, with just a short side trip up a few hundred feet to visit the summit.
Cool old sign for the Blue Lake High Route Looking back at Wards Pass, Skykomish Peak, and the headwaters of the North Fork Skykomish River Seriously, what season is this? Blue Peak summit group, with Tenpeak Mtn in the background Me on Blue Peak, with Glacier & Kololo Peaks and White Pass Suzanne doing her thing on Blue Peak Looking down to Blue Lake and Johnson Mtn
Blue Lake
Blue Lake looked wonderfully inviting down below. We were surprised to find multiple groups there, but located a nice campsite just down the outlet stream from the lake. Several of us cooled off by wading or swimming in the lake.
Arriving at Blue Lake Cooling off in Blue Lake Izzy enjoying the lake as well Our home for the evening, with a nice flat rock for drying off clothes or people
Little Wenatchee TH to Blue Lake: 10.7 miles, 4250 gain
Johnson Mtn
After relaxing for a few hours, it was difficult to get going again, but another summit beckoned. There's a trail that makes traverses out to the west shoulder of the peak and then back up, but our group just walked directly up the meadows on the south face of the peak. It was direct but steep.
The summit included an old lookout site that would be good for a summit bivy, but with this group it was more fun to stay together and enjoy the good company for the evening.
The view across White Pass from partway up Johnson Mtn Indianhead & Saul Looking back at Blue Peak & Blue Lake
Johnson benchmark On Johnson summit Whole group on the summit And on the former lookout site
View across the meadows of Pilot Ridge and with summit colors
Most of the group decided to try the trail on the way down. I stayed at the summit a while longer to enjoy the views. Then, as I started down, I noticed a pair of marmots posing on rock directly below me above Blue Lake, so I had to go straight down to visit them.
Evening light above Blue Lake Marmots on their rock throne above Blue Lake Closer view of the marmots Descending back to Blue Lake Other friendly creatures at Blue Lake Sunset behind the Monte Cristo range
Round trip to Johnson Mtn 1.6 miles, 1100 gain
Sunday
Exit via June Mountain
For out exit, we took the longer trail westward past Little Blue Lake to visit June Mountain.
Morning light on the Monte Cristo peaks Posing with Sloan Enjoying the view from June Mtn The view back to Johnson & Blue
Then the trail made a long traverse back across the face of Blue Mountain to rejoin our previous path. This section was especially rich in blueberries. I knew I was getting spoiled when I found that I was unwilling to even bend over to pick the berries on my downhill side, because it was so easy to pick then with barely a pause on the uphill side.
Looking down the North Fork Skykomish headwaters, with the traverse from June Mountain at upper right Traversing through blueberry fields Fireweed & Poets Ridge
Exit 13.3 miles, 2000 gain
Weekend Total: 25.6 miles, 7350 gain
Postscript 1: The Loops of Blue Lake
There are multiple good loop trips possible in this area.
- If you start from the Little Wenatchee trailhead, as we did, you can also return via Cady Creek (lower and longer) or Meander Meadows (somewhat pretty, but also brushier).
- Cartman did a loop here from the Jacks Pass area via the West Cady Ridge and Bald Eagle trails.
- We also met a group of hikers looping from the North Fork Sauk Road via the Pilot Ridge and North Fork Sauk trails.
Postcript 2: The Failed Signposts
I don't know what it is, but every sign in the area seems to have fallen off its post, and be held up literally with rocks and twine.
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6392 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:21 am
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John Morrow Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn |
Matt wrote: | Postcript 2: The Failed Signposts
I don't know what it is, but every sign in the area seems to have fallen off its post, and be held up literally with rocks and twine.
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Signs of the times!
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5634 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Fri Aug 14, 2015 9:43 am
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