Aug 14 - 16, 2010

Saturday morning left the Cady Ridge trailhead at 10:30. Cady Ridge is relentlessly steep, with some ups and downs, but mostly a lot of ups. I prefer this kind of trail that gets you up high brutally but quickly. Reached my first stop and lunch break – Lake Sally Ann – at 1:30. Lunch and a dip in the lake were sublime. Then I headed back south on the PCT toward Dishpan Gap and then Blue Lake. The real impetus to get back to Blue Lake for the third time was a TR I read describing a tarn on top of the unnamed peak which rises up from the ridge before the steep descent to the lake. I hauled my pack up there in eager anticipation, but found instead a large, solid patch of snow. No water, no place to pitch even a small tent. (In any normal snow year it would probably be different). Considering that the consolation prize was Blue Lake, it was no major disappointment and I found the same lovely site on the shelf about half way down to the lake. Left everything at the site and went down to the lake where I sat staring up at Johnson Mtn and thinking that there was still plenty of evening left to get up it and back. Rather than going the long way around, I decided to go straight up. It worked okay and the views from the top and the abandoned look-out were well worth it. I took the trail back down and continued to revel in the glory of views and very late blooming wild flowers. (It’s worth the detour.)

Sunday morning I headed back to dishpan gap and left my pack, taking just my scramble pack toward my destination – Indian Head Peak. I missed the chance to summit it with Bad Dog earlier this summer, so this was a “must do”. It seemed to loom larger and more forbidding as I approached. Fortunately, I had caught up with Earplug Doug a mile or so before and had some refreshingly pleasant chatter to distract me. (Thank you, Doug, if you’re reading this. And sorry about the missed turn there by Blue Lake.) Finally I reached the place I thought daffish had described in his TR and started up. It was a hot day, with a mitigating breeze, but I knew the total sun exposure was going to be brutal for my four-legged, black-coated companion. The climb was arduous, but it wasn’t difficult until the very end, just before the summit. After traversing along the ridge you need to hug close to the rocks and go around to the other side to scramble up the heather. The climb took two hours, including multiple stops for Maxie dog to lie cool off in the patches of snow. At first I couldn’t get the register tube open and was very disheartened, but gave it a whack on a rock and off it popped. I read only two entries from this year, which surprised me. I had thought I would lunch at the summit, but the sun was blazing and it was oddly swarming with insects. I thought they were flies, but soon discovered they were ladybugs. I also learned that ladybugs, unbecoming of their name, bite quite hard.

The descent was easier than I expected (always easier when you know where you’re going). I took the same route down, though I saw something that looked like a more distinct trail, following a different ridge which would have popped out farther north on the PCT. The best part of the trip back to Dishpan was a cascading stream just north of Kodak. If you sit on the rock below the trail, the water washes over your head (maybe you have to be short like me). There we had lunch and Max got a good rest before continuing back to Dishpan and on to Sally Ann for the night.

Even on a Sunday night, there were others at Sally Ann, including two guys who wandered in at about 7 and proceeded to talk to each other at top volume the remainder of the evening. I wonder why people think they need to shout to each other or that everyone else wants to hear what they have to say. Oddly, the other time I camped at Sally Ann I had exactly the same experience with a pair of women. It’s not gender-specific. Even so, Sally Ann remains a favorite. The swimming is great, and the waterfall is scenic and soothing. Views are always spectacular.

Monday. Got up with the sun and high-tailed it out, as I needed to be in Tukwila by 1:30 after stopping in Seattle to drop off Maxie and shower. I made it by 1:35, my tardiness due to an irresistible urge to jump in the Skykomish River near Index, which consumed 15 minutes. I’m glad I left early though—it was a scorching hot day up there. Time to TH from Sally Ann: 2 hrs 40 minutes via Cady Ridge.

Another great weekend.

Felt like escaping to wander yet again and air out. Along the way I got it into my head that it would be nice to hike 30 miles for my 30th birthday. I overshot my goal a little but still close enough.

Left work early Wednesday and made the long drive over Jacks Pass and the Beckler Road. Set out just after 6pm on the Quartz Creek trail and made it to Curry Gap about 7:30. A very nice swimming hole along the way. Trail is also pretty overgrown in places with stinging nettles. Clouds dropped on me at Curry but bugs were not bad.

Out of camp later than planned at 7:30 and up the Bald Eagle Mountain trail. Also overgrown in places and I was soaked from dew. On the ridge I made my way up Bald Eagle Mountain. More difficult than I expected due to brush (though not sure I took a good route) and it took longer than I wanted. Bugs on the summit were horrendous and views so so; not worth the effort. Descent took awhile.

Back on trail and made good time to June Mountain. Some blow downs along the way. Not many flowers but lots of corn lilies. Had lunch on top of June Mountain along with lots of mosquitoes. Ran into another hiker here. Descended to Little Blue Lake on rocky trail. Little Blue lake is nice and the water a good swimming temperature. Moved on to Blue Lake and setup my tent to ditch my gear. Took a light pack and went up Johnson Mountain (forgetting to bring my water bottle!). Met a nice older couple on the ridge who came in from White Pass. Views from Johnson were good but lots of clouds coming in and breezy.

Descended back to Blue Lake to figure out where I wanted to go now. Too early to setup camp so I packed up and headed up the Blue Lake High route towards the PCT. This is more a boot path than a real trail but not too bad. Dropped down to Dishpan Gap on the other side and met the PCT. Thought about camping at Wards Pass or anywhere with a view of Glacier Peak but it was socked in with heavy clouds. Opted to move on to Lake Sally Anne and shorten my hike out. Camped here with a nice older couple. Clear skies on this side of the ridge and I saw many meteors, including one very bright one.

Out of camp on time about 6:45 and moving on. The PCT is nice to hike when you want to make up miles; good tread, not too steep. I'd wanted to go up Skykomish Peak too but walked too far past a good ascent route, oh well. Continued on and refilled on water at Cady Pass. Climbed up and met the West Cady Ridge trail from the PCT. Continued up and had lunch on top of Benchmark Mountain. Great views! Signed the register (which needs a real book) and packed out a water bottle someone left.

On the way out I met a hunter/guide with binoculars looking for deer, a pair of dayhikers, and a family hiking up along with their 80 and 82 year old grandparents! Great weather and some awesome scenery! Bugs were present and annoying in a few places but on the whole not too bad.

North Fork Skykomish River #1051 to Dishpan Gap and Blue Lake High Route. A wonderful trip offering everything from deep forest old growth to 6500' alpine scenery.
North Fork Sky #1051 is in excellent condition, recent maintenance (June 2010?), logged-out, brushed-out, recent new puncheon, nice log at river crossing, no obstacles. Appreciations to the trail crew. Lovely trail. A few spots of high coltsfoot, thimbleberry, devil's club might be wet after a rain. Carpets of bunchberry dogwood and many other flowers. The road had bright carpets of the yellow lupine-like flower. Impressive big trees. Lots of frogs. Stream crossings are foot-dry. Lovely lush open glades in the upper riverbottoms. Observe, and you'll see several deep ax cuts in trees along the way; these were for animal traps -- weasel? fox? marten? one is large, 10' above the ground in a 4' diameter tree, possibly for bear or cougar. What a way to die.
Snow at about 5000' where the trail enters the upper basin, at the top of the switchbacks. I lost the trail there but it wasn't needed. Firm snow. Alert navigation required to pick up the trail if descending this way on a loop, not idiot-proof but not difficult. Interesting artifacts in this basin, hidden under a stump: unused stovepipe rolls and empty liquor bottles, old sheep camp? Miners' cabin? Please leave them be.
Turned uphill too soon on the snow and went almost to Ward's Pass instead of Dishpan Gap, an inexpensive mistake. Saw two parties doing the Meander Meadow -> Cady Ridge (or Cady Pass) loop. It's still all snow up here on the ridge, but firm, no postholes. A bare tent site at Dishpan Gap.
The traverse from Dishpan Gap to Blue Lake High Route still has considerable snow and a few very short sections of arguably ice-axe terrain. Take care here if you're inexperienced with mountain snow travel; it's not terribly steep and the runouts not obviously dangerous, but you don't have to slide far to break an ankle. I had an ice axe. Some of these sticky spots could be carefully circumvented on dry ground. Snow was soft and easy; would've been more serious had it been hard. It's all bare and dry at the really steep spot where the trail is blasted.
Blue Lake High Route #652.1 was almost all bare and dry on the south side. A couple of spots required real care: either a short steep drop into trees (enough to get hurt) or a couple of long snow tongues (not really high-angle but one might accelerate very quickly if the snow was hard). Near the top, one short switchback is still under snow but easily circumvented on steep dry ground with good footing. This snow will soon be gone. Beware rockfall up high. On the northwest side, the drop into Blue Lake is still all snow, so do not venture there without an ice axe and experience, and note that you cannot assess the condition of this Nnorth slope as you approach from the south; I was here same weekend in 2009 when these same slopes were already covered with blooming lupines. Blue Lake will be melted-out by next weekend.
The short walk to Pt. 6562 summit is dry. Be careful with your feet, it's pristine. Some idiot found it necessary to deface the summit with a cairn -- thanks for telling us where the top of the mountain is.
Did not do Bald Eagle Mountain #650 to Curry Gap (a great trail). It looked like it's in good-enough condition with stretches of snow travel. I'm guessing that where it traverses the north slope of Bald Eagle Mtn., comfort with steep snow travel might be welcome at this time.
NOTE: this trailhead (North Fork Skykomish, West Cady Ridge, Quartz Creek) is some kind of Mecca for bugs. I used no DEET on this trip except once at the car, just to pack up, and once on the return, half a mile from the trailhead. Maybe it's something to do with the elevation or the logged-off second growth. Mosquitoes on the first 1.5 miles (the road) were Shock-and-Awe, but once into the forest, not an issue. Expect very businesslike insects at the start, but don't let them deter you. I've noticed this several times.