Sunrise MineRecent Trip Reports
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Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Snow on trail | Avalanche danger
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Heavy snowfall over the last several days has left those areas beyond the Deer Creek Winter Gates at mile post...
Heavy snowfall over the last several days has left those areas beyond the Deer Creek Winter Gates at mile post 23.3 on the Mountain Loop Highway,covered in deep snow.This finally allowed the US Forest Service and the Snohomish County Road Department to close the Deer Creek Gates for the winter.
The highway was plowed on Sunday night the 15th and the gates pulled closed and after the last vehicle that had been parked at the Monte Cristo Trailhead for winter camping activity,had driven out.The gates were locked on Monday morning the 16th. Since Monday morning several feet of snow (3 feet or more) has fallen,making for good snowshoe and cross-country skiing. Beware that the area is also open to snomobiles which are required to keep their speeds down in areas used for multiple recreation. DO NOT park between the "NO PARKING BEYOIND THIS POINT"-"SNOW PLOW TURNAROUND" signs and the yellow gates unless you are prepared to receive a $124.00 traffic citation for failing to obey the signs.Park so the snow plow can get past your vehicle as well. BEWARE OF FALLING,OVERHEAD HAZARDS created by the heavy snow-load on the trees. There is a threat of being stranded for an extended period of time if trees fall and block the highway,so come prepared for that possibility,have food,water,and extra clothing just in case. Have a full gas tank. EXTREME AVALANCHE DANGERS...DO NOT CROSS THE ALUMINUM BRIDGE AT THE ICE CAVES. Enjoy your stay and be safe, Deputy Rasar Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage | Ripe berries
Issues:
Mudholes
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Headed out early to Sunrise Mine trail. First one at the trail head today. So pleased with the drive...
Headed out early to Sunrise Mine trail. First one at the trail head today. So pleased with the drive to the trail head. Some views of snow capped peaks and the road is in good condition. Headed out on this trail for my first time and right away am happy I did. The first stream crossing has a fairly stable board to walk across. Looks like it might have been part of an old bridge crossing it was a bit slippery. The third river crossing was a bit trickier but had several places to try crossing if need be. The trail is in great shape, lot's of old growth trees and views of Mount Dickeman and Stillaguamish peak along the way.Once you come to the talus fields you can look across the valley and see what looks to be the entrance to sunrise mine. Does anyone know if the mine is seen from the trail? I will post a picture. You can also see Morning Star, Lewis peak and Sperry peak. I'm sure I'm leaving some out. I didn't have a lot of time today so I couldn't explore Headlee pass like I wanted to but ventured around all the talus fields. I saw what looked to be a mink or fisher. Lot's of Pikas gathering food. A really neat ice cave has formed. The snow has covered the tops of the peaks and as I was exploring it started to snow so I decided to head back. I can't wait to come back up to do Vesper lake and Vesper peak. Too many hikes and so little time :)
Day hike
Issues:
Bridge out | Snow on trail
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Nice semi-sunny day. Didn't see anyone. Worked up a good sweat climbing all those stairs but it was a pretty...
Nice semi-sunny day. Didn't see anyone. Worked up a good sweat climbing all those stairs but it was a pretty day with good views. The trail has a few rough spots but nothing unsafe. I lost the trail in the snow a few hundred yards from the mine so I turned around and will return around March or April when the flowers start to pop out.
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming | Ripe berries
Issues:
Bridge out | Overgrown | Bugs
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As beautiful as this area is, I wouldn't recommend this trail for any but the most surefooted, with plenty of...
As beautiful as this area is, I wouldn't recommend this trail for any but the most surefooted, with plenty of rubber left in their knees. Af the 2.8 miles to Vesper Lake, I doubt there is a 1/4 of actual walking-on-dirt trail. The rest is loose rock or tree roots. Speaking as someone with 45-year old knees, the worst part is down.
I left the trailhead at 9:40, and made it to Headlee pass in 2.5 hrs., just like it says in the 100 hikes book. I didn't try to kill myself, and got lapped by 3 other solo hikers. Starts with an up and down traverse to the Stillaguamish river, then a bridgeless crossing (go up above where the trail meets the river), then a 1/2 mile climb up an avalanche clearing, around a ridge of Morningstar Peak to enter the main valley above a cliff. Up, up, up - and super big steps most of the time. Beautiful Doug firs growing in trios. The trail goes up the main valley through small trees with some Salmonberry (not ripe yet). Up across rokslides, switchbacking through trees, then entering the only way out. The slot gully was "the worst I've ever seen it" according to a climber I met later on the Vesper Peak slabs. To me it just seemed like more of the same. Amazing rock strata - almost vertical, and lots of conglomerates. I think. After Headless Pass, another big rockslide below Sperry Peak, and across boulders to Vesper Creek. After a side trip to Vesper Lake, I decided to give the climb a go, and set up the ridge at the stream crossing. If you aren't climbing the peak, the meadow above the campsites makes a really good spot for lunch - views into the cirque, and south into the upper Sultan River. The ridge trail goes up really steeply through trees, and then breaks out to a small flat spot. After this the fun begins up beautiful polished slabs of white granite - still super steep but easier to take. You can't really get lost, and there's a boot path up the ridge if you can make the saddle. The little streams have the best handholds, I noticed. At the top of Vesper Peak, a cloud blocked the view south and west, and other peaks had their tops hidden, but there were still amazing sights to the NE. The north face is straight down. Cooper Lake and the smooth white granite ridge between Vesper and Big 4 are amazing. The way down was so arduous, however, that I don't think I'll be back anytime soon. Too bad because this is amazingly close to Seattle and so so pretty. Surprisingly, mousquitos were biting nearly the whole time. Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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Our goal for the day was Sperry Peak.
The road to the trailhead is in great condition. We left the TH...
Our goal for the day was Sperry Peak.
The road to the trailhead is in great condition. We left the TH at 8:00am and headed into the woods under a thick cover of leaves with the sun high above them. The crossing of the Stilly isn't the greatest one I've ever been on. It's comprised of 2 3" branches with a short 7" log on top of them. Caution is needed when crossing on this "bridge". In short time we were heading up through the basin below Morning Star Peak with our minds on Headlee Pass. The basin was full of snow the further we got up but it was fairly firm snow that would certainly soften up through the day. We headed up a steep fully heading up to Headlee Pass. We would later learn that we went up the wrong gully.... Once at the top of the gully we headed towards the lake and quickly found the trail and followed it over some talus fields as we got closer to the lake. At this point I realized that I had left my axe at the top of the gully, oh boy.... We wrapped around the right side of the lake and headed up towards the slab rock above. Snow gave way to bare and rather dry rocks as we made our way up towards the ridgeline. A few small snow patches and tricky spots (for me at least) we were at the ridge and taking a break. From there we headed up and took advantage of several veggie belays all the way to Sperry's Summit. The views were spectacular all around. Mt Rainier in one direction (partly obscured by clouds) and Glacier Peak to the other (also partly obscured by high clouds). Vesper looked very inviting but we would not have the time to reach her summit today. We headed back down after about 25 minutes on top andmade our way safely back to the ridge then back to the lake on the now rather wet slabs. We headed back towards the pass and I detoured to retrieve my ax before descending Headlee Pass. The gully below Headlee was really tricky with the snow with how steep it is. After a few episodes of self arrest we made it down from the gully and got a few nice glissades in as we descended the basin. We took longer than most would, but we got down safely and had a good time. |
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