Glacier Peak, North Fork Sauk River — Sunday, Jul. 30, 2017

July 30 - North Sauk TH to Mackinaw Shelter

We began our route around 6 p.m. and reach the campsite after sundown. There were numerous campsites available and the water source was easily accessible. Mice immediately greeted us, so be sure to keep food out of their reach.

Up to this point, there were no obstacles on the trail. There were no downed trees to cross, however we did pass numerous stinging nettles that could be irritating.

July 31 - Mackinaw Shelter to White Chuck Glacier Camp at 6700'

We left camp in the morning and made the long trek through the switchbacks up to White Pass. There, we took a nap before filtering water and using the toilets in the camping area below.

The bugs from Mackinaw shelter to White Pass were horrible. There were millions of black flies and mosquitoes, and they are very bloodthirsty. In contrast, we did see quite a display of wildflowers on our way up. I saw Tiger Lily, Lupin, Paintbrush, Yellow Aster, and Anemone to name a few.

After napping at White Pass, we took the Foam Creek Trail across the traverse and up to the col. From here, the 400ft drop and then climb up to the next view of Glacier Peak was miserable in the evening heat.

After crossing a few short snowfields, as well as some boulder fields, we finally found a campsite in the dark. As you Traverse this area and head up to any higher campsites, beware of postholing near boulders. I did this numerous times both heading up and coming down.

August 1 - Camp at 6700' to Higher Camp at 7200'

Day three was a short trek to reach a higher campsite at 7200 ft. Once there, we were able to find a water source near the campsites and enjoyed the views and endless sunshine. A little wind would have been welcome in the intense heat.

We slept during the day and went to sleep early that evening in order to get up at about 11:30 p.m. for the summit attempt.

August 2 - Summit Day and Return to TH

My dreams of reaching the summit were ruined due to blisters from wearing mountaineering boots for the entire trek, as well as due to my slow pace. Despite that, the other two people in my group left for the summit at midnight.

While they summited, I woke up around sunrise and scrambled up a peak to the east of the campsite. The wildfire smoke had reached us and had blocked out most of our views, but made the sun a brilliant red when it came up. My two group members took 7 hours to reach the summit and 3 hours to return to camp.

After my companions returned, we packed up and began the long trip out. This was made more difficult when our only water filter malfunctioned. Combined with the intense heat, the long day, and exhaustion from the entire trek, we took a very slow and long route off the mountain.

We finally reached the car at midnight, with barely any food left over and hardly any energy left to our names. All told, it was an interesting adventure that taught me a lot about future trips like this one.

Lessons learned:

Always pack a comfortable pair of hiking boots in addition to a pair of mountaineering boots. I have more blisters than toes...

Always pack one extra day's worth of food. We ended up using our extra food. I'm really glad we were able to finish the hike out in one day.

Keep your pack as light as possible. Two of our party had packs that nearly weighed 50 pounds. We had a lot of gear that we did not use, including all of our rain gear and an extra gadget charger.

Lastly, bring a bugnet to hide under! I wore my headnet during most of the trip, even though it was a lot warmer.