We had Camped down at Butte Dome the night Prior-up from Red Rocks Pass, to begin our assault on the Loowit Trail. The trail was the most difficult to find because of snow from Butte Dome up to the Loowit (after the climb) and counter clock wise to the Winter Climbing Route was difficult to find the trail (going Clock wise). Going counter clockwise on the Loowit from the Butte dome Junction to the Worm Flows Chocolate falls area, seemed to be successful for most. The other way not so much. At the time (before the heat wave) there was plenty of snow to make navigation a bit tricky if not impossible at points. ESP by the swift creek weather station.
As far as us, our party elected to go Clockwise once we reached the Loowit trail 216 from Butte Dome. Crossing the snow fields were dangerous. One friend turned back, and so, his cousin went back with them to wait for us, near Butte Dome surrounds. My best friend for 37 years and I went ahead to embark on the circumnavigation. There was a difficult gulley-washer just south of the Sheep canyon crossing. That was a tough decent and climb out. There are ropes to help, but you do feel like classic TV batman and robin. We camped at Sheep canyon. I wanted to camp at the next site but my trail friend was puckered out. The next day we set off to cross the desolation zone. IT took us a while to transverse the upper portion of the tootle uphill jog. It was akin to walking on the beach...the catch...It was at a 45* angle! Once we reached the top we are rewarded with views of Castle peak, spud mountain, studabaker hill, Johnston Ridge observatory, Mt. Margret, Norway pass, spirit Lake (eventually) and Tahoma, Pahto, a Triple fall, Loowit falls, a real Martian landscape that glowed Orange in the sun set. We looked upon SEATCO's lake, but He let us pass. Let's say we made it Over Windy pass which was about equal or more harder for me than Toutle. Perhaps it was because we were heading down hill. It was shorter but death defying!
The hike from Pumice Butte to Chocolate Falls was pretty rough, because I think, We were so sun beaten. I used a bandana under a wide brimmed hat, with sun screen on my neck, hat dipped into water and it has crystals in it to keep it damp, a bandana around my next (dipped into any water we come across), and an umbrella. Still got a sensitive red neck. I dipped into a pristine lake because eI was so overheated, it was being fed, but I think it was a seasonal lake which fed or semi-feeds June lake waterfall. it was very cold. I only dipped to relax my skin. By the time we got to swift creek, worm flows area I was crispy, and feeling a mite ill. I soaked my feet, hydrated, and got on the mend. As we were seated, We seen a fellow on the trail that we had seen on top on Windy pass that morning. He was quite the skipper, as He walked past our chocolate falls camp site. , He would finish at June lake trail head a few miles away. He did 3/4 of the mountain that day. Actually all of it minus the 5 miles or so from june lake to Pumice Butte. Not bad. He was from Boston, so we'll forgive him. The next day we got to the weather station on swift creek. We finished our hike and met up with our friends whom were waiting there at Butte Dome.
It was killer.
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