After spending 7 month on the East coast I am so happy to be back! And to reunite with PNW I chose one of my favorite hikes.
We started around 9:30am from the TH. Rivers are too shallow now and crossing them was pretty easy. Trail is snow free up to the basin. Trail to the pass was broken which made pass ascent easier. On the other side tiny few days old boot track lead us to the lake. After the lake outlet we hiked towards the peak and broke rest of the trail to the summit. Snow conditions were pretty good, mostly solid crust and 5-10 inches of slightly wet snow on top, some postholes but not much, at some spots crust was super hard and icy though. We had snowshoes but never felt we need to put them on. Summit views were awesome as always.
Total time 5:50, gear used - poles and gaiters.
more photos https://photos.app.goo.gl/FnReh4b4tKyH1YmR9
Comments
My final backpack anywhere was tonupper meadows below Vesper, 1995. Had trouble descending with my pack, the 1200 foot Elevation drop on steep trail, if anyone dare call it that. My knees nearly failed, telling me my days on ultra hikes were over. A year later I was raising my first dog and soon hiking with him near Mt Stewart! Now, extremely limited, walks must be brief. Ascended Vesper a bunch of times, even found summit vacant, once! The drop on the west side is dumbfounded. Ultimately, one of my favorite hikes, ever! Heck, you can see Boeing plant from the summit! Not a place to take a dog! A place to contemplate the splendor of Cascades and lowlands west to Puget Sound!
Posted by:
Sabahsboy on Nov 25, 2023 09:11 PM