Everett Mountaineers scrambling trip. Planned destination was Labyrinth Mtn. We reached Minotaur Lake, but did not summit, due to unfavorable combination of weather, detour driving route, and hazardous driving conditions. Everyone nonetheless retained a good team attitude and high spirits.
The ""normal"" driving approach from Puget Sound - along FS Road 6700 [Smith Brook] was impassable due to snow. Our detour route was as follows: From Lake Wenatchee (Hwy 207), west on FS Road 65 (Little Wenatchee River), west on FS Road 6700 (Rainy Creek), east on FS Road 6704, 1 mi to end.
The driving was hazardous on FS Road 6700, including numerous deadfalls that nearly blocked the road and forced driving onto the shoulder, washouts that required high clearance, a stream running over the road, a mud pit, and ""low bridge"" deadfalls that had to be carefully driven under. The low bridge deadfalls would prevent passage of a tall vehicle, i.e. a tow truck. FS Road 6704 was also hazardous, with a mound of snow that barely permitted passage, further delaying the start and even more greatly delaying the return drive, upon which two vehicles got stuck, requiring excavation with shovels, rope-towing and pushing.
Minotaur Lake Trail #1517 starts at 3,800'. It is a steep switchbacking fisherman's trail in a beautiful forest. Weather was drizzling, mid-40's temp, calm winds at start.
The trail was snow free up to 4,600', where firm snow was encountered. The slope is fairly steep at this elevation, and as is not uncommon at this time of year, the presence of snow here (as opposed to having open trail tread cut across the slope) raised the difficulty from a tough hike to full mountaineering requiring ice axes.
We lost the trail shortly before it cuts right to contour east at ~5,100'; we unintentionally continued climbing to 5,400' before realizing we were too high, and had to descend 300' to regain the trail and avoid traversing steep ridge, which slowed our progress. By the time we reached Minotaur Lake at 5,600' it was 2pm, and the weather had worsened to include a steady shower, light winds, and fog. We turned around at this point, due to the summit looking to be unpleasant and only a meager reward, combined with concerns for fatigue and speed of descent and threat of road becoming impassible with increasing rain.
Minotaur Lake is a stunning setting, with a dramatic island, below the snowy cliffs of Labyrinth Mtn. The lake was still nearly fully frozen over, and there was plentiful snow around its shore and the surrounding basin. The view of Theseus Lake 300' below was equally dramatic in the swirling fog, which permitted intermittent views of the lake ice beginning to break up into icebergs.
Will return another day hopefully.
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