Mt. Rainier Success Divide

It seems with current weather trends that I am not going to be able to complete the last part (West) of the Mt. Rainier Grand Tour in one shot, as forging high on the divides and cleavers really should be done in good weather to take advantage of expansive views. A short decent weather window allowed me to at least get up the Success Divide to 7800 feet on Wednesday, September 23, and allowed for expansive views south and west, but a lingering cloud layer over the mountain proper down to about 8000 feet blocked any views upward. Nevertheless, this was a highly rewarding and somewhat tough day. The straight forward part is following the Wonderland Trail from Longmire to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, and there is a well established trail leading to Pyramid Peak from the Mirror Lakes Trail. After this, travel becomes somewhat more complicated as one skirts the base of Pyramid Peak to acquire the Success Divide. This is one instance where I actually was glad to have a GPS to check my return track a few times in this section. See the complete photo set for this Success Divide hike here.

fall colors near Pyramid Peak

The Success Divide is the lower part of a ridge that leads to the Success Cleaver. This is the only climbing route on Rainier that doesn't step foot on a glacier, but it is long and tough. As part of the Grand Tour I wanted to climb high enough to get close up views of the South Tahoma Glacier, Glacier Island, and numerous peaks to the west and south. Travel on the Divide was fairly tough, with loose rock and scree combined with route finding to choose the best line whilst skirting steeper areas. When I think of all the different areas and off trail portions of the Grand Tour, this was perhaps the toughest after the Elysian Fields/Moraine Park transit. However, it fits well in the crafting of my self concocted Grand Tour, taking the intrepid hiker well beyond the manicured trails in the park to areas visited by (statistically of all hikers) the few. And keeping in line with my criteria of non technical travel and/or specialized equipment, climbing the Divide was done with my usual light trail runners, in this case Inov8 Trailrock 235s.

tarn below Pyramid Peak

By dividing the West portion of the Grand Tour I am actually putting in many more miles than the original plan of 150, but so it goes. This day didn't disappoint on this first day of fall, with some patches of vibrant fall colors, cool temps, and solitude once I left the Wonderland. On my way back there was a one camper at Devils Dream camp, and I enjoyed perhaps 30 minutes of comraderie and libations while the chap from Wisconsin was making dinner, a pleasant respite indeed. After that it was a matter of retracing my steps in the dark back to my vehicle in a mostly downhill trot, enjoying the moon peeking through the trees in the process. Despite the weather not cooperating in its usual September style, snatching days like this when the opportunity arrives is still a treat for the soul.

Mt. Rainier Grand Tour: Part 3 (North)

The first snows of the season hit some upper reaches recently, making me realize the time may be drawing short for finishing up the Grand Tour. With a few days of pristine weather prior to the end of my vacation, I finished the north section in one push of 33 miles and 10,600 feet of elevation gain and loss. After hiking for nearly a week in so so weather (Alpine Lakes), this day, Wednesday September 9th, proved to be one of the most incredible and satisfying days I have spent in the mountains. If I had one word to describe this experience it would be Glorious. Grand Tour Part 3 photo set here.

The points I chose for this part of the park continue to be representative of in-your-face glacier views, solitude from crowds, strenuous but not technical off trail travel and fabulous 360 degree vistas. The order and days traveled are irrelevant, but here are the points that I hit:

Mt. Ruth (8690') and slightly beyond (8750')

Third Burroughs Mountain (7828')

Skyscraper Mountain (7078')

Curtis Ridge (7000-8000')

next objective Third Burroughs in sight

For my long day I chose to start at the White River campground and proceed up the Glacier Basin trail to Glacier Basin. From there I easily crossed the Inter Fork of the White River by rock hopping and proceeded to scale the ridge further right, skirting some cliff bands but attaining the ridge higher than the usual climbers trail, which I used for the descent. Some fresh snow deposits on Ruth were easily negotiated in my trail runners and I enjoyed solitude on this summit with 360 degree views, spying many points (such as Goat Island Mountain, Banshee etc) that are also on the Tour. The Emmons Glacier is so massive that no camera can capture its immensity, nor can panos do the view justice in any direction. This is truly a place that needs your eyeballs for it to sink in. I finally tore myself away from the summit to proceed up the spine towards Steamboat Prow but was met by a rocky barrier barring access to the rest of the ridge. It seems the other times I have been up here I came via the Inter Glacier so perhaps hadn't noted this. I descended at this point a bit to see if I could scramble around but quickly decided that I should bag it and head back. It is still worth it to hike the spine this short ways to look back on the dramatic side of Mt. Ruth and stand approximately 60 feet higher than the Ruth summit. From here on it was downhill mode and I quickly found myself back at Glacier Basin and ready for the next ascent to Third Burroughs. This is all on trail and the view from Third Burroughs allows you to glimpse the other spine of Steamboat Prow and gaze upon the equally impressive Winthrop Glacier. I looked towards my next objective, Skyscraper Mountain, and scoped a cross country route that would take me there. This off trail section went without much difficulty and once I attained the open ridge it was an easy walk to intersect the Wonderland Trail at Skyscraper Pass and follow the obvious tread to Skyscraper Mountain. Once again I had the summit to myself and enjoyed equally impressive 360 degree views, spying more points on the Tour. From this point I joined the Wonderland Trail with the aim of making Mystic Lake before nightfall. The only glitch in my plan was a socked in Curtis Ridge, where I have been many times before, and I decided to skip foggy nighttime cross country travel here with questionable returns. I was carrying everything I needed with the plan of attaining Curtis Ridge and snoozing until sunrise for photo ops, then hiking out to be done before noon, but I decided to skip right to the return to reacquaint myself with endurance hiking and star gazing. It made for a long day but extremely satisfying being able to pull off this hike in this age 60 celebratory year.

Mt. Ruth from higher up on the ridge leading to Steamboat Prow

Mt. Ruth (center) on climb to First Burroughs Mountain

Whether I can finish the last part of the Tour (South) before winter sets in is up to the vagaries of weather and schedule. Once complete I will publish more particulars and possible ways to connect these hikes for the intrepid backpacker who wants to experience this park in ways far beyond the Wonderland. Stay tuned.

Exploring the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness is nestled in Washington State's Central Cascades region, consisting of 394,000 acres of glacial scoured wonder. My daughter and I spent a week transiting and exploring some of this area, albeit during a period of unsettled weather. Damp skies didn't dampen our spirits and in fact, unsettled weather makes for uncrowded trails, even at the end of summer. The following 4 trips totaled 75 miles of hiking, barely scratching the surface of this pristine wilderness.

Icicle Ridge (8/27-28)

sunset at Lake Grace

With iffy weather forecasts all over, my daughter and I were trying to work around possible weather, and we got really lucky on this one. We hiked from the Icicle Creek trailhead to Lake Grace on day 1, leaving us plenty of time to lounge before dark and scope out a possible foray to Upper Grace Lake, a nasty looking scramble from our vantage point. She had about 4 possible choices for day two and we agreed if the weather was good on the second day we would get up early and go for the upper lake. However, it started raining and continued through most of the night, so we stayed in for awhile and got up when it seemed to abate. We decided to continue on a shortish loop for day 2 and do as much as we could before the rains started, but the forecast rains never came and we enjoyed a dry day. We enjoyed solitude until the last part of day 2 when we ran into some hikers up around Lake Edna. We were somewhat baffled by one couple who were scantily clad with one small pack asking if the parking lot was up here (at the time we had just crested a pass at 6800 feet). They had climbed the Chatter Creek trail over 4000 feet...??? We showed them the map and pointed out that whatever the ranger told them about a 10 mile loop something was amiss, so they reluctantly turned around and descended the very steep and unrelenting trail back the way they came. We were wondering if they were still going to be a couple the next day. This trip was approximately 28 miles with some pretty good pulls both uphill and down. Overall we thought the scenery was spectacular and ever changing.

colors reflect in Lake Mary

Kendall Katwalk (8/30)

Kendall Katwalk in mist

Just up the road off I-90, this 12 mile round trip with 3000 feet of elevation gain and loss is a great trainer for keeping the legs loose, plus it takes one to one of the more unique spots in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the PCT, the Kendall Katwalk. This part of the trail is blasted into a sheer rock face with a thousand foot drop, pretty cool when you can see but very eerie when the clouds obscure the drop as was our case. It was cold and wet above 5000 feet and we didn't linger long, although staring into the white abyss was somewhat mesmerizing. We retreated around a corner and ate a quick snack before stoking the internal furnace and bringing feeling back into our fingertips on the way down. Before the relatively short drive home we stopped for hot chocolate and coffee, discussing how the summer seemed to come to an abrupt halt and give way immediately to winter like conditions, sans snow.

Enchantments (8/31-9/02)

Our first trip to the Enchantments found them virtually empty, probably because of 65 MPH winds and forecasts of snow. Some rangers told us people were bailing left and right. However, we had our permits so we were bound to take a looksee. Starting at the Snow Lakes trailhead, we began our 5000 foot climb with cloudy skies but no rain, eventually passing said rangers and then a group of 7 older campers. Quite a delightful group indeed, with whom we would cross paths the next day. There were a few other groups leaving or camped at Nada Lake but after this we would only see a couple running the transit. When we reached Snow lake at 5400 feet we took a break and discussed our options with the iffy weather forecast, where we decided to pitch our camp amidst a sheltered spot. If we had continued on from here, the next available option would have been at Leprechaun Lake at 6700 feet. We settled in for the evening, digging into our extravagant food selection and hunkered down for the night.

goat above Nada Lake

the larches are coming!

On Day 2 we got up after a very windy night and decided to leave the tent where it was and go up to explore the upper Enchantments on an out and back. If the weather turned out to be decent our plan was to tag Aasgard pass and then come back. However, once above 6000 feet we were met with driving mist most of the day and much lower temperatures, although the forecast snow was absent. Photo ops were few as just taking the camera out had to be with my back to the wind, but we still enjoyed the breathtaking surroundings wrapped in our 3 layers. I packed two cameras, one with a good telephoto for all the goat shots I anticipated, but even the goats had abandoned the upper reaches and the few shots I took lower down were the only ones to be had. Once we reached Perfection it was close to 2 PM so we decided to turn back and get over the slippery granite well before dark. Much to our delight the weather lessened its onslaught, the rains abated and the winds calmed and the descent from over 7000 feet back to our camp was almost pleasant. This entire day we saw 4 people, a couple of couples who were transiting from one trailhead to the other....not one occupied campsite was to be seen, possibly a rare event for this time of year. Once we reached Snow Lake we ran into our relocated group of 7 and chatted with them again, lamenting that we had no hot chocolate so two cups were produced for us...it's nice to have a daughter around with big eyes just glowing with hot chocolate neediness.

Lake Viviane

lower trail to the Enchantments

Back in our camp we pondered the next day but my wife was texting the weather forecasts (via DeLorme) and high winds, snow and even thunder quelled our ambitions to ascend for a second day. In fact, most of the night the gusts were loud and strong enough to keep me awake at first, assessing the tent's ability to withstand what made it through the trees as my daughter snored beside me. I was quite glad we were not camped at 7000 feet that evening for sure. We awoke to sunny skies, lingered in the chill for awhile and met lots of people coming up the trail with the sun beating down. I hope the weather treats them well despite the forecasts. Our plan is to return next year and endure hot weather or perhaps at least transit from Aasgard across in one shot, it really is a special place that lives up to the hype...especially when it is uncrowded.

general area map of areas explored in the Alpine Lakes

Rachel Lake, Alta Mountain (9/05)

Rachel Lake

Labor Day weekend had a forecast for one decent day and we tried to take advantage of it by climbing Alta Mountain (6150'). A short 3.5 mile hike took us past Rachel Lake, then a 2.5 mile steepish pull put us on the Alta summit. However, the weather didn't cooperate with any views so we enjoyed white out conditions and biting winds, descending after tagging the summit to a nice sheltered area for lunch. Considering the thunderstorm that greeted us when we arrived home, I have to say the weather cooperated nicely with no rain and about 6 ten second periods of sun. Expansive views would have been a bonus, but we thoroughly enjoyed this outing of perfect length and difficulty (12 miles/3300'), close access (just over an hour's drive) and crisp fall air. It seems we have only touched the surface of possibilities in this gem of wilderness that lies so close to the Seattle area.

fall colors below Alta Mountain

approaching Alta summit (6150')

ZPacks Carbon Fiber Staff Review

I've been using trekking poles for almost 30 years for lots of reasons, including stability for creek crossings, upper body use for ascending and descending, camera mount platform and general pace making. However, this year I decided to return to the venerable staff in the form of the ZPacks Carbon Fiber Staff. Why would I change a piece of equipment that has proven useful over and again for decades?

ANS: Off trail travel and scrambling where I need one hand free, and the ability to reach further and deeper during creek and river crossings. Although I've used the staff on a number of trips this year, including the Loowit and Wonderland trails, my latest excursion around Mt. Adams in Washington provided the ultimate test. I spent the better part of a day, almost 8 hours, negotiating the rugged eastern part of the mountain where there is no trail. What I did have to negotiate were steep scree slopes, mounds of rocks and boulders, wild creek and river crossings, thickets and dense trees and steep meadows. I was only able to stride normally in just a few places; otherwise I was scrambling over something, down something, or under something continuously. I used my free hand for scramble aid, veggie belays etc and used the staff not only for balance but as a battering ram when I encountered thick brush. I've used it as a mini pole vault for creek crossings, it's been slammed into the ground on numerous occasions during a scree slide or slip, including longitudinal forces that would have snapped my regular carbon trekking pole(s). It has taken enough abuse over these various trips that I keep wondering how long it's going to last before something gives, but aside from marring of the tape around the bottom and pitting of the copper piece, I've had no problems.

Another selling point for the staff is the ability to break it down into small sections, allowing me to carry it in a side pocket without it sticking up too far past the pack. This proved invaluable on a couple of trips where I biked for positioning and had to stow the staff. I've also mounted a camera on it. About the only thing I haven't used it for is fighting off a cougar or bear, but hopefully I won't have to do that any time soon. If I do I better have a camera mounted on it to capture the moment.

The following video shows how I used the staff to cross the Big Muddy on the east side of Adams. I found a place where the hydraulics looked just good enough for me to cross, and I was glad I had the extra reach of the staff for the center torrent. This sort of situation is where the robustness and extra length of the staff proved superior to trekking poles. One last comment about the staff's utility; the surface is conducive to gripping anywhere which is invaluable when negotiating steep slopes....I have easily adjusted the height of my grip to match the terrain, for instance gripping low when the staff is uphill, and gripping high when downstepping.

Am I giving up trekking poles? Certainly not, for well maintained trail I still like the two hand approach. But for off trail travel, I'll take the ZPacks Carbon Fiber Staff everytime. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with ZPacks and purchased this item for full price;

Big Muddy Crossing with ZPacks Staff from Willis Wall on Vimeo.

Update

on 2015-11-18 07:41 by Steve

At the end of this fall season (2015) I found that I used this carbon staff on all but two hikes. Click these links to see the staff in action.

Eliot Creek Crossing, the off trail and "unofficial" part of Mt. Hood's Timberline Trail

Mt. Adams Round-The-Mountain off trail time lapse, mentioned in the original review

Willis Wall Year in Review video for 2015, where I also used it for some "selfie" shots. The length of the pole allowed for my entire body to fit in the frame.

Wonderland Trail: West 57 miles

just a ridiculous flower showWhat better way to really do a conditions report on the Wonderland Trail than actually hiking the better portion of it? My June 9/10 clockwise hike from Longmire to Sunrise can be summed up thusly: for snow and general conditions, it's like August. For trail maintenance, it's like June (iow, nada). This is probably the only time I would consider hiking the Wonderland a "wilderness experience" due to the fact that one of the major access points is not open until June 19 (Mowich Lake road) and both crossings over the Mowich Rivers are out. Throw in blowdown and a few eradicated sections of trail, schwacking and log crossing the Mowich rivers, and negotiating some snow at Skyscraper Pass, and the traditional backpackers that come to hike the Wonderland from all over might be discouraged at the moment. Every park I transited above 5000 feet was bursting at the seams with a riot of flowers. Unfortunately, those hiking the trail during the more "normal" season starting in July will probably not enjoy the spectacle I witnessed, but at least the trail crews should have fixed the problems I've mentioned. One thing's for sure, Wonderland hikers coming this summer will enjoy a snow free trail.

This link to a trip report I posted on NWHikers provides some details about the trip, including the difficulties enocountered, along with myriad photos. The photo album can also be viewed on the Willis Wall facebook page. The following video will give the reader a good idea of the August like conditions I experienced and perhaps an incentive for people with a date for the trail.

Mt. St. Helens: Loowit Trail

Volcanoes dominate some skylines in the Pacific Northwest. Just witness how many photos are published of the Seattle area with Mt. Rainier in the background. We climb them, ski them, and hike around them. Which brings me to Mt. St. Helens, the show stopper of 1980 when the summit collapsed and produced the Earth's largest recorded landslide in an eruption that displaced 3.7 billion cubic yards of material from the mountain. Lahars, mud flows, ash deposits and blown over denuded trees made the landscape surreal. Now, 35 years later, my daughter and I decided to hike the Loowit Trail which circumnavigates the mountain and takes the hiker through the impact area in a transit that sees the lingering effects and amazing recovery of the ecosystems.We took two days to make the 32 mile trip, sleeping in on the first day and driving the 3.5 hour trip to our hop on point at Climber's Bivouac on the south side of the mountain. A 2 mile trail took us to the intersection with the Loowit Trail for us to start our Counter Clockwise transit. Sticking to our plan, we hiked approximately 12 miles the first day and bivied on the Plains of Abraham, an area just before entering the restricted zone, where camping is not allowed. (Full set of photos here)

How does one adequately describe this hike in a few paragraphs? The south side sees trail crossing boulder fields with adequately spaced wooden posts placed to guide the hiker as there is no real trail in these sections. Gradually we entered the impact zone where trees were mown over like toothpicks, all pointing away from the blast direction, but some half covered in deposits, some still standing, and some being surrounded by meadow and flowers and new trees. The impact zone itself can be characterized by ravines, gullies and an occasional chasm. The deposit of this vast amount of ejected material is easily cut by creeks and rivers, with near vertical walls to contend with. At the South Fork Toutle River crossing, there are ropes to assist the hiker in ascending and descending into the ravine because of the loose and steep material one must try to find purchase on. And don't expect any bridges either, making for a few feet wet crossings. Did I mention the heat? Miles of hiking with no shade and the sun heating up the lava rocks all around you. Better carry enough water too, as sources are scarce. But I don't mean to complain about the various challenges on this hike, as the geologic interest, vastness of the area, expansive views and hidden surprises (like our visit from a Northern Pygmy Owl during a rest break back in old growth) more than compensate for the conditions. Prepare for a little grit in your socks and be amazed at the power of nature, both in its destructive capabilities and in its amazing ability to recover and rebuild.

Transiting the south side of the Loowit trail, Mt. Adams in the distance

Ghosts begin to appear as we enter the transition to the impact zone on Mt. St. Helens' east side

Ghosts slipping away, blast zone Mt. St. Helens

Mt. St. Helens dome in 2004

descending to the South Fork Toutle River, Mt. St. Helens

Mt. St. Helens dome in 2007