2017 was kind of a rough year as far as I was concerned. There
was material for a good many blog posts but I simply didn’t have the time.
I lost my favorite uncle. I lost 3 cows, mostly due to
mistakes on my part and, it could be argued, a certain amount of neglect due to
mixed up priorities.
Sacha ended up getting a long term temporary job teaching
middle school science. Unfortunately it started several months into the school
and she had no time to prepare and had to scramble from day one to the end of
the school year. In addition, through an extraordinary effort, she also got her
teaching certificate in the midst of all of this.
We also got caught up in the well-water ridiculousness and I
had to scramble all spring to make sure we could get a permit to build a house
on property right next the place where I grew up and where people have lived since well before I was
born. In addition, at work I worked pretty much ten plus hours a day 5 to 6
days a week from March to this date and expect to have the same schedule to the
end of the year and beyond. This is financially helpful but long term it wears
a person down. I was able to take a number of days off over the summer to do
trips in the mountains but there was never really any time to recover. It was
go, go, go. In addition I was taking on-line classes for professional
development pretty much all year.
As far as the trips into the mountains went, I probably had
more failures this year than any other by far. This was probably due in part to
the fact that at least four of those trips had been some more difficult ones
that I either hadn’t had a chance to attempt or that I had postponed in prior
years. That being said, without exception, I always saw something interesting
and learned something new. Many of these failed trips were, in a sense,
scouting trips for the future. I sat down and wrote down accounts of each trip
but because of my busy schedule, I didn’t have time to edit any of them as per
the posts of the last several years of “Walls of Words”. The following posts
are accounts of my trips of 2017 if the reader is up to digging through them.
7/2/17 Downey
Creek Break-in Trip
Finished with haying for the year the day before on the 1st
of July. Helped a friend with some of his hay. Got mine in the weekend before.
Brutal heat-mid to high 90’s. Worked about 8 hours until dark on Saturday and
another 6 or 7 on Sunday. Arms, shoulders and legs cramping as we unloaded the
last load in the barn even though I was careful to keep hydrated. Out of shape
because I had been working so much overtime on Gen 31 rewind, didn’t really
have time to stay in shape. Wanted to go up Downey 6.6 miles to Bachelor Creek
according to Green Trails for a break in trip. Trail isn’t too hard but is good
distance to cover. Brand new Converse Chuck Taylor high tops to start the trip.
Got to Bachelor Creek okay, beginning to get a little tired. Nice day, a little
warm in the sun but good breeze and actually got cold sitting in breeze coming
down Bachelor Creek canyon if wasn’t in the sun. Legs pretty stiff when got
ready to go back out. Legs pretty rubbery but still functional by the time I
was about halfway out. Saw several tailed frog tadpoles and several Cascades
frogs. Made it out okay right hip and leg bothering me a little. Sore the next
day. Took about 3 days to recover and specific muscle groups in right leg and
hip extra sore. Went with Sacha and kids up Boulder River (N. Fork
Stillaguamish) on 4th.
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| Cascades frog (Rana cascade) encountered at stream crossing on Downey Creek trail. |
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| Same as above, slightly different photo framing and magnification. |
7/9/17 Cultus Mtns
Carry Creek Break-in Trip
First long trip of year. Sacha gone to training in Berkley,
CA. Mom watched kids. Walked in from Lake Cavanaugh Road near Pilchuck Creek. Started
out at about 8:00 a.m. Maren Morris, 80’s Mercedes looping through my head most
of the trip. Streams were significantly lower than about the same time previous
year though previous year much wetter. Wore some pads a friend had given me in
shoes. Gravel roads tear up feet. Worked quite well though made shoes tight and
quickly developed some hot spots on heels. Debated stopping and putting on some
moleskin but figured it would be okay. Figured one way on this trip 8 to 9
miles. Pretty tired by the time I reached the top of the mountain and the pass
between Pilchuck Creek and Carry Creek. Pond was pretty neat spot. Saw some
Northwestern salamander egg masses and some bear sign. Started back out at
about 1:30 p.m. When hit downhill started developing hot spots on top of pinkie
toes. Heels stopped hurting for most part. Then about halfway down, left heel
suddenly started hurting. Got back to rig at about 7:00 p.m. Total hours
walking about 10. When took socks off that night say that I hadn’t been paying
very close attention and socks were threadbare on heels. A strip of skin was
hanging through a hole in the heel of the left sock. Sore again next day, again
with special emphasis on right leg and hip but not as sore as previous week.
Pretty much recovered in 3 days.
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| Pond at the head of Carry Creek (Day Creek drainage). |
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| Canadian dogwood or bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) in sphagnum near pond. Canadian dogwood is not considered a wetland plant and it most often occupies drier upland areas but it also able to do quite well in wetlands. |
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| Elephant head (Pedicularis groenlandica) and an aster, probably a daisy, genus Erigeron. These plants are obligate wetland plants and can't grow in areas where the ground is not perennially wet. I made a birthday card for Sacha from this photo. |
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| Looking south from north end of pond. I accessed this pond via the low valley mid frame. |
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| Northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) egg mass on sticks in pond. |
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| View looking west at pond. |
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| Looking northeast at pond from spot where I originally accessed it. The white spots in the foreground is cottongrass (Eriophorum spp.) which is actually a sedge and not a grass. |
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| Same as above, zoomed out. |
7/15/17 Cultus
Mtns Carry and Rocky Creeks
Started out same place as previous week at about 8:45 a.m. Felt
pretty good and chugged on up road. Kelsea Ballerini, Peter Pan, Flock of
Seagulls, I Ran and several other tunes looping through my head. Did feel like
it was taking longer this time than on previous week but pace was about the
same or better. Ran into guy on motorbike over from Walker Valley ORV park who told me that the part of road
we were on was part of that system, which I had suspected but hadn’t had a
chance to explore yet. I was trying to get in shape for hiking season so didn’t
mind walking which I told him. Talked for a while. He apparently did more than
just motorized recreation. He talked about several hiking trails. We both
lamented the decreasing access in the area both on private land and public,
though he seemed pretty worried about the large numbers of people coming into
the area. Continued on and made it to jump off point from upper road to lower
road. Destination ponds were below lower road. Hit unmapped pond on Rocky Creek
first. Quite interesting and worth the stop. Plan was to try to hit several
unmapped ponds on way between the two mapped ponds that were my goal. After
making it to the mapped pond on Rocky Creek that was my destination and
checking it out, realized I didn’t have enough time to hit the other unmapped
ponds/wetlands. It was already about 2:00 p.m. Hit spur road above this pond
which led back to main road and followed that to pond on Carry Creek. This pond
very cool. Rock outcrop on west side and a lot of plants around it in both the
rocks and wetland area were in full bloom. Saw bunch of Northwestern salamander
eggs, a salamander a western toad and a Cascades frog. Started back around 3:30
p.m. Had to go back up hill to upper road. Legs were tired at this point but
everything worked quite well. At upper road at a little after 4:00 p.m. and
back to rig at about 7:00 p.m. Very tired for last couple miles. Stumbling and
almost asleep on my feet. Legs didn’t have rubbery feel though and no cramps.
Felt a little stiff the next day but by-and-large felt quite good. Went with Sacha
and kids into Slide Lake. Road up there getting very overgrown and a couple of
bad spots. Probably lose the road in one spot before Iron Creek. Really too
bad. Ten vehicles at parking spot when we got there. I put first damage to kid
hauler by backing into a log. Good trip in. Both kids walked all the way in on
a trail that is pretty challenging for little people. Though I would argue this
particular trail is excellent training for said little people because, though
it is challenging, it is also short and the destination is a pretty cool spot.
Vashti made it all the way back out on her own and I had to carry Phoebe the
last quarter mile or so. Might be our last trip in there. Too bad. Would like
to take kids into Hamar and Enjar (Otter Lakes) next year. This trip would be doable if we
could drive to the trailhead but not if we had to walk quite a few miles to
reach it.
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| Small, unmapped pond at the headwaters of Rocky Creek (Day Creek drainage). I saw this one on Google Earth and decided to check it out on the way into another pond that was mapped in the same area. |
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| Blue damselfly. I am not up on my Odonata species which is unfortunate because dragonflies and damselflies are pretty cool insects. Maybe someday I will invest the time and learn them a little better. |
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| Looking south from north end of unmapped pond. I think the hill in the background is the one above the pond on Carry Creek that I went into the week before. |
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| Mapped pond at the headwaters of Rocky (Day) Creek just north of the previous pond. This pond was one of my main goals for the day. This view is looking north. |
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| Red dragonfly. At one time I had figured out the name of this species (or at least pretty close to whatever species it is). I think the common name is whiteface and the genus us Leucorrhinia. I think I have mentioned it in previous blog posts as these red dragonflies are pretty common. |
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| More blue damselflies and a spider. |
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| Mapped pond at the head of Carry Creek, my last destination for the day. This pond was pretty cool. It was just off a road and had a large rock outcrop on its southwest side just out of the frame to the left. Unfortunately, at the time I was there, the sun was directly above the outcrop so I wasn't able to get any good photos of it. This view is looking northwest. |
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| View looking northeast. |
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| Northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile). |
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| Same as above. |
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| Looking roughly east. |
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| Western toad (Bufo boreas). |
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| View from road on the way out looking at Whitehorse Mountain and Three Fingers (L to R). |
7/21-23/17 Gamma
Creek
Started later Friday. Turned down about 150 dollars in
overtime to do trip. Watched kids while Sacha went on short run. Went to
Cascade Supply and got dog food and salt block for cows and took them up.
Watered cows and checked on Skyeball. Got started on trail at about 11:30.
Plenty of time. Had over nine hours to walk 10 to 12 miles. Selena Gomez and
Kygo “It Ain’t Me” looping through my head along with Chainsmokers/Coldplay
“Something Just Like This” and Old Dominion “Song for Another Time”. As well as
a few others that occasionally popped into my head. Got to Gamma Creek at about
5:30 p.m. after a couple of half hour stops, one for lunch and another at Dolly
Creek where I took a nap. Relatively uneventful trip. Got a bunch of small
gravel in shoes from wading Vista Creek. Plan was to head up Gamma Creek next
day and try to reach hot springs. Initial plan had been to follow PCT up Vista
Creek and then cross country up and over below Gamma Peak. Looked like a lot of
extra walking. Taking trail up Gamma Ridge also looked like extra walking.
Distance shorter up creek and map contour lines up Gamma Creek indicated
relatively low gradient, though was a bit skeptical about that, which was why I
had made plans not to go straight up creek. Went to set up tent at Gamma Creek
and realized I had left it at home. Bummed out. Weather supposed to be good and
under thick boughs of several trees and know lots of people who sleep out
without a tent, have done so myself many times. But like tent cause good way to
escape bugs. No-see-ums seemed to swarm me at moment I realized I didn’t have
tent. Not the end of the world though. Made dinner and went to sleep. Up a
little after 6:00 a.m. next day. Hard to get going. Figured to be able to make
it to hot springs (or not) and make a few miles back out. Finally got sweat and
blood going well by the time got to main creek valley. Hadn’t gone far when ran
into waterfall. Probably could have gotten past if I was wearing felt soled
shoes but didn’t want to try walking up it with just Chuck’s. Valley walls very
steep. Valley deeply incised into erodible rock-looked mostly
volcanic-conglomerate-welded tuff or something similar. Found spot to get up
out of valley. Brushy scramble but finally made it into timber with low enough
slope to walk sidehill. Knew it would be hard to find spot again in all the low
growing brush-actually shrubs-a lot of yew and hemlock and silver fir
seedlings. Sidehilled for quarter to half mile and found small slide area that
created enough of an alluvial fan that I could get down off the steep valley
wall. Hit creek again and going was very good. Fairly low gradient. Lots of
sediment-eroded tuff 3 to 4 feet deep. Lots of tailed frog tadpoles-saw one to
many every time I crossed creek. Made it to first major tributary, coming into
Gamma Creek from southeast. Very large alluvial fan of eroded tuff at
confluence. Whole valley of trib bare on both sides as far as eye could see.
More tuff eroding. Making good time to this point, only 9:00 a.m. and a third
of the way or more to hot springs. Continued on up creek. Brushier but still
pretty easy going. Then saw rock point promontory that creek took sharp turn
around. Lots of bedrock in area. Didn’t look good. Good chance of impassable
waterfall. Kept going and made it around promontory. Thought I was going to be
okay then saw waterfall. Thought I couldn’t get past but then saw a spot that
wouldn’t be too bad. Took pictures of waterfall but didn’t take pictures of
promontory-should have, it was pretty cool looking. However, I saw it as a
problem at the time and didn’t think to take any photos. Got past waterfall
only to find another, smaller waterfall. This one wasn’t very easy to go
around. Had to veggie belay around side. Fall distance was necessarily lethal
but wouldn’t want to have fallen. Then hit another waterfall with similar spot
but even harder to get around. By this point had planned to maybe try to make
it to trail to get out. Didn’t want to go back through all those bad spots. Could
see several waterfalls ahead but also looked like valley was getting flatter
again. But this was enough. Didn’t want to take any more chances and it looked
like I would have to squeak by several more tough spots to get to flatter
valley. Didn’t want to orphan kids so turned around at about 11:00 p.m. Worked
way back down creek. Tried to get up out of creek bottom several times but too
steep. Had lunch at about 1:00 p.m. and found spot where I had come down.
Climbed back up and followed game trail I had followed in for some distance. Couldn’t
find exact spot where I had come up. Didn’t want to go down just anywhere
because lots of cliffs and treacherous gulleys to get sucked into. Cliff band
on front of ridge on south side of creek showed prominently on map. Nice
flatter area above that and very doable slope to sidehill to trail. Decided to
go that route, which was my backup plan if I couldn’t find the spot where I had
come up-probably could have found the spot but would have taken a lot of time
and effort and at this point, I figured the trail up to Gamma Ridge/Peak would
be the best shot for access to hot springs so figured it would be worth
checking out. About an hour sidehilling before hitting trail. Followed well
worn game trail for much of this distance. Trail tread was very well used.
Looked like quite a few people had been over it. Lots of blow downs and brush.
Ran into nice lady a little way down the trail brushing with some loppers. She
confirmed that the trail was probably the best route into hot springs. She had
been in there twice, the last time about 15 years ago before the big floods of
2003 took out road. She said trail at that time was pretty well maintained. A
little way down the trail I realized that I had left without thanking her for
all the work she was doing on the trail. It was quite a bit for one person. Got
back to Gamma Creek, packed and headed out. Ran into a nice guy from Virginia,
I think he said, at the PCT bridge over the Suiattle. He had camped below
Canyon Creek and walked up to Dolly Creek to explore a bit. Camped at a spot I
like with a nice spring about an hour and a half from the trailhead. Rest of
trip was relatively uneventful. Got home about 10:00 a.m. Went with Sacha and
kids to moms, walked Skyeball and hung out at Diobsud Creek with the kids and
Skyeball. Picked a five gallon bucket of apples off transparent tree. Hit wild
blackberry patch and picked about 3 pints and made it back in time to go with
Sacha and kids to see Despicable Me 3 at Concrete Theatre.
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| Tailed frog (Ascaphus truei) tadpole on rock in stream at crossing of Suiattle River trail. |
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| Gnomeplant (Hemitomes congestum). |
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| Gnomeplant (Hemitomes congestum). |
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| The first waterfall I encountered on the way pu Gamma Creek. I probably could have gotten past this one with felt soled shoes but I didn't have any. So I went up the hill and cut around it. |
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| Looking downstream after I got back down into the creek. |
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| Looking upstream from previous spot. During floods sediment piles up above constrictions in the stream like the one that formed the waterfall I had to circumnavigate. Then during smaller floods the streams cuts down through the sediment deposits. |
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| Looking upstream from confluence of larger tributary coming in on the right bank (east side) of Gamma Creek. |
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| Looking up right bank tributary to Gamma Creek. This whole area is on the flank of Glacier Peak and apparently the particular rock of this area is highly erodible. The lower banks of this tributary were bare as far as the eye could see. |
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| Second major waterfall. I was able to get around this one at the right side of the frame but was finally stopped by another waterfall/bedrock wall just upstream. |
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| Looking downstream from spot where previous photo was taken. There was a really interesting land form rising above me just out of the frame to the right. It looked like the stream had at one time been straight here but had then been diverted somehow to flow in a semi-circle leaving a pyramid shaped outcrop of rock. Where the stream had been flowing on its straight course there was a low saddle between the rock outcrop and the parent bedrock. I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of it. It was pretty impressive. |
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| Asters in the stream bed. These are probably daisies, genus Erigeron. I also included this photo in Sacha's birthday card. |
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| Welded tuff or some other kind of volcanic conglomerate. This photo was taken in the area of the right bank tributary from earlier in this post. |
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| More volcanic conglomerate. Probably the majority of the rock in Gamma Creek in this area was this type of rock. |
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| Tailed frog tadpole on volcanic conglomerate. |
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| Zoomed out view of above photo. |
7/28-30/17 Ida
Lake
Plan was to go into Ida Lake and try to get up over ridge
from there to some small ponds draining to SF Sauk. Had attempted to get into
these in 2013 via a route up Pearsall Creek but ended up being stopped by
ground too steep about 200 feet short of ponds. Next logical try would be from
Ida. Had been to Ida Lake in 1997 and was not looking forward to going in
again. Route, as I remembered it was very similar to route up Pearsall Creek.
Very brushy with lots of thorny plants. Route in 1997 followed closer to creek
at valley bottom for much of distance so thought I would try route higher in
valley. Often dodge a lot of brush in doing so. Turned down about 150 dollars
in overtime to do trip. Started out Friday morning. Went to Concrete first to
get money from bank and then to Marblemount to freeze some wild blackberries I
had picked the night before. Figured I had plenty of time that day which
justified time on errands but still wanted to get good early start.
Hit trail a little after 10:00 a.m. and
was at Goat Lake at a little after noon- about 2 hours to go almost 5 miles
(check). After short break, started out to go around ridge into Ida Valley.
Didn’t eat lunch because wasn’t very hungry-ate late breakfast and knew I would
have a lot of strenuous activity ahead. Nice timber on ridge from Goat Lake.
Hit first talus in Ida Valley. Very mossy and overgrown with lots of subalpine
fir growing in it. Have noticed that subalpine fir often prefers such talus and
grows much lower than is usually the normal range for it. Quite often these
trees make travel more difficult by falling down and creating barriers of
extremely stiff branches which adds to the maze of holes in the rocks. Another
strip of timber at up valley edge of rock slide. At this edge, going over last
few rocks before timber and braced right hand on large rock slab about 3 feet
by 4 feet across and 6 inches to a foot thick and covered with several inches
of moss. As I came down, this slab slid off rock it was resting on. Managed to
get my body and legs clear of it but limb knocked my hat off and it fell into
hole between some very large boulders. Watched in slow motion as sliding slab
fell into hole after hat like some giant stopper. Figured hat was gone. Was
fond of that hat but it wasn’t my absolute favorite. I did need something to
cover my head as I worked through the brush ahead though. Pretty shaken up too.
Slab was easily big enough to crush me like a bug. If leg had been pinned would
have been bad. Would have been stuck until help came-if they could find me.
Probably several very painful days and probably out of water before too long. Anyway,
none of that happened to set myself to see if I could somehow retrieve hat.
Tried reaching through gap around slab with no luck, not much of a gap. Noticed
that there was quite a bit of space under the large boulders that formed hole
that slab had fallen into. These boulders 6 to 10 feet in diameter with holes
underneath just big enough that I could worm into. Wormed through brush and
into hole. Kind of creepy after seeing that large, seemingly stable slab slide
off like nothing. If these boulders I was under did same, I was done. However,
they appeared quite stable. Didn’t see hat in hole I tried, no sign of it. Noticed
another hole a little farther up. Crawled though brush and into that hole and,
sure enough, there was hat. Now question was whether it was permanently pinned.
Grabbed it and, after a few good tugs, it came free no worse for the wear than
a little moss detritus. Had figured I might get part of it out but not whole
thing. Continued on. Timber strip was narrow and worst part of brush straight
ahead. Some large ungulate, had been using timber strip heavily. Many piles of
droppings in very close vicinity. Thought maybe deer but pellets were more
rounded, deer usually oblong. Started into brush, miserable mix of vine maple,
Douglas maple, devil’s club, thorny salmonberry, fool’s huckleberry, blue
huckleberry and lady and bracken fern growing so thickly that I couldn’t see
where I was stepping, holes in the rocks or uneven ground. The whole mass was
over my head so couldn’t see to get bearings. Maples some of the hardest brush
to move through, harder than tag alder-stiffer. Saw a few stinging nettles but
not many of those for some reason. Usually end up being stung multiple times,
often across the face in such situations but not this time. That being said,
moving through this mass was miserable business, quickly bathed in sweat. Felt
like trying to move through jello except every time I moved, something stabbed
or scratched or bruised. Fortunately didn’t run into any yellow jackets. After
several hours, started getting tired. Had to think about every step. Usually
couldn’t see ground because vegetation growth was so heavy it filled almost
every possible space. Ground uneven or overgrown talus with lots of holes
between rocks. Slipped often and had to hoist myself and pack up through
resisting brush. Sometimes had to take 3 or 4 steps or attempts at steps to get
one step forward. Process was push against resisting, thorn filled brush, worm
a foot forward, plant it as solidly as possible, then heave forward with upper
body while pushing off leg and try to plant trailing leg solidly. When I wasn’t
trying to force myself through the brush I was swatting swarms of blackflies. Every
time had chance to take bearings looked back and saw that I hadn’t traveled far
and still looking down Ida Valley at Elliot Creek Valley not far off. Finally
hit gully partway through the slope. Fortunately stream running in it. Stopped
and ate something because hungry and starting to get shaky. Rested for a bit
and continued on. Bit of exposed talus gave me good start but this soon gave
way to more brush. Stomach was churning and felt a little nauseous, burping landjaegers.
Tried to wait a bit for lunch to digest but didn’t want to wait too long.
Finally cleared worst of brush and could see rock wall ahead. Steep bench of
sorts above rock wall was way into Ida Lake. Timber on this bench would be much
easier traveling. Had to bash through several hundred more yards of thorny
brush to get to bench on top of rock wall. At this point legs started feeling
like they were going to cramp soon. Finally made it to timber. Still brushy in
timber but this mostly huckleberry and false huckleberry so traveling much
easier. Followed game trails up hill. Guessed by look of them these trails
probably made by a bear. Hoped I wouldn’t run into it at close quarters. Finally
thought I had to be high enough to cut over into lake. Could see where valley
flattened out and that would be where lake was. Cut over toward valley and sure
enough, there was the lake. I was a little above it but had hit the best spot
to get to it, between two large rock faces or cliffs. Had managed to hit this
spot dead on in 1997 too. Finally got down into valley by lake at about 6:00
p.m. Had left Goat Lake at about 1:00 p.m. Five hours to travel a distance of
about a mile and a quarter. Why I always refer to off trail travel in how many
hours it takes to travel than in miles because time it takes is the more
relevant number. Valley really brushy in vicinity of lake so headed up it until
hit open ground in talus area above lake. Left pack and went down to look at
lake. Nice view of Sloan Peak. Went back to pack and got camera and got a bunch
of photos of Sloan Peak reflected in Ida Lake. Getting late and no good camp
spots by lake-either too rocky or too wet.
Finally found spot between rocks up the valley from the lake.
Set up tent, cooked dinner and ate and turned in. Next day would attempt to get
over ridge. Knew it would be tough day and it would be hard to get out of bed. Sleeping
spot good one though, slept really well. Up at a little after 6:00 a.m. Wasn’t
as bad as I had expected getting started. Got going at about 7:00 a.m. Route
was through avalanche track just down valley from Ida Lake. Looked rough and it
was. Alaska cedar beaten down by avalanches. As bad or worse than vine maples.
Of course devil’s club and salmonberry, vine maple and tag alders all mixed in.
Got to “meadow” like area and followed it up. Bracken ferns over my head with
vine maple and Sitka ash mixed in. Cut over toward strip of taller, mature
timber until I realized ground was still too steep. Finally got into timber at
spot that was steep but not too steep. Hoped I was close to a big flat. Ran
into more talus and followed it up. At first thought I was still to low so
dropped pack and scouted ahead and found out I had hit the flat dead on. Rested
in flat for a bit. Making pretty good time only 9:00 a.m. Still a couple of
thousand feet to go to get to saddle-if I could get there at all. Continued on.
Going pretty good and I could see saddle above. Felt pretty optimistic about my
prospects of getting up there. Finally got to big snowfield just below saddle.
Looked pretty steep. Wished I had thought to bring crampons and ice axe.
Decided to try anyway. Snow was soft so going relatively easy. Hard going
because feet frequently slid out from under me but wasn’t worried about falling
and taking off down the mountain. Saddle was out of sight behind shoulder of
rock when I started out but came back into view. Suddenly looked very steep. Snowfield
steepened as well. Decided to go up to next exposed rock just to see what it
looked like from there. Perspective changes frequently in mountains and have
found if you want to get places, you have to look at places close up because
often you see things that make it possible to get through a spot that you can’t
see from a distance. I was hesitating a lot now. Talked myself out of
continuing on several times then, almost as if my legs had will of their own,
found myself continuing on. Finally got to next exposed rock. Too steep. Wanted
to see my kids again so decided this was it. Rested for a few minutes and next
time I looked I saw a crack in the rocks that made going better. Followed it up
for ten feet or so and came to another steep spot in rock. Everything up to
this point would have been child’s play for an experienced rock climber. But I
am not a rock climber. The route ahead looked barely doable for someone of my
skills and comfort level, again, child’s play for someone experienced in rock
climbing. I don’t even have the language to describe it, Class whatever, pitch
whatever etc. For me it would be fairly easy to get up but a real pain to come
down. The consequences of falling were serious and I was all by myself. Two
factors finally decided it for me. The map indicated that I would have to go
through a lot of spots like this to get to the small ponds where I wanted to go
and I was running out of time. This time I turned back for real. Always
disappointing but felt okay. Didn’t want to kill myself. Would have to figure
out another route. Going back through snow was pretty easy. Covered same ground
in about half an hour that it had taken almost 2 hours to cover going up. Had
lunch and took a nap. Nice breeze kept bugs at bay and not too hot. Started
back at about 2:00 p.m. Wanted to get some good notes on Ida Lake. Hadn’t taken
many notes in 1997 so this was good opportunity to fill in some gaps. Had a
little hitch on the way down. One spot to get back to Ida Lake in avalanche
track between cliff bands. Couldn’t see enough to tell how far I was from upper
cliff band. Needed to cut beneath this one when it ended to get back to lake. But
couldn’t see well enough through brush and scrub trees to tell where edge of
cliffs were so I cut wide down valley a little too far. According to reference
of a bare rock face on other side of valley and looked like I was a bit too far
down valley. Decided to try to get to creek anyway and follow it up to lake but
started running into cliffs. Backtracked a bit and headed back up valley,
figuring that I was below the upper cliff band. Was able to get back to lake.
Came in about 10 feet below where I had gone through in the morning. Had hoped
to be back while sun was still on lake but too late. Had just left lake by time
I got there. Same thing on previous day. Took notes on vegetation in vicinity
of lake and captured a couple of Cascades frogs for close observation to verify
that they were, indeed, Cascades frogs. Saw several fish in pool in outlet
stream. Also thought I saw several surface in lake. Tried fishing in lake for
about 10 minutes with no luck. Then tried outlet stream and caught fish on
second cast. Turned out that this fish was a rainbow trout.
Noted on previous evening that Ida Lake
was probably a SAIL (Snow Avalanche Impact Landform), created when avalanches
off the valley wall hit the valley floor with enough force to excavate a
crater. SAILs characterized by large berm of fine material opposite avalanche
track on valley wall. Might be other things that make such landforms like ice
or snow lenses but like avalanche explanation best. Dinner and bed. Wanted to
get early start. Services for a friend’s dad were next day at 1:00 p.m. and
wanted to try to get out in time to go to them. Figured it might be tight
timewise but wanted to try. Got started a little after 7:00 a.m. the next day.
Checked out small mapped pond just up the valley. Had checked this spot in 1997
and it was dry, just wanted to verify that it was the spot. It was wetted this
time but looked like it would dry up later. Decided to try a different route
out. Hit first talus/brush area higher up hoping it would be easier going
downhill than sidehill through brush. It wasn’t. Had also planned to follow
stream I had encountered on way in down and cutting over in an area where timber
was closer. Stream channel was very open for most of distance down to the
valley flats where it brushed in. But at this point some timber, where
traveling would be much easier, looked pretty close. Decided to follow some
open talus down instead. Looked like I could get close to some timber this way
as well. Didn’t turn out that way. Ended up bashing through a lot of brush in
valley flat. Did see a gigantic western red cedar that I wouldn’t have
otherwise. Bet this tree was at least 15 feet through, probably more. Actually
looked like two enormous trees that had grown together. Occupied that happy
spot in the valley. Far enough into the flat that avalanches had lost their
punch by the time they reached the it and out in brushy area next to a
stream, about as forest fire proof as possible in this country. Followed Ida
stream valley until hit low ridge between it and Elliot Creek. Had kind of
planned to follow Elliot Creek back up to Goat Lake but decided to cross Elliot
Creek instead. Ended up wading, no handy logs to walk. Hit trail at about 11:30
a.m.-about 4 hours to get out of Ida Lake. Started seeing people within 5
minutes of walking on trail and pretty much constantly from then on. Funny, I
hadn’t seen anyone since leaving the trail Friday and there had been no-one at
Ida Lake-none of the grasses and sedges were trampled near the lake or
elsewhere. Only signs of human activity were fish in the lake and a possible
cairn in the rock slide on the opposite side of the valley from Ida Lake. People
who flap their gums so eloquently about how the North Cascades are under threat
from too many people should take a trip into Ida Lake or many other places like
it that I have been to in the North Cascades. 0 for 2 on overnight trips so far
this year. Depressing. Took long trail out and was able to see upper part of
route up Pearsall Creek that I had taken in 2013 in an attempt to get into the
ponds that I had failed to get into on this trip. Seemed like this was now best
option. Looked very steep at the top. Need to do some more studying and
thinking on this matter.
0 for 2
on the overnighters this year. Depressing.
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| On the way into Ida Lake. I took this just after I nearly lost my hat. Besides the stream channel where I had lunch, this was the one clear spot from the rock slide where I almost lost my hat to the timber just below the lake. |
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| Ida Lake. This lake is probably a SAIL or Snow Avalanche Impact Landform. The idea of how these are formed is that avalanches impact fine soil at the valley floor with enough force to excavate a crater. Quite often these craters subsequently fill with water. The characteristics of a SAIL are that they are on valley walls at the bottom of avalanche tracks and a distinct berm of fine soil opposite the valley wall, both of which Ida Lake fits. |
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| The lower part of my route the next day. Ida Lake is at the lower right side of the frame. |
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| Sloan Peak reflected in Ida Lake. |
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| Sloan Peak reflected in Ida Lake. |
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| Sloan Peak reflected in Ida Lake. |
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| Looking up the valley from Ida Lake. As far as I know, nothing in this photo is named other than Ida Lake at the lower right of the photo. |
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| View of my route up from Ida Lake. This route was very brushy. The trees were mostly stunted from repeated hammering by avalanches and the limbs were thick and resisted my every move. To make matters worse there are a number of small cliffs and steep spots here though none are immediately obvious in the photo, being hidden by the thick brush. |
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| Sloan Peak from the upper part of my route. This area was paradise compared to the brushy hell below. |
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| Looking up at my route. It doesn't look that steep in this photo but I was finally stopped just around the corner on the snowfield farthest up. It was more than I wanted to try being by myself without any gear. |
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| Looking down at Sloan Peak from just below the spot where I finally turned around. Again, this was much steeper than it looks. |
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| Looking across Elliot Creek Valley at Sloan Peak on my way out. |
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| Same photo as above only with yours truly in the photo. |
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| Looking up the valley from Ida Lake on my way back. Ida Lake is on the right side of the frame hidden in shadow. |
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| Cascades frog at Ida Lake. |
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| Another Cascades frog at Ida Lake. Note the lighter colored dorsal surface and multiple spots while the frog in the previous photo had a dark dorsal surface and no evident spots. Some frogs have a lot of spots, some have none, most seem to be in between. |
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| Wetland at outlet of Ida Lake. |
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| Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus my kiss). The presence of fish and a possible cairn in a nearby talus slope were the only indication that people had ever been here. There are a number of barrier waterfalls below Ida Lake so the fish have to be stocked by humans. |
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| Small pond just up the valley from Ida Lake. I thought I had been to this pond in 1997 but I couldn't remember and I didn't know if I took any photos if I did go to it. So I swung by it on the way out and got a few photos. This pond probably dries up later in the summer and I believe all that I found here in 1997 was a dry flat. |
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| Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) tree I encountered on my way out. I set my hat on it for scale. I doubt that this tree sets any records but it is big. I might actually be two trees that have grown together. |
