Mount Margaret 6-23-2013

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When I attempted mount Margaret last winter, I added two miles of road walking from the winter trailhead. After post-holing along the entire Ridge to the false summit, I turned back after triggering the collapse of a large section of cornice less than 5 feet from where Maverick and I were standing.
My 7 year old nephew began hiking with me this year. So far he has stood up to every test of his stamina and will, so when poopy weather ruined the plans for a few shorter hikes to nearby fire lookouts, I was not hesitant to bring Julian for my makeup attempt.
A word to the unwise like me, who fail to read signs at the trailhead: the Mount Margaret Trail begins a few hundred feet farther up Road 4934 from the entrance to the trailhead. Do not continue down the old spur road from the trailhead. THIS IS NOT THE TRAIL YOU ARE LOOKING FOR! After a short corrective bushwhack uphill we were on our way up the proper trail.



The only snow left on the South side of the ridge is under the tall canopy of mature forest, which covered most of the second half of the hike.This was Juian's first experience hiking through snow, and I'll admit it was amusing to watch at first. Even without traction devices though, he was moving right along as soon as he learned to keep his trekking poles vertical.




Just before we reached the false summit we were passed by a large group on their way down we stopped for a quick snack with both summits in view, and it was there that Julian decided he had enough. Somebody may have promised him ice cream if he could make it the rest of the way, because suddenly he was full of energy and soon after we were sitting on the summit. As we refueled I pointed out the surrounding Peaks. Box ridge, and several other attractive destinations look mostly melted out and ready for a summer ascent.





The descent was full of slipping and sliding. Julian got a few short glissades in and I showed him the plunge step, but the snow was too firm and he is too light to get much out of it. He fell down a lot, and was covered in a slurry of mud, lichen and algae before we emerged from the tall trees. There was plenty of whining from there to the car.




Light showers continued most of the day, but visibility was surprisingly good. We had decent views of Rampart Ridge from the summit and could see clear to McClellan Butte from the lower trail. ~7 miles Round Trip ~2000' Elevation Gain 6 hours car to car with plenty of breaks

Canoe Peak, Lennox Mountain sub-peak

Two weeks ago I attempted to combine Bare mountain, Canoe peak, and Lennox Mountain into a long day hike. A blown out tire 10 miles down the North fork road cut the day short after the first summit, but a bit of route scouting confirmed that snow would continue to ease the off-trail traverse for a few more weeks.

Today I got an early start on the trail with my boy Automahn. The sky was clear for most of the day, which softened the cascade concrete just enough to allow solid footing without requiring flotation devices. I considered following the old road-trail to it's end and ascending past Bear Lakes, but opted for snow travel over bushwhacking. The long traverse across the snow fields North of Bare was easier than I expected under the direct sun.

From above Bear Lakes, the ridge to Canoe Peak looked mostly forested and easy to navigate, but upon reaching the crest I encountered lightly exposed scramble occasionally interrupted by thick patches of trees that even Automahn had trouble squeezing through. A month ago the snow covered ridge would be a pleasure to navigate, but about 200' below the summit I begrudgingly dropped down to steep snow banks and spent the next hour coaxing and assisting the mutt over exposed cliffs and steep snow banks. In the end I ascended directly from the south amid the trees, abandoning the Auto 50' below the top.

At the summit of Canoe Peak i found dry exposed rock and clear 360 degree views, but no register. The route to Lennox Mountain looked simple once past the ~10' tall bergschrund that stretched across the East-West ridge of Canoe. I had just enough time according to my decided constraints for the day, but considering the extra required route-finding for my squatty 4-legged friend was daunting, not to mention the small problem of getting over the bersgschrund. It was clear to me at this point that this trip would have been far better suited for an early spring attempt.

While snacking above Bear Lakes, I was debating a return to Bare Mountain summit or a descent to the south into Bear Creek Valley when I noticed two folks on their way up that very route. I packed up and hurried over, to ask how they felt about the route they chose. It turned out that the couple were looking for Lennox, so I showed them where it was hiding on the other side of Canoe Peak and described the route, and they told me of the waterfall they had to climb on their ascent. I chose to return the way I came and was followed shortly after by the pair.

Back on Bare Mountain we encountered about a dozen hikers, most without trekking poles, ice axes or traction devices. Luckily the large steep snow field that sat below the summit 2 weeks ago was nearly gone now, and had solid steps kicked into it. The sky continued to fill with clouds as we relaxed at the top. The pants and undies from my last visit had mysteriously disappeared.

The return trip was uneventful. As I expected, Bear Creek was noticeably higher at the upper crossing. Bugs were getting pretty bad, and the trail is still very wet in places, come prepared!

~11 miles Round Trip

4400' elevation gain

3.5 hours to Canoe Peak summit, 10 hours car to car