Indoor climbing with Julian and Jaxon

The last few weekends have been filled with plans which kept me away from the mountains, but I did get a bit of adventure with my nephews yesterday. As a dual birthday present I brought them to Stone Gardens in Bellevue for some indoor climbing. Each time I visit a climbing gym I can't help but think of how much fun it would have been as a kid with never-ending energy. I'm still missing the mountains, but a chance to re-live childhood vicariously will subside my cravings until next week.

Stegosaurus Butte 2-2-2014

I was looking to bring a friend on a shorter summit trip that would allow us to be in Seattle by noon. This short hike is surprisingly popular among NW Hikers likely due to the high visual payoff and low physical cost. As a bonus I would get a look at the new section of the Pratt River Trail, which we left almost as quickly as we met it. On our way through North Bend the fresh snowline on Mount Si was crisp and clear.


We followed a faint bootpath along the top of the ridge which became more clear as we climbed. About halfway up we were treated to stunning view of Mount Garfield mostly covered in snow. Near the top Mount Bessemer and part of Preacher Mountain appeared.

Mount Ann 1-26-2014

Last weekend Colin and I were working on plans to climb something in the Olympics when I received an invite through NW Hikers to join a group of 3 who were headed for Mount Ann. The two of us had never been hiking so far North, and Mount Baker was obscured by clouds during my only trip in the area, so we changed plans with little discussion. This was our first time teaming up with someone from NW Hikers. That and the thrill of venturing into new territory added more than the usual anticipation to the 3 hour drive from Renton.
Part of the Mount Baker Wilderness, Mount Ann is situated southwest of Mount Shuksan just outside of North Cascades National Park. We arrived at the Mount Baker Ski Area just after 7 a.m. and the mountain scenery began before we left the truck. The road was closed below Artist Point so we parked in the lower lot near Bagley Creek. Introductions were made while we geared up and by 7:45 we were climbing toward Austin Pass with Table Mountain dominating the foreground and the Border Peaks rising behind us. At the pass Mount Ann and Mount Shuksan came into view.



The snow surface had just begun to soften so we threw on crampons for the steep decent into Swift Creek Valley. Shortly after crossing an open snowy meadow we stopped to switch to snowshoes. Matt and I chose to hold out a bit longer but I did remove my crampons to save my new gaiters. Another half mile and a few creek crossings later we gave in when we had had enough of the post-holing. Mount Baker made a brief appearance before vanishing behind Mount Ann.

Bryant Peak and Low Mountain 1-22-2014

View 2014-1-22 Bryant Peak and Low Mountain in a larger map

With a last minute day off of work, I thought I'd take advantage of a sunny forecast to visit Denny Creek without the usual crowds. The road was mostly clear, the few ruts fully melted out and passable by a medium clearance car until the turnoff to the trailhead, which was covered in a few inches of snow. There were no other cars when we started up the trail at 7:45.

Higher Squire 1-19-2014

View 2014-1-19 Higher Squire in a larger map


I've been enthralled by Three Fingers Mountain and the lookout tower perched on it's summit since reading a winter trip report by Steph Abegg. When I noticed this report on NWHikers, I knew instantly what I would be doing with the coming weekend. This is the closest I've been to Three Fingers and the views did not disappoint. I followed recent snowshoe tracks when snow covered the 8 Mile Creek Trail above 3000'. Someone with crampons and a dog continued past Squire Creek Pass, I followed them until they either turned back or got lost in the tree litter en route to Ulalach Peak. The avy gully West of the summit looked shallow and unstable in the afternoon sun and I quickly retreated after tiring of postholing and bushwhacking below the rocky South Face.

Avalanche Mountain 1-5-2014

View 2014-1-5 Avalanche Mountain in a larger map



This small subpeak of Snoqualmie Mountain provides surprisingly expansive views of the surrounding Cascade Mountains considering it's prominence is barely over 400'. Situated NE of Snow Lake, the shortest approach is via the High Lakes Trail from the Alpental/NWFS Parking Lot. I was a little sore after climbing Mount Townsend with Maverick the day before, so the short approach and reasonable elevation gain as well as a chance to see Snow Lake completely frozen over made this one an easy choice for a clear sunny day. Within the first mile and having seen nobody on the trail I was beginning to regret leaving both dogs behind, but a fair amount of exposure on the narrow ridge to the summit and several off leash dogs on the trail during our descent changed that thought.

First Summit of 2014: Mount Townsend (Highway 2)

View 2014-1-4 Mount Townsend in a larger map We arrived at an empty Barclay Lake Trailhead at 6:30 on Saturday morning. A few inches of snow had been rutted out for the last mile of the road. Microspikes were helpful from the get go on the mostly snowy-covered trail. About 4 inches of ice covered most of Barclay Lake. Maverick was a little spooked by the creaking ice as we watched Mount Baring emerge from the fog.



I was surprised to stumble upon a group of 4 camping at one of the larger sites along the shore. I exchanged pleasantries with the only awake camper before continuing up the trail. A bootpath to Eagle Lake picks up at the end of the official trail however a few inches of snow made it hard to find, so we turned North when the trail disappeared then made our way through trees and talus on the East of the main drainage from Stone Lake.