North Cascades Hikes August 21-22, 2013

I went with Tony's Trekkers hiking group for two days of hiking in the North Cascades. Tony's Trekkers is the hiking group associated with our church, St. Antony Episcopal Church. We were hosted by Rick and Robin Schoenberg at their cabin on the Skagit River near Sedro Wooley.

(Click on the photos for a larger view)

I camped on the front lawn of their cabin, with the Skagit River right near my tent.

On Wednesday, August 21, we drove up to the Park Butte trailhead and started up the trail. It begins easily, then makes some serious elevation gain in a series of grueling switchbacks. Then it opens up in meadows, with Mount Baker looming above.

The last section of the trail got quite steep as we made our way to the lookout tower on Park Butte.

You can see the lookout perched on the very top of the peak.

The lookout was built in 1932 and is kept in good shape by the Skagit Alpine Club. It has sweeping views in every direction, and the catwalks give a sense of vertigo until you get used to it. We ate our lunch at the lookout, then started down.

The group photo. From left, Jenny, Me, Phil, Ann, Ruth, Robin, Marcos (in front), Carol, and Rick.

On Thursday, August 22, we took a short hike up Sauk Mountain. Rick drove us up a series of switchbacks to get to the trailhead at 4,300 feet. The trail is laid out in a series of 26 switchbacks up an avalanche slope, going right to the top. The trail is well made and keeps an even grade, and we made it up the 1,000 feet or so to the (almost) top in a little over an hour.

Looking down at the switchbacks we'd just come up.

We stopped for lunch at a resting place near the top. We didn't go up to the very peak because of perilous footing on the loose rock.

Although it was a hazy day, the views in every direction were astounding.

Our group photo on top of Sauk Mountain. From left, Ann, Carol, Ruth, me and Rick.

Schoenberg's cabin

The whole outing was a great success. It was such a pleasure being together for three days and enjoying the hospitality of the Schoenbergs. I made this sketch of their cabin to remember it by.

Duckabush River to Skokomish River, August 11-14, 2013

This week I decided to go up the Duckabush River valley, cross over First Divide, then go out the Skokomish River valley. I'm lucky I have an understanding wife -- Katy was generous enough to drive to the Skokomish trailhead where I left my car, then drive me to the Duckabush trailhead so I could start hiking there.

Sunday was a busy day for me. I preached and celebrated at the Eucharist on Sunday morning, then Katy and I went to see Seussical the Musical to watch two talented young girls from our congregation. Then we jumped in our cars and took off, just after 3:30.

We got to the trailhead for the Duckabush trail and shared a sandwich for dinner. At 7:05 I said goodbye to Katy and started up the trail, crossing Little Hump (about 400 feet elevation) and by 8:15 I was setting up camp by the river. I made a fire and worked on the NY Times crossword puzzle. Oh, the simple pleasures of life!

Breakfast at Two Mile Camp

I woke up late, made breakfast and was hiking by 9:00 . The first item for the day was to get over Big Hump, a thousand-foot elevation gain. The trail was nicely switchbacked and I was fresh, and in due time I was at the top.

Big Hump switchbacks

From there the trail drops back to the river and continues up the valley. The sun came out and I found myself on a well-made and well-maintained trail.

This big Douglas-fir log was cut recently by the trail crew. I smelled the cut and was transported back to the wood shop at the boatyard in Alaska, where I cut many planks from clean Doug-fir boards. I love the smell of Doug-fir, so fresh and turpentine-y.

Later in the hike, I grabbed a handful of sawdust from a fresh-cut yellow cedar log and immediately went back in time to my mother's garage, where I built a 14-foot peapod rowboat with yellow cedar planks in 1983. The smell is aromatic and pungent, just like it was when I cut those yellow cedar planks.

The Duckabush burn

I met a guy named Bike Bonomo, a volunteer with the WTA, Washington Trails Association,  and we talked awhile. He's retired and spends all his time doing trail work with the WTA. He said there are no Forest Service trail crews in the Olympic National Forest, and it's all done by volunteers. After the Duckabush fire a few years ago, the trail was closed because there were so many down trees over the trail. This spring he and his crew spent four or five trips cutting out the lower trail. After they cleared the trail to the Park boundary, the Park Service trail crew came in and finished the upper trail. I could see myself volunteering with the WTA someday.

Taking a break at Ten Mile Camp and reading the map.

By 2:10 I was at Ten Mile camp, my original goal for the day. I took a good rest and then started hiking again, hoping to find a campsite a few miles up the trail. Sure enough, I found a perfect site by the river.

Twelve-Mile Camp

In the morning I was up at 5:30 and on the trail by 7:05. It feels great to start early while the air is cool and the shadows long. By 8:30 I was at the La Crosse Pass junction where I met two Scout leaders and four scouts. I hiked on through some delightful bottom lands to Upper Duckabush Camp where there is a ford across the Duckabush. I was able to shinny across a down tree and get across the river without getting my feet wet.

At Upper Duckabush, there were three more scout leaders and three scouts, who regaled me with an account of their hike to O'Neill Pass. Now I want to go there!

At 10:00 I started up the trail to First Divide. It's steep! I took many short breaks and several long breaks as I labored up the switchbacks.

By noon I was at Home Sweet Home, a beautiful meadow underneath high ridges all around. I strolled up to the campsite and had lunch. It was warm so I laid down and took a nap. That felt good!

Rip Van Winkle

Home Sweet Home

The it was up another 500 feet elevation to get to the top of First Divide. That was exhausting, but I finally made it. Then it was all downhill.

On top of First Divide

Tarn at First Divide

I was on this trail last year with my son, Guy, and hiking it brought his memory back to me. I miss him as a hiking partner.

By 4:10 I was at Nine Stream, my goal for the day, but I still felt good so I kept on hiking down the trail to Camp Pleasant. I met a lot of people on the trail, and I reckoned there were eight people at Nine Stream Camp. 

I had a lovely walk down the trail as the shadows lengthened. Strangely enough, after a long day of hiking I still had energy to go the three miles to Camp Pleasant. The trail was level and the tread was soft, and I felt like I could hike forever.

I got to Camp Pleasant (an apt name if there ever was one), and set up camp. I was the only one there (except two women who came later and I didn't see until I was leaving in the morning).

In the morning I was on the trail by 8:05 and out to the trailhead by 11:30. It seemed a little anticlimactic to get out so early, but there I was. On the lower trail I had a chance to look at the new suspension bridge. It is a real beauty, a lovely piece of engineering.

Time: three days

Distance: 31 miles

Elevation gain: 4,000 feet

Upper Lena Lake, August 2, 2013

On my day off I decided to visit Upper Lena Lake. The hike to Lower Lena Lake is an easy saunter taken by crowds of people, but getting to Upper Lena Lake is another matter.

I left home by 6:10 and got to the trailhead by 7:55. It was cool and cloudy, and I sailed up the lower switchbacks to Lower Lena Lake, arriving at 9:15.

There's a nice trail on lower switchbacks

After that, the going gets tougher. The trail gets rough and nasty, and it climbs rapidly. The timber looks slashy and broken as if the valley is perpetually tormented by an evil windstorm demon. The higher you go, the more tortured the trail becomes, with roots and rocks crowding out the foot path.

Roots in the trail

Rocky stream crossing

Finally I got high enough up to enter the upper meadows. It was too cloudy and foggy to see very far, but I could make out jagged peaks around me.

Upper meadows

At 12:15 I reached the lake. It was shrouded with wisps of clouds and as soon as I finished lunch it started to rain. The place seemed foreboding and grim. I wonder what it would have looked like if I had come on a sunny day?

Mount Bretherton above the lake

Upper Lake Lena

 It continued to rain on the way down. I had a fleece vest and my gore-tex parka, and I was glad for both of them. I made it back to the car at the trailhead at 4:00 and started for home. Katy had a roast with carrots and sweet potatoes waiting for me. Oh, the good life!