Urban Outcast Music Discovery #15 - Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band
Phase 2 - Mountain goat combat training: Turns out the Enchantment goats are big fans of human urine so you need to come prepared to defend yourself while in a compromised position. Having spent my formative years wrestling with Jerry, the 200 pound alpine goat, I feel uniquely qualified to defend myself but I worry for my less worldly hiking companions... but back to the trails:
Kendall Katwalk + Gravel/Ridge Lakes - 15 miles, 2600' gain
If I were to take backpacking seriously, I think the Pacific Crest Trail would be a good stretch goal. But before abandoning all grown-up responsibilities and wandering the mountains for 5 months, we opted for a day hike along the PCT at Snoqualmie pass.
I hate to use up my whole photo budget on the first hike but this one was worthy. All of the wildflowers were out, the last snow fields were retreating from the trail, and there were no bugs to be seen (if you walked quickly). It was so nice that I could look past the folly and desperate plea for attention of the southbound PCTer opting to carry a ukulele 2,650 miles instead of packing a trusty trout pole.
The Katwalk itself is blasted into a granite ridge line and I, ever the gentleman, let the Kat and hound venture across first.
Kendall Katwalk + Gravel/Ridge Lakes - 15 miles, 2600' gain
If I were to take backpacking seriously, I think the Pacific Crest Trail would be a good stretch goal. But before abandoning all grown-up responsibilities and wandering the mountains for 5 months, we opted for a day hike along the PCT at Snoqualmie pass.
We called it quits at the dual threat of Gravel and Ridge lakes. Gravel lake was particularly odd for its namesake shoreline. I could have been internet famous if I just brought my sled...
It was interesting to see the different levels of effort that went into each tunnel and to know that after only a decade and 20+ miles of sheds/tunnels they realized it was time to concede defeat to the mountain and shifted to digging an even longer Cascade tunnel which was completed in 1929 and is still the longest railroad tunnel in the U.S. If you squint, you might be able to make out the western portal of the 1929 version in the bottom center of the picture below. A big thanks to Cousin Mouse who was conned into a 6 mile hike that included a 6 mile adder that turned out to actually be 8...
Myrtle Lakes - 12.2 miles, 3,100' gain
The final hike in Phase 2 was a really pleasant trail which we had all to ourselves. With so much old growth forest, the picture opportunities were limited until we reached Myrtle lake.
Chiwaukum Creek - 12 miles, 1550' gain
This hike was an excuse to check out what would be a very promising property if I could convince the current owner to take his house with him. The first 1.25 miles is walking up what is essentially the driveway of the property before the trail splits off to continue along the creek and some lucky folks turn left to cross their private bridge. It could only be more awesome if it was a drawbridge with a stone tower...
The trail itself was an interesting study in the recovery of a forest turned to charcoal in the busy fire season of 2014 but six miles up the creek and we never cleared the burn. Supposedly another six miles and the trail would end at Larch lake but I am not a masochist. Marathon east side hikes are best left for June.
Hound had a blast and it was 12 miles without seeing another soul, my kinda hike.
Alderfer Three Sisters - 7 miles, 1,320' gain
A quick social visit to Colorado included a disc golf hole in one to come from behind and beat my brother on his home course (priceless) but also offered an opportunity to preview Enchantment elevations. This hike would have rightly been considered a stroll in the park when I actually lived in the state but now that the house sits at 200', I suck wind at 8,000' like every other tourist.
We borrowed a pull unit to compensate but this one was defective and primarily needed to be pulled.
Iron Goat - 13.7 miles, 1,000' gain
I am going to try to keep it together here and not get carried away by the engineering awesomeness that is at the heart of this trail. Just remember, this is the filtered version but some unfortunate folk have to live in proximity to this.
The Great Northern Railroad completed a route over Steven's pass in 1893 but would struggle against snow and avalanches for 26 years. The first upgrade was the Cascade Tunnel, a 2.6 mile tunnel under the pass but they didn't think through how passengers would receive the whole coal smoke/fume death concept and had to electrify the train engines which handled the tunnel shortly thereafter.
Then things got really bad in a 1910 blizzard when 9 days of snow falling at up to a foot/hour trapped two trains just below the tunnel. A thunderstorm followed and one very unfortunate lightening strike triggered an avalanche which swept away both trains and the depot while just missing the rest of the town of Wellington. A total of 96 died and it still reigns as the worst avalanche disaster in U.S. history (although now you join the select group of six people who have ever heard of it). Three days later the same blizzard claimed 63 railroad workers in British Columbia. The threat of a repeat led to frenzied construction to either get the tracks underground (more tunnels) or covered by snow sheds. One of the contributing factors to the avalanches were those pesky coal powered engines which kept lighting the surrounding forest (and snow sheds) on fire, removing the first line of defense.
Most of the 12"x 12" snow shed timbers were recycled to cover tracks in Montana but the foundations are still standing and in a few places there are giant compost heaps where they missed a few.
The final hike in Phase 2 was a really pleasant trail which we had all to ourselves. With so much old growth forest, the picture opportunities were limited until we reached Myrtle lake.
A quick mile scramble up a seldom used trail brought us to Little Myrtle. Feeling my recently advanced age, I figured I have graduated to that class of old men who are comfortable with baring the rolls and wrinkles in public.
Even if the public in this case were just a couple traumatized frogs and the pikas... I think you can see the shock and outrage in his face:
One last picture to purge any unwanted imaginings: