On March 23 Kevin Koski, Scott Coney, James Hamaker and I did a long day climb/ski to the summit of Lennox Mountain just South off Highway 2. It was a long climb with around 5,000 feet of elevations gain, but the weather was calm, cool and partly cloudy and we had a great time. The following day, Kevin and I enjoyed a nice backcountry ski tour on the East side of Stevens Pass off Hwy 2.
On Monday, March 4th, Paul Dutky, Tom Henning and I enjoyed a fantastic day of skiing on Mount Rainier. The weather was cold, crisp and clear and gave us excellent views South over the rugged line of the Tatoosh Range to the distant volcanos Mount Adams, Mount Hood and Mount Saint Helens. Starting from the Paradise visitor center, which is kept open in the winter, we skied up the long ridge to Camp Muir, situated half way up the mountain on an exposed ridge at over 10,000 feet.
Camp Muir is the most popular basecamp for climbing Mount Rainer, situated half way up the Disappointment Cleaver route – the easiest and most climbed route on the peak. Camp Muir is well developed by backcountry standards, consisting of multiple stone and wood huts, a guide hut, latrine buildings and a sheltered snowfield for tent camping.
Our climb was sunny by cool, with a stiff wind blowing most of the day and temperatures in the mid teens. The well worn track was easy to follow and we met about a dozen other people either going up or coming back down the trail. The ski down was enjoyable and went on forever (4700 vertical feet), with nice powder at the top and hard packed powder and icy slopes on the lower half of the route. Thanks to the longer daylight as Spring approached, we got back to the parking lot an hour before dark and started the ride back home.
Another sunny and mild winter’s day in the Olympics. Isaac Sun, Paul Dutky and I enjoy a nice hike/snowshoe up Blue Mountain (6007 ft) on the North Olympic Peninsula above Sequim WA. It’s been a light snow year so far so the entire lower half of the trail was dry. Blue Mountain is the closest big peak to the Strait of Juan De Fuca, with sweeping uninterrupted views of Sequim, Port Angeles and the North Olympic Peninsula.
Isaac Sun, Paul Dutky and I enjoyed a calm, mild and sunny snowshoe up Mount Angeles (6454 ft) from Hurricane Ridge visitor center. Mount Angeles is one of the easiest 6000 ft peaks in the Olympics to access as Hurricane Ridge Road is plowed and open on weekends. The hike is mostly a scenic airy ridge line with minimal avalanche hazard. While there is some up and down along the ridge, it’s still a manageable day hike with great views from the summit.
On August 4th, Peninsula Wilderness Club members Isaac Sun, Tom Henning and I embarked on a 3-night trip to climb Glacier Peak (10,540 ft) in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of the central Washington Cascades. Our plan was to climb Glacier Peak from the South, using White Pass and Glacier Gap to access the most remote Washington stratovulcano. Our successful trip was blessed with plenty of warm, clear weather with only a brief shower and storm clouds after reaching the summit.
On July 19th, Peninsula Wilderness Club members Paul Dutky, Isaac Sun and I enjoyed a wonderful 3-night backpack in the Enchantments, perhaps the most beautiful corner of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington. We were fortunate to have a permit to camp in the Core Enchantment area, the highest camping zone in the Enchantments. The Core Enchantments is a high alpine garden full of flowers, stately granite spires and island studded lakes.