In the Hall of the Mountain King (pics)

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NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
edited May 2019 in Fitness and Exercise
Thursday evening my friend sent me a text, the road is open to the Cascade Pass trailhead, and my weekend plans were delivered to me on a silver platter.

In summer, this is an easy hike, literally a walk in the park. But it can be dangerous with snow on the ground. Respectful of the danger, I brought microspikes, an ice ax, two pairs of gloves and two jackets, GPS, PLB, and a helmet for rockfall from above; I also left my plans with 3 people with instructions to call me in missing if I'm not back by 10 pm. I was glad to have some of this stuff through the no fall zones.

For the first half of my hike, I enjoyed the thunderous sound of glaciers calving, and of the ice tumbling down J'berg. Very few people continued up the trail after hitting snow, so I enjoyed some solitude, too. A few sooty grouses greeted me in the woods. I've seen plenty of bears and mountain goats here, the grouse was new.

Eventually the sound of a helicopter came to fill the air. Rescue is the only reason anyone is allowed in this air space. Somebody was having a very bad day. I watched the chopper scour the mountain as I hiked, flying close to the ramparts, scanning the land, for what seemed like hours. It left, an empty line dangling behind it, came back 20 minutes, and then left again. This is why I came so prepared.

My grouse friends.

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Cascade Valley.

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Favorite place selfie.

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Snow!!

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Pelton Basin.

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SAR.

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Replies

  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    Looks like a beautiful hike! I'm sorry to hear that it clearly didn't go well for someone else though.
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
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    Beautiful photos, hard to go wrong with scenery like that :)

    I do hope SAR was able to end their mission as a rescue and not a recovery.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    Amazing scenery! Your hike was well rewarded.

    I am also glad to hear that you are sensible and prepare for the possible situation. I'd hate to imagine what might all go wrong in a place like that.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,677 Member
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    Beautiful!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    Amazing scenery! Your hike was well rewarded.

    I am also glad to hear that you are sensible and prepare for the possible situation. I'd hate to imagine what might all go wrong in a place like that.

    The earliest I've ever been there was the 4th of July weekend. This was a month and a half early, so I was expecting sketchy conditions.

    One spring I ran into a bloody hiker on the trail. He had fallen on snow, and slid out of control, managed to slow himself before he hit the trees. Beth fell on snow up here, came away with minor injuries. I've seen oven-sized rocks come loose from the cliff bands. I have a lot of respect.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,136 Member
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    Beautiful pictures, and thank you for posting.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    As always, your outing blow me away. h.
  • cheriej2042
    cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
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    Normally I don’t condone hiking solo but at least you were well prepared. What incredible scenery. Looks like a postcard picture.
  • kristinaEcool
    kristinaEcool Posts: 1 Member
    edited May 2019
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    Nice to see another North Cascades person on here... Beautiful pics! I can’t wait to get out there. Unfortunately I don’t have the training and experience for these early spring hikes in the North Cascades, so I am sticking to the valley until late June/early July.
  • PKM0515
    PKM0515 Posts: 2,937 Member
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    SO beautiful!
  • Skinimalink
    Skinimalink Posts: 20 Member
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    Is it very wrong that my thought was 'those grouse look like Cadburys creme eggs?'
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    I just head that somebody "fell into a creek" (which probably means a snow bridge collapsed under them) and was still missing as of Monday. :disappointed:

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