I hiked ST from the north ridge on 6/21 and was amazed today at how much snow has melted off in the past month. Also amazing is how much still remains: Here's a comparison shot taken from a viewpoint near Ed's trail on 6/21 and a picture from the same spot taken today, 7/20.
I summitted the main peak and then headed back down to the connector trail to the Chinook Trail. Still huge drifts there but they are discontinuous so there's no chance of losing your way:
Once directly north of the main peak, I left the trail and bushwhacked down the hill to where the map showed a bowl and a meadow. The snow is still four or five feet deep in places with higher drifts and piles here and there. Plenty of runoff to feed the falls for the rest of the summer I'd guess. Unfortunately, the route down the slope is terraced and I had to make a couple of 10-foot jumps onto questionable surfaces. - Of course, both times I took a pretty good jolt so there goes the neck problem again. Well, it can't get any worse, I thought, so I continued into the brush and down to the meadow. The meadow was covered with an incredible depth of snow and, wouldn't you know it - I fell through in one spot and got another major jolt. - No injuries otherwise, but my neck was taking a pounding.
I spotted an incredible slot canyon as I neared the upper edge of the falls and went over to investigate. This thing was a big surprise and most spectacular. My poor photo skills don't do it justice - you will have to see it to believe it, but here's a try at capturing it: I'd say it's about 250 feet down and only 15 or 20 feet wide.
The falls were just a short distance away and it was fairly easy getting to the top of both of them. Elevation is 3,577' for the first and 3,572' for the next. Here's the top of the easternmost falls:
Here is the top of the other:
From there I had to climb through some gnarly slide alder (but I'm getting used to that.)
I reached the ledge we saw on the 6th and it turned out to be a good route. I downclimbed to 3,524' to a good vantage point and took a few photos. It appears one could continue down the ridge from the "viewpoint" and reach the bottom of the falls but that's a trip for later - I was out of Advil so it was time to head on out.
Now I had to climb this:
I ascended the huge blocks of talus and passed by this huge rock that shows evidence of only recently falling from the cliffs above. Note the matching columns.
Once at the cliff face, I traversed to the right along them and reached Ed's
Trail at the spot where it takes a hard 90 degree turn and climbs a steep gully (those who have hiked Ed's will know the spot!)
The rest of the trip back was uneventful but the flowers were as spectacular as any I've seen anywhere:
Here's a map of the journey:
Just a walk in the park from here on out and boy was I glad to get back to the car and chug a few more Advil!! Still, not a bad day: 5.5 miles, 2,038 vertical feet.
- Don
Your efforts seemed to have been really rewarded at least. That meadow of white and yellow looks really inviting.
