Clark Mountain 8607', Glacier Peak Wilderness

"That basin looks really nice, we can probably descend that way and take the ridge..."

Two years ago on Labor Day weekend I mapped an adventurous route to Gamma Peak that Sir Hikes and I completed, mostly unscathed. While that was not the initial plan for our trip to Clark Mountain yesterday, Sir Hikes suggested an alternate descent route and I agreed...because...adventure? We ended up following various game trails for almost 4,000', sneaking through cliff bands, sliding on duff, and jungle-gyming a healthy amount of brush, vine maple, and slide alder. But it went!

Just over 20 miles, 7300' gain

Reaching Boulder Basin, Clark's SE peaks

On the shepherd's trail

Nice buck heading over the ridge

Clark from the notch at 7200', looking west

Goats are crazy; white dot center-center

North to Luahna, Tenpeak, Dakobed Range and Glacier

Looking back at the route up Clark, and down to White River

Heart of the Glacier Peak Wilderness

About to drop 6,000' to the White River

Down basin, left at the trees, snake the cliff bands, down the treed ridge...

Looking back up at the upper basin

Getting "close"

Only a half mile of wet brush left to reach the trail

Few Sir Hikes photos:

Fisher-Outpost high route, North Cascades National Park

Probably the most remote and consistently-challenging trip I've done in Washington (and I believe Ben concurred). From Fisher Basin to North Fork Bridge Creek we did 11.5 miles of continuous cross country travel.

Approx. 30.5 miles, 12,000' gain, 6 bears

Fisher Basin

Pikas at work

Dying glacier on Mount Arriva

A loose descent

Lake 5972' ("Sheba Lake" dubbed by Ben)

Looking back up the multiple morraines

Lower Fisher Creek valley

Natal Creek valley

Two bears in the basin below Point 6985'

Looking back at the Arriva-Fisher group and satellite peaks

Outpost Peak and Logan in the clouds

North Cascades National Park

North side of Fisher Pass

One of three bears that we woke up to at Fisher Pass

Another bear at Fisher Pass

Logan, from low down on Outpost's north ridge

Climbing up Outpost

Last step to Outpost's summit 7910'

Goode and the North Fork Meadows from the summit of Outpost

Buckner, Logan and Boston Glacier peaks beyond

Picketts and Chilliwack group

From whence we came

Outpost's SE ridge

Outpost's SE ridge, Black Peak at left

Last look at Goode and the North Fork Meadows, from low on Outpost's SE ridge

Big Snow Mountain 6680', Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Nice near-home adventure on a great mountain. The loop is probably more fun than an out and back on the road (which does have surprising old growth, though). ~20 miles - 6,000' gain

Big Snow Lake outlet gully

Big Snow Lake, Big Snow beyond

Tadpole explosion near Snowflake Lake 

Western Redback Salamander up at 5500' (higher than normal habitat?)

Myrtle (l) and Big Snow lakes

Big Snow Mountain summit 6680'

Great NE flank of Big Snow

Descent to Upper Hardscrabble

Little tarn in between the Hardscrabbles

Lower Hardscrabble Lake