Sourdough Mountain

Mike and I went up Sourdough Mountain in the North Cascades this weekend. This was a redemption hike, as we tried to get up there a few years ago, but were stymied by snow.

We met in Mount Vernon around 6 AM, and I was greatly appreciative that Mike was up for leaving Seattle at 5 AM. It's great to make the trailhead before most. One reason Sourdough is a favorite of mine is it isn't too far of a drive from home--less than an hour and half.

The hike is tough. A really stiff climb for the first two miles, and it never really lets up. I think climb is 5000 feet in about 5.5 miles. There was snow at the top, but it was quite manageable, and added to the allure of the lookout. The lookout is well known, as one of the Beat poet lookouts, once giving summer residence to Gary Snyder and Phil Whaley.

The wildflowers are blooming. Columbine, Indian paintbrush, varieties of phlox, and other annual favorites. Now is the time to be up high. The views from the top were spectacular, with Hozomeen and the Pickets Range figuring prominently.

More people on trail than usual. It is the 4th of July weekend.

The biggest highlight was the bear we saw on the way down. The bear was feeding in field, tucked between a switchback. It was not moved by the clapping of hands, or the banging of sticks. It took a good five minutes to convince Mr. or Ms. Bear to move along, and then we seemed to chase down the trail for another 15 minutes, as Bear seemed happy to opt for trail over steep slope. Pretty special stuff.

I was slow going up. When I was in shape, I could do this climb in under three hours, but we took more than four hours. Mike is in shape, and so awesome in accommodating my slowness. We kept a steady, talking pace going up, making it a terrific day with a good friend, on trail. Coming down was tough on the quads. There was some running, albeit slow and stilted. Hopefully recovery is quick.

Sunflower Half Marathon

I returned to the beautiful Okanagan in Central Washington yesterday to run, shuffle, and walk the Sunflower Half Marathon. It was a gorgeous day, which after a while got really hot, reaching 87 degrees, without shade. 

The course is one of the better half marathons you'll find anywhere, at least when the flowers are in bloom. The Sunflower runs have been around for 35+ years, and include a relay and an "iron" or marathon distance. This was the first year for the half marathon distance, which is a point to point jaunt from the Chickadee trailhead to Twisp. I've ran the full marathon and the former 21 mile distance, and I think the half grabs the best section of the route. 

The trail is frequently lined with balsam root sunflowers and violet-blue lupine. Portions of the route are along a plateau, with views of the snow-covered North Cascades in the distance. Views of Patterson Lake and other lakes around the route. Rolling hills of the Okanagan, still green with spring. Sections of the course were burned in recent fires, and are just starting to experience new growth. The finish drops from the plateau back down to the Methow River and Twisp.

There are many runners, between the marathoners, the relay teams, and the half marathoners. The marathoners and half marathoners are bussed to the start, to enable the point-to-point. The altitude is a bit elevated, around 2000 feet. There are some climbs here and there, including a somewhat stiff one about mid-way through the half, after an exchange.

I drove over in the early AM, which isn't too tough from Mount Vernon. My effort was a struggle, as my left leg and shin didn't participate for the first few miles. Then it got hot, and I melt in the sun. I dunked my hat in streams at least three times, but have some bad sun burn today. Still, the distance was short enough that there was no real crisis--just slow times. I also took a bunch of photos.

Great to see friends over there from B'ham and the Okanagan. Great job by MVSTA, as always. The registration was gifted to me by a friend of a friend--thank you friends! Such a wonderful place to visit.

And then there's that North Cascades pass drive. Lots of people were out on the trailheads, with skis, snowshoes, and other gear.  I listened to the Seattle Springsteen concert on the way out and back, which we attended in March. It was an awesome show--Eddie Vedder even showed up. I purchased the cd, and it was pretty cool to hear the whole concert again on the drive. For me, the drive is all part of the journey to visiting the Methow, and so it's part of the memory, and so I mention it here.

Railroad Grade

Spectacular day today on Railroad Grade, which is the approach to the Easton Glacier for climbing Mount Baker.  Headed up with Dean, Ruth and the Dude, always great company and trail companions. 

The trail was full of climbers headed up and coming down. We noted the Washington Alpine Club, a recovery group, a class, and others.  We were hoping to spot our friend Dan and his crew which were running from Bellingham to Mt. Baker and back.  We counted 40 tents near the Sandy campsite, and throughout the hike we were spotting ants marching up and down the glacier towards the crater.

We had 80 degree temperatures and I've got a real good sunburn, despite wearing a long sleeve shirt and putting on the 50 SPF.  Visibility was great all around--as we neared the end of Railroad Grade, we were able to see the San Juan Islands and I believe Anacortes. Glacier Peak and Mount Rainier were on display to the south.

The wildflowers are out. Most notable was the phlox, hanging on the edges of the Grade. I saw asters, lupine, crimson heather, and others. The Grade itself is a knife edge trail, with a steep fall off on one side. The trail is snow free. Dean and I hiked up here amazingly in February, through snow. Nice to see the June version of this special trail.

Hooray for American Pharaoh. It was terrific to come down afterwards and watch history. The trails inspire, champions inspire, a beautiful day inspires. A good Saturday, for sure. The Mariners have got to win this one--the universe ordains it.

Sahale Arm

On Saturday, I went up Sahale Arm, off Cascade Pass in the North Cascades, for about 13 miles of trail. The day started with limited expectations. However, due to aesthetic conditions beyond my control, I ended up hiking, sitting, and even strolling more than running, spending the whole day in the mountains. It was an amazing day, with all sorts of wildlife out, and stunning views. 

The big news:  I saw FOUR BEARS! I never see bears, but on Saturday, they were hanging out separately, on steep slopes, just grazing like deer or elk. Three of them were specks, but one was near enough to get a much closer view, and I sat and watched him/her for fifteen minutes. Others reported seeing as many as seven, as well  as a lynx. I saw a few goats near the pass as well.

Hoary marmots and grouse were all over the place. I whistled at the marmots, and they would stand up and look around. A couple of them hung out on this cliff, just looking down towards Pelton Basin. We in my family call grouse "dummy chickens" and nothing I saw on Saturday made me change that tune. I chased one down a trail for at least a 100 yards. All it had to do was leave the trail, but it ran ahead of me on the trail, as if it were terrified. I even found a bear den, or what I think was one—the hole was big enough to cram a few bears in it. It kind of scared me.

My theory is the animals were all out because they need to make preparations for winter. I've heard about this sort of thing on the Discovery Channel.

The high point on the hike/run was 7600 feet, and there was some pretty steep climbing on the arm. I saw one other runner, and he was taking things much more seriously than me, motoring. The campsites at the Sahale Glaicer are rings of stones--there's one in the pic below of me in the foreground, before the sea of mountains. I want to camp there now--the folks I talked to who camped there the night before, under a full moon, called it an experience of a lifetime.

There were clouds in the sky, but everything was visible for ten miles, and that was enough, with Boston Basin, Mt. Johannesburg, Magic Mountain, the triplets and who knows what else viewable. Doubtful Lake is stunning, with an island sitting in the middle. The views to the east, down towards Park Creek and Chelan speak to the imagination. Maybe Labor Day weekend. I saw and even began the Ptarmigan Traverse trail, which is an epic mountaineering experience in the North Cascades.

More pics here.

It was a great day out on the trail, lost in thought, taking pictures, turning corners. I missed out on Waldo, and my congrats to all my friends who did it. It just didn’t sound like a good idea for me this year. Some year, hopefully. My fitness is down, and I can really feel my back when I try to seriously run. I did run steady down from the Pass, and the whole of the day wore me out. I plan on doing Baker Lake as my next 50k, and I’ll have a fun run on Cutthroat Pass in the North Cascades with my family next week, and then volunteer at Cascade Crest.

Mowich Loop

Rich, Linda and I ran and hiked the Mowich Loop section of the Wonderland Trail on Saturday, in Mount Rainier National Park. As per Rich's wrist technology, the loop was 21 miles with over 7500 feet of climbing. I didn't really run well, in part because of the back but as much because of the time off. It didn't matter--it was good to get out and do something spectacular, after a long week. This qualified. 

Up high, the heather, lupine and paintbrush literally lined the trail, red, blue and red, as if cheering you on. It was about as beautiful a display of wildflowers as I've ever seen. A Bonkers for Botany special.

The weather was not particularly good, with rain through the afternoon, and there were no views of Mt. Rainier, but I didn't really notice, in the moment. Every turn on the trail provided something new and world class, and the company--Rich and Linda--was the best. Many many laughs. And then some.

We started the loop at the Mowich campground. This was Rich's program from the start--I was grateful to be along for the ride.  In the first hour or so, we climbed Tolmie Peak and checked out a lookout, where Forest Service workers were painting and making improvements. I sweated way more than I'd have liked going up, but just went with it.

Back to the Wonderland Trail loop--we descended Ipsut Pass, I think, by monster cliffs and through big tree country. Eventually we ended up down in the Carbon River area, which is a huge washout area--everything  is big in the Rainier area, sort of like Texas. Big rocks, big trees, big glaciers, big creeks. We checked out the Carbon glacier, which I failed to immediately recognize-duh-and then crossed a really long suspension bridge. Lots of friendly backpackers on trail, a few of whom asked, "Didn't we see you at Mowich this morning?"

A long slog up another pass, climbing through a few different ecological zones, including the river valley, up to the mountain streams and fields of flowers, and then to rock, lava, and ice. We ran into some goats in the mist, and they ran away too quick for any good photos. I took lots of photos, but the persistent rain and the camera operator inhibited me from really capturing things. But here's a link to an album I posted.

A long day was completed with nice descent from a pass, through wildflowers, and then a two mile jaunt by Eagle's Roost to Mowich. A really cool loop with the best of people. Just what the doctor ordered for me.