This is the story of a hike that almost didn't happen. As the usual suspects (Amy, Damon, Don, Jason, Larry, Mark, Russ) met up at Eastgate, word came that I-90 was shutdown eastbound at North Bend. The reason: brush fires right next to the freeway. This is not first time a TNAB hike has been threatened by fire on I-90. My request is that all future fires please take place on Wednesday instead...
Heedless of the impending traffic jam we were sure to encounter, we took off anyway. Sure enough, we got jammed just before Exit 31. After what seemed like a half hour or so, traffic started funneling off the exit, so we exited. Then we were able to continue on our quest by getting right back on the freeway eastbound. We were left scratching our heads why WSDOT would close the freeway at one exit, then let it resume 100 yards later. Big thanks to Larry and Russ for keeping their cool under stressful conditions!
Next stop: Snoqualmie Pass and the trialhead for Red Mountain. We parked in the left lot to be closer to the "abandoned" Commonwealth Basin trail, which is much shorter than the PCT route. On a regular hike, we'd start by 6:00 PM. This time, we were starting at 6:45 PM! With a sense of urgency, we set out on the trail. Although a bit overgrown with vegetation, the trail is still in great shape. I could still do without the dust. There were a couple spots where pathfinding was an issue, so there was an emphasis on making sure everyone was on track.
Within an hour we climbed up the 48 switchbacks (Larry counted them) from the basin to the foot of Red Mountain. About halfway up the mountain, the trail forks, and it seemed natural to take the right (my experience has been going left at this point). The right fork quickly becomes very narrow and steep, but still easily negotiable, hitting the ridge on the far right before switching back to the left. After a few minutes on this switch, the urge to scramble to the summit takes over. The final push was very nice - a strong breeze out of the north kept us cool and bugfree. Overall, we made excellent time - the bulk of us were on top by 8:30 PM. Thanks to forest fires, the sunset was a gloious deep red - very appropriate!
The hike out was unremarkable, but very satisfying - we were all very happy we made the effort to do the hike despite the obstacle at North Bend. To top it off, Russ had sixpak of a delicious amber ale from a Portland microbrew (OK, I can't remember the name) waiting for us when we got back to the parking lot. Awesome way to end a hike - woo hoo!
Next Up: Humpback Mountain
On Deck: Melakwa Lakes/Kaleetan Peak Overnight, 8/12/04!!! This will probably be the only overnight of the year, so PLEASE let me know in advance if you're planning to campout. If you can't make the overnight, the lakes are a worthy hike in their own right. Matt and Gretchen are planning to be here, too, to make it extra special, so come on out! It may be beneficial to set the meeting time for 4:30 PM, so we can get some socializing in beforehand...I'll followup with more info next week. :)
Enjoying Summer, -Mark
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