|
HIKE |
Red Mountain |
|
ROUTE |
Commonwealth Basin Trail, Red Base, Scamble! |
|
DATE |
7/14/2005 |
|
ATTENDEES |
Chris, Damon, Don, Erin, Larry and Mark. |
|
NOTES |
Perfect! |
PHOTOS
TRAIL REPORT
This week, it was time for TNAB to re-visit Red Mountain, an old favorite. The weather forecast promised views aplenty, a nice change from the last couple hikes. Chris, Damon, Don, Erin, Larry and Mark made the journey to Snoqualmie Pass with high hopes.
The weather was outstanding. Temps were warm - upper 60's - and the skies mostly clear as we started out on the Commonwealth Basin Trail at 6:00 PM. The sun hid behind Snoqualmie Mountain, keeping us nice and cool during the lower stretches. The pace was leisurely, yet expectant. The various creek crossings were very enjoyable.
An hour or so later found us switching back and forth up the north end of the basin, with Red Mountain well in view. Only one thing to do - push for the summit. Time to kick it!
Ascending Red Mountain proper is another world compared to the approach trail. The "trail" is scratched out of Red's dusty, scree-strewn slopes, with seemingly endless variations. Unlike most TNAB hikes, rockfall on Red is a distinct hazard. Travel with care!
Remarkably, the whole crew made it up by 8:15 PM! The effort was worth it, because the views were simply awesome. Rainier, Adams, Glacier Peak, and all the local peaks were present and accounted for. Only further north did the views become hazy, but even then, Baker was visible for a while.
Why do we ever have to descend?
We left the summit by 8:30 PM, and took our sweet time getting off the mountain. The aforementioned rockfall became an issue at one point, which caused us to take even greater care descending. Fortunately, we safely regained Commonwealth Basin in time for the half-moon to help guide the way. It was like having an extra headlamp!
We finally made it back to parking lot by 10:45 PM, a bit late, but well worth the extended stay up top. It was heartening to see the moon and stars once again - it seemed like ages since they were there to greet us as we exited. Great hike - hope the views and clear skies keep coming!
TNAB Forecast:
7/21: Defiance
7/28: Snoqualmie (Revisit)
8/04: Melakwa Lake/Kaleetan Peak Overnight!
8/11: Kendall Peak
R&R,
-Mark
www.tnab.net