4/28, OK arrived ~8:30pm. She and VI haggled on when to meet the next day.
4/29, Saturday. We met in Lynnwood at 5:40am. VI drove. Arrived at Sourdough Mountain TH before 8am (~900'), next to some housing complex (may belong to Puget Sound Energy).
Started hiking at 8:05. Just regular traill. Saw some fairy slippers.
A few muddy spots. A couple of down trees. None too bad.
Around 4100', we reached a flattish area. I was already lagging behind.
Met a couple coming out with overnight pack.
They informed us of a "knife edge", saying that the winter accent is over for the year.
Finally has some view.
Here (~4200-4300'), the summer trail goes NE traversing a steep slope, to cross Sourdough Creek (a proper camping area).
Winter trail goes along the ridge.
Met 2 girls taking a rest, sitting on the snow.
The next hour or so is fairly easy, on snowshoes now. Here's the view of our destination.
Soon, we hit this "knife edge" (some trip reports call this an arrete): marked in orange on the right photo.
I packed in snowshoes, aiming for the rock, hoping for hand/foot hold.
VI and OK went on the left side, but soon, realized that my approach is safer.
The snow is too slushy today, and doesn't hold weight.
I circled myself on this photo from OK.
You can see that the two girls at snack break caught up and was right behind me. But they didn't come up.
After this rock arrete, it's all very easy. Expansive views: mountains everywhere.
Around noon, I found some shade and sat down for lunch, while VI and OK continued to the summit of Sourdough.
On this photo, you can see our track coming up from the left (ridge), and our subsequent route to Stetattle Ridge.
Sourdough Mountain is just a bump. Snow was so soft, that on this slope, my left foot slipped got buried.
I didn't bring a shovel (OK carried one), so it took me many minutes to extract my foot with snowshoes out of the hole.
Once you are on the summit, you know it's higher than the surroundings.
From afar all look similar. No lookout building as indicated on WTA.
We retraced our step to the junction and now heading west to Stetattle Ridge.
We actually stopped at Peak 6308, instead of Stetattle Ridge proper.
The view is similar, but on the way, we could see Sourdough Lake better.
Also it's closer to the Picketts.
By then, it was already 2:30pm.
Back as we came, cut slightly on the top ridge. At the rock arrete, OK and I climbed over the rocks just as we did in the morning. VI went on its east side, which triggered many small avalanches. We could hear him. Met a group of 3 campers watching us.
Back on the main drag. VI and OK followed the footprints down. I didn't like the way we came up, so took a more direct way down. Got back to the car ~5:50pm, 20 minute before OK and VI who were ahead of me we I veered off our tracks. The last 2 miles were boring and hot. It was 75°F in the city. Here, at least 80&def;F.
VI's app logged ~11.5 miles, 5900'.
Driving out, the gate at the west end of the bridge over Stetattle Creek was now closed. OK went over, walked around the gate, and picked up a callbox trying to talk to someone. I walked over too, she was waiting. A truck drove in. I talked to them. One guy said they were given a key card. He waved the card at the reader. The gate didn't open. Then, one of them said, try to drive your car, maybe the gate would open to the outbound traffic. He is right. We drove out, the gate opened automatically!
OK directed us to a "closed" campground near our next TH, which is about 45 min away. We drove there: Marble Creek C.G. Parked at the gate. When we were moving the car into a better position, a truck drove here, lifted the gate. The gate is NOT locked! So, we turned around and drove in too. Good that we drove. The campsites are at least 0.5 miles in. We took the very first campsite. There's a large kayak group in the far end of the campground. By then, it was almost 8pm. OK brought her car camping tent (no rainfly). VI made his bed in his car, and only then, he realized that he forgot to bring a sleeping bag! For dinner, VI brought totilla, cheese, instant noodle. OK brought pea soup and lunch meat as usual, and cut pineapples to share. I had refried beans. VI and OK each brought a gallon of water. Still not enough. I filtered another gallon of water, so we have enough for tomorrow. Mosquitoes are out, but not really biting. The moon is about 40%, too bright to see stars.
4/30, Sunday, cooler, more clouds. We packed out shortly after 6:30am.
Blowdowns on the road forced us to walk ~1 mile to the TH, just like my last April.
We took a wrong start to go up hill, but not far off, it's just super steep.
Once we reach the spine of the slope, it's more manageable.
(On the way out, I exited at the true turn-off. There's a small cairn marking it.)
The slope got easier the higher we were.
A runner overtook us. He carried almost nothing. He drove a Prius, and parked at the turn on Hwy-20. So had to walk at least a mile more than we did.
This might be his report.
We haven't met anyone else that day, unlike my last snowshoe hike here.
More snow is easier.
I put on snowshoes a little below 5000'.
Once broke out of the forest, it's going down a little (to the summer trail?), then a short steep ascent.
This is the only section steep enough for glissade on the way down.
Then you reach the bottom of the climb.
It's wide open, with great views.
Saw 3 ptarmigans.
The view here is always incredible. Too many peaks.
Hidden Lake below.
Retraced our own track down. We followed the spine of the slope all the way down to the road. Found a small cairn at the turn. We walked by on the way in without noticing. Got back to car ~2:30pm.
Made one gas stop in Arlington before I-5. OK dropped me off at home ~5pm. My forehead (between my hat and sunglasses) got burned! VI's app logged ~8 miles, 4200'.
