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Cascades Trip

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,023
Sleazattle
So last week I did a 6 day backpacking trip through the North Cascades. Started out in Chelan, tooka ferry up lake Chelan to Stehekan. Took a shuttle bus from Steheken to the trailhead. Up and over Park Creek Pass to the confluence of Thunder Creek and Fisher Creek then out over Easy pass. Spent two nights at the Thunder creek basin. During my rest day I scrambled my way up to the top of the ridgelines around Park Creek Pass.

Here is a big pile of pictures, more to come later.

Boat ride




Fire
Fire on the mountain


Boston Glacier I think


There was one hell of a flood that came through here.




Looking back over Park Creek Pass


Looking down into Thunder Basin


Falling rocks kill trees



Ice Ice baby












 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,023
Sleazattle
That looks awesome! Was the weather that perfect the whole time?

Had a couple of cold damp nights but for the most part the days were pretty damn hot and dry.

Saw a bunch of bears, the way I like to see them, running away. One site had a herd of deer that hung around eating anything you pissed on. They were completely unafraid of people. Woke up in the middle of the night with one sticking it's nose underneath my tent's vestibule. One little buck had an inferiority complex and started acting agressive. Though I was going to have to fight it off with my hiking pole.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,023
Sleazattle
Nice, Westy! That's some remote lookin' country up there. :thumb:

The most remote I have ever been. The logistics of this trip were difficult. It took 8 hours of travel from the nearest town to get to the trailhead. There was enough snow in the area that few people have passed through some of those sections. The trail was extremely overgrown and tough to follow in spots. We did talk to a ranger who said they had spent two days lost in the Thunder creek valley. It wasn't easy but I managed to stay on the trail. We didn't see a single person until the second to last day. It was our ride out, he hiked in an brought us beer and fresh peaches. :thumb:
 

laura

DH_Laura
Jul 16, 2002
6,259
15
Glitter Gulch
Fabulous thread! I love to live vicariously. We've just started backpacking and I am so hooked. i can't wait to get an extended trip in. More pictures that is some gorgeous country.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,023
Sleazattle




Avalanch damage





More avalanche damage



Almost walked into this little guy



Old trappers cabin from the 1920's






Found and old collapsed cabin that had a bunch of pumping equipment in it. I have no idea how it got there. It was on some really steep terraine with no roads for miles and miles and miles.







 

laura

DH_Laura
Jul 16, 2002
6,259
15
Glitter Gulch
So let's talk logistics. What did you eat for six days? What kind of water filter did you use? What about alcohol? Six days worth would fill my pack. :) Do you carry a weapon? Could you kill a bear with your bare hands?
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,023
Sleazattle
So let's talk logistics. What did you eat for six days? What kind of water filter did you use? What about alcohol? Six days worth would fill my pack. :) Do you carry a weapon? Could you kill a bear with your bare hands?

Food:
Bag of Hershey's Miniatures
1lb of cheese
Dehydrated meals
various granola bars
large bag of trail mix
beef jerky

Weapons:
Small folding knife
Chemical weapons consisting of BO, DEET, and sunlblock.

Saw a couple of bears all running away, I wasn't worried about them. I didn't say anything but they seemd to know I e-knew you.

Deer were completely unafraid and one little buck actually started acting aggresive. He got quite close and I considered nailing him in the face with a rock. He seemed to sense we weren't playing and backed off. Sick deer were all about licking things you peed on, must be some kind of German species.

Shared a couple of MSR water pumps between four of us. To save time I would often just use iodine tablets.


Edit: For booze I took a liter of 101 proof wild turkey.
 
Last edited:

laura

DH_Laura
Jul 16, 2002
6,259
15
Glitter Gulch
Food:
Bag of Hershey's Miniatures
1lb of cheese
Dehydrated meals
various granola bars
large bag of trail mix
beef jerky

Weapons:
Small folding knife
Chemical weapons consisting of BO, DEET, and sunlblock.

Saw a couple of bears all running away, I wasn't worried about them. I didn't say anything but they seemd to know I e-knew you.

Deer were completely unafraid and one little buck actually started acting aggresive. He got quite close and I considered nailing him in the face with a rock. He seemed to sense we weren't playing and backed off. Sick deer were all about licking things you peed on, must be some kind of German species.

Shared a couple of MSR water pumps between four of us. To save time I would often just use iodine tablets.


Edit: For booze I took a liter of 101 proof wild turkey.
A pound of cheese, you are killing me. So with the iodine tablets do you just get water from the river and throw the tablets in? The water tastes ok? Does it kill everything that could be in the water? Our trips have been so short that we pack all our water in and TN is funny about drinking from the river.
 

SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
65,379
12,533
In a van.... down by the river
A pound of cheese, you are killing me. So with the iodine tablets do you just get water from the river and throw the tablets in? The water tastes ok? Does it kill everything that could be in the water? Our trips have been so short that we pack all our water in and TN is funny about drinking from the river.
That's what the iodine does.

Get a filter, though... they come in handy.

I've found iodine makes the water taste a little... odd.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,023
Sleazattle
A pound of cheese, you are killing me. So with the iodine tablets do you just get water from the river and throw the tablets in? The water tastes ok? Does it kill everything that could be in the water? Our trips have been so short that we pack all our water in and TN is funny about drinking from the river.
A pound of cheese, it is all about balance. When eating large amounts of dried fruit and dehydrated meals certain things can get out of whack. Cheese solves that problem. :brow:

A few years ago a group of us were setting camp and a friend collected water. We were going to throw in some gatorade powder so there was no concern about the iodine taste. A few folks noted that the water tasted 'spicy'. Closer inspection of the lake showed some kind of large bird like a crane was dead and rotting at the bottom where the water was taken. Nobody got sick, iodine works. On a different note filtered water taken from some glacier fed streams is the best tasting water ever, I don't know if it is the actual water, the effort required or just the scenery but it is fabulous.
 

chicodude

The Spooninator
Mar 28, 2004
1,054
2
Paradise
A pound of cheese, it is all about balance. When eating large amounts of dried fruit and dehydrated meals certain things can get out of whack. Cheese solves that problem. :brow:

A few years ago a group of us were setting camp and a friend collected water. We were going to throw in some gatorade powder so there was no concern about the iodine taste. A few folks noted that the water tasted 'spicy'. Closer inspection of the lake showed some kind of large bird like a crane was dead and rotting at the bottom where the water was taken. Nobody got sick, iodine works. On a different note filtered water taken from some glacier fed streams is the best tasting water ever, I don't know if it is the actual water, the effort required or just the scenery but it is fabulous.

Haha just reading this, I took some water from a spring in the trinity alps..Almost addicting
 

Sonic Reducer

Monkey
Mar 19, 2006
500
0
seattle worshington
Found and old collapsed cabin that had a bunch of pumping equipment in it. I have no idea how it got there. It was on some really steep terraine with no roads for miles and miles and miles.
[/QUOTE]

I would guess mule team.

looks like a great route. what was the distance roughly? what maps did you use?how late in the year can it be done? i havent had a good backpacking trip yet this summer and this looks promising.