Trevor Dickie
We're over half way through 2020. Doesn't that feel weird? Where did the year go? Why has it felt like a decade? Will it continue to feel both incredibly long and insanely short at the same time?
With new trip reports trickling in, we're pretty excited to see everyone having a blast outdoors, while recreating responsibly that is. Now that we've got reports to celebrate, we've gathered our favorites from the past few months.
You can find recommendations for how to write a solid report here. The following write-ups are listed in the date that the trips occurred, not ranked in any way. Click on the photos to read the full reports from the volunteers and members.
scramble - buell & barrier peaks
"At this time we decided that due to the snow now sticking and the weather report being far different then forecast it was best to not attempt Barrier today and to return to our vehicles."
The weather doesn't always break. Sometimes it gives you snow instead. A solid report exemplifying good decision-making.
climb - the tooth/south face 6/19
"It was such a beautiful day! There were lots of wildflowers including trilium and many others which I cannot identify. The team was wonderful. We made sure to wear our masks any time we were at belay stations or needed to be close to one another."
Lauren's trip report depicts a trip that went off just right. It also contained some helpful post hole beta for future climbers.
scramble - boundary peak 6/20
"Weather for the day was predicted to be moderate rain up to a possible three quarters of an inch for the day, a much worse report than the sunny day predicted earlier in the week."
Don't you just hate it when the weather forecast changes? Though sometimes it's still best to go out and continue your adventure anyways.
climb - little tahoma/east shoulder 6/22-23
"After breaking for a bit, we took the final approach to above Meany Crest to our camping spot. No one else was around so we had our pick of locations to camp. It took us a little over 5 hours from the TH to get to camp at a relaxed pace with plenty of breaks."
Nothing better than having no competition for the best camping spot! Craig's report comes with great photos from an ideal trip.
backpack - suiattle river 6/27-28
"The trail has slight up and down for 6+ miles to Canyon Creek campsite with elevation gain of about 900 ft. It took our group with a leisurely pace of 2mph and breaks in between about 3 hours to the camp. The camp is next to the roaring river before the bridge."
This report features some nice photos from a great field trip out. Exploratory day trips on backpacking outings are always a treat.
climb - ingalls peak/south ridge 7/4
"The way off the couch is long and twisted, and COVID-19 has done some profound damages to our level of conditioning. For most of us, this was the first conditioner of the season, and for some, the first hike in almost 4 months."
For some of us, hitting the trail hasn't been as easy as it used to be this summer. I know I've had some rude awakenings in regard to fitness and strength. It didn't seem to slow this group too much though.
climb - mount baker/north ridge 7/4-5
"The pitch was more than 80 degrees for a few meters before mellowing out to 70 degrees. If I didn't practice a lot over the winter, I'm sure we would have had to bail."
A classic trip, on a classic route, on a classic mountain. What more do you need?
scramble - Baldy—Gray Wolf Ridge—Mount Deception Traverse 7/10-13
"After Deception, the next significant snow coverage we encountered was going up the northwest side of Surprise Col. About half of this side of the col was covered in snow. It was somewhat harder than it was on Deception, but we felt secure without crampons."
Chad's report has LOADS of detail and plenty of great photos. A must read if you're planning a similar trip. Or, perhaps you're in search of some inspiration?
hike - mount margaret via norway pass 7/18
"It was a beautiful day. The temps didn't get too high, but it seemed hotter as this is a very dry trail with little shade. The view of Mt. St. Helens and Spirit Lake just past Norway Pass is spectacular."
Good views and good weather almost always make for a good hike. Hard to believe, I know, but this report is proof.
scramble - scarface - grand park traverse 7/18
"We tried following Leave No Trace principles and walking on the trail through the mud and were quickly rewarded with nearly loosing a boot and foot to the mud. What we found worked the best was to step on strategically placed sticks in the mud to spread your weight out and move through it."
Thank you mud, but we would like to keep our boots and our feet please, and would appreciate it if you would dry up.
climb - inspiration traverse
"The first six trail miles gained a gentle 700 feet. After we crossed Thunder Creek came the business: the faint climbers trail up to the lake below the Borealis glacier gained 4,000 feet in two miles accompanied by swarms of mosquitoes. Brutal."
It sounds to me like this trail might have hustled the group a little bit. And the mosquitoes were no help.
If you have a trip report you've really enjoyed, or wrote one yourself that you are quite proud of, send them our way at info@mountaineers.org. We may be featuring the best of the best in an upcoming edition of Mountaineer magazine!
