Winter Scramble - Kamikaze (Teneriffe) Falls

The weather forecast was for a major winter storm. Between one to two feet of snow were expected to fall on Snoqualmie Pass. We were originally planning to cross the pass and scramble up Sasse, but decided not to risk crossing the pass. So, our next plan was to climb Teneriffe and Dixie, maybe even throw in Blowdown. We hoped that if we gained enough elevation, we would be hiking in a snow storm, not a rain storm. But the rain did not cooperate. It was raining at the trail head. After climbing 500 feet, it was still raining. After climbing 1000 feet, it was still raining. After climbing 1500 feet, guess what? It was still raining. Conditions were wet, cold, rainy,  cold, rainy, and wet. Did I mention cold? Oh, and rainy too. And we got wet. Once we realized that all we were going to experience was rain, our enthusiasm started to wane. First we dropped the idea of tagging Blowdown. Then we dropped the idea of tagging Dixie.

But then we reached Kamikaze Falls. With all the rain, it was magnificent. Awe inspiring. Nature red in tooth and claw. The trudge through the rain was momentarily forgotten as we reveled in the splendor of the falls.

But by then, we were wet, cold, and miserable. Should we press on to the summit? As we were debating the pros and cons of pressing on, someone mentioned a Pho place in North Bend. The thought of having a nice hot bowl of Pho  for lunch killed the last thoughts of heading farther into the storm. And thus ended another fine day demonstrating the ubiquity of improvisation that characterizes a Mountaineers scramble.