The forecast said that yesterday and today were the time if there was to be one last hike. It had snowed in the mountains Monday, so I wasn't sure if this would work, but I took off for Park Creek Pass, not knowing if actually reaching the pass (6,000 feet) would be in the cards.
This place has sentimental value for me. In August 1993, Tracey and I backpacked up Thunder Creek, over Park Creek Pass, and down to Stehekin. It was the one and only time she ever backpacked with me. (She likes dayhikes but backpacking isn't her thing.) We had a fantastic time. (In fact, Chloe was born exactly nine months later.) It turned out to be our last major hike together during our Seattle years--the next summer was consumed by having a newborn and a two-year-old, and then we moved to Iowa at the end of the summer.
Day one: Tuesday 10/21/08. 17 miles, 4,200 feet gained, 2,000 feet lost.
I hit the trail at Carwash Falls at about 7:30, hiking the easy 6 miles up the old Stehekin Road to Park Creek in 2 hours. It was a funny day —you could feel the moisture in the air, and while the high country was beautifully clear, a blanket of fog covered the Stehekin Valley. (No pictures of this part of the hike: the camera was acting up.)
I remembered the Park Creek Trail being steep in places from 15 years ago, and it was. The first mile and a half climbs steeply, high above roaring Park Creek in its gorge. The next half mile traverses the gorge rim more moderately, gaining the hanging valley and meeting the creek at two-mile camp.
One important thing has changed since 1993—the sturdy bridge over Park Creek at two-mile camp is gone! There is a huge footlog to cross on, but it was snow-covered and slick, providing the only real sphincter-tightening moment of the trip. Safely across, the next three miles to five-mile camp are more moderate. The snow began below two-mile camp, and got steadily deeper and more beautiful as I went along. I was working up a pretty good sweat in the damp air, but the trees were dropping snow-bombs left and right, so I had to leave my hat and rain shell on.
I pulled into five-mile camp, 11 miles from the car, at dead-on noon. I ate my lunch, took my time making camp, fetching water, and setting some possible firewood up to dry. There is an awesome view of Buckner from my tent. My plan was to attempt the pass tomorrow, but it was shady and cold at camp, and it seemed stupid to lay around on a perfect afternoon when I could be warm hiking. It was 1:30—I figured the five remaining hours of daylight should be enough to climb the three miles and 2,000 feet to the pass and back if the snow conditions allow it.
So I hit the trail, and in no time I was in the sun, getting much warmer in the open country above my camp. The views of Booker, Buckner, Goode, and Storm King draped in yesterday's fresh snow were amazing.
The snow deepened a bit—4 to 6 inches—during the first mile. At that point, the trail leaves the main valley of Park Creek and switchbacks steeply up the flanks of Storm King. The snow was getting deeper and the views more spectacular. I never had any serious trouble following the trail through this wooded section.
As the country opened up, the snow became deeper, now approaching a foot of fresh powder. I lost the trail in the flat basin below the pass, but no trail was needed in this beautiful open country. After crossing several small creeks, I rediscovered the trail for the final drag to the pass.
This is just gorgeous country. Some people consider Park Creek Pass the scenic climax of trail hikes in the North Cascades. That's a big claim, but today I am certainly not going to argue. As I neared the pass, I was still mostly in sun and comfortable in spite of the cool breeze and now being in knee-deep snow. It was arduous travel but not as bad as postholing through spring slush at 11,000 feet like we do in New Mexico every Memorial Day week!
As I reached the pass (a 200-yard-long slot—the trail traverses above it), the spectacular views down Thunder Creek began. What a place! The snow grew deeper—thigh-deep in places—as I moved to the Thunder Creek side of the pass. No direct sun over here: it is cold! I took some photos and headed back to the sun on the Park Creek side. I found a dry rock to perch on and ate and drank. It was now almost 4:00.
At 4:20 I started down, wanting to be sure I could get back to camp by dark. I was in sun about half way back to camp, which I reached at about 6:00. It sure was easier coming down, with gravity on my side and a fresh set of footprints to follow. I used the last bits of light to fetch water and change into tomorrows undies and socks and bundle up for the cold evening. There were high clouds rolling in, just as forecasted, so the low should be moderate tonight (30-ish is the forecast.)
I was too whipped to fuss with fire: I cooked dinner (Thai noodle soup, apple, cookie) by headlamp and got cleaned up. I actually had some trouble finding the bear-bag rope I had rigged earlier in the dark—it was a ways from my camp.
I hit the tent around 7:30 to write in my log. What a fantastic day spent in a fantastic place that also has great sentimental value to me.
Day 2: Wednesday, 10/22/08. 11 miles, 2,200 feet lost.
I woke up at what felt like the middle of the night—it was actually 10:30. I crawled out of the tent to see something I didn't expect: a giant show of stars, and Buckner glowing in star and moon light. It already felt much colder than 30, and with this clear sky, I knew I was in for a cold night. One of the disadvantages of hiking until dark in the cold fall is that I never had a chance to air and dry my clothes, so it was a chilly night. I was glad I wasn't attempting the pass as planned, because I would have to have gotten an early start. I crawled out to take care of business at 6:30, crawled back in and surprisingly fell back asleep. I didn't get out again until almost nine, when the first bits of sun were starting to reach through the trees. It was still only 20 degrees.
I took my sweet time cooking breakfast and breaking camp, hoisting pack for what is surely the last backpacking day of 2008 at 10:30. I ate lunch at a sunny spot by the Park Creek trailhead, and was back to the truck at 3:30. I hadn't driven more than 150 yards when I saw a bear coming up the road. I stopped at Buckner Orchard on the way back to see if the deer were there. They sure were—there were probably close to 40 deer in the orchard.
This was simply a spectacular hike and a perfect ending to my Stehekin hike-fest. The area around the pass was unbelievable draped in fresh snow.
My totals for the last month: 183 miles of trail, 34,000 feet of elevation gain.
(By the way, "Des pas sur la neige" is "Footprints in the snow" in French. Don't be too impressed: I only know this because it is the title of a Debussy piano piece.)
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