On top of the world: Cascade Pass to Sahale Glacier Camp 8/15

How to backpack

I probably haven't actually backpacked since a trip to Umtanum Falls as a boy scout five billion years ago, but my parents had passed along some gear before heading back to Yakima to retire.  I finally found a trip tempting enough to pull the trigger and try to carry my home for the night along on the trail.  At home, I got it all laid out and packed - food, clothes, tent, backpack, sleeping bag and pad... and cooking tools.

I had an old backpacking stove passed along from either my parents or from Bre's, and I wasn't all that sure how to use the sucker, so I went to Dick's sporting goods, where they stepped me through it all, "But...that's a pretty old model... a newer one might be the safest bet."  He wasn't pushy with the sale, but I still thought I could figure this out at home and work from there.

"Are you ready, Declan?"  I asked my son as I got ready to light it on our deck.

"Uh... for what, Dad?"

This was actually a perceptive question indeed.  I lowered the lighter, "Well... either to be amazed at my skills here... or to call the fire department.  Okay? Ready?"

"Sure thing Dad."

You see.. the stove itself was pressing against the canister enough to get gas coming out, but not hard enough to make a tight seal.  When the gas did finally catch, the whole thing went up in flames.  I stared at it, then at Declan and nodded, "Yep".  Let it burn out? well... as the wood on the deck started to catch as well, that was not an option.  So I got an oven mitt, told Declan to stand back, and struck the whole thing hard.  The force extinguished the flame and the two pieces - never properly married anyway - went flying in different directions off of the deck into the back yard.

Easy

"Well... That could have gone worse."  I decided aloud as I patted out the flame on the deck.   Declan nodded thoughtfully, "Don't tell Mom?"   I furrowed my brow, "Prooooobably not... we don't want to worry her... but I mean that was pretty spectacular.  It would seem rude not to share."

Backpacking tip #1:  Get a pocket rocket.  They're pretty dang easy and safe.  

The next day, Sunday, August 14th, I was so ready to go, but I knew that they handed out passes for backpacking in the National Forest at this site.  I called the Marblemount Ranger Station to see if they gave out passes the day of, or even the day before.  As it turns out, they do give them out the day before, "And there are only two left for Monday night."

I hadn't really intended to leave quite so early, but was on the road in fifteen minutes - up 405 from Renton to I5, then on the Mountain Loop Highway to Highway 20 and finally Marblemount.  2 hours later, I walked into the Ranger Station.

"Tell me there are still permits for Monday night at Sahale Glacier Camp"

...awkward silence...

"Awww... noooo!  Tell me how much I missed getting them by..."

... more awkward silence...

"That close?  How close?"

"Five minutes... that couple you passed on the way in"

Backpacking tip #2)  Get in line when they open.  The day before you're planning to stay.

This is not my image, but one from photographer Andy Porter - first one that came up when I looked for Sahale Glacier Camp.  He's got more amazing stuff at andyporterimages.com.  Do you see why I wanted to camp here????

Cascade Pass

What kind of idiot is up at that hour?? This kind of idiot

From the parking lot - Cascade Pass

I woke up the next morning dark and early, having hit the sack early at the Buffalo Run Inn (not recommended, unfortunately - see the end of the post).  From there, it was 45 minutes on the 25 mile Cascade River Road to the end of the trail.  Sitting at the end of the road in the parking lot, you are in Skagit County, and without walking any more steps than the ones to remove yourself from the car, you can take in views of the North Cascades with steep peaks and glaciers.

I was ready to tackle the entire trip to Sahale Glacier Camp and back (12 miles and 4000 feet elevation gain) in a single day.  I started that day with some coffee (via packets heated in water over my new stove), and donuts.  The only pack I had was the backpack, so I used that as my day pack, getting the extra clothes out as well as the pots and pans.  It was really pretty reasonable as I left the parking lot and struck out on the trail a little before 6.

This was a perfect morning of walking.  There was a light breeze, but it was still most comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt as I was doing some elevation gain on some of the most gentle switchbacks I've seen.  They may have been able to do it in fewer (I think I read somewhere that there are 37 switchbacks in the 3.8 mile hike to Cascade Pass), but I wasn't complaining.

Because I had left so early, bugs were not an issue, and there was no need for sunscreen as the mountain was completely blocking the sun for me.  It was fun watching the sun slowly inch down the peaks on the other side of the Cascade River Valley.  There were not many birds to speak of during the climb through Skagit County towards Chelan.

Across the valley

My first view of the sun - Cascade Pass

Critter interactions

I turned a corner, heard voices, and had the sun burst out into view all at the same time as I arrived at Cascade Pass just under two hours later. It was a hiking group, and after inquiring, I learned that they were almost graduating from the North Cascades Institute Graduate Program.  Now... at the time, I nodded and simply broke into chatting with them about their itinerary (they had backpacked from Stehekin) and the wildlife they'd encountered, but after returning, I learned more about this group!

Glacial ice from Cascade Pass

The North Cascades Institute does a lot of things you might expect, offering programs to help people learn about the ecosystems and cultural history of the North Cascades, including retreats, work parties and an Educational Learning Center on Lake Diablo.  What surprised me was that you can earn a Masters in Education through them!  A year living in the North Cascades, developing curriculum, hiking, surveying wildlife... That sounds pretty bearable!  I've had my Masters for years, but it's definitely a resource on my radar now as I think about professional development in the future!

Cascade Pass looked down into the Stehekin Valley, and Chelan County in one direction, and Skagit County in the direction of the parking lot, so the Black Swift (181 on the year list for Chelan) came flying right over the pass itself, it was headed from Chelan to Skagit.  These birds have breeding locations in Chelan County near Stehekin, and in a few of the other counties that converge in this vicinty (I wasn't all that far from Okanogan, Snohomish or Whatcom as I sat and rested on the Pass).

Oh deer

Up to Sahale Glacier Camp

With that, I started up towards the next T in the trail, climbing towards the turn off for Lake Doubtful.  As I climbed, I passed a White-tailed Deer, the only really big animal I saw along the way, although bear and mountain goats are seen here as well.  I also passed two members of the group that had split up this side-trail to take in the views. 

I asked them about any birds they had seen and found that they had come across some Sooty Grouse and a large flock of birds that they were excited to describe - mostly brown, sparrow like, with white on the outer tail feathers - American Pipit!  These were both birds I was expecting on the hike, so it was encouraging to hear that they might be found fairly easily up ahead.

Lake Doubtful

The pipits  (182) were heard not long after the pair passed me, and just before I crested the trail and saw Lake Doubtful below, waterfalls pouring glacial melt into them loudly.  I had been toying with the idea of visiting this lake to look for Baird's Sandpipers.  These birds breed on the arctic tundra, and more than nearly any shorebird can sometimes be found in alpine tarns during migration, simply because the landscape is so similar to their breeding grounds.

I scanned, unsure if the grouse had been seen down towards the lake, and actually got visited by a silent empid (which I think had the field marks for a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, although this was just from checking resources afterwards.  I rarely mix it up with seen-only empids), and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.  An American Kestrel also went tearing through from north to south, reminding me that raptor migration was beginning.

Sooty Grouse

At this point, I started to see hikers descending from their evening of camping at Sahale, and several confirmed that there were indeed grouse on the trail ahead.  I continued with some anticipation, and eventually rounded a corner finding a grouse on the trail just as another hiker tromped in and flushed it, scaring him as much as the grouse!  We chatted a little as the Sooty Grouse (183) came out and investigated from a rock perch off of the trail.

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I was worried about Dusky and Sooty Grouse identification, and that I was hopeful that I'd catch them in places where only one species could reasonably be expected.  I'd say that being above the Cascade Crest would definitely count!  Other details with the tail feathers and vocalizations can help separate the species as well, but this certainly made it easier.

Marmot - can I take him home...?

The next stretch took me towards the base of Sahale Glacier Camp, and I enjoyed the relative flat of this part.  The most exciting visitor here was a marmot.  Well, I guess i was the visitor - this guy was right at home, lumbering from one side of the trail to the other in front of me without even really acknowledging that I was passing through.  If it wasn't a rodent, I swear you might think it was a puppy, just based on size and behavior!

The last easy stretch - Sahale Glacier Camp up ahead

The view from the trail...looked a lot like the trail itself!

The trail does hit a rocky stretch at long last where you are doing something that is almost scrambling in parts, but is never really technical.  Rocks do need to be chosen carefully, as some footsteps will just lead to a little landslide (which did happen once on the way down, landing me squarely on my butt).  The horseflies seemed to take a little break at this point.  They had started to become annoying somewhere back when I saw the grouse.  I had dozens of them throw themselves against my hat, my pack, my arms and legs during the day, but they were all magnificently poor at dodging.  I may have dispatched nearly 20 of them by the time the day was done without suffering a bite, but they were pretty annoying!

On top of the world

Lake Doubtful and the Cascades from Sahale Glacier Camp

There are times with summits where it seems like you are almost there, and the summit itself takes forever to arrive.  I felt like the opposite was the case with this camp.  I suddenly found myself at a marker directing me one way to toilets, and the other way for campsites.  The sites were rocky rings designed to block the winds that of course come through the exposed area.  I think in the end that it was for the best that I headed back down that day, but the views up here were amazing.

Campsite - Sahale Glacier Camp

Mount Baker had been visible on the way up, and now I was able to see Glacier Peak looming huge behind the nearby peaks.  Most interesting was that Mount Rainier was visible, probably 100-150 miles off in the distance.  I had fun walking through the snowfields and tried to scan for White-tailed Ptarmigan.  This would have been a life bird had I found any, but I came up short again. 

The Mountain was out  - Mount Rainier

I've tried to find ptarmigan on 4-5 occasions, and I think in all but one case, I've run into another bird that likes to spend its summers on top of the world - Gray-crowned Rosy Finches (184).  Three of them flew past the camp, along the rocky scree and up over the ridge, probably into Skagit County from there.   This was a code 4 bird for Chelan, although I wonder if this is just because the areas where they might be found are a little underbirded.

I chatted with a visitor from Tennessee - someone on the verge of moving out to Washington because of views like this.  She also happened to be a birder, so we chatted a bit about the goal I've had of finding 200 species in the county for the year.  Once I'd had my fill, I started on my way down, just a little after noon.  I will say... down hill kills me relative to uphill.  Maybe the boots don't fit properly, but it seems like.. every time I step on a rock on the way down, it gives way and I nearly lose my balance; Every time my foot kicks a rock, it seems to be one of the ones that is firmly planted in the ground, delivering a nice shock to my long big toes.

Does down really look easier???

A picture of "Bird Guy"

So I was doing my regular round of cussing as I descended, when I heard a call from up ahead.  "Hey Bird Guy!"  I looked up from my feet and saw a Northern Harrier swoop by, white rump showing well.  It rose above the ridge line, hovered, hovered... and then dove.  This bird had been such a puzzle for me, and I wasn't sure where I would find one, outside of raptor migration in the fall.  Apparently, that migration had begun!  This was my final new year bird for the day, but what a nice one to run into.

The rest of the way down suuuuucked... The warmth of the day had turned the last stretch into a sunny and bug-filled walk, sharply contrasting with the easy hike up.  My knee had joined the conversation about how much it hurts to walk down hill, and the two liters of water I had brought along were probably a liter short of what I really needed.

Playing chicken with a "chicken" - Sooty Grouse

Nonetheless, I made it down and hugged my car.  It was 5 PM, and I decided that camping at the base was not happening.  A shower at home and my own bed were sounding much better, especially after all of the birds I'd been able to find.

I love supporting local establishments while I'm out and about, especially this year, when many of those places are still recovering from the fires of 2015.  The Buffalo Run Inn was my bed the night before, and the woman who checked me in, having heard that I would be out the door very early and returning in the evening, encouraged me to come to the restaurant, where I could get 10 percent off of my meal.

I thought this was a sweet offer, and regardless of the finances of it, wanted to encourage businesses that find little ways to turn customers into returning customers.  My service was great and I enjoyed the clam linguini.  There were a lot of good beer and wine options, but my body was screaming the words Mountain Dew at me, so I obliged it.

I finished up the meal and hobbled over to pay up.  I let the gentleman at the register know about the ten percent I'd been told to ask about, and things went very sour.  The policy at the restaurant is that current guests can enjoy that ten percent discount, and I had already checked out.  This seems like a reasonable policy, and the woman checking me in the night before may have been trying to bend that policy to make sure that I'd visit at the end of my hike.

This shining rock may have fooled me into thinking it was Pyrite

For the gentleman at the register (I will assume this was the owner? manager?), simply by bringing up the conversation and by standing by the story that I had actually been offered that ten percent, I had become someone who was lying or "didn't understand basic English" to try to get out of three dollars on a bill.  I've been to so many good places on the road, and it's been so rare that I've run into rudeness, but this just didn't go well, and in the end I was asked not to come back.  Uh... not a problem.  Such a shame because every other person on their staff seemed very sweet, and the food, while a bit overpriced was well done!   The Marblemount Cafe around the corner was a bit more reasonable, and was just more friendly overall, so I guess I'd send you that way if you're headed up to Marblemount.

185 for the year!  It seems so close to 200, but the list of "easy" birds is shrinking pretty fast.  I did decide to head home when I could have stayed another night in Chelan and tried for shorebirds.  If I finish the year missing Western or Least Sandpiper and I'm a bird short of 200... welp... this was why!  It still felt like the right way to go after a great day of birding.