North Fork Sauk River — Sunday, Jul. 12, 2009

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

Some complications here, but getting better every day thanks to the USFS crew camped at Red Creek (they are taking up the whole camp). Trail's in great shape that far. Then there's a bridge missing at Red Ck and the crossing's either on fallen logs up- or down-stream, or a ford across a wide stretch downstream. Neither is all that tough. Then they are building a bypass of a stretch of trail that drops down to the riverbank another mile or so upstream -- the bypass is NOT complete as of this writing so don't take it, since it dead-ends shortly. Follow the old trail and pick your way around some new river channels and down trees, not too tough, then climb back up a bit. Mackinaw shelter is intact and the camping area around it is pretty darn nice. We spent first and last nights there. Fire ring and everything. On the ascent up to White Pass beware of an avalanche blowdown swath that obliterates the trail through two switchbacks. This could be treacherous since you might assume the trail crossed the swath, but it doesn't it switchbacks (twice) in the middle of it! So until they clear or bypass this, just turn left straight upslope when you come to it (there's a cairn) and keep left of the blowdown and keep going up till you hit the trail, take a left and then when you hit it again, do the same thing again until the trail takes off to the left and keeps going. A few more individual blowdowns to go around/over and finally you traverse up across the ocean of meadow up to the PCT junction. From there it's a level(er) half mile to White Pass where you'll be directed by "Camp Elsewhere" signs to not camp in the pass saddle, but down below on a little plateau, where there's easy water and a nice little forest potty-box with what's gotta be the best view ever (on a clear day). Views? Oh, my oh my. Sloan Peak and the Monte Cristo Group are stars of the show, with Indianhead and Johnson Mtn right there, too. Glacier Peak (DaKobed) remains hidden behind White Mountain. Next day we followed the PCT to Red Pass and scrambled up Portal Peak! NOW you're talkin views! DaKobed of course is RIGHT THERE, and her sisters Tahoma (Rainier) and Koma Kulshan (Baker) are on the horizons. Mt. Stuart in the distance. Tons of North Cascades beauty in all directions! So we ambled back down and then went up onto the ridge leading to White, and "ran" it for a mile or so eastward, for ongoing 360 views. The easiest way up is a little ways back down the PCT south, then a sharp left up a gully, to avoid the first few rock spurs which are pretty gnarly and covered with those tight-knit trees that are so tough to negotiate with. Past that it's wide-open up-and-down as far as you care to go east. We didn't bag White Mtn, but rather traversed down the steep meadow through marmot and grouse land back to the White Pass camp. Grouse-thumping and marmot whistles were frequently heard. Next day we dropped back down to Mackinaw and finally were out by mid-afternoon the next day. Met a lot of others climbing Glacier -- I guess with the White Chuck and Suiattle roads so badly damaged this is the best west-side approach now! No volcano climbing for us, just soaking up the views and flowers in the 6-7000 ft zone! A great week! More photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/pfitech.seanet.com/20090715NForkSaukRiver