Bean Creek Basin — Sunday, Nov. 7, 1999

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway

A warm drizzle was coming down as I ascended in shorts and a light polypro shirt. There was a little snow on the road, not much on the trail up to the first creek crossing, but then goodly accumulation, especially in the open. Gaiters, heavy snow boots, and ski poles or an ice axe would have been nice. Someone had hiked the trail about a week before, but the most recent tracks, which I followed all the way to the saddle, were of an unknown ungulate. The older snow was packed down enough that I could make reasonable progress, and the warm weather had melted the recent snowfall to the point where I could kick some steps. I did not linger at the saddle, as fierce, steel gray clouds were approaching, borne on strong cold winds blowing in from the Pacific Crest. An elk emerging from the gathering shadows of the creek bottom startled me as I descended after dusk. It made only a slight detour around me, apparently unaware that hunting season was still under way. 2600 feet in 3.5 miles to the saddle SW of Earl Peak. Time--1: 45 up, 1:20 down, too cold for break.