Old Gib, Carne Mountain — Thursday, Jul. 17, 2008

Central Cascades > Leavenworth Area

I didn’t realize how much I was missing eastern Washington until cresting Stevens Pass and beginning that long coaster-ride toward endlessly blue skies, where the soil, a bit barer and lighter in color, reflects the heat right into one’s eyeballs. That longing further translates into the razzing call of the Clark’s Nutcracker, the metallic bug sounds outside the tent at night, or the dust rising about our boots as we climbed, smelling of piney brown sugar with a hint of vanilla. I especially love the sound of wind in larches; it has a lonesome quality that reminds me of those old westerns; picture a grizzled desperado filmed from about waist level, his shoulders and head framed by cloudless sky, thirsty, so very thirsty. The restless wind Hollywood soundtrack completes the image; vast unpeopled space. Anyway, that is the fantasy. Kristine and I saw four people, all while passing through Carne basin area. We made our pilgrimage back to that lonesome ridgeline beyond Carne Mountain. The appeal has always been solitude you can bank on. And for good reason, the trail is used only by deer and bears as far as I can tell. Our ridgelette camp overlooking Rock Creek has evidence of historical usage, but probably tracing back to horse packers supplying the former LOs of the area (Carne Mtn. and Estes Butte). The trusty snow bank was there for our water, but barely; it was littered with larch needles and some pollen-like bugs that required bandana filtering, or closing one’s eyes while drinking. Kristine did not like that part. Friday was wonderfully cool for our ascent. Bugs started requiring daily application of DEET by late Saturday morning when the temperature warmed. But there were never more than a few hovering at any one time, quite pleasant. Kristine and I explored the ridgeline from Carne pass to point 7811’. The summit looked a bit too troublesome so we traversed to a pass south of 7811’. It was a broad pumice plain overlooking Ice Lakes and Entiat drainages. On the return we avoided some difficult ridgeline rock and took a trail on the north side of the ridge. It was a descending traverse, connecting handily with the Leroy High Route just (150’) below its passage from the Rock Creek drainage. There was a nice camp on the gentle part of the ridge at about 6400’ with plenty of needle-free snow; I plan on staying there next time we are back in the area. I also found evidence of another higher Leroy High Route trail departing the ridge at about 6550’. I want to explore that as well. An arrow constructed of stones set in grassy meadow indicates the departure point. Having spent 14 nights in the mountains in the past month, I am ready to stay home for a weekend. Time for sloth, comforts, and catching up on some backpacking tasks; I want to be prepared for August and September when wilderness and unknown places call with a longing I know I can’t resist.