Cirrus2000
07-29-2010, 12:09 AM
This past weekend, I was looking for someplace nearby to head out for a couple of nights. I planned to leave Sunday around noon, and camp Sunday and Monday nights, returning home on Tuesday.
My first choice, a couple hours north, was Ashlu Mountain, which looked like a nice scramble, with good camping an hour or so up from the car. It was also quite a long drive up logging road. The night before, a friend pointed out to me that the road was blocked by a slide 16km (10 miles) before the 4WD parking area. That wasn't going to work for me!
So I made a last minute change to head east instead, for Williamson Lake, and Welch and Foley Peaks.
I drove up and found a gate closed on the way to the trailhead, which added 3.4km (2.1 miles) and 1900 feet to the hike in. I hit the trail (road) at around 4:15.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NVppRvPI/AAAAAAAAXzY/he-w0So5mPA/s640/IMGP4332.JPG
Along the road, a view to Welch Peak.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NYA7NW_I/AAAAAAAAXzo/sEb4dOc0IMo/s640/IMGP4336.JPG
At the top of the road, I stashed a beer and a Diet Coke in the creek, and then headed across the bottom of a cutblock to enter a stand of trees, where the trail switchbacked steeply upwards. I'm looking a little sweaty here - the temperature was about 28C (82F), with no wind.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Naf0VtDI/AAAAAAAAXz4/tIIqGuwM5xI/s640/IMGP4341.JPG
Looking up toward my destination.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NZONnnPI/AAAAAAAAXzw/8Ot519p9TrQ/s640/IMGP4339.JPG
The trail crosses a long slope, and joins a steep creekbed for the final push to the lake.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NdxES53I/AAAAAAAAX0Q/CPJnQQHVyA4/s640/IMGP4345.JPG
I arrived at about 8:00, and set up my bivy for the night. I had lugged up two more cans of beer, and placed them in some nearby snow. Once everything was set for the night, I had a refreshing can of honey lager. Aaaahhh.
Next morning, I got up and filtered some water from the lake's outlet. I looked up as I was doing so, to find a marmot about 4 feet away from me, watching me curiously.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_N8TS8HWI/AAAAAAAAX28/z_5Ww0g6RLA/s640/IMGP4421.JPG
A little later, I was off doing what bears do in the woods (so they say), and when I returned my Camelbak was half empty - stupid marmot had chewed a hole in it while I was gone! Fortunately, I also had a Nalgene bottle with me.
View to the south from near my campsite. Smoke from a fire along the Chilliwack Lake Road. Tallest peak, just left of centre, is Slesse Mountain (site of a 1956 plane crash that killed 62 - the mountain is now a designated memorial). At the far left edge, the Illusion Group is visible. From this angle, a tiny edge of Mt. Baker is peeking out from behind the Border Peaks. (Trust me.)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NlLj7NZI/AAAAAAAAX0w/3hW4L2vSYQw/s640/IMGP4373.JPG
A shot of my campsite:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nf6ENXaI/AAAAAAAAX0Y/tUWGO4lzlec/s640/IMGP4366.JPG
I had a slow start in the morning, and decided to head for the closer of the two nearby peaks - Foley - which was about a 4-5 hour ascent, gaining 2200-odd feet on the way.
Starting up the slopes:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NmbO12yI/AAAAAAAAX08/js8fvR1pR5k/s640/IMGP4377.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NoJap_iI/AAAAAAAAX1M/JSMEZS8nTMc/s640/IMGP4381.JPG
Looking down from the col between Welch and Foley Peaks. Incredibly loose scree!!! The feel of this stuff was kind of sickening.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NsctUOtI/AAAAAAAAX1k/6H_2JYE3oLU/s640/IMGP4391.JPG
Reaching Welch/Foley col. The pinnacle is Foley - my destination. Sadly, I didn't make it...
In this photo, the snow slope looks moderately steep. I didn't have my ice axe with me, just a set of trekking poles. (I haven't used my ice axe since moving last summer, and couldn't find it anywhere at short notice. Should have borrowed a friend's, but not much notice for that, either.) I did manage this slope, but the next one, about 10 minutes farther on, stopped me cold. Alone, without an ice axe, I wasn't about to try it. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of that one.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NqrFv47I/AAAAAAAAX1c/bdu8BzZ4c6c/s640/IMGP4390.JPG
Just past this snow slope, there was a little more rock scrambling, and I finally stopped at a rocky, heathery knoll, where I lay and relaxed for a while, resting and enjoying the view.
Looking North
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NwOpYwDI/AAAAAAAAX2E/nzOO27WbD00/s640/IMGP4403.JPG
Looking east at Foley. The scramble route goes around below the right side of the peak, and joins the east ridge for a somewhat exposed solid class 3 scramble to the top (lower angle then the visible skylines.)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nu3BQjdI/AAAAAAAAX18/A1cCDKs9zwM/s640/IMGP4397.JPG
Looking west at Welch Peak. There is a route up left of the sub-summit on the right, which then follows the knife-edge ridge to the main summit, but it is very exposed class 3-4, on poor slopy rock. The standard route comes from the left along the skyline. Still solid class 3, but on better rock.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nt47GjPI/AAAAAAAAX10/Jn5pw7-fKoY/s640/IMGP4393.JPG
After a while resting on the knoll, it was a careful trek down past the col, then quick postholing and boot skiing down the snow slopes to the lake. 2.5 hours up, less than 50 minutes back down.
Back at camp, I enjoyed my second snow-chilled beer. Then I filtered some more water, while wearing my net to keep the (many) mosquitoes at bay.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nxkl4umI/AAAAAAAAX2M/21abiunf4QM/s640/IMGP4408.JPG
Made a little dinner. (Head net off so I could eat. Then it went back on.)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NyVUEJ6I/AAAAAAAAX2U/2MUfddQhxU8/s640/IMGP4409.JPG
Next morning, I arose and packed up. Another flawless day, and it was warming up fast! By the time I left, the temp was back up in the high 20s (around 80F) and it got warmer as I descended.
Another shot of my marmot buddy exploring camp.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_N1Jb-SYI/AAAAAAAAX2c/R5rgC6D-Wzs/s640/IMGP4411.JPG
Looking back up whence I'd climbed the day before, then I started down around 9:20 AM.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_N-P71kfI/AAAAAAAAX3I/mnKy1bvoqLo/s640/IMGP4427.JPG
Some flowers along the way:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OEWRsClI/AAAAAAAAX3k/6pank9wq0r4/s640/IMGP4436.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OFbvFIdI/AAAAAAAAX3s/xFZaSfX_x-I/s640/IMGP4438.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OGtGid_I/AAAAAAAAX30/v7s2BUQHttE/s640/IMGP4458.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OIN0S52I/AAAAAAAAX38/Q8yjA6jrZx4/s640/IMGP4459.JPG
At 10:50, I reached the stashed refreshments at the end of the logging road:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OMU49soI/AAAAAAAAX4U/asQfDRPXQiI/s640/IMGP4468.JPG
Just before noon, back to the Jeep:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OUPjGLxI/AAAAAAAAX40/pbhSIJBICmw/s640/IMGP4483.JPG
Total trip: 16km or 10 miles hiking, 5200 feet up and back down (3800 with backpack), 2 beautiful nights in a gorgeous spot (despite the logging cutblocks in the area), and 1 really sweet getaway!
My first choice, a couple hours north, was Ashlu Mountain, which looked like a nice scramble, with good camping an hour or so up from the car. It was also quite a long drive up logging road. The night before, a friend pointed out to me that the road was blocked by a slide 16km (10 miles) before the 4WD parking area. That wasn't going to work for me!
So I made a last minute change to head east instead, for Williamson Lake, and Welch and Foley Peaks.
I drove up and found a gate closed on the way to the trailhead, which added 3.4km (2.1 miles) and 1900 feet to the hike in. I hit the trail (road) at around 4:15.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NVppRvPI/AAAAAAAAXzY/he-w0So5mPA/s640/IMGP4332.JPG
Along the road, a view to Welch Peak.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NYA7NW_I/AAAAAAAAXzo/sEb4dOc0IMo/s640/IMGP4336.JPG
At the top of the road, I stashed a beer and a Diet Coke in the creek, and then headed across the bottom of a cutblock to enter a stand of trees, where the trail switchbacked steeply upwards. I'm looking a little sweaty here - the temperature was about 28C (82F), with no wind.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Naf0VtDI/AAAAAAAAXz4/tIIqGuwM5xI/s640/IMGP4341.JPG
Looking up toward my destination.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NZONnnPI/AAAAAAAAXzw/8Ot519p9TrQ/s640/IMGP4339.JPG
The trail crosses a long slope, and joins a steep creekbed for the final push to the lake.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NdxES53I/AAAAAAAAX0Q/CPJnQQHVyA4/s640/IMGP4345.JPG
I arrived at about 8:00, and set up my bivy for the night. I had lugged up two more cans of beer, and placed them in some nearby snow. Once everything was set for the night, I had a refreshing can of honey lager. Aaaahhh.
Next morning, I got up and filtered some water from the lake's outlet. I looked up as I was doing so, to find a marmot about 4 feet away from me, watching me curiously.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_N8TS8HWI/AAAAAAAAX28/z_5Ww0g6RLA/s640/IMGP4421.JPG
A little later, I was off doing what bears do in the woods (so they say), and when I returned my Camelbak was half empty - stupid marmot had chewed a hole in it while I was gone! Fortunately, I also had a Nalgene bottle with me.
View to the south from near my campsite. Smoke from a fire along the Chilliwack Lake Road. Tallest peak, just left of centre, is Slesse Mountain (site of a 1956 plane crash that killed 62 - the mountain is now a designated memorial). At the far left edge, the Illusion Group is visible. From this angle, a tiny edge of Mt. Baker is peeking out from behind the Border Peaks. (Trust me.)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NlLj7NZI/AAAAAAAAX0w/3hW4L2vSYQw/s640/IMGP4373.JPG
A shot of my campsite:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nf6ENXaI/AAAAAAAAX0Y/tUWGO4lzlec/s640/IMGP4366.JPG
I had a slow start in the morning, and decided to head for the closer of the two nearby peaks - Foley - which was about a 4-5 hour ascent, gaining 2200-odd feet on the way.
Starting up the slopes:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NmbO12yI/AAAAAAAAX08/js8fvR1pR5k/s640/IMGP4377.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NoJap_iI/AAAAAAAAX1M/JSMEZS8nTMc/s640/IMGP4381.JPG
Looking down from the col between Welch and Foley Peaks. Incredibly loose scree!!! The feel of this stuff was kind of sickening.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NsctUOtI/AAAAAAAAX1k/6H_2JYE3oLU/s640/IMGP4391.JPG
Reaching Welch/Foley col. The pinnacle is Foley - my destination. Sadly, I didn't make it...
In this photo, the snow slope looks moderately steep. I didn't have my ice axe with me, just a set of trekking poles. (I haven't used my ice axe since moving last summer, and couldn't find it anywhere at short notice. Should have borrowed a friend's, but not much notice for that, either.) I did manage this slope, but the next one, about 10 minutes farther on, stopped me cold. Alone, without an ice axe, I wasn't about to try it. Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of that one.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NqrFv47I/AAAAAAAAX1c/bdu8BzZ4c6c/s640/IMGP4390.JPG
Just past this snow slope, there was a little more rock scrambling, and I finally stopped at a rocky, heathery knoll, where I lay and relaxed for a while, resting and enjoying the view.
Looking North
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NwOpYwDI/AAAAAAAAX2E/nzOO27WbD00/s640/IMGP4403.JPG
Looking east at Foley. The scramble route goes around below the right side of the peak, and joins the east ridge for a somewhat exposed solid class 3 scramble to the top (lower angle then the visible skylines.)
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nu3BQjdI/AAAAAAAAX18/A1cCDKs9zwM/s640/IMGP4397.JPG
Looking west at Welch Peak. There is a route up left of the sub-summit on the right, which then follows the knife-edge ridge to the main summit, but it is very exposed class 3-4, on poor slopy rock. The standard route comes from the left along the skyline. Still solid class 3, but on better rock.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nt47GjPI/AAAAAAAAX10/Jn5pw7-fKoY/s640/IMGP4393.JPG
After a while resting on the knoll, it was a careful trek down past the col, then quick postholing and boot skiing down the snow slopes to the lake. 2.5 hours up, less than 50 minutes back down.
Back at camp, I enjoyed my second snow-chilled beer. Then I filtered some more water, while wearing my net to keep the (many) mosquitoes at bay.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_Nxkl4umI/AAAAAAAAX2M/21abiunf4QM/s640/IMGP4408.JPG
Made a little dinner. (Head net off so I could eat. Then it went back on.)
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_NyVUEJ6I/AAAAAAAAX2U/2MUfddQhxU8/s640/IMGP4409.JPG
Next morning, I arose and packed up. Another flawless day, and it was warming up fast! By the time I left, the temp was back up in the high 20s (around 80F) and it got warmer as I descended.
Another shot of my marmot buddy exploring camp.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_N1Jb-SYI/AAAAAAAAX2c/R5rgC6D-Wzs/s640/IMGP4411.JPG
Looking back up whence I'd climbed the day before, then I started down around 9:20 AM.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_N-P71kfI/AAAAAAAAX3I/mnKy1bvoqLo/s640/IMGP4427.JPG
Some flowers along the way:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OEWRsClI/AAAAAAAAX3k/6pank9wq0r4/s640/IMGP4436.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OFbvFIdI/AAAAAAAAX3s/xFZaSfX_x-I/s640/IMGP4438.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OGtGid_I/AAAAAAAAX30/v7s2BUQHttE/s640/IMGP4458.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OIN0S52I/AAAAAAAAX38/Q8yjA6jrZx4/s640/IMGP4459.JPG
At 10:50, I reached the stashed refreshments at the end of the logging road:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OMU49soI/AAAAAAAAX4U/asQfDRPXQiI/s640/IMGP4468.JPG
Just before noon, back to the Jeep:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/TE_OUPjGLxI/AAAAAAAAX40/pbhSIJBICmw/s640/IMGP4483.JPG
Total trip: 16km or 10 miles hiking, 5200 feet up and back down (3800 with backpack), 2 beautiful nights in a gorgeous spot (despite the logging cutblocks in the area), and 1 really sweet getaway!