Northwest Explorer onigsmar k K en K

Hiker Keith Konigsmark near Kodak Peak. Getting to Dishpan Gap, Cady Pass and other trails in the vicinity requires some ingenuity after storms of 2006 and 2003 wiped out easy access from the north. Meandering the Meadows A 50-mile trek to Dishpan Gap, Meander Meadow and beyond

By Ken Konigsmark because of trail and bridge damage that later about which route to take back to has closed sections of the PCT since the the trailhead. For 16 years now, my brother Keith has nasty 2003 storm. After an easy Sunday drive, we were flown out from Iowa for an annual 5- to So, in mid-August 2006 we decided on the trail by noon. Cady Creek Trail 6-day backpacking trip. Moving from to take a different route into this area was in great condition and offered a our thirties into our forties and fifties by starting at the Little Wenatchee relatively easy, steady, uphill grade, much hasn’t slowed us down much, although trailhead, where four different trails less strenuous and dusty than the well- we admittedly don’t tackle quite the offer multiple options for loops into the used, horse-pounded, steeper options Herculean journeys we dared in earlier wilderness. (Access is via WA 207 north of the Cady Ridge or Little Wenatchee years. Having seen most of the classic from U.S. 2 to 1.5 miles north of the River Trails. scenic areas of the state in prior trips, we Ranger Station. Turn We covered 5 miles and reached the opted last summer to revisit some of the left on Little Wenatchee River Road PCT within a couple of hours, taking a prettiest scenery we’ve seen, which we #65 and drive to the trailhead at road’s short break at forested Cady Pass before first saw fifteen years ago (1991) during a end, 14.5 miles.) heading north. After some elevation gain trip in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. We planned to hike up from the trail- we were soon above tree line, traipsing At that time we’d hiked 55 miles via head via Cady Creek Trail #1501 up to through the vast meadows of the Glacier Kennedy Hot Springs up to the Pacific the PCT, then head north to Dishpan Peak Wilderness as the PCT snaked Crest Trail (PCT), then south to Stevens Gap. We then planned to veer off here along the top of the Cascade Crest. Pass, crossing over Red Pass, White Pass, to do a side loop to explore Blue Lake After another 2.5 miles, we reached a Dishpan Gap and Cady Pass. We enjoyed and Pilot Ridge, then connect back large open basin about a mile south of spectacular scenery along the entire to the PCT and continue north to the Lake Sally Ann, where we found a nice way. This route is now an impossibility White Pass area. We opted to decide stream, large sunning rocks, and many

www.wta.org August 2007 TRAILS Northwest Explorer good tent sites. Figuring that most oth- Eagle Mountain Trail), skirting along Blue Lake. There must have been lots ers would congregate around Lake Sally a steep slope above the headwaters of of good berries there! Ann, and wanting solitude, we stopped the for 2.5 miles until After a pleasant night by the lake, we here and quickly set up our camp in this reaching a poorly signed junction with woke up to an anticipated challenge. As pleasant little basin. Courtesy of my dog, the Pilot Ridge Trail (#652), just before a shortcut, we planned to take the un- Spike, who had kindly hauled a couple June Mountain. We dropped quickly maintained, steep bypass trail (#652A) beers for us, we enjoyed happy hour on downhill, soon reaching Little Blue a large rock in the sun. To our surprise Lake, where we stopped for lunch. We while sipping, a large mushroom cloud then continued uphill to reach the shore Trip Essentials exploded on the horizon to the northeast. of the much larger and prettier Blue Cady Pass, Dishpan Gap, It was a flare-up of the large fire that Lake that lies beneath the U-shaped Blue Lake, White Pass and hit the Entiat River Valley last summer. slopes of Johnson Mountain. We found Meander Meadow from Lots of trees went up in smoke as we a nice tent site near the outlet stream watched. We then enjoyed a dinner of that had a westward view over Sloan Little Wenatchee trailhead stir-fried fresh veggies and chicken, a Creek basin. After setting up camp, we luxury that can be enjoyed on at least took advantage of some extra hours to Hikable: July–September the first night of a trip. explore Pilot Ridge. We followed trail Round trip: 35.5 miles We were up and on the PCT by 8:30 #652 westward through flower-filled Elevation gain: 5,400 feet our second day, soon passing Lake Sally meadows for about 3 miles and turned Ann and finding that no one had, in back just as the trail was about to descend Maps: Green Trails 144 Bench- fact, camped at the pretty little lake. into forest. This is a very pleasant and mark Mountain, 112 Glacier Peak We soon reached the junction with the scenic route, and I’d encourage others To get there: At Lake Wenatchee, Cady Ridge Trail (#1532) and found a to explore this lonely trail and its superb drive past the Lake Wenatchee large crew of Northwest Youth Corps views of Sloan Peak. Along the way both Ranger Station and at 1.8 miles members camped there. The group was coming and going, we looked up to see a turn left on Little Wenatchee doing trail maintenance along the PCT. busy bear rummaging for huckleberries River Road, FS 65. Drive 14.5 We continued 1.5 miles on the PCT to about a hundred yards upslope from us. miles to Little Wenatchee Ford Dishpan Gap, stopping for a break and He watched us curiously as much as we campground and trailhead, some great views of Glacier Peak. Here watched him and remained in this spot elevation 3,000 feet. we detoured onto Trail #650 (Bald eating berries during our entire time at onigsmar k K en K

A “river” of clouds flows past the author’s camp at White Pass. After hiking in on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) you’ll find many miles of high country to ramble and explore in this corner of the Glacier Peak Wildernss.

WASHINGTON TRAILS August 2007 www.wta.org Northwest Explorer that climbs up the slope to the south of top to look down into the White Chuck looking down on the fast-moving river Blue Lake and crosses Peak 6562 to inter- Glacier basin and see how little snow of clouds. sect back with the Bald Eagle Mountain and ice remained compared to what I We enjoyed that respite, knowing Trail (#650) that we’d taken the prior remembered from 15 years earlier. We that we soon needed to pack up and day. Instead of a 3.5-mile trip back to had climbed up and explored the basin begin backtracking south on the PCT, the PCT, this would cut the distance to in September at that time and found right into the middle of the “river.” As only 2 miles. But we would be paying a large areas of snow and ice. Now, even we expected, the clouds held rain, and price in steep climbing. As it turned out a month earlier in the year, it was mostly the poor souls who had camped below this was well worth it. The bypass trail rock. Another sign of global warming? the PCT were stuck in the drippy wet- was a bit rocky and steep in places, but As we returned to camp, clouds began ness of it. We found that the clouds the scenery it provided, particularly upon dissipated soon after rolling over the reaching the crest, was worth every drop crest so as we walked along the PCT of sweat. We paused at the crest to catch we would weave in and out of clouds onigsmar k our breath, to take pictures, and to bask K

en and sprinkles depending on which side in the scenery. I would again encourage K of the crest we were on. We had hoped others to try this if so inclined. to spend a final night near Kodak Peak, We were soon back on the PCT at but found drippy clouds still hugging Dishpan Gap after our day’s detour the slopes here while further below we loop and again headed north. This could see Meander Meadows in bright stretch of the PCT offers some of the sunshine. We opted to take the Little best country to be found anywhere; it’s Wenatchee River Trail (#1525) down all above treeline and wanders through to the meadows as our route back to lush meadows, with rugged mountain the trailhead. We intended to camp at scenery in all directions. Looking down Meander Meadows, but found several on Meander Meadows, rounding the groups already in established camps. shoulder of Kodak Peak, dropping to So we decided to continue on, hoping Indian Pass, then Kid Pond… all brought to find a campsite along the trail. Well, back memories of 15 years earlier. that plan didn’t work; in fact we found We kept going all the way to White no suitable campsite anywhere as we Pass, with some difficulty finding water continued plodding along—ultimately, along the way. At the pass, a camping The author’s trusty dog Spike amid all the way back to the trailhead. We area lies just below and west of the PCT. false hellebore, near White Pass. also found that this trail, unlike the Cady However, there were already several Creek Trail, had been heavily rutted and groups there, so we chose to turn east to form and spill over the edge of White pounded by horse traffic, thus generating on an unmapped, un-maintained trail Mountain. We expected worse weather huge dust clouds with every step. The that branches off the PCT at the pass the next day. trail is also steep, very brushy in many and heads east towards a basin we could For some reason I woke up at 5 a.m. sections, and just plain unpleasant. see in the distance. We found a flowing and as I stepped outside was greeted by Avoid it if possible, especially if going stream there, a grassy tent site, and ledge- one of the most amazing natural wonders uphill. The other routes into this area top views south to Indian Peak. I’ve ever seen. I stood just above an are much better. After setting up camp, and curious unending, fast-moving “river of clouds” After what seemed like an unending about where the faint trail led, we that was flowing up and over White Pass 15-mile, dust-clogged journey, we finally continued walking for 2.5 miles almost like a tsunami of gray. To the east, other reached the trailhead where we’d begun. to the edge of White Chuck Glacier. clouds flowed across the ridgeline and With side trips, we figured we covered We wondered if this could be a bypass dropped into the White River basin. We almost 50 miles in a four-day period, route for PCT thru-hikers to cut across were in an island of open sky surrounded seeing some of the best of the Glacier the southern fringe of Glacier Peak and by rivers of churning clouds flowing over Peak Wilderness. With the 2006 winter down to the Suiattle River trail; for those the ridgelines around us. I climbed up storm damage it’s unknown if this same who wanted a shorter and more direct the slope of White Mountain and just sat trip is even possible at present (see trip route than the established bypass that there for a couple of hours to absorb the report on page 37). For those seeking follows Indian Creek trail. In any case, beauty of it all, with the clouds changing a moderately strenous, scenery-filled, it was a scenic side trip. I climbed to the color and form as the sun rose. After multi-day trip, this is a great option.  top of peak 7987 (listed as such on the Keith woke up, he joined me to climb Green Trails map) to get a 360-degree to the top of White Mountain where, in Ken Konigsmark is a WTA advisory view. I was shocked upon reaching the sunshine, we were on top of the world board member from Issaquah. www.wta.org August 2007 WASHINGTON TRAILS