10/2/2010 @ 10:00

10/2/2010

Postal code 98503, US
Lacey, WA 98503

Look out, Teanaway, here comes South Sound O&A. Route will be decided on the way over I-90, using the most recent trail info. Default hike is to either Lake Ingalls (out and back) or Iron Peak, though if we take two cars, a loop would be really cool. Stats, Iron Peak: Roundtrip mi.: 14.5 Elev. gain: 3600 ft High point: 6387 ft Stats, Ingalls Lake: Roundtrip mi.: 9.0 Elev. gain: 2500 ft High point: 6500 ft WTA notes for Lake Ingalls: Sometimes you just want to get high--physically, not psychedeli-cally--and the Lake Ingalls Trail lets you do that while still exploring some of the grandest wildflower displays in the Cascades. You'll climb, descend, and climb again, crossing through no less than three distinct ecosystem types, each with its own species of wildflowers to entice and enchant you. As with the Longs Pass Trail you'll start out on the old miners road leading up the Teanaway Valley. Within the first 0.25 mile the wide roadbed fades to a true trail. It also splits, the path to the left heading to Esmeralda Basin and Fortune Creek Pass. Go right to start your climb out of the Teanaway Valley. You'll be hiking through the first flora stratum you'll encounter on this hike, with huckleberry bushes, a few lilies, and other lesser known flowers, such as pipsissewa and wintergreens. At 2 miles go left at another trail junction (right leads to Longs Pass). The trail angles upward, climbing steadily and at times steeply. As you near Ingalls Pass the trail meanders through a rock-strewn meadowland. Along the long, slow climb to the pass you'll enter a drier ecosystem full of alpine firs. Bitterroot, white paintbrush, penstemon, and spreading stonecrop (a pretty little succulent plant) grow in profusion. The final 0.3 mile switchbacks up to Ingalls Pass, about 3 miles from the trailhead. Here you'll enjoy spectacular views of Ingalls Peak across the Ingalls Creek valley in front of you, and Esmeralda Peaks across the Teanaway River valley behind you. The trail now descends briefly before contouring around the upper flank of Headlight Basin. As you crest the pass and descend into the rocky basin, you'll enter rich heather meadows filled with bistort, paintbrush, and--in one spring-fed ravine--a 10-acre spread of shooting stars. This lush valley sports many fine campsites alongside small tarns and creeks in the open heather and flower fields. Of course, an abundance of rich foliage and plenty of water means birds and animals frequent this basin. Move silently and watch carefully for the best chances to see deer, mountain goats, marmots, coyotes, and countless bird species. WTA notes for Iron Peak (we might do out and back or the loop): Scrambling along open ridge tops draped in grass and wildflowers, hikers here easily lose the trail as it fades under the rich plant life and disappears between jumbles of rock. Further complicating things, the glorious views prevent hikers from devoting their full attention to the trail--there's just too much beauty and natural splendor to enjoy. Great meadows stretch out all around, and on every horizon stand picture-perfect mountain ranges, with the hulking presence of Mount Stuart to the north dominating all others. Enjoy these sights, but make sure you give plenty of attention to the route too, and don't be afraid to turn back and hike out the way you came if you lose the loop. The trail angles northwest along Beverly Creek for 0.5 mile before the path diverges (the right is your return route). Go left to stay alongside Beverly Creek, and in the next 2.2 miles climb the steep, narrow valley of this creek to a junction with a small trail on the left. Leave the creekside here and climb steeply to the right (north) to reach a pass (elev. 5600 ft) separating Beverly Creek basin from Fourth Creek basin, 3.3 miles from the trailhead. This pass sits on the spine of the Wenatchee Mountains, below the craggy rock summit of Iron Peak. One look at the mountain's reddish hue explains the name--the iron-rich rocks have oxidized (rusted) to a russet orange. From the pass, turn right and follow a long traverse to the east, looping around the head of Fourth Creek basin and climbing slowly to a high pass (elev. 6387 ft) between Fourth Creek and Hardscrabble Creek valleys. The trail then drops to a junction with the Hardscrabble Creek Trail at 5.1 miles from the trailhead. The trail to the left descends Hardscrabble Creek, and while it can be narrow and brushy, it is generally easy to see. Straight ahead, though, our path plays hide and seek in the broad fields of rock and wildflowers. The trail can be hard to follow, but by maintaining an easterly heading and staying at the 5900-foot elevation, scramblers can work their way across the 2-mile stretch of trail between the Hardscrabble and the Cascade Creek Trails. Enjoy the views down into Ingalls Creek valley and across that valley to Mount Stuart and the jagged line of the Stuart Range. Once you reach the junction with the Cascade Creek Trail at about 7.2 miles, turn right and hike south, descending into the Stafford Creek valley. After about 1 mile you'll encounter the Standup Creek Trail. Turn right once more and follow this path up and over the ridge between Stafford and Standup Creeks, and cross the pass on the flank of Earl Peak. At 5800 feet the trail splits, about 10.5 miles from the start. The main, easily followed trail drops along Standup Creek, but the faint, hard-to-follow path you want cuts west along the flank of Earl Peak and drops steeply into the Bean Creek basin, where you'll find a junction with the Beverly Creek Trail. Turn left on the Beverly Creek Trail and follow it 0.5 mile downstream back to your car. After gawking, pop your eyes back into your head and push on--the next mile swings around the upper edge of the basin, crossing a few creeks and weaving around some nice ponds. As you leave the flowers you'll traverse a broad granite slope and climb up and over a tangle of granite slabs and boulders before dropping to rock-rimmed Lake Ingalls. Views are hard to come by here--rock hard, that is. Swing out to the left as you reach the lake and drop down to rest on the long rock slabs that taper down into the water. From here, look across the mirror-finish lake to the magnificent face of mighty Mount Stuart to the north, while the craggy top of Ingalls Peak towers directly over the lake on the west.