OUTDOOR AWARENESS

There was a lot of rain in Seattle on Sunday. Our original plan was to backcountry ski on Mt. Rainier, but the heavy precipitation would diminish our enjoyment of the day. Instead, we headed a little further inland and decided to attempt a summit of Mount Baldy. We parked at the Kachess Ridge Trailhead and a little drizzle forced us to don our raingear. We crossed Silver Creek and spent the first mile on switchbacks to start heading up the mountain. Eventually, we reached the Easton Ridge Trail junction. At this point, the ridge is a little exposed to the elements. Higher winds and remaining rain made this point seem a little foreboding, so we moved on. The next 1.2 miles would be heading up to the ridge, and would be the crux of the climb in my view. This trail climbs 2500’ in 2.2 miles, so the first few hours are a continuous up. Shortly before the ridge, persistent snow was apparent and we strapped on our micro-spikes. I’m glad we brought these along. The Domerie Peak Trail was more enjoyable. It follows the ridge of the mountain range, and didn’t involve a lot of elevation gain or loss. It was also more exposed, offering views of the mostly overcast valley, and unfavorably accommodating strong winds that accentuated the windchill. I enjoyed this part of the hike. It was such a pleasant alpine hike, just enough snow and the ridge had just the right amount of sparse treeline cover to afford high altitude views. We reached Mount Baldy, and the winds were very high. This greatly enhanced the windchill, making a leisurely presence on the summit difficult. After taking a few quick pictures, we retreated to the treeline to recover some warmth and eat. Once recuperated a bit, we headed back down the mountain. Even though it was all down, it still took a long time to head down all those switchbacks. By the time we reached the vehicle at midday, it had stopped raining and was warming up. A wonderful mountain climb.