Читать книгу Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest - Don J. Scarmuzzi - Страница 19

13	MOUNT WHITTIER

ELEVATION: 5883 ft, with 2600 ft vertical gain plus 300 ft with Mount Margaret

DISTANCE: 5 mi to the Mount Whittier-Mount Margaret saddle; 6¼ mi to the summit 12½ mi round-trip; 14 mi round-trip with Mount Margaret

DURATION: 2½ hours to the Mount Whittier-Mount Margaret saddle, up to another hour to the summit, 5–7 hours round-trip; 6–8 hours round-trip with Mount Margaret

DIFFICULTY: Mix of strenuous for Mount Margaret (gently graded, obvious, more difficult with snow covering steeper slopes near saddle with Mount Whittier) and very challenging for Mount Whittier (nearly impossible with too much snow/ice covering a very thin section of trail along a cliff band under the summit block, ice axe and crampons recommended before late summer otherwise mostly navigable with care, narrow rocky ridgeline, steep, fairly solid, some exposure near peak, Class 3)

TRIP REPORT: Less frequented but wonderfully captivating to more advanced hikers, with its relatively easy late summer access and equally easy to access TH, is this prodigal summit. Check ahead as always for road and trail conditions (www.fs.usda.gov/detail/giffordpinchot/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd492501). Northwest Forest Pass required, and an outhouse is present.

TRAILHEAD: Norway Pass TH. See hike 11 for directions.

ROUTE: See hikes 11 and 12 (Norway Pass and Mount Margaret) for the description to the Mount Whittier–Mount Margaret saddle (5600 ft, 5 mi up). Turn right (N) onto the faded Mount Whittier Trail 214 that soon descends a couple hundred feet over the thinning rocky ridge before rising very steeply NW with more surprises for the remainder of the route. One involves moving up a very thin ramp along a cliffy section blocking the ridge crest that presents problems when holding snow/ice. The boulders become larger and steeper the last ¼ mi or so and it’s somewhat airy near the summit so use caution while admiring the sights and several neighboring lakes, perhaps not all unfrozen.

Wildflowers exist all the way to the top as do many flying bugs during the peak of summer and the panorama with the active volcano highlighting the landscape is second to none! Return attentively back to the main saddle with Mount Margaret and turn left (E) 5 mi on Trail 1 down to the TH or tack on nearby Mount Margaret (hike 12, 1½ mi round-trip) to put the icing on the cake.