 |
| Rock Lake |
The year 2016 has
undoubtedly been one of my most adventurous to date, I cannot recall one dull
weekend or week for that matter. The adventures and trips have been endless and
I have been trying to keep up with documenting them all. In this installment I
will attempt to provide a brief summery of some of my most memorable peaks this
year that I have not yet described in other posts. Listed in order by height I
will start with my achilles heel – Wallaby Peak and then Segway into the pride
of Okanogan county – Mount Bonaparte.
Wallaby Peak 7,995ft
(September 30th)
 |
| Kangaroo Range (2015) |
The first attempt of
Wallaby Peak was in late August of 2014, the second was in mid September of
2015, and finally on my third try I faced my fear of the mildly exposed
scramble to the summit. After making it to the top, I was quite embarrassed
that I had been defeated by it in the past. However, even after competing in
races in the mountains and rock climbing with Apryle, I still maintain an
irrational fear of heights. The approach to this peak is always one of my
favorites, Spruce and Firs dominating the canopy in lower reaches while beautiful
Larch forests begin their reign near the saddle. The understory is blanketed by
green heather and the orange/red deciduous plants transitioning to their winter
form. Shortly beyond the saddle, the landscape changes to boulders, loose scree
and wind mangled evergreens.
 |
| Apryle & Zach @ Wallaby Peak (2015) |
There is a somewhat
traceable trail through the dense forest and boulder field near the start
marked out by cairns, but it becomes much more pronounced as the terrain
steepens. With over 3100 feet of vertical gain in around 3 miles, there is
nothing gradual about the latter reaches of the ascent. Narrow, tight, dirt
switchbacks give way to scrambling over rocks and stumbling up scree covered
slopes. The final push is a challenge but the views are spectacular. Apryle and
I employed a combination of crab walking a glissading on our way back to the
saddle. We were fortunate enough to have great weather, but not fortunate
enough to have daylight back to the car. We somehow lost the trail and ended up
bushwhacking our way through the dense spruce/fir stand in the dark. A
memorable summit indeed.
Mount Bonaparte 7,257ft
(August 30th)
 |
| Mount Bonaparte Lookout |
This peak has several
approaches, most of them are well over 12 miles, but for the sake of time
Apryle and I chose to summit via the shortest one (306 trail). I started the
run from the intersection of FR 33 and made the 2908ft approach. The first few
miles are on a stone road, but the final approach zigzags up a wide, forested
and runnable trail. There is a large tower at the summit that is manned by a
the Okanogan National Forest Service. From the tower you are afforded panoramic
views of the sage brush steppe of the Okanogan Valley as well as the forested mountains
of the Kettle Range.
Rock Mountain 6,852ft
(October 8th)
 |
| Ice Glazed Pines Near Summit |
It is likely that this mountain has
some spectacular views, unfortunately Apryle and I hiked this peak while it was
engulfed by a cloud. There are a few approaches to this summit as well, but we
chose the inconspicuous trailhead off highway 2, about 26 miles west of
Leavenworth. This hike has around 4300ft of vertical gain (if you take the
tangent down toward Rock Lake).
 |
| Rock Mountain Hike |
The hike starts weaving several dozen tight
switchbacks along a sparsely treed mountainside. After a few miles, we popped
out of the tree line into a patch of ripe blueberries. The colors were
spectacular, red leaved vaccinium and green heather, contrasting with the
gray/brown ridge lines and the lightly snow-covered trail. The final approach to
the summit becomes rocky for a few hundred meters, then turns back to a short
tree covered slope. On this particular occasion the trees were glazed over with
a sheet of ice and the visibility was low.
Mount Kobau 6,117ft
(August 9th)
 |
| Lake Osoyoos from Cactus Mountain |
This mountain was a nice
weekday ascent via a stone road and short dirt trail section in the South
Okanagan Grasslands. This also marked our first visit to British Columbia, and
the views from the summit did not disappoint. I had to chase a few cows off the
road, but other than that the grade was manageable allowing me to hold a solid
pace. Typically, one could drive nearly the entire way to the summit, however,
in our case, a stone became lodged in the brake calipers of our car, so we
decided to run up instead. This worked out well allowing for a 10 mile
run with 1558 feet of vertical gain. I would compare the views to that of Mount
Bonaparte. Still the most memorable part of this trip was driving the squealing
car through the town of Osoyoos, watching everyone cringe and cover their ears.
At any rate we pried off the tire, removed the stone and were ready to tackle
the next peak!
Thorpe Mountain 5,854ft
(August 28th)
 |
| Jay & Zach Post Cascade Crest 100 |
This mountain happened to
be placed right in the middle of my pacing stint during the Cascade Crest 100.
I was fortunate enough to share about 23 miles of this beautiful course with
fellow Ohio ultra runner Jay Smithberger. Thorpe Mountain was a short out and
back portion of the race, but Jay and I took some time at the top to soak in
the views of Mount Rainier to the southwest. The final 23 miles of the race was
quite unrelenting in terms of undulations, but Jay finished out strong in a
time of 28:51:16.
Fir Mountain 5,674ft
(September 9th)
 |
| Apryle Enjoying Fir Mountain Views |
This little mountain was a
fun adventure, the trail is a little overgrown in places and the final push
winds through some steep rocky sections. For being less than 2.5 miles from
trailhead to summit it packs a punch with over 2000 feet of vertical gain. It
offers some stunning views of the Kettle Range to the east and the Paysayen
Wilderness to the west. A very underrated peak that lies right off of highway
20 between Tonasket and Republic.
Mount Bannon 5,017ft
(September 8th)
 |
| Okanogan Valley Views from Bonaparte |
Sometimes the most
memorable summits come after a test in route finding capabilities and this peak
was most certainly that. While I was scanning our maps for a quick run to put
together one Thursday evening, I came across Bannon Peak Trailhead. I had never
heard of the mountain and furthermore, we were not sure that this network of
horse trails would actually lead to the summit, so we just winged it. We
followed NFD Road 200 until I saw a game trail/cow path that continued straight at a bend
in the road. Instead of following the road we took to the lightly treaded path
which led to NFD Road 025. We reached several false summits as the trail
disappeared into the brush and trees. As we were heading back down, I felt
compelled to dart up one more ridge in order to find a more official summit
marking. Sure enough I found a red ribbon covered stake surrounded by a cairns
and was certain we bagged another summit.
Strawberry Mountain
4,743ft (August 5th)
 |
| 900 Year Old Larches |
Apryle and I decided on a
fishing trip to three different lakes in the Okanogan National Forest – Lost,
Beaver, and Beth. Though I enjoy a relaxing fishing trip, I also enjoy a quick
ascent to prominent peaks that define the landscape. Therefore, I made a side
trip up Strawberry Mountain, which is only about 3.4 miles round trip with
roughly 870ft of vertical gain. Because it is such an easy summit, we were also
able to run over to the larch grove nearby that featured two giant Western
Larch that were over 900 years old! Finally, on the last leg of the fishing
trip I made the out and back run from Beaver Lake to Beth Lake and back, which
is a sold 4.4 mile run with 436ft of vertical gain. The trail is mildly
challenging and skirts along both lakes, offering great views and less
frequented fishing spots.
Cactus Mountain 2,000ft
 |
| Atop Rock Mountain |
Cactus Mountain was
perhaps the most influential mountain of 2016 for my training. I made the
summit 13 times, often times more than twice per day. I used it for experimenting
with different ascending techniques, practice with hiking poles, building up my
weekly vertical gain, and most importantly as a way to warm up before plunging
into Lake Osoyoos below. I have fond memories of making the trudge after work
and then swimming in the lake with Apryle afterward. The specifics of this
mountain are outlined further in July in Okanogan County.
Mountains/Summits of 2016
| Mountains/Passes | Location | Elevation | Total Summits |
| Rondoy Punta | Pocpa, Ancash, Peru | 15,584ft | 1 |
| Sambuya Punta | Pocpa, Ancash, Peru | 15,551ft | 1 |
| Pampa Llamac | Llamac, Ancash, Peru | 14,108ft | 1 |
| Macrash Punta | Pocpa, Ancash, Peru | 14,016ft | 1 |
| Bear Pete Ridge | McCall, ID | 08,280ft | 1 |
| Diamond Ridge | McCall, ID | 08,000ft | 1 |
| Wallaby Peak | Mazama, WA | 07,995ft | 1 |
| Mount Frosty | Manning, BC, Canada | 07,949ft | 1 |
| Crestline Pass | McCall, ID | 07,890ft | 1 |
| Snowslide Summit | McCall, ID | 07,875ft | 1 |
| North Crestline | McCall, ID | 07,440ft | 1 |
| Slate Peak | Mazama, WA | 07,440ft | 1 |
| Fall Creek Summit | McCall, ID | 07,350ft | 1 |
| Mount Bonaparte | Tonasket, WA | 07,257ft | 1 |
| Duck Lake Pass | McCall, ID | 07,100ft | 1 |
| Rock Mountain | Leavenworth, WA | 06,852ft | 1 |
| Lick Creek Summit | McCall, ID | 06,850ft | 1 |
| Mount Kobau | Oliver, BC, Canada | 06,117ft | 1 |
| Thorpe Mountain | Salmon La Sac, WA | 05,854ft | 1 |
| Fir Mountain | Wauconda, WA | 05,674ft | 1 |
| Mount Bannon | Tonasket, WA | 05,017ft | 1 |
| Strawberry Mountain | Oroville, WA | 04,743ft | 1 |
| Mount Si | North Bend, WA | 04,167ft | 1 |
| Whitemore Mountain | Nespelem, WA | 03,920ft | 1 |
| Rattlesnake Mountain | North Bend, WA | 03,527ft | 1 |
| Steamboat Rock | Electric City, WA | 02,250ft | 1 |
| Cactus Mountain | Oroville, WA | 02,000ft | 13 |
| Ninemile Mounain | Oroville, WA | 01,884ft | 1 |
| Wilderness Peak | Issaquah, WA | 01,600ft | 1 |
| Mount Erie | Anacortes, WA | 01,273ft | 1 |
| Little Round Top | Anacortes, WA | 00,926ft | 1 |
| Sugar Loaf | Anacortes, WA | 00,890ft | 1 |
| Goose Rock | Deception Pass, WA | 00,484ft | 1 |
Lifetime Summits/Passes
| Mountains/Passes | Location | Elevation | Total Summits | Years |
| Rondoy Punta | Pocpa, Ancash, Peru | 15,584ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Sambuya Punta | Pocpa, Ancash, Peru | 15,551ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Mount Elbert | Leadville, CO | 14,439ft | 1 | 2012 |
| Mount Massive | Leadville, CO | 14,429ft | 1 | 2012 |
| Mount Lincoln | Alma, CO | 14,295ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Greys Peak | Georgetown, CO | 14,278ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Evans | Georgetown, CO | 14,265ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Long Peak | Estes Park, CO | 14,255ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Cameron | Alma, CO | 14,238ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Bross | Alma, CO | 14,172ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Democrat | Alma, CO | 14,154ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Pampa Llamac | Llamac, Ancash, Peru | 14,108ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Mount Beirstadt | Georgetown, CO | 14,065ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Macrash Punta | Pocpa, Ancash, Peru | 14,016ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Hagues Peak | Estes Park, CO | 13,560ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Yipsilon | Estes Park, CO | 13,514ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Fairchild | Estes Park, CO | 13,502ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mummy Mountain | Estes Park, CO | 13,425ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Audubon | Allenspark, CO | 13,223ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Chiquita | Estes Park, CO | 13,069ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Ida | Grand Lake, CO | 12,809ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Chief Cheley Peak | Grand Lake, CO | 12,804ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Hallet Peak | Estes Park, CO | 12,713ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Hope Pass | Leadville, CO | 12,600ft | 9 | 2012, 2013 |
| Mount Dunraven | Estes Park, CO | 12,562ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Mount Chapin | Estes Park, CO | 12,454ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Flat Top Mountain | Estes Park, CO | 12,324ft | 2 | 2013 |
| Boulder Grand Pass | Estes Park, CO | 12,077ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Sugar Loaf Pass | Leadville, CO | 11,600ft | 4 | 2012, 2013 |
| Twin Sisters Mountain | Estes Park, CO | 11,428ft | 2 | 2013, 2014 |
| Estes Cone | Estes Park, CO | 11,007ft | 1 | 2013 |
Deer Mountain
|
Estes Park, CO | 10,013ft | 3 | 2013 |
Crosier Mountain
|
Glen Haven, CO | 09,225ft | 2 | 2013 |
| Mount Scott | Crater Lake, OR | 08,934ft | 1 | 2011 |
Eagle Cliff Mountain
|
Estes Park, CO | 08,905ft | 7 | 2013, 2014 |
| Guadalupe Peak | Guadalupe NP, TX | 08,749ft | 2 | 2015 |
| Bush Mountain | Guadalupe NP, TX | 08,631ft | 1 | 2015 |
| Batman Pinnacle | Estes Park, CO | 08,600ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Heavens Gate Lookout | Riggins, ID | 08,429ft | 1 | 2011 |
| Hunter Peak | Guadalupe NP, TX | 08,368ft | 1 | 2015 |
| Bear Pete Ridge | McCall, ID | 08,280ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Garfield Peak | Crater Lake, OR | 08,245ft | 1 | 2011 |
Green Mountain
|
Boulder, CO | 08,144ft | 1 | 2013 |
| Diamond Ridge | McCall, ID | 08,000ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Wallaby Peak | Mazama, WA | 07,995ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Mount Frosty | Manning, BC, Canada | 07,949ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Crestline Pass | McCall, ID | 07,890ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Snowslide Summit | McCall, ID | 07,875ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Emory Peak | Big Bend NP, TX | 07,825ft | 1 | 2015 |
| Frisco Mountain | North Cascades NP, WA | 07,760ft | 1 | 2014 |
| North Crestline | McCall, ID | 07,440ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Slate Peak | Mazama, WA | 07,440ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Fall Creek Summit | McCall, ID | 07,350ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Mount Bonaparte | Tonasket, WA | 07,257ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Glacier Point | Yosimite, CA | 07,214ft | 1 | 2011 |
| North Franklin Peak | El Paso, TX | 07,192ft | 1 | 2015 |
| Duck Lake Pass | McCall, ID | 07,100ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Upper Yosimite Falls | Yosimite, CA | 06,936ft | 1 | 2011 |
| Rock Mountain | Leavenworth, WA | 06,852ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Lick Creek Summit | McCall, ID | 06,850ft | 1 | 2016 |
Mount Sanitas
|
Boulder, CO | 06,843ft | 3 | 2013 |
| Clingmans Dome | GSMNP, NC/TN | 06,644ft | 1 | 2011 |
| Mount Kobau | Oliver, BC, Canada | 06,117ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Sourdough Mountain | North Cascades NP, WA | 05,985ft | 1 | 2014 |
| Thorpe Mountain | Salmon La Sac, WA | 05,854ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Lookout Mountain | North Cascades NP, WA | 05,719ft | 1 | 2014 |
| Fir Mountain | Wauconda, WA | 05,674ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Mount Bannon | Tonasket, WA | 05,017ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Strawberry Peak | Oroville, WA | 04,743ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Mount Si | North Bend, WA | 04,167ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Sahale Arm | North Cascades NP, WA | 03,940ft | 1 | 2014 |
| Whitemore Mountain | Nespelem, WA | 03,920ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Rattlesnake Mountain | North Bend, WA | 03,527ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Mount Tamalpais | San Fransisco, CA | 02,572ft | 1 | 2011 |
| Steamboat Rock | Electric City, WA | 02,250ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Upper Table Rock | Central Point, OR | 02,091ft | 1 | 2011 |
| Cactus Mountain | Oroville, WA | 02,000ft | 13 | 2016 |
| Cairn's Climb | Bandera, TX | 01,924ft | 3 | 2013, 2015 |
| Boyles Bump | Bandera, TX | 01,910ft | 3 | 2013, 2015 |
| Ninemile Mounain | Oroville, WA | 01,884ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Sky Island | Bandera, TX | 01,850ft | 3 | 2013, 2015 |
| Lucky Peak | Bandera, TX | 01,780ft | 3 | 2013, 2015 |
| Ice Cream Hill | Bandera, TX | 01,690ft | 3 | 2013, 2015 |
| Wilderness Peak | Issaquah, WA | 01,600ft | 2 | 2015, 2016 |
| Mount Erie | Anacortes, WA | 01,273ft | 2 | 2016 |
| Little Round Top | Anacortes, WA | 00,926ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Hill of Life | Austin, TX | 00,892ft | 8 | 2014, 2015 |
| Sugar Loaf | Anacortes, WA | 00,890ft | 1 | 2016 |
| Goose Rock | Deception Pass, WA | 00,484ft | 1 | 2016 |
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