Third time’s a charm.
After two previous forays along Red Mountain Trail #1330 I finally managed to reach the ridge and then followed it north to the summit.
The trail ascends a southwestern valley with a steep southern wall, meaning that it receives minimal sun exposure. As a result, even in early July there are still large patches of snow out in the open and there were still 2 to 3 feet of snow on the ground above 5,400 feet in the final climb to the ridge. The trail itself went from almost indiscernible to buried beneath snow in what looked like an avalanche-prone gulley so I spent quite a bit of time bushwhacking up maddeningly steep dirt slopes, pulling myself from tree to tree.
The saddle on the ridge was forested so views were scant, however as I headed north along a climber’s bootpath things opened up in all directions. I passed two hikers heading down just before the intimidating false summit:
The south face of the false summit was a broken cliff above a massive gash leading straight down to the open snow patches in the valley:
At this point the scrambling began. The fact that one of the two people I passed was wearing a helmet was a good indication that this wouldn’t be a cakewalk. I made a note to myself to always bring a helmet on future summit attempts of unknown peaks.
Shortly after stepping across a small gap I came to the first mildly technical bit: a V-shaped path up some broken rock. Plenty of holds and not much in the way of exposure but this was the first time I had to make serious use of my hands.
Soon I came upon the “crux” of the route: a narrow path above a 30+ foot drop. Although holds were good it was definitely exposed and required a step up and over the dark hole in the top right of the photo. I don’t tend to push myself too much when it comes to exposed scrambling so this was getting close to the edge of my comfort zone.
Shortly thereafter the route returned to normal and I soon found myself just below the true summit.
The actual summit sported sun-bleached snags as well as a smattering of wildflowers. Views from the top were incredible, although to the north trees and another false summit obscured views of Mount Daniel. Not wanting to deal with the snow patches that lay along the route in that direction I opted to stay put rather than continue on in search of better photos.
Gear
This was a spur-of-the-moment trip so I didn’t put together a packing list.
What Worked
The forecasted high was in the upper 70s and although the altitude and snow banks lessened the temperature it was still likely the warmest weather I’ve worn my Zero Rules shirt in. At no point did I feel hot and stuffy and I’m now a firm believer in the chilling effect of the little polymer rings which are embedded in the fabric. Come to think of it, my Charter Escape hat and Zion pants also performed well in the heat, I never bothered to stop and roll up the pants and I only took the hat off during a couple breaks to help cool down.
I forgot to pack my newest electrolyte supplement option, Saltstick Fastchews. However, I popped one as soon as I got in the door and recall feeling less fatigued rather quickly. Hard science, I know, but as someone who drinks a lot of water while outdoors I have a feeling they’re going to be helpful.
What Didn’t
My Oboz Aretes continue to disappoint on steep terrain. Even though they are a full size smaller and regular width compared to my wide Sawtooths my feet still slide forward in them on every step, causing the outside of my big toe to strike the side of the shoe. This results in deep “impact” blisters which can take weeks to fully heal. Side-by-side testing with the Sawtooths confirms that my feet don’t move at all in the larger shoes when going downhill. I’ve tried heel-lock lacing as well as adding surgeon’s knots and other lacing adjustments in order to get the Aretes to hold my foot but nothing short of miserably tight seems to do the trick. As far as I can tell, the lack of structure in the Arete’s TPU upper means that the whole top of the shoe shifts slightly when I press my foot forward whereas the leather-and-mesh upper of the Sawtooths keeps it firmly (and comfortably) in place. While I love how quickly the Aretes dry that doesn’t justify not being to go more than a day on steep terrain due to blisters. One solution might be to switch from the lows to a mid-height ankle cuff – I noticed based on the product photos that the mids have a beefier toe box shield, perhaps they have a significant increase in structure as well. If I can’t figure it out in the next month then it looks like I’ll be falling back to the Sawtooths for my Glacier trip.
I brought a hand saw with the intent of clearing some downed logs on my way down from the summit. Unfortunately it appears to have fallen out of my pack somewhere along the ridge so those pesky logs are still there. However, it’s my opinion that this trail should probably be avoided in favor of the western approach via Little Joe Lake as it’s snow-free much earlier in the season and it also saves you a thousand feet of elevation. In other words, I don’t think I’ll be going back with maintenance tools any time soon.
What’s Next
As mentioned earlier, I need to start bringing a helmet whenever I’m attempting an unknown rocky summit.
Gossamer Gear really needs to get their Lightrek attachments back in stock! I’ve misplaced the two that I was using and now I’m losing gear left and right. I’m sure I could rig something up with shock cord and toggles but the Lightreks are just so much better.
Route
Gaia route:
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/bk3iNieFRU90otrRaC0AdqpO
Stats:
- Distance: 5.6 miles
- Elevation: 3,100 feet
Excluding the ridge yields a one-way distance of 1.95 miles and 3,110 feet of gain or a whopping 30% grade! That explains why the hike felt so brutal and also why my calves still hurt two days later. Compare this to nearby Davis Peak which is a hair shy of a 20% grade – I think I know where I’ll be going for my vertical training from now on.
Photography
SmugMug gallery:
https://turigrinos.smugmug.com/Adventures/2020/Red-Mountain
There are only two photos I want to talk about:
This was taken on a spur to the west of the ridge. The crossed logs and bushes make a great foreground and the trees on either side frame Mount Rainier quite nicely. Of course, you can barely see Rainier due to the wide angle but in person it was pretty majestic. There’s some annoying glow over the trees on the right that I didn’t feel like futzing with but I don’t think it’s terribly distracting.
And of course, the photo at the top of the page. Dropping the exposure an entire stop and fiddling with the contrast rescued this one from the trash bin, and Luminar’s AI sky darkening really brought out the white slash of vapor trail above Mount Stuart. The greens in the foreground pop through the haze quite nicely. Not too shabby for a fully-lit midday shot.