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Kaleetan Peak - Mount Roosevelt

28 July 1973

Spurred by my recent purchase of the Cascade Alpine Guide and a conversation with a couple two weeks previous, I found myself in conquest of a peak called Kaleetan. The pointed peak was once called "The Matter Horn", but was replaced by the Chinook Jargon name for arrow.

I was alone when I drove past Denny Creek Campground. It was late Friday afternoon in the middle of July. I took the next left after the campground and crossed the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River. Past a row of summer homes, I found the parking area and trailhead.

I parked the Cortina. Put on my aging boots, shouldered my pack, and started out the trail. The trail passed through a flat, then crossed Denny Creek on a log that was equipped with a handrail. The bridge was at a slight list, denoting an earlier raging torrent that was now only a gurgle below the foot log. The trail continued up the U-shaped glacial valley on the east side of the stream. The threatening weather hung above me, obscuring the sinking sun. The effect produced a dreary gloom.

I again crossed the creek where it slithered over polished slabs. Near the creek, the trail passed through a small camping area. There was one tent occupying the only choice spot. Its occupants were probably fast asleep at that darkening hour. I quietly crept past the yellow Crestline, in hopes of not waking or disturbing its contents.

The trail traversed to a switchback left, were I went right in search of a level spot to pitch my tent. Emerging from the trees and brush, I found a campsite that was about a foot too short for my tent. I went back up the bank, after gathering the tin cans and bottles that grossly occupied the fire pit. Traversing right, I came upon the trail again. Continuing up in the dark, I finally found a spot and pitched my tent just barely off the trail. For dinner I ate a hard roll that was smeared with peanut butter and honey. I crawled into my bag and went to sleep listening to the irregular drip from tree to tent.

I awoke at six and looked out into the thick dripping mist. I went back to sleep. About eight, I was awakened by hikers on the trail. Seemingly jealous of my late morning slumber, they jeered at me as they passed by reciting unoriginal pros of burning daylight, early birds and catching fish. I ate a pan of granola for breakfast and then packed before heading up the trail. In a short distance, after a few switchbacks, I came to the cascade called Keekwulee Falls. Denny Creek puts on quite a display as it tumbles over 100 feet to the rocks below. Keekwulee is the Chinook Jargon name meaning the lower water falls. The upper falls are called Snowshoe Falls.

Above the lower falls, the trail climbed steeply up switchbacks, and then it flattened out above Snowshoe Falls. I crossed the creek again, for the third time, and continued up more switchbacks. From the top of Hemlock Pass, I hiked on to Melakwa Lake, passing it on the west. Upon reaching upper Melakwa Lake, I set up my tent on a wooded knoll, above the lake's west side.

After cooking lunch, I loaded my rucksack and climbed up to Melakwa Pass. The pass was at 5300 feet and the cloud level was said 5305 feet. I looked down on Chair Peak Lake, which was completely frozen over. The lake is sometimes called Iceberg Lake, a very descriptive name. One mile to the northeast, I spotted Gem Lake, beneath the level bottom of the clouds. On that day, I abandon my climbing plans and returned to my tent. I cooked an early supper and for lack of anything else to do, I climbed into my sleeping bag and hoped for a better day tomorrow.

The weather was the same when I awoke on Sunday. So after eating breakfasts, I broke camp and hiked back down to the car; vowing to return for Kaleetan.

Nearly one week later on the following Friday afternoon, I park the Cortina at the Denny Creek Trailhead and hiked into the gathering dusk. Hiking non-stop to Melakwa Lake, I arrived at my previous weekend camp at 10:00 PM that night. I pitched my tent, omitting the rain fly, as I noticed the abundance of stars overhead.

I was awake at seven, and had granola and cocoa for breakfast. As I was cleaning my pans, a young man came up the slope from the lake. Upon seeing me, he utters some apologies and waved the toilet paper in his hand. We had a short conversation, and I found that he was from Bothell. I asked if he knew my cousin Steve who also lived in Bothell. He said he didn't know Steve, but he knew my brother Don. I was surprised to learn that he had been to the house on goat hill. He invited me down to his camp. We talk and he told me that he was in the Mountaineers and had taken the snow climbing course. I told him of my plans to climb Kaleetan and I managed to talk him into going with me. He introduced me to his dog and he said he would take him along.

My new climbing partner grabbed his ice axe and we started climbing up the basin, toward Melakwa Pass. On the last patch of snow, we turned left and ascended the rock slide to a buttress on the southeast slope of Kaleetan. I decided to climb over the buttress. But, Rudi and his dogs chose an easier route. I found some challenging slabs atop the buttress. I used fiction moves to climb up to its crest. After regrouping, we continued up the steep couloir that was filled with loose debris. Half way up the couloir, I made an exit to the left and followed the line of trees. The route beside the trees brought us over to the south ridge. At the base of the summit ridge we abandon the panting dog beneath a shade tree and then climbed the summit gully.

From the summit rocks, the panorama extended from Mount Adams to Mount Baker, in a slightly hazy sky. Chair Peak to the East, revealed its descriptive name. Multiple lakes were visible, surrounding the mountain below. Dropping sheer to the west lay Kaleetan Lake and to the east was ice covered Chair Peak Lake. Between the lakes was the knife edge arete of Kaleetan's North Ridge. The ridge terminated at Roosevelt Peak, my objective for tomorrow. Picturesque Gem Lake glistened to the northeast, as did Melakwa Lake to the south. The summit was a swarm with flying ants, so I scrambled quickly over to secure the summit register. After returning into the less lofty, less bugged position, we both signed in. We sat on the peak near the summit for a long time.

Across the valley on Chair Peak, we spotted some climbers working their way up. When the first climber stood on the top, he stretched his arms up high, expressing the climax of the challenge on this glorious day.

When we finally started down, we stayed close together to lessen the chance of injury from rock fall. We soon reached the panting dog and Rudi gave her water from his Polly bottle. We went down the South ridge until we came to a long flaring gully. The gully led down to the basin above Melakwa Lakes. The upper part was very steep and required much care to descend. We had to carry the dog most of the time. The lower part was all loose rock. I went down first, reaching the safety of the rocks on the right before Rudi descended.

Just above the lake, we met two middle aged men who were enroute to climb Mount Roosevelt. We bragged of our accomplishments and acted obnoxiously cool. They informed us that they were in charge of a group of Boy Scouts and they were going to take the Scouts up Kaleetan Peak tomorrow. We told them what to expect on the route and they left us with thanks.

Rudi and I ate two suppers that evening and Rudi furnished the wine. We talked and drank and watched the fire burn down before I finally stumbled up the hill to my tent in search of sleep.

When I emerged from my tent in the morning, the sun had filled the valley and the cloudless sky for told of a good day for climbing. I cooked breakfast on my Sevea, then grabbed my summit pack and went down to Rudi's tent. He was cooking. I asked if he would join me today for a climb of Mount Roosevelt. I was not terribly disappointed at his reply.

I went on alone, rounding Upper Melakwa Lake on the east. I followed the creek up the basin over a carpet of luscious grasses and small clumps of lupine.

Just before reaching a stand of trees at mid-basin, I came upon two young marmots. The two brown fury rodents examined me carefully as I stood motionless twenty feet away. They held their heads high and poked their snouts up in the air, sniffing. When I started to move on, there was a short high pitched chirp and they scattered for their burrows.

I scrambled up into the upper basin on the big boulders that had once crashed down from Chair Peak. Up I went toward Melakwa Pass, pushing myself hard hoping to break into my "second wind". When I reached the top of the pass, I surveyed my route that lay below. There was a boot track around the west side of snow filled Chair Peak Lake.

I licked my lips anticipating the high speed glissade. Four hundred vertical Feet of steep snow stretched out before me. The challenging slope taunted me to eat it up. I smiled back and licked my lips again. Being one not to waste a good thing, I climbed higher up the west side of the saddle. At the highest point of snow, I donned mittens and zipped up all unzipped zippers. With my left hand in firm grasp of the head of my ice axe and my right halfway down the shaft, I stepped out onto the snow. Pointing my feet down, I started my descent. I crouched as if sitting in a chair, using the spike on my ice axe as a rudder. I shot down the slope. I leaned forward flattening my feet for more speed. The wind whistled in my ears. The feeling of playing with gravity and the spray of snow around me filled me with excitement. Slowly my speed diminished until I ran a few steps to increase it. All too soon it was over. I turned and smiled up at the slope.

I followed the track around Chair Peak Lake. At the north end of the lake I climbed up a snow finger by kicking steps in the soft "corny" snow for about eighty feet. It leveled off on a slight slope of talus. Below me on the right was a group of climbers practicing aid climbing on a large boulder. They were using pitons and slings. I continued up around an exposed corner on shattered rock. Then up an open gully to a large snow patch. On the snow patch I noticed steps traversing above me. I climbed up to the steps and fallowed them to the left. My route continued up a gully of slight rock steps. Between the steps it was loose dirt and tree roots. The only enjoyable climbing came near the top where I found an open book that led to the summit. On top I found no formal summit register. But, there was a rusty can rapped in an old baggy. After signing-in I ate a small lunch.

I admired my position. The most surprising aspect of the view was the size of Snow Lake. The lake revealed its depth due to its deep blue color. At the far end of Snow Lake I spotted a few bright colored tents. Further east, beyond Snow Lake, the peaks on the Cascade Crest swung north until the individual summits fused into the horizon. I easily concluded that the most spectacular view of Kaleetan Peak is from the north. The vertical west side combined with the near vertical east face, left no doubt in my mind why the Chinook for arrow was so appropriate. Panning slightly right of Kaleetan Peak and fifty miles distant stood "The Monarch". Like an artic castle floating in an evergreen sea; Mount Rainier, that usually had a monopoly on the southern view, was now overshadowed by the foreshortened view of Kaleetan. I sat for a time on the summit of Mount Roosevelt and watched for the Boy Scouts to arrive on the top of Kaleetan Peak.

I finally started down, following the same route as on the ascent. From Chair Peak Lake it was a slow steep up hill trudge to Melakwa Pass. The pass was filled with climbers. A large party, of about twenty, was securing their equipment for the glissade down. I rested on top of the pass and waited for the spectacle to begin. When they went down I watch with envy, until the last straggler ended the sliding. Slightly below me in the pass sat an attractive girl. I moved down beside her and we started to talk. I found that the group was a Mazamma outing from Oregon. I didn't refuse when she offered me a sandwich. I told her of my climbing. We left the pass together, but we chose individual routes down the basin. Half way down the basin I noticed a lot of rock fall coming down the gully up on Kaleetan's south ridge. After observing for a short time, I deduced that it was the Boy Scouts making their descent via the same route that Rudi and I had used. When I reached Upper Melakwa Lake I found a large number of hikers enjoying the fine day. A few were swimming in the crystal clear water. Upon reaching my camp I took down my tent and packed my pack. I slung my load and started down. Between the lakes I came upon the Scout leaders and we talked. I answered that I did Mount Roosevelt and found no difficulties. One of the men made a stab at where I was from. He said that he saw my name in the register on top of Kaleetan Peak. I felt slight guilt for not having remembered his name.

At the south end of Melakwa Lake I lingered. I gazed up the valley and admired its beauty. I looked up at Kaleetan Peak and smiled with satisfaction. Then I turned and dropped over Hemlock Pass and followed the trail out Denny Creek.

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