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IBEXtrax.com - Cascade Mountains of Washington StateGlacier Peak Wilderness, Wenatchee Forest |
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05 119 Napeequa hikers Little Giant trail
On the hike to the Napeequa Valley the campers take a break before going up the steep to Little Giant Pass. Or maybe they were just waiting for the slow moving photographer.
05 121 Napeequa Valley below Little Giant Pass
The fabled Napeequa Valley made famous as "Shangri La of the Cascade Range" by John Warth in a 1960s newspaper article he wrote while working as a summertime forest guard. Looking down to the silvery river meandering through the lush green meadows of an ancient filled-in Pleistocene Lakebed. On the left are gleaming relicts of a Little Ice Age on Mount Clark and at the valleys head are glimpses of Glacier Peak.
Clouds over Clark Mountain. The Mountain not seen here is one of the highest peaks in the North-Central Cascades. It is roughly 50th highest in the state depending on the list you go by. Since it is the farthest south of all the northern Washington Top 100 peaks, there are no nearby high peaks to its south. So, it seems to tower over the lower hills to its south much like Mt. Rainier towers over its surroundings.
05 123 Randy L and LeeAnn H in the Napeequa Valley
We paused to look back up the Little Giant Pass trail. MVS Sep98 report: The way up to Little Giant Pass was difficult. Extremely, unrelentingly steep. At one section the brush and tree limbs have completely taken over the trail. Navigating this with a heavy packs, and serious exposure below makes for a nerve-wracking experience. We were glad to attain the 6400ft pass without leaving any "bleached bones" to horrify others.
05 124 LeeAnn at Napeequa R Tom B Randy L
She was overly cautious in the eyes of the young brash men who had hand built the teetering loose log bridge. "Come on! Come on across.", they taunted. The caution she felt was inbred by eons of maternal survival instinct. In addition, the powerful flow of the fast moving Napeequa River shown a milky white hue from glacial till; reveling its chilling glacial origin. Wild eyed and full of adventure she shuffled across the logs.
05 127 W slope of Buck Mtn from Butterfly Butte
Foaming Lewis Creek falls over 2000ft from its high basin beneath Buck Mountain to the lush fragrant meadows of the Napeequa River Valley. Glacier Peak Wilderness; Wenatchee NF
05 128 Clark Mtn Sheep Corral on butterfly Butte
The decaying sheep corral at Butterfly Butte is a last remnant of a once thriving mutton trade that is now banned from Glacier Peak Wilderness. A young John Muir worked a sheep outfit and noticed, "Sheep are ungovernable when hungry. Almost every last leaf that these hoofed locusts can reach within a mile or two from camp has been devoured". Muir went on to co-found the Sierra Club in 1892.
05 129 Clark Mtn Sheep Corral on butterfly Butte
Nestled on the north slope of the DaKobed Range, the alpine meadows of Butterfly Butte lie at the 6000 foot level. Seldom visited by but a few hardy climbers who choose a glacier route on Clark Mtn; whose minor sub-ridge can be seen here lurking in the mist beyond Richardson Ck. Centered on Butterfly Butte are the remains of a sheep corral; where shepards would bed-down their flocks and keep watch for hungry puma.
05 130 Tom B crosses the Napeequa River
If you need to cross the Napeequa, just build a bridge. Plenty of avalanche debris to choose from. Of course, he who builds it gets to go first.
05 131 Buck Mtn cascades in the Napeequa Valley
The most abundant waterfall form in the Cascades, Tiered waterfalls are characterized by many distinct drops in relatively close succession to one another. The water drops from pool to pool.
05 133 Buck Mtn above Napeequa Valley
"Brahma Peak" is the unofficial name of P8078 located 2 miles South of Buck Mountain. Shown here above the Napeequa Valley the peak exhibits a long sweep of lavender-colored schist cliffs. The scenic rewards could be compensation for an easy but long ascent.
05 134 Napeequa Valley Camp Randy L
Napeequa Valley Camp.
05 135 Napeequa River Warren in Socks
Neither boots nor knickers got wet on this Napeequa River crossing. Can't say as much for the socks.
05 136 Boulder Pass Napeequa Valley Tom B
Nearing the top of the Boulder Pass trail the campers look back at the Napeequa Valley and Chiwawa Ridge to bid farewell. Only seven more miles to complete the traverse from the Chiwawa River to the White River trailhead. There was comfort realizing it was all down hill.
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