Random Hikes of 2010 Summer


Work and other aspects of life have been limiting the amount of time I have to get outdoors and to write Trip reports. Naturally, I am more inclined to actually get out than write reports so here I am trying to catch up. This is a brief description of a few of the local and the not so local outings I have been on during the summer of 2010.

Jumbo and Sunrise Peaks (July 17, 2010)
Jumbo (5801') and Sunrise (5892') Peaks are located between Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens in the Dark Divide Roadless Area. The peaks offer easy ascents with great views but you should be aware that the trails to these peaks are also open to motorcycles. A short bushwhack and easy scramble up the north ridge got us to the top of Jumbo where we saw a herd of mountain goats. Sunrise once had fire lookout is a walk up. This area doesn’t appear to be too popular. We only saw one other hiker and three motorcycles on a Friday.

Gray Wolf Ridge (July 23, 2010)
Gray Wolf Ridge (7209') is a long ridge between Royal Creek and the Gray Wolf River in the Olympic Mountains. There are a couple of ways to get to the top including what sounds like it would be a rather unsavory route up from the Royal Basin Trail but I think most people get there via one of the Maynard Burn Trails. Either of the Maynard Burn trails will work but the upper trail is the more popular route. The unofficial trailhead for both trails is at the road barricade end of a spur road that leaves the Dungeness River Road two miles before the Dungeness Trailhead. Both trails will lead you steeply to the ridge crest near a summit labeled Baldy on the USGS map. From there you can see your true objective and the ups and downs awaiting you. The route gains over 5000 vertical feet and is roughly 12 miles round trip. There was no water on the upper trail after crossing Mueller Creek near the trailhead.

Gray Wolf Ridge from Baldy (Feb 20, 2010)

Royal Basin and Surrounding Peaks from Graywolf Ridge

North Schell Peak, NV (August 13, 2010)
I had a free flight I had to use or lose with limited destinations but included Salt Lake City. I had gotten interested in the high desert peaks after hiking up Boundary Peak in Nevada and discovering that there are actually some interesting places to explore. North Schell Peak (11,883') is located near the town of Ely, so pretty much the middle of nowhere. I tried following the Summitpost route but the trail to the saddle was all but gone and probably will stay that way until the area is used for open range cattle again and that route is quite a bit longer than necessary. There is a bit of a trail but once is long gone before you get to the out of the way saddle. You are better off going straight up where the valley splits you are better off going straight up avoiding thicker trees as necessary. It isn’t obvious where the summit is until you get there (right of center in the photo). I ended up chasing several deer all over the mountain by the time the day was over.

Timber Creek and North Schell Peak

Wheeler Peak, NV (August 14, 2010
Wheeler Peak (13,065') is the highest peak completely in the state of Nevada and is one of the main attractions of the lonely “Great Basin National Park. You can start this hike from the trailhead (10,000’) or from the campground at the end of the road. There is a trail all the way to the summit although at times you might not think so. Expect the summit to be crowded.

The Great Basin from Wheeler Peak

The Other Main Attraction of Great Basin NP - Lehman Caves

Deseret Peak, UT (August 15, 2010)
Deseret Peak (11,035') is the highest peak in the Stansbury Mountains not far from Salt Lake City. This is a nice area that offers pleasant hiking including a loop option to the summit of Deseret Peak that I highly recommend if you find yourself in the area and need to get your legs moving. The usual way up is the South Willow Creek Trail keeping left at the junction with the Dry Lake Trail then up the Mill Fork to a grassy saddle before reaching the summit. For the loop option descend the trail from the summit down the north ridge to the 3rd saddle then descend the trail down from the saddle into the Pockets Fork drainage to the junction with the Dry Lake Trail then take a right back to the South Willow Trail.

The Stansbury Mountains and The Great Salt Lake from Deseret Peak