Calamity Peak + Bare Mountain Crater + West Point
Posted: June 4th, 2021, 1:53 pm
This wasn't a word-of-mouth hike; I just spotted these on the map and thought they warranted investigation. Details on my map, and a few comments below. I'm focusing on the crater, because there's no documentation of it here, as far as I can tell.
I started with a peak that I now realize is called West Point. It wildly exceeded expectations. Shockingly fun and scenic, compared to what I expected from satellite imagery (I didn't do any research before hand, other than Google Maps). Admittedly, part of the fun was the amazing lighting. The sun came up over the horizon behind Mt Adams, which means I was able to enjoy the beautiful low-angle light without having the sun in my eyes, until it finally peeked over the peak.
In contrast, Calamity Peak was a waste of time. A couple spots looked like a lot of fun on satellite imagery, but didn't meet expectations. The NW summit looked like it would be a small steep peak, but it turned out to be elongated, so it felt more like a ridge at the top, and not even tall enough to clear all the surrounding trees. The SE summit was a bit more interesting, with a cluster of spires, but it was also a bit too low relative to surrounding trees. Both points involved unpleasant bushwhacking. Geologically, Calamity holds some promise. If the NW and SE high points were surrounded by beargrass, or even by open mature forest, it would be a lot more fun. Below the SE summit, there is a steep meadowy section, but it's just not enough to redeem this peak.
There's a very well-defined crater east of Calamity, along Calamity Peak Rd. I suppose we could call it Calamity Crater. [edit: the crater has been determined to be Bare Mountain Crater. See discussion below.] Road access ends on the NE ridge, just 50' below the crater rim (a couple hundred feet below the rim's high point). But instead I followed an unmapped road that leads towards the NW ridge, and then bushwhacked to the ridge. The bushwhack became increasingly open and rocky, and the ridge flattened. This is where it really got fun. If you were following a crater rim, you'd expect it to be mostly level, if it's a simple clean crater. But this was on a spur ridge, so it was a neat experience. When I arrived at the rim, I could see it would be impossible to get to the high point, unless the far side was easier. I don't think it was, but it doesn't really matter, because there's a convenient breach that can be easily climbed, a little gully that runs up to the summit. It's very easy; I wouldn't even call it scramble. After dropping back to the rim, I continued clockwise through pleasant open forest until it got brushy, and then dropped to the open snowy crater floor. The melted spots suggest the crater floor is a beargrass meadow in summer. I climbed out the other side to another bare rocky part on the SW part of the rim, not nearly as high or rugged as the northern clearing. From here, it's easy to drop down to Calamity Peak Rd.
I started with a peak that I now realize is called West Point. It wildly exceeded expectations. Shockingly fun and scenic, compared to what I expected from satellite imagery (I didn't do any research before hand, other than Google Maps). Admittedly, part of the fun was the amazing lighting. The sun came up over the horizon behind Mt Adams, which means I was able to enjoy the beautiful low-angle light without having the sun in my eyes, until it finally peeked over the peak.
In contrast, Calamity Peak was a waste of time. A couple spots looked like a lot of fun on satellite imagery, but didn't meet expectations. The NW summit looked like it would be a small steep peak, but it turned out to be elongated, so it felt more like a ridge at the top, and not even tall enough to clear all the surrounding trees. The SE summit was a bit more interesting, with a cluster of spires, but it was also a bit too low relative to surrounding trees. Both points involved unpleasant bushwhacking. Geologically, Calamity holds some promise. If the NW and SE high points were surrounded by beargrass, or even by open mature forest, it would be a lot more fun. Below the SE summit, there is a steep meadowy section, but it's just not enough to redeem this peak.
There's a very well-defined crater east of Calamity, along Calamity Peak Rd. I suppose we could call it Calamity Crater. [edit: the crater has been determined to be Bare Mountain Crater. See discussion below.] Road access ends on the NE ridge, just 50' below the crater rim (a couple hundred feet below the rim's high point). But instead I followed an unmapped road that leads towards the NW ridge, and then bushwhacked to the ridge. The bushwhack became increasingly open and rocky, and the ridge flattened. This is where it really got fun. If you were following a crater rim, you'd expect it to be mostly level, if it's a simple clean crater. But this was on a spur ridge, so it was a neat experience. When I arrived at the rim, I could see it would be impossible to get to the high point, unless the far side was easier. I don't think it was, but it doesn't really matter, because there's a convenient breach that can be easily climbed, a little gully that runs up to the summit. It's very easy; I wouldn't even call it scramble. After dropping back to the rim, I continued clockwise through pleasant open forest until it got brushy, and then dropped to the open snowy crater floor. The melted spots suggest the crater floor is a beargrass meadow in summer. I climbed out the other side to another bare rocky part on the SW part of the rim, not nearly as high or rugged as the northern clearing. From here, it's easy to drop down to Calamity Peak Rd.
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