Racetrack-Red Mountain Loop 11-8-23

[bobcat]

’Twas a dazzling blue sky day, but I spent much of the first half of it in a swamp. Heading up the PCT from the Crest Trailhead, I crossed branches of Panther Creek with more water in them than I have ever seen. I passed the eleven-trunk mountain hemlock, and then the adventure really began at West Sheep Lake, usually just a meadow by the beginning of fall, but now sporting a thin patina of ice and flooding the trail. All the snow from late October has melted and has nowhere to go. (The lack of porosity in Indian Heaven’s substrate continues to amaze me.)

I found a workaround to pass a flooded meadow, reached little Green Lake, and then bushwhacked around another flooded meadow. The trail was now a running ditch, and despite my circuitous diversions, both of my feet were soaked and I ceased to care.

Heading west along the Racetrack Shortcut Trail, I got a bit of elevation and relief. However, once I was on the level the watery expanse continued to the Racetrack Meadow itself. I detoured tortuously to the left through the trees to reach the continuation of the Racetrack Trail up to Red Mountain.

This stretch was uneventful as I rose to the lookout road and got my first view of Mt. Adams. A the summit, some snow and rime persisted, but was soon to melt off. The lookout cabin was shut up, but the views were spectacular, with St. Helens floating on a tablecloth of cloud and Mt. Rainier exposed on the horizon. The spine of Indian Heaven - Berry Mountain, Gifford Peak, East Crater, Bird Mountain, and Sawtooth Mountain, with Lemei Rock to the northeast, was all in view. Little Huckleberry Mountain was the most obvious peak to the south, but clouds obscured Mt. Hood.

Descending, I met a couple of hikers who had come up the lookout road. I followed the road 3¼ miles down through the silver fir forest. It’s not a bad walk since the road is gated at FR 60. Panther Creek comes rushing down near the junction. Then it was only half a mile up FR 60 to the Crest Trailhead.

[retired jerry]

thanks for the report

I like road walks like that, especially in the winter - easier to walk on

[Don Nelsen]

Great TR! Nice photos, too. Amazing what a few weeks weeks can do:

Here's a photo from my last trip up there, closely matching one of yours. this was on 9/18

And another, this one of one of the Sheep Lakes, taken 10/29: