The new/repaired bridge over the Sandy River off Lolo Pass Road looks like an ‘Erector Set’ add-on... but it works.
The Gate is open; Old Maid Flats beckons. No snow at Cast Creek #773 trailhead (2200’); time to head for the high country.
Mt Hood and East Zigzag Mtn from Cast Creek Ridge
The trail, mostly in deep timber, was easy to follow until about 3600’, when scattered snow patches abruptly became solid snow, which soon was several feet deep. The trailbed became hard to follow. We managed to stay on route until a long traverse a few hundred feet below the ridgetop, where we made the (ever-popular) mistake of traversing too high. As there was no NEW snow this low (4000’), we found ourselves rather suddenly “between a rock & a hard place”: traversing on steep, hard, uneven snow (in the shade) with cliffs above... trees and rocks below. Nothing soft anywhere in sight. I was wishing I’d brought my ice ax for self-belay... we made do with poles and our fingers.
At a break in the cliffs we decided to head straight up, and somewhere between Tarzan of the Jungle and Nanook of the North, we made it to the ridgetop. Much easier going here: fewer trees, a gentler slope, softer snow; just the occasional crag on the crest to scramble over or traverse around. Nice!
From here the route is easy to follow, mostly on the ridgetop in open timber and open snow ‘meadows’ to the Zigzag Mtn ridge trail (#775).
There was enough new snow here (4500’ - 5000') to be fun, but not need snowshoes:
There is more snow on the summit of East Zigzag Mtn now (6/14/08):
than there was in late December 2004! (note snow depth on rocks)
From the summit we could see Mt Hood (with a nice view of Leuthold Couloir):
Mississippi Head:
Mt Adams and far-off Mt Rainier (and me):
Mt St Helens:
Mt Jefferson:
(Ollalie Butte on left, Three-Fingered Jack on right, hints of farther-South Cascades on right)
Zigzag Mtn (looking West):
Burnt Lake (not quite ready for swimming):
On the return (about 2500’), we found this artifact - right in the middle of the trail! -
- that had definitely NOT been there on the way up. A small deer leg, very well-chewed:
I think we’re in the wilderness now, Toto!
-Peter
