Big Chiwaukum - 7.30.2012
These are approximate routes and not GPS routes... car to lower lake to summit to upper lake to lower lake to car... a three day total of ~21.5 miles... gaining ~6150 feet of elevation.
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A google earth look at our approximate route to the Big Chiwaukum summit... also shows nwhiker b00's approximate off-trail shortcut to Lake Grace.
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From Stevens Pass... drive east on Hwy2 for 13.3 miles and turn onto the Whitepine Creek Road... then drive 3.7 miles to the Whitepine Trailhead (2800').
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There would be at least a dozen stream crossings today... some were awkward due to brushy conditions.
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After hiking on the Whitepine Trail for 2.5 miles... turn left (3200') onto the Wildhorse Trail.
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First good look at the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum (grassy ridge in the foreground) and the summit of Snowgrass Mountain in the distance.
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After hiking a total of ~6.5 miles... Big Chiwaukum on the left... with the Big Chiwaukum west ridge on the right.
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We stayed on the Wildhorse Trail in search of the trail for Lake Grace... which wasn't on any of our maps.
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After hiking the Wildhorse Trail for ~5.5 miles we found the sign (~5400') for the obscure Lake Grace Trail #1578.
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Snowdog and Jannu on the Lake Grace Trail... Frosty Pass just out of frame on the right.
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Lake Grace is somewhere above... Big Chiwaukum in the distance.
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No campfires or stock beyond this point (~5650').
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Starting to switchback up to Grace Lake... Snowgrass Mountain above.
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Arriving at Grace Lake (6242')... Big Chiwaukum on the left.
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Snowdog and Izzy at Grace Lake... Snowgrass Mountain above.
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Grace Lake with Big Chiwaukum above.
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Our approximate route from Grace Lake to the Big Chiwaukum summit.
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A tarn above Lake Grace... the Snowgrass Mountain summit is right center.
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Izzy, Snowdog, solman, rocman and Jannu at our campsite at Grace Lake.
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Tarn reflection.
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Alpenglow at a Grace Lake tarn... Snowgrass Mountain above.
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Meadow melt at Grace Lake.
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Snow melt draining into Grace Lake.
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Snow melt running into Grace Lake.
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Alpenglow above Grace Lake.
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More alpenglow.
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Sunset at Grace Lake.
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Sunset at Grace Lake.
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Sunset at Grace Lake... clouds to the west... Jim Hill Mountain on the right.
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Waking up at Grace Lake on summit day... Snowgrass Mountain above.
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Hiking down from camp and over toward Grace Lake.
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Snowdog and Izzy at Grace Lake... looking for a route to get up on Big Chiwaukum's west ridge.
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Grace Lake outlet... looking across the Wildhorse Creek drainage to Bulls Tooth (left)... an unnamed pyramid and Chain Lakes Peak.
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Getting above Grace Lake now... on our way up to the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum... Snowgrass Mountain in the distance.
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Snowdog coming over to head up to the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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Boulder field where we will start to head up to the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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Looking across Frosty Pass to the Cradle (left) and Sherpani Peak in front of Mt. Rainier... Frosty Mountain (grassy slopes in the foreground) and Mt. Daniel on the right.
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Snowgrass Mountain and Grace Lake from the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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A closeup... looking across Frosty Pass to The Cradle (left center), Sherpani Peak in front of Mt. Rainier and the south summit of Granite Mountain (right).
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Glacier Peak from the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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On the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum... which we will use to get up to the south ridge.
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There is a pretty good path on the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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Gaining elevation on the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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We don't really have a path anymore... but it is very straight forward what to do... just hike up to the south ridge and turn left.
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Our approximate route from ~7000 feet on the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum up to the south ridge and then over to the summit.
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Looking across Frosty Pass (left) to The Cradle, Sherpani Peak and Mt. Rainier... and looking over Frosty Mountain (grassy slope in foreground) to Granite Mountain, Mt. Daniel and Mt. Hinman... Bulls Tooth on the right.
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High enough now on the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum to see Upper Grace Lake... with Snowgrass Mountain above.
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On the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum... heading up to the south ridge.
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On the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum... almost up to the south ridge now.
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On the south ridge (~7800') of Big Chiwaukum... 1500 feet above Grace Lake (bottom right)... Upper Grace Lake (6880') on the left below Snowgrass Mountain... Frosty Pass and Frosty Mountain in the right foreground.
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Snowdog and solman walking along the south ridge of Big Chiwaukum... with Upper Grace Lake and Snowgrass Mountain behind... now we can see the Stuart Range behind Snowgrass.
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Oops... we have reached the 'V' notch on the south ridge... and will backtrack some here and give back ~100 feet of elevation in order to get around the notch.
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Backtracking a bit as we give back 100 feet of elevation to get around the notch.
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Safely past the notch (upper left) now... and traversing underneath the false summit area.
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Traversing 75 to 100 feet below the false summit area of Big Chiwaukum.
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The Big Chiwaukum summit... looks like a ramp (left center) will give us a good start to get around to the north side of the summit... but there is some work to do in order to get over to the ramp.
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Working our way over to the ramp.
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Working our way over to the ramp.
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Working our way over to the ramp.
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At the ramp now... notice the cairn (far left at the top of the ramp) with a white rock on top... not sure if we can see the summit from here.
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Class 2 climbing now... as we work our way around to the north side of the summit block.
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Still climbing... Grace Lake below.
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Still climbing.
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Still climbing... Izzy waiting for Snowdog to get out of the way.
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On the Big Chiwaukum summit (8081')... looking over Snowgrass Mountain to the Stuart Range.
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Snowdog holding on to Izzy near the summit... looking north to Jim Hill Mtn (left foreground)... with Rock Mtn in front of Glacier Peak... Mt. Howard and Mt. Mastiff to the right of Rock Mtn.
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rocman, solman, Snowdog and Izzy just below the summit.
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ragman gives the 'Big C' sign on the Big Chiwaukum summit... did I say it was very windy on top?
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Snowdog celebrates on the Big Chiwaukum summit.
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Looking north from the summit.
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Izzy, Snowdog and solman on the false summit of Big Chiwaukum... we couldn't find a summit register on the high point and thought we might find one on the false summit.
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solman, Izzy and Snowdog on the false summit of Big Chiwaukum.
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The Big Chiwaukum summit from the false summit.
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Taking a break below the false summit... it is still early and we are talking about taking a long break at Upper Grace Lake over below Snowgrass Mountain.
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Traversing over toward Upper Grace Lake.
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Looking down on Grace Lake as we continue to traverse over to Upper Grace Lake.
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Nearing Upper Grace Lake.
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At Upper Grace Lake (6880').
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The outlet of Upper Grace Lake... looking down on Grace Lake.
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Looking up the outlet of Upper Grace Lake... Snowgrass Mountain above.
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Snowdog chilling at Upper Grace Lake.
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Upper Grace Lake... with the summit of Snowgrass Mountain on the right.
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Leaving Upper Grace Lake and seeing if we can find a shorter route down to the lower lake.
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We couldn't find a shorter route down to Grace Lake... so we will traverse back over to the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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We will have to gain some elevation to get back on the west ridge.
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Back on the west ridge and looking up to the Big Chiwaukum summit (left).
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Heading down the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum.
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Looking down on Grace Lake from the west ridge of Big Chiwaukum... Frosty Pass and Frosty Mountain in the right foreground.
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Getting closer to Grace Lake.
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On the last boulder field before reaching Grace Lake.
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Back at Grace Lake... we are camped on the hill side above the lake on the right.
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Snowdog and Izzy are sharing a tent.
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Clouds rolling in for the evening.
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Clouds really rolling in now.
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8:45 pm and bedtime... tomorrow we will relocate our camp closer to Frosty Pass and try for Snowgrass Mountain and Frosty Mountain.
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