Para Point and Mount Baldy - 3.4.2013
Using Exit 70 off of I-90 and a combination of Railroad Street, W. Sparks Road and Kachess Dam Road, we parked where the snow stopped us.
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rodman's GPS track for our trip to Mount Baldy... 10 miles roundtrip, gaining 3657 feet of elevation... doing this hike in the summer will save you a total of 2.8 miles, but the elevation gain will be the same.
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A google earth look at the terrain around Mt. Baldy.
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A closer look at the terrain around Mt. Baldy... all of this area except for the lake was covered by snow.
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Parking on the Kachess Dam Road (aka FS 4818) where the snow prevented further travel... leaving a 1.4 mile road walk to the trailhead.
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Checking our map underneath the power lines... we will continue on Kachess Dam Road and pass on using the power line road.
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We have hiked the Kachess Dam Road for ~.75 miles and will take an obvious (though unmarked) road that will take us over to the summer trailhead.
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After a 1.4 mile road walk we have reached the parking area for the Kachess Ridge Trail #1315 and the Easton Ridge Trail #1212.
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From the trailhead parking area we walked 50 yards over to Silver Creek... then followed it up stream for ~100 yards... looking for the bridge crossing of the creek.
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The bridge crossing of Silver Creek.
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A dam on Silver Creek at the bridge crossing.
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Lots of switchbacks on Trail #1212 on the way up to Easton Ridge... not much snow cover at 2400 feet.
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High enough now to see the south end of Kachess Lake... Amabilis Mountain on the other side of the lake... in the lower left of the photo is part of the unmarked road that we used to get over to the summer trailhead.
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Continuing to switchback our way up to Easton Ridge... more snow in the open areas as we gain elevation.
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We have reached Easton Ridge (~3500')... and will continue on the Domerie Divide Trail.
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iraman is on the edge as we continue along the Domerie Divide Trail... Kachess Lake and Amabilis Mountain on the left... with Kachess Ridge above iraman... our approach road is lower left.
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Looking up the Silver Creek drainage to the west summit of French Cabin Mountain.
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Continuing on the Domerie Divide Trail...at first there are several small ups and downs along the ridge.
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It didn't take long to reach the steep terrain... Lake Easton in the center of the photo... with Mt. Rainier in the distance.
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Steeper than it looks as we continue on the Domerie Divide Trail.
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A few patches of brown on the ridge... evidence of strong wind activity.
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We are looking for Point 4942 (aka Para Point)... several false high points along the ridge are real heart breakers.
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I refer to the Domerie Divide Trail as a real 'conversation killer'.
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A closeup of Mount Rainier from high on the Domerie Divide Trail... Lake Easton is at the very bottom of the photo.
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Finally we can see Mount Baldy (far right)... but we still need to get up to Para Point before we can head for Baldy.
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Finally in the trees on Para Point (4942')... where we will use the Domerie Peak Trail to get over to Mount Baldy.
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The ridge leading from Para Point over to Mount Baldy.
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Nice views of Cle Elum Lake along the ridge leading to Mt. Baldy... Sasse Ridge and Hex Mountain in the foreground... with clouds sitting on top of the Stuart Range in the distance.
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Continuing along the ridge to Mt. Baldy.
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rodman, Izzy, Snowdog and iraman on the Mt. Baldy summit (5107').
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A closeup... looking up valley from the Baldy summit to Bears Breast Mtn, Mt. Hinman and Mt. Daniel.
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Not a very good pano shot... but it gives a good idea of how big Cle Elum lake is.
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The summit tree on Mount Baldy.
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The wind drove us just below the summit for our lunch break... Izzy makes sure that all is well.
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Group shot on the Mt. Baldy summit... ragman (prone)... BarbE and Snowdog kneeling... iraman and rodman standing... all smiles except for Izzy, who chooses to stick out her tongue.
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Looking back over to Para Point from the Baldy summit... ugh... going to have to give back some elevation to get over there.
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Last good look at Cle Elum Lake as we head back to Para Point.
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A closeup... looking across Hex Mountain to Teanaway Peaks and the Stuart Range.
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From time to time we were blasted by wind gusts along the ridge between Para Point and Mt. Baldy.
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Lots of photo ops along the ridge between Para Point and Baldy.
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rodman got this shot of BarbE and Izzy standing on the edge.
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Almost back to Para Point... I'm tired.
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BarbE is almost back to Para Point... Cle Elum Lake is below.
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Finally... we can see the treed summit of Para Point... it will be mostly down hill from there.
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rodman got this shot of BarbE giving Snowdog advise on how to climb out of a hole... still have 2.5 miles left to get back to the car.
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