Bandera Mountain - 1.4.2014
Directions from Exit 45 off of I-90 to the Mason Lake/Ira Spring Trailhead.
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rodman's GPS track of our trip... 7 miles roundtrip, gaining 3247 feet of elevation. We used the Ira Spring Trail to the cutoff for Bandera... on the way down we went off trail and cut over to the Ira Spring Memorial Plaque before going over to Mason Lake... then used the abandoned Mason Lake Trail to reconnect with the Ira Spring Trail... leaving a .75 mile hike back to the car.
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The shared trailhead (~2200') for the Mason Lake Trail and the Ira Spring Trail.
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An icy and slippery crossing of Mason Creek.
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Looking at McClellan Butte across the valley.
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An inch of fresh snow at ~2800 after leaving the road.
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On the Ira Spring Trail.
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Out of the trees at ~3700 feet.
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At ~4100 feet we have reached the junction of the Ira Spring Trail and the path up to Bandera Mountain... time to climb steeply up to the ridge above Mason Lake.
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BarbE and rodman on the open slopes of Bandera Mountain... Mt. Rainier in the distance.
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Snowdog leading the way up to the ridge above Mason Lake.
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rodman coming up.
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BarbE leading now... watching Izzy dig for treasure... Putrid Pete's Peak and Mt. Defiance in the distance.
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Snowdog and rodman coming up.
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rodman almost to the ridge (~4600') above Mason Lake.
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Mt. Rainier from the ridge above Mason Lake.
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A closer look at Mt. Rainier from the ridge above Mason Lake.
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Several inches of powder snow at 4600 feet.
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Looking across the valley at McClellan Butte... and further west beyond a foggy Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains.
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First good view of some of the big boys... Roosevelt, Kaleetan and Chair.
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Snowdog, rodman and BarbE working their way along the ridge toward the false summit of Bandera Mountain... Mt. Defiance in the distance.
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Continuing toward the false summit of Bandera Mountain.
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Continuing toward the false summit of Bandera Mountain.
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Looking back at Putrid Pete's Peak (left) and Mt. Defiance.
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Continuing toward the false summit of Bandera Mountain... of course Izzy leads the way.
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Nearing the false summit of Bandera... more peaks come into view... Pratt Mountain in the foreground.
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Almost to the false summit of Bandera.
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Looking down on Mason Lake and Lake Kulla Kulla... Putrid Pete's Peak and Mt. Defiance on the left.
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Looking west across Mt. Washington, Rattlesnake Ridge and Tiger Mountain to a foggy Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
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Looking down on Rainbow Lake (left) and Island Lake... Pratt Mountain in the foreground.
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Group shot from the false summit (5157') of Bandera Mountain.
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Leaving the false summit of Bandera Mountain.
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Mason Lake... with the false summit of Bandera above.
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On the abandoned Mason Lake Trail... we will go down and below the boulder field... Putrid Pete's Peak on the right.
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Below the boulder field... hiking along Mason Creek... still an hour from the car.
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