Scarface - 10.5.2014
Start this hike from an unsigned trailhead to Lake Eleanor. From the Naches Tavern in Greenwater, Washington... drive SE on Hwy 410 for 6.3 miles... turn right onto FS-73 and drive 10.1 miles to a crossing of Eleanor Creek. The trail is on the east side of the creek. The sign says the elevation is 4340 feet... but it is much closer to 4540 feet.
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Our approximate route to Scarface... going up via the east ridge and coming down via the south ridge... then using the Lake Eleanor Trail from Grand Park back to the car... ~6.5 miles roundtrip, gaining ~2300 feet of elevation.
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After hiking less than 5 minutes we crossed the northern boundary of Mt. Rainier National Park.
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Plenty of mushrooms on this hike.
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Lots of variety in the mushrooms.
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After hiking ~1 mile we reached Lake Eleanor (4985').
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Continuing on the trail for another quarter mile beyond the lake we found the east ridge (~5050') of Scarface... and headed off trail... and started dealing with a lot of down trees.
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Denali Girl and tomman on the east ridge of Scarface.
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Continuing up the east ridge of Scarface.
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The route is brushy in places.
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At ~5400 feet the terrain steepens.
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On the east ridge of Scarface... at one of only a few places that offered a view.
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Looking down on Lake Eleanor from near Point 5862 on the east ridge of Scarface.
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Grand Park and Mt. Rainier from Point 5862.
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A closer look at Grand Park, Little Tahoma and Mt. Rainier from Point 5862... Mt. Fremont is in the left foreground... with Skyscraper Mountain just to the right of Fremont.
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tomman on top of Point 5862... with the treed summit of Scarface behind.
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Leaving Point 5862 and heading for Scarface. We had to give back 150 feet of elevation before heading back up toward the Scarface summit.
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Looking for the summit of Scarface.
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Lots of down trees to deal with.
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Looking back at Point 5862 as we near the summit of Scarface.
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Denali Girl and BarbE at the Scarface summit area.
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Yes... this is the summit (6108') of Scarface... big yawn!
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In jail on the summit of Scarface... at least that's how it felt.
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BarbE leads the way as we head down the south ridge of Scarface... in search of Grand Park and the Lake Eleanor Trail that will get us back to the car. Grand Park is on the other side of all of those trees in the distance.
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BarbE on the Lake Eleanor Trail in Grand Park. While it looks like she is going in the wrong direction, she is just hiking a short distance to improve her view of Mt. Rainier. It is ~3 miles to get back to the car.
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