GlassMountains Trip Reports

Northern Elkhorn Range Peaks, Oregon, July 2012

August 26, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

On Thursday, July 12, I camped at the Anthony Lakes Campground in the Elkhorn Mountains of Northeast Oregon. I found a good campsite near a short trail leading to the Elkhorn Crest Trailhead. I planned to climb five Northern Elkhorn Range Peaks over the next two days. My plans were cut short by stormy weather.

Peak 8525 (Elkhorn Range) aka "Dutch Flat Saddle South" — Peak 8525 (Elkhorn Range) aka “Dutch Flat Saddle South”

On the next morning, Friday, July 13, I hiked south on the Elkhorn Crest Trail (ECT) towards Angell Pass. On the way I nearly walked into a sleek, white mountain goat who was descending the trail. He quickly turned and went out of view as I retrieved my camera. I continued over Angell Pass below the west face of Angel Peak and on to Dutch Flat Saddle. From the saddle I climbed the north ridge of Peak 8525 (aka “Dutch Flat Saddle South”) to its rocky summit.

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Pueblo Mountains and Beatys Butte, Oregon, July 2012

July 24, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

In early July I visited the Pueblo Mountains and to Beatys Butte in Southeast Oregon for the first time. I hoped to climb three peaks during the visit.

Pueblo Mountains

On Saturday, June 30, I drove from Denio Junction, Nevada, north, then up the narrow and rocky “Arizona Creek Road”. After 4.6 miles I found a campsite just north of Stergen Meadows near the head of Arizona Creek. My campsite lay below the north ridge of Pueblo Mountain. I enjoyed the views north towards Steens Mountain as the shadows gradually lengthened during the late afternoon and evening.

West Pueblo Ridge from North Ridge, Pueblo Mountain

Sunday morning I walked the road up through Stergen Meadows to Ten Cent Meadow. On the way in I tried a shortcut to avoid some unnecessary elevation gain and loss. But I decided it would be easier on the return to stay on the road to avoid minor gullies and brush. At Ten Cent Meadow I left the road and climbed open slopes up to and through a notch. This led to the ridge just left of the yellow-banded cliffs in the photo above. Cumulus clouds were building and threatening showers, but not yet suggesting the thunderstorms that were forecast.

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Backcountry Skiing, Oregon, April 2012

April 25, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

After the low and icy snowpack in early 2012 the snow soon returned, heavily at times. The snowpack dramatically recovered. Linda and I enthusiastically resumed skiing the local backcountry ski trails.

This can be seen in the following graph of “snow water equivalent” in the snowpack at Three Creeks Meadow. Within a week the snow water equivalent tripled from 3 to 9 inches. The snow water equivalent then plateaued until March. Then it started a steady increase until it met and surpassed the 30-year average.

This pattern of alternating local winter drought and storm is not uncommon. Often one is tempted to extrapolate from late autumn conditions to the rest of the ski season. But this has proven to be unreliable.

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Southern Cascade Peaks, Oregon, 2011

January 29, 2012 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

This last summer and autumn I finally hiked a few Southern Oregon Cascade Range peaks as part of my Oregon 100 Highest Peaks project. Some peaks I had known of but had neglected to visit for many years. Other peaks I had not heard of before starting on the project.

Diamond Peak

More than twenty years ago I skied from Odell Lake along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCNST). I left the trail and skiied up to the North Summit of Diamond Peak. From that summit I could see the South (true) summit far away across the summit ridge. I planned to return someday to visit it. The years passed and other peaks distracted me from returning.

This past August I finally gave Diamond Peak an attempt. The east-side access roads (FSRs 6010 and 380) were reportedly rough. The South Ridge route required cross-country hiking and scrambling through mosquito-infested forest, then climbing talus slopes to reach the summit.

It was my first visit to the Summit Lake area and the peak’s southern slopes. It was very satisfying to finally visit the summit I had planned for so long to reach.

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