R04 TR: North Fork of the Kings- Woodchuck Country, 6/13-6/16 2019
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 8:14 pm
My plan for this trip was to cross Woodchuck Creek, and carry on over Crown Pass, and establish a camp somewhere between Portal and Cathedral Lakes, and climb Finger Peak. My questionable itinerary included a quick exploration of Blue Canyon's upper basin, but that would be far better without Bearzy. That 3-4 mile trip in sin would allow me to make a circular route into Crown Basin, and along a backcountry ridge trail to Scepter Lake and back via Chuck Pass, and back to Wishon Res. where I began. Nice trip for someday with Lizzie, who can take Bear for the National Park days. As it turned out, I was stymied by high waters anyway.
Here is the complex Finger Peak, to be visited later.
I hiked in via the south end of Wishon Res., and arrived at Woodchuck Creek about noon on Thursday, June 13, and man was it raging! I walked up and down the area around the trail to no avail, and nobody else to be seen for the next 4 days. I decided to bushwhack up to the point where Woodchuck Creek met the flow down from Woodchuck Lake's drainage in order to hopefully cross each branch separately- and had no luck there either- the twin flows were both cataracts! I backed off at least 10 log-jams, boulder-hops, and other possible crossings points- isn't it agonizing to contemplate hairy, sometimes death-defying river crossings?
This is near the usual crossing where the trail meets the creek ~ 2-3 miles from the Wishon trailhead. It is ~ 4' deep and hauling arse here!
At this age, I really enjoy the feeling of backing off- especially when I am also responsible for my great dog friend Bearzy. I would have tried some of them, but not with Bearzy on a weak rope, attached to the handle of a dog-pack. My dog set-up with real harness and 6ml. climbing rope is much more secure.
Even this seemingly easy log was beyond us, as Bear- or me, would've been lost had we fallen off it. Bearzy's too large to carry under my arm.
We thrashed on- actually, it got much better the higher up we got, but even though the creek leveled out and slowed its pace, it still would've been miserable deep and cold right before camp. Instead we camped on the west bank, and the creek crossing at 7:30 Friday morning was a piece of cake.
This is that crossing point- hardly wet my boots.
Speaking of "cake" and other food- this was my first experiment with a "foodless trip." I was trying a new kind of fast, based on the consumption of just coffee in the AM, and a whiskey-brandy mix at night.
These were the available foodstuffs, Bear had some cheese too, but I left his food alone. Mind, I didn't take both full bottles- I swear I had only 8 oz or so of the two mixed.
Nice and light, and I experienced no trouble with it at all, but I suppose it's not for everyone. I also can't really recommend that bushwhacking mileage up Woodchuck Creek. It wasn't horrendous, but it was bad enough. Due to that lost day, and the assumption of the same difficulty on the way back, ie, having to wait for a morning crossing, I decided to save the longer adventure to Finger Peak, and the crossing in and out of Blue Canyon Basin for another day. I did manage a nice circle from the ridge near Crown Pass, down Crown, over Scepter Pass, down to colorful Scepter Lake, and across the low hill west, and back to Crown Lake, which had looked so beautiful from my 2nd camp on the ridge above it. I stayed there awhile, walked all around the lake, admiring the turquoise melt zones; I first heard, and then saw a mature Bald eagle!
The eagle.
With a lot of day left, I decided to climb back up onto the same ridge, but a mile or so to the south where there are great views from the open, snowy domes. I had to deal with snow for about 90% of this trip after reaching the 8,500' level (*trip dates were 6/13 - 6/16). The sun-cups were a lot bigger than cups, so I called them "sun-pitchers" to give them a more happy association. I might have benefitted from using the crampons in the early mornings, but I didn't, and kicking steps in my good climbing boots did well enough. I had the Whippet tool in case of a slip on the passes.
These were the tools: La Sportiva boots, full gaiters, crampons and Whippet.
On the way back, I decided to again avoid the balls-clenching fear of being bashed to death in the riverbed- or, worse yet, seeing it happen to Bearzy. So I adapted my route back to remain on the west side of that same darn Woodchuck Creek, after first crossing Chuck Pass. It worked, but it was almost worse thrashing down the slopes above Woodchuck Creek, as I went too far left, above the creek, and so, up and down a lot of tangled forest slopes. Saw a few beautiful deer, Bear saw some squirrels- all of whom he would love to meet, and we hopped across all of the lesser torrents without incident. A bit over 30 miles of travel- a very pleasant trip, unburdened by food.
The view from the ridge above Crown Lake- Mt Goddard and Reinstein.
Frozen Crown Lake below. We were always able to find small melted out areas for camps.
Water source here was water dripping off rock faces.
Finger Peak in the distance. Watching clouds form was the best entertainment.
I was also lucky to have a nearly full moon.
I hiked in via the south end of Wishon Res., and arrived at Woodchuck Creek about noon on Thursday, June 13, and man was it raging! I walked up and down the area around the trail to no avail, and nobody else to be seen for the next 4 days. I decided to bushwhack up to the point where Woodchuck Creek met the flow down from Woodchuck Lake's drainage in order to hopefully cross each branch separately- and had no luck there either- the twin flows were both cataracts! I backed off at least 10 log-jams, boulder-hops, and other possible crossings points- isn't it agonizing to contemplate hairy, sometimes death-defying river crossings?
At this age, I really enjoy the feeling of backing off- especially when I am also responsible for my great dog friend Bearzy. I would have tried some of them, but not with Bearzy on a weak rope, attached to the handle of a dog-pack. My dog set-up with real harness and 6ml. climbing rope is much more secure.
We thrashed on- actually, it got much better the higher up we got, but even though the creek leveled out and slowed its pace, it still would've been miserable deep and cold right before camp. Instead we camped on the west bank, and the creek crossing at 7:30 Friday morning was a piece of cake.
Speaking of "cake" and other food- this was my first experiment with a "foodless trip." I was trying a new kind of fast, based on the consumption of just coffee in the AM, and a whiskey-brandy mix at night.
Nice and light, and I experienced no trouble with it at all, but I suppose it's not for everyone. I also can't really recommend that bushwhacking mileage up Woodchuck Creek. It wasn't horrendous, but it was bad enough. Due to that lost day, and the assumption of the same difficulty on the way back, ie, having to wait for a morning crossing, I decided to save the longer adventure to Finger Peak, and the crossing in and out of Blue Canyon Basin for another day. I did manage a nice circle from the ridge near Crown Pass, down Crown, over Scepter Pass, down to colorful Scepter Lake, and across the low hill west, and back to Crown Lake, which had looked so beautiful from my 2nd camp on the ridge above it. I stayed there awhile, walked all around the lake, admiring the turquoise melt zones; I first heard, and then saw a mature Bald eagle!
With a lot of day left, I decided to climb back up onto the same ridge, but a mile or so to the south where there are great views from the open, snowy domes. I had to deal with snow for about 90% of this trip after reaching the 8,500' level (*trip dates were 6/13 - 6/16). The sun-cups were a lot bigger than cups, so I called them "sun-pitchers" to give them a more happy association. I might have benefitted from using the crampons in the early mornings, but I didn't, and kicking steps in my good climbing boots did well enough. I had the Whippet tool in case of a slip on the passes.
On the way back, I decided to again avoid the balls-clenching fear of being bashed to death in the riverbed- or, worse yet, seeing it happen to Bearzy. So I adapted my route back to remain on the west side of that same darn Woodchuck Creek, after first crossing Chuck Pass. It worked, but it was almost worse thrashing down the slopes above Woodchuck Creek, as I went too far left, above the creek, and so, up and down a lot of tangled forest slopes. Saw a few beautiful deer, Bear saw some squirrels- all of whom he would love to meet, and we hopped across all of the lesser torrents without incident. A bit over 30 miles of travel- a very pleasant trip, unburdened by food.
.