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Weekend Caching


Jeremy

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My cache Mountain Meadows is crying for visitors, it is on the Lake Valhalla Trail from the top of Stevens Pass. Nice hike on to Lake Vallhalla to with a cache above it. Easy Terrain. Probably 7 miles round trip if you do them both. When I hid it last year we put a car at both ends. That way we didn't have to back track and did about a 8 mile hike. Placing Mountain Meadows and finding the Valhalla Cache. Then not to far up the Rainy Pass road where you can either start or end at is another nice little cache called Waterlily Pond. Up at the top of Rainy Creek pass you will find Peruvian Sheep Herders and their sheep getting fattened up for the market. They say the sheep that graze in that area bring top dollar in Calif. <_<

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My cache Mountain Meadows is crying for visitors, it is on the Lake Valhalla Trail from the top of Stevens Pass. Nice hike on to Lake Vallhalla to with a cache above it. Easy Terrain. Probably 7 miles round trip if you do them both. When I hid it last year we put a car at both ends. That way we didn't have to back track and did about a 8 mile hike. Placing Mountain Meadows and finding the Valhalla Cache. Then not to far up the Rainy Pass road where you can either start or end at is another nice little cache called Waterlily Pond. Up at the top of Rainy Creek pass you will find Peruvian Sheep Herders and their sheep getting fattened up for the market. They say the sheep that graze in that area bring top dollar in Calif. <_<

Did Valhalla for 1000 and 999 at Water Lilly...great caches. Still got to ge the other one andn I might see if I can get Lichtenburg peak...looks like you can go at the summit by going past the lake and going around and up to the backside. I'll put a box there if someone doesn't do it before me.

 

Also the nearby round summit...Mt.

McClausland would make another great cache spot...go up a trail from the saddle and get on the ridge and head north to a cool dropoff and views..can see Lake Janus from there. Did this before caching otherwise a box would be there. I was going to do it last fall, but forgot to pack a cache with me.

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Yeah, I'd like to defer rock scrambling to another day.

 

Criminal recommended Gem Lake, but I believe that a lot of folks have done this already. The Valhalla trail sounds interesting though. How about Mountain Meadows? I'd be happy to coordinate with someone and leave a vehicle at one end of the trail.

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That last one requires some significant rock scrambling. Main reason hwy I havne't braved that one yet. I hiked up to McClellan years ago before caching up to the rock face. Man, if you slip...you are dead.

evergreenhiker! is right. I've been up there once as well. I watched a bunch of old lady climbers from Oregon cross that section and I just sat there. They offered to rope me across, but I told them it was OK, I'd just leave all the glory to them. Doable, but deadly if you don't.

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We haven't chosen the day. TotemLake can only do it Sunday, and I'm flexible for either day. If I can get an idea from other folks we can come up with a date.

I have been wanting to try the Lake Valhalla / MMM loop for quite some time. I hope I'm up to it! After last weekend, I'm not sure.

 

Like TL, sunday is the only day that works for me this weekend. Unfortunatly it sounds like it's going to be another scorcher. (I prefer hiking in the rain or at least cool weather).

 

There are several caches in the area.

 

My suggestion:

 

1. Leave a couple of cars at Stevens Pass.

 

2. Drive to GCGN99 - Waterlily Pond by Patudles This is a roadside cache near a small pond, but is only accessable for about three months in the summer. I was the last person to visit this cache for my 200th find way back in October of last year.

 

2. Move about 1/2 mile back down the road and park at the trailhead for Lake Vallhalla

 

3. Hike to GCGV3Q - Valhalla by Mohai

 

4. Hike to GCGZJM - Mountain Meadow Majesty by Patudles

 

5. Continue DOWN the trail to Stevens Pass

 

6. While at Stevens Pass pick up the easy Micro GCJ9CT - Green Egg...Without Ham

 

7. Rescue the cars parked at the top of the hill

 

The hike should be much easier in this direction, starting near the top and hiking back down. There is still some Elevation Gain to Valhalla, but at least according to Topo, it's mostly downhill the rest of the way.

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I'm quite interested in this outing. I'll have to give the route a good look because Adrian will be my geocaching partner this weekend. Once a route is determined, perhaps we can estimate the total hike mileage/elevation gain. Adrian is good for a few hours/miles of hiking but I don't want to go overboard. I will bring his shoes, however. :P

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Thank you, thank you , thank you, Mountain Meadow Majesty has not had a visitor since CCmin who stayed behind long enough for me to hide it while she fed the birds and then tested the coords for me. Either way in is no problem, but in my opinion it is flater with a gradual climb from the top of Stevens. The only major climb is a short one leaving Lake Valhalla and then it is all down hill from there. If you go in from Rainy Creek Pass you start out with a climb all the way up. Not to bad mind you but it is steeper and longer climbing up that way. Then downhill to Valhalla then a short climb up and then again a gradual descent down to Stevens. The longer more gradual distance is between Steven's Pass and Lake Valhalla. Approx 5 miles. Then the steeper shorter part is between Rainey Pass and Valhalla. Approx 3 miles. Green Eggs and no Ham cache is just a stones throw from where you will park your car at the top and Waterlily pond is just a stones throw from where the sheep could be grazing. If it is hot just plan on taking a dip in Lake Valhalla it will cool you off. Unless it is extremely hot it is not to bad on the Crest Trail. If you are full of extra vim & vigor there is a new cache near the Wellington Train disaster. Looks like a great cache also. The car with the Leather would probably want to stay at Stevens Pass as Rainey Creek is a dirt road.

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That last one requires some significant rock scrambling. Main reason hwy I havne't braved that one yet. I hiked up to McClellan years ago before caching up to the rock face. Man, if you slip...you are dead.

Wow. That is quite a scramble. I suppose if it isn't a wet day it wouldn't be "too" bad.

 

04729125-1d74-46ae-86bc-64ac1692ad83.jpg

THAT just plain scares me.

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This sounds like its setting up nicely. Sunday is still cool with the family... providing I get a few things done around the house first. I can turn up one of the back seats and still leave room for Snickers! and everybody's backpacks. If I strap the packs to the roof, then I can turn up the other seat and provide for 3 passengers... 4 if one of them are small. :P

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Okay, I've finished my preparation of the maps and GPS data for this weekend's proposed hike. The route driven between the two trailheads is shown in green while the hike is shown in red.

 

It looks like a one-way hike will come in at around 8 miles. I'm not showing the shortcut mentioned by runhills, though, which it looks like RWW indicates on his map.

 

I wasn't sure how clear the 3D map showed the elevation gains so I generated an elevation profile. Looking at it, it appears that the easier route is to start at the Smith Brook Trailhead and hike toward Stevens Pass. This conflicts with Patudles' suggestion, though, so I'm not sure what the best choice is.

 

Here are links to the files:

 

Large map of hike and drive

Small map of hike and drive

3D view of route

Elevation profile of hike (Smith Brook to Stevens Pass)

GPX file of caches in the Stevens Pass area

 

GPS data containing track and waypoints, including caches and trailheads:

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Okay ya caught me. I am lousy at remember the correct name of things. Makes me look like a dumby. Smithbrook not Rainey Pass. Guess I better check out Rainey Pass for placing a cache also. If I remember correctly Rainey Pass is between Lake Wenatchee & Entiat.

 

Smithbrook you can drive down the otherside and come out in Lake Wenatchee and pick up the Hole in One cache by Yimi. Then get Navigatorz cache called Lake Wenatchee Viewpoint, and then on way out if you have time take a short detour & pick up Kache, Kit & Kaboodles new cache Dem Bones, * Knock Out View by GeoRoo. You could also pick up Pet Cache near Fish Lake. Head out to the Hwy and get the 59er Diner by Geo Team alpha and my replaced cache at Nason Rest Stop and head up the pass to your other cars. :o Wow, I bet you can't do all of that. That is if you start at Stevens Pass and work to Smithbrook.

 

I have hiked in both ways. My family has been hiking this trail since the seventies. We all agree it is shorter but steeper to Lake Valhalla by Smithbrook. Longer but more gradual by Stevens Pass but since you are doing the loop it really doesn't matter.

 

When you go up from Smithbrook you have about 1 mile of steeper switchbacks till you hit the Crest Trail. They aren't to bad though if I can do them okay so can you RWW. From Stevens you follow an flat trail for about a mile or so before and even then you really don't get into any serious hills till after Mountain Meadow Majesty. Then you will hits some hills but nothing serious. Great hike one of my favorites. So go either way and enjoy!

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Man o man I wish I could join everyone on this one. But alas, I will be in North Carolina this weekend, and on that day I'll be hunting caches among the ticks, chiggars, snakes, poison oak and poison ivy. I think I'd rather be at Lake Valhalla, one of my most favorite places on earth. I've been there several times to fish and camp, but haven't been there since I started geocaching. I may go up in the fall when the huckleberries are ripe. We always hike in from Smithbrook road. Enjoy! and bring your camera because its very scenic there.

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Okay ya caught me. I am lousy at remember the correct name of things. Makes me look like a dumby. Smithbrook not Rainey Pass. Guess I better check out Rainey Pass for placing a cache also. If I remember correctly Rainey Pass is between Lake Wenatchee & Entiat.

 

There are probably many passes called "Rainey Pass". In fact I am sure of it :o This is Washington afterall.

 

Perhaps you are thinking of one of the two mountain passes on the North Cascades Highway. Rainey Pass and Washington Pass.

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Perhaps you are thinking of one of the two mountain passes on the North Cascades Highway. Rainey Pass and Washington Pass.

 

 

No, I don't pay much attention to the paved roads, I'm all over the dirt roads in this area. Ya gotta get your car all dusty to have fun! I think Rainey Creek Pass is between Entiat and Lake Wenatchee. But I need to get my forest map out to be sure. I don't trust my memory, ya know everytime I learn something new or get a new idea something else has to fall out to make room for the new one. :o:);)

Edited by Patudles
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Well, I would be interested in this. I heard from Totemlake last year about some group hikes/hunts, but this is the first I heard of such. How do you coordinate everything? One potential problem for me it that it's been years since I've hiked. I may be rather slow.

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Personally I'd like to see this weekly or biweekly. I enjoy the group hikes, and it's great exercise. This one seems to be evolving by comittee, and the location chosen by the hider.

 

Depending on the shape you're in, an 8 mile hike may be bad for you or not. Since I have no experience on this particular hike, maybe someone who has been to lake Valhalla can tell you how it is. Considering the name, however, I bet it's going to be relatively tough.

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Well, I would be interested in this.  I heard from Totemlake last year about some group hikes/hunts, but this is the first I heard of such.  How do you coordinate everything?  One potential problem for me it that it's been years since I've hiked.  I may be rather slow.

Don't worry about being slow. I'm usually the one bringing up the rear. Just ask last week's group. Somehow, I ended up passing up Moun10Bike, Jeremy and I think The Leprechaun when they stopped at (I guess) a peach tree, and they passed me up like I was doing 40 in a 60. All I saw was dust. :o And there I was just a huffin' and a puffin' on the radio. I hadn't realized the VOX was on with my throat mic.

 

Btw Leatherman, thanks for helping me with that mic check.

 

Anyway, if you decide to come, you'll likely have company, and every now and then, the fast hikers stop for a rest to let the stragglers catch up for a short rest.

 

I forgot to mention, if you don't have one, get yourself a cambelbak or similar system. Some of us carry filters to replenish. And get yourself an FRS radio. It's a tremendous boost to the morale to stay connected to the group by radio.

Edited by TotemLake
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Re: Transportation.

 

I don't know how far away this trip would be, but I have a full-size van that seats 5 -- or 7 if I put the two other Captains chairs back in. Of course, being such a large vehicle it doesn't get the best gas mileage, so if folks would like to share a ride and expense I would be happy to drive. Otherwise perhaps I could get a lift from someone else? Has there been a "standard" meeting place?

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I'm in Bellevue. We could meet at the park & ride near factoria and go from there. The one I know about is on the north side of 90 near Bellevue Community College.

 

Definitely bring a camelbak. That reminds me to go to REI this week and get one of my own. In typical lame fashion I failed to take up Criminal in refilling my water supply last weekend and paid for it. Fortunately Marcus gave me some water.

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Oh d'oh. I realized this is Stevens pass. I could meet somewhere off 522 and 405 if someone is familiar with a good meeting place.

Dairy Queen is right off the ramp. Getting out might be a bit of a chore though. If you go further down the road same direction as DQ, there is a car wash which would make a great join up and departure. That's in Woodinville.

 

Or, there is a P&R at 160th exit off of I-405 just before you get to I-522. It's a good hop off hop on exit and there are gas stations nearby for the I forgot to fill up crowd.

Edited by TotemLake
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We need to nail down the start of the loop and the drop-off cars at the end of the hike. I'll need room for Snickers.

 

I vote for starting at Steven's Pass. Although it's a heck of an elevation climb for just over 2 miles, it makes for a nice easy walk downhill most of the way.

Edited by TotemLake
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Depending on the shape you're in, an 8 mile hike may be bad for you or not. Since I have no experience on this particular hike, maybe someone who has been to lake Valhalla can tell you how it is. Considering the name, however, I bet it's going to be relatively tough.

 

If I can do this hike most anyone else can. Specially you young menfolk. I am a granny (a young one I must admit) but much overweight so that should tell you it is not a hard hike. More like a walk in a park.

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