Alger Alp 03-19-2011

Immediately after finishing a trek to Oyster Dome and trying to find the true summit of Blanchard/Chuckanut Mountain, Redwic and I set out to summit the World Famous*** Alger Alp.



We parked near Silver Creek and began hiking up the gated road just west of the creek. The approach is up a gated logging road, just east of a driveway and west of the creek. It seems this property is owned by Trillium. Please follow the rules.



Along the way, we enjoyed a nice view of the summit cliffs, some views to the northeast and some interesting geological rock phenomenons.









The above picture is referred by by geology experts as a Coal Bed. See the black layer in there? Dave Tucker with the WWU Geology department and I exchanged a few emails about this particular outcropping... and he went on to do a field trip out there the very next week.

If you have any interest in geology - or specifically in the geology of the Alger Alp or Chuckanut area, I suggest you read about his most recent field trip to Alger Alp, or browse the rest of his blog for a lot more info about the Chuckanut Formation.

Dave described the above formation as "a 30-foot-high sequence of sandstone and shale beds, and includes some smudgy soft coal. "

Here are a couple views from the east side of Alger Alp:





Once on the summit we enjoyed additional views to the south and the west.





We also spotted what appeared to be a sign near the approach road. We walked right by it and didn't recall seeing it, but couldn't miss it on the hike out.





The rock is pretty much heart shaped, but I have no idea who Hanna is.

We returned to the car without any route finding troubles.

About 4.25 miles and 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

Returned to Mount Vernon, did a little recon for the Devil Mountain high point before grabbing a beverage from Starbucks and then off to meet JenJen and ChubbyHubby for dinner at Bob's on Cook Road.

All in all, it was a great day to be out and about on the local trails and to be socializing with the good people of nwhikers.net.

Route Map:



Happy Trails!

~E

*** People from across the world travel along I-5 where it is hard to miss this lowland peak just east of the Alger Exit.

Itinerary for 4-7-11

Heading out on a snowshoe outing with the Mount Baker Club from the White Salmon Lodge on the Mt. Baker Highway (Hwy 542).

This is a new route/area for me, but Herm B. has promised it's a safe place to play in these avalanche conditions.

We're meeting and carpooling from Maple Falls Fuel Stop at 9:00am.

Happy Trails!

~E

Beyond Oyster Dome

After a lengthy few days of discussing the details for a 16 mile trek into the unknown, Redwic & I ditched that plan altogether and decided to make a visit to the Chuckanuts.

However, before heading out toward the Chuckanuts, we did a little trail head scouting for the 16-miler for future reference.

The reason I mention this is that as we cruised along the Skagit River, Redwic spotted a huge bald eagle standing on the shoulder of the road.

We stopped and reversed the car, but the bald eagle wasn't too keen on that, so he flew up into a nearby tree where he remained while we took some photos. This bird was huge... my pics don't do it justice.

After our TH Recon was done, we made our way to the Samish Overlook, dodging potholes and only bottoming out twice for our hike to Oyster Dome.

Samish Overlook is a good alternative starting point for this trail. The official trail head for Oyster Dome is actually located along Chuckanut Drive.

To find the Samish Overlook, take the Alger Exit from I-5 and head west. Take a left onto Barrel Springs Road and then look for the B-1000 gravel road off to the right, possibly signed as 'Blanchard Mountain'. This gravel road will take you to the Lily and Lizard Lakes trail head (which also connects to Oyster Dome), but instead of parking, just keep driving.

A short distance later you'll take a gravel road to the left. There is a gate that I believe is closed at dusk and opened at dawn (or thereabouts). This road gets a little rough, and steep and potholed, but with caution, it's passable by passenger cars.

The Samish Overlook TH saves you a couple miles of hiking and a few hundred feet of elevation gain. Also, sometimes you can watch the paragliders launch themselves out over the bay. There weren't any on hand when we arrived.

I enjoyed being the tour guide for Redwic, since I'd been here numerous times whereas this was his first visit.

This first section of trail is small part of the Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT).

First stop was a slippery viewpoint. There was a trace of fresh snow all around and the granite was pretty slick so we decided to not risk a fall and continued onward.

Eventually we arrived at the bat caves, which are neat and all, but I really enjoy looking up the cliff to Oyster Dome, our next destination.



Eventually we reached Oyster Dome, with it's famous views.







This is just a fascinating hike - particularly if you are at all interested in geology. The Dave Tucker of the WWU Geology department has a detailed write up for all the geological highlights along the Bat Caves/Oyster Dome trail on his nwgeology blog. You can read all about that right here.

Due to the warming temperature and the fresh snowfall, the hike between the Bat Caves and Oyster Dome was really wet with all the snow falling/melting off the trees. There was blue sky, but I was more wet than when I hike in the rain.

Since it was still so early in the day, we agreed to head off in search of the Chuckanut Mountain high point, which is a short distance to the east of Oyster Dome.

Despite our fancy technological gadgets, we couldn't quite get to where we thought we needed to be. Then we changed our mind and decided that we were exactly where we wanted to be.

Hint: If you are using a gps with a 'find' function or an electronic compass, make sure it's calibrated. It's a LOT more useful that way. Lesson learned.

We also found a peculiar tree ornament. An orange pipe with a "2" on the outside and an empty ziplock on the inside. Initially, we decided it might be a summit register. Why is it marked 2? Where is 1? We dunno.



We also came across a tarp, a lean to and a small fire pit in that same proximity.

Here's the GPS route... looks like we missed our intended destination.



1,500 feet of elevation gain and just over 5 miles, round trip.

Despite the navigational faux pas, we successfully made our way back to the trail and eventually the car. Still no paragliders.

As we drove out, two vehicles with paragliders were on their way to the Samish Overlook.

Since it was only 12:30 or so, we decided to make a visit to Alger Alp... an obvious point visible from I-5 as you drive by Alger.

Click here to read the Trip report for Alger Alp.

Happy Trails!

~E

PS: Redwic returned to the Chuckanuts the very next day (without me) and did find the Chuckanut Mountain high point via the Lily/Lizard Lake trail route. Rumor has it that there is a survery marker mounted to some Chuckanut Granite to mark the position. Congratulations Redwic!

GoLite Black Mountain Thermal Wind Jacket Review

Last Friday, the UPS guy dropped of my new Go Lite Black Mountain Jacket.

Just in time for me to take it with me on a hike to Oyster Dome and Alger Alp in the Chuckanut Mountains of western Washington.



Official Description:
With the GoLite Black Mountain Thermal Wind Jacket for Men, you don't have to choose between wind protection, warmth and superior ventilation, you can have them all. Built with thermal windproof face fabric and ventilating brushed fleece side panels, the Black Mountain Thermal Wind Jacket is the perfect jacket for cold weather aerobic activities like running, hiking, Nordic skiing and backcountry adventures. Lightweight and seriously warm, the Black Mountain weighs in at just under a pound and is one all-weather piece that you won't want to leave behind.

Official Specifications
* 100% polyester face and back with PU membrane and DWR water-resistant finish
* 35% Minerale™ and Brushed fleece panels
* Windproof chest and shoulders
* Fast wicking Minerale™ Fabric in back
* Auto-locking zipper with draft flap
* Secure-zip side pockets
* Media pocket with internal cord routing
* Reflective logo
* Semi-fitted
* Weight: 13.4oz / 379g

Unofficial Front photo:


Unofficial Back photo:


Initial Opinion:
I originally requested a Medium size as my measurements seemed to correspond with the specs for that size. Upon its arrival, it was clear that this size was not going to work... simply too small. So, I sent it back on Monday and had a size "L" arrive on Friday.

The color of this jacket is beautiful: Chili Pepper & Granite. I love it. It's so nice to have some color back into my jacket selection.

The coat fits perfectly and the fleece is very soft against the skin, without being hot.

In addition, the coat lays well on my body frame - it seems to be well sewn and a very quality product. That may sound like a simple sentence and maybe an obvious observation, but the quality is far superior to the REI Neo jacket that I've been wearing for four years.

Since this is a semi-athletic cut, there isn't a lot of extra room between the coat and my skin. It slides on easily with short sleeve shirts, but long sleeves (particularly cotton) tend to roll up in the arms. Probably wouldn't be an issue with a synthetic shirt, but I haven't tried that yet.

On The Trail

Our hike on Saturday (trip report coming soon) included mild temps... 40/45 degrees F (guessing) but also substantial winds blowing in off Puget Sound while at the higher elevations of Chuckanut Mountain. Also, there was a light dusting of snow the previous night which coated the tall evergreens and left a dusting on the ground.

With the above freezing temps and the wind, it meant that half the trip to Oyster Dome had us catching snow bomb after snow bomb falling from the trees. It was more wet on this hike than when I hike in actual rain!

Great conditions to check out a new thermal wind jacket!

The DWR finish worked as expected... repelling water for the duration of the hike. I think. It's a little hard to tell because inevitable water from my head would work it's way downward. Since the jacket doesn't have a hood, that's one of the issues that you have to tackle with by using other gear.

In the strong and brisk wind atop Oyster Dome, the Black Mountain Thermal Wind Jacket exceeded my expectations. Despite the wet conditions and the perspiration from climbing 1,500 feet and the strong wind gusts from the north west, this jacket kept me at a very comfortable temperature.

The jacket seemed to be moderately breathable, but it could benefit by adding a set of pit-zips. The side pockets have a see-through fabric used to construct the pockets - leaving the side zippers open might also help to get a little extra air flow into the coat.

While the inside of the coat was a bit wet when we completed the Oyster Dome hike, the entire jacket had completely dried out by the time we arrived at the trail head for our 2nd hike of the day.

Probably in an effort to Go Lite, someone decided to make really small zipper pulls for the side pockets. These can't be opened while you are wearing gloves... the handles are just too small. See pics.



The front zipper is larger and I was able to easily use it with gloves on,


There is a little elastic loop near the chest. Wasn't sure what it is for, but have concluded it must be for keeping control of headphone wires from your .mp3 player.



Here are the sewn-in tags for the coat:




In conclusion, this is a great jacket that will be perfect for keeping me warm throughout many trips in the near future!

I will gladly recommend this jacket to my friends and give it two thumbs up!