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Subject: Harts Pass (Mazama)

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Tom Lowell



10/04/2008 11:45 PM Alert 

Wanted to go do a trip with PNBA this weekend but its our annual trip to WInthrop for the Fat Tire Festival mountain bike weekend.  Well, it rained like heck all morning long so we cut the ride short and went for a drive up thru Mazama (9140) up thru Harts Pass to Slate Peak.

Slate Peak is over 7700 ft.  Used as a military radar tower during the early Cold War era.  The views of the fog were incredible. Actually at 7700, I guess it qualifies as clouds.  Thick as clam chowder, it truely was.

The road was nice and tight, narrow with  wall on one side and cliff on the other.  I really enjoy that type of road.   We didn't stay long at Slate Peak as the fog/cloud was thick despite a whipping wind.  We headed back down to Harts Pass campgrounds were we escaped the clutches of the clouds and fog, found some sun, and from there we took the road to Chancelor.  It was a little more primitive and it descended rapidly.  Jen rode on ahead downhill on her mountain bike and I didn't catch up to her until the rain started pouring again and she pulled off under a sheltering tree. 

Some small claims mining going on in Slate Creek.  We stopped at a minor's campsite along the creek for a late lunch and a cat nap.  Awoke to a warming sun.  Hiked around the creek for a while.  Drove on, crossing the creek and kept driving, enjoying the fall colors until a downed tree told us it was time to turn around.  It was almost 4pm, so we decided to leave exploration of some of the side spurs off the main route for another day. 

It was a great little drive.  The usual incredible northwest vistas,  stunning autumn colors, with rock, cliff, and road in perfect harmony.  I recomend it .  High ground clearence vehicle recomended.

Brian Rutherford



10/05/2008 1:28 PM Alert 

Nice photos, Tom. I had hoped to get to Harts Pass this year but it looks like it won't happen. Weather predictions are saying snow down to 3,000' in the Cascades by Tuesday. I'll have to find some lower roads to explore.


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Nate Skate



10/05/2008 2:30 PM Alert 
Don't mean rub it in, but we were there on a sunny day a month ago and the views were incredible. 360' in the heart of the North Cascades. Fog is cool too, though. It is a narrow shelf road in a lot of places. I kept hoping I wouldn't meet a Sportsmobile coming the other way.
Tom Lowell



10/05/2008 6:52 PM Alert 

Wow, sorry about the loooong post window...not sure what I did to string the pics along side by side, but Craig will fix it.  Yeah, Brian, we just now got home from Winthrop.  All the peaks along Hwy 20 were freshly dusted with snow.   And thanks for the props.  And thanks for rubbing it in, Nate. 

A friend on the trip grew up around here racing enduro motorcycles.  He went over some maps with me about trails around Baker Lake, and south of the Skagit River, around Split Rock (anyone?).  I'm intrigued.

 

I think this was Slate Creek. 

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