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I have finally recovered from most of the mosquito and fly bites I received on the weekend of July 22-23, 2006. Or at least I have recovered enough to post this bit of commentary on a wonderful weekend at Cougar Lakes, just East of Mt. Rainier.
I was guided by two intrepid explorers from a place they called Walla Walla. Last I heard this was somewhere near Bugs Bunny's home and was full of sweet onions. Anyway, these two, 'Brielle and Beezer, we'll call them B+B for short led me into one of the horsiest, hottest, bug-infested wildernesses I have ever seen. I had a FANTASTIC time!!
Actually I was a little worried when I arrived at the trailhead on Friday evening and promptly was bitten by at least 5 skeeters before I had even opened my first beer! But I made it through that first hot and buggy night by convincing myself that if I turned off the lights the bugs couldn't see me and they would just go away. At some point during the middle of the night they did go away or at least take a short nap.
On Saturday we hiked up to Cougar Lakes and were pleasantly surprised to find slightly fewer bugs at the higher elevations. We did however meet several large stinky animals which carried some lazy wilderness visitors. When passing Swamp Lake on the way to our destination, the stinky animals became quite agitated at the sight of Mr. Beezer. I can only presume it was due to his fondness for trail apples. On several occassions he reminded us that the smell of horse excrement made him hungry! I was afraid to ask if eating the horseshit would satisfy his hunger.
We found a nice secluded camp near the beach at the larger of the two Cougar Lakes. From here we set about trying to catch the fabled wild mountain trout with our fly rods. That evening I caught one 6-7 inch Brookie and Beezer caught two large minnows (5-inchers) before it became too dark to fish. During the afternoon on Saturday, while my inexhaustible guides slept, I ran up to the top of the ridge near the lakes and got an awesome view of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams. I nearly made it to the Pacific Crest Trail before I turned around so that I could make it back in time to wake up the guides for dinner.
On Sunday we spent a lot of time wading into the lake and swatting the air with our fly rods, but didn't have much luck with the fishing. We got a little sun and did a little bit of bathing or wading in the cool clear waters before heading back down the dusty stinky trail. I had a great time on this trip but am still wondering if the B+B guide service is not just a front for a minnow-poaching horseshit-eating couple of onion smugglers. I have posted some of the photos here. You be the judge.
On Sat. July 8 I planned on hiking to Lake Byrne which is near Glacier Peak. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that the White Chuck River road had been washed out at least a few years ago! So when I arrived at the road washout, at 1.7 miles from the road beginning, I was a little pissed to say the least. The trailhead is at 10 miles from the road beginning!
Because I got there at the relatively early time of 8:20 AM I decided to try and make it to Kennedy Hot Springs which is at around 5 or 5.5 miles from the beginning of the trail. This means that a total round-trip distance of 26 to 27 miles would need to be covered.
So I took off running up the old road. The road was washed out at two locations in the first couple of miles but was in relatively good condition all the way to the trailhead. In fact the road was actually pleasant as the area does not appear to get many visitors, the forest was lush and the river rumbling could be heard at all times. The first mile of the trail was relatively nice if not a little over-grown in spots but thereafter the route became downright challenging and dangerous. I counted 11 landslides which I had to either skirt around in the riverbed or climb up and over. A few of the slide areas were a little nervewracking to cross below as rocks were heard falling! I made it to the confluence of Kennedy Creek and the White Chuck River only to find that most of the manmade structures and the trail had been obliterated by the river. I found the remnants of a camp area and a toilet (wallowa) after crossing Kennedy but I couldn't find a way to cross the White Chuck River to get to the hot springs. Besides I was worn out and it was already 2 pm, so I started back. I found an interesting cache near the Kennedy creek camp area: A USFS owned First Aid kit and backpack stored in a bucket. It appears that this is all that is left of the USFS patrol cabin which reportadly was located near here. I ran back to the car, pleading with my left groin adductor not to give up until I made it back.
Besides the fun of the trip and the beautiful scenery an added bonus is that I think I figured out the cause of my injury. The groin pain or tendinitis must have developed due to the metatarsal pads and superfeet insoles which I have been wearing. It may even be partly due to my trail shoes which don't provide nearly as much support as my road shoes. So, although, I have a long road to recovery, at least I think I have a clue as to how to overcome the injury. I was able to overcome the adductor pain by adjusting my gait as I ran. This is what led me to think that the pads and insole were causing an unusual stride which may have in turn led to the groin tendinitis.
I am betting that the White Chuck Road will never be repaired, unless a timber sale goes through. That road will never be repaired or re-routed for the sake of hikers or wilderness enthusiasts. Unfortunately this is not me being cynical. This statement is just based on reality. At least now I know where to go to get some solitude!
