PCT 26 -- Following the Marmot's Whistle

PCT 26 -- Following the Marmot's Whistle

We trek most of the day up along ridgelines, connecting from one to another. Deep below, the headwaters of great watersheds begin from late summer snowfields, down their raging courses with name like the Sauk and the Wenachee. The trail keeps reaching higher as the crest heads straight for the mountains of DaKooba's inner sanctuary. We climb above the treelike into a world of vivid reds, yellows and oranges of the last high alpine flowers of the seasons fading into
fall. Behind mountains not seeen by many and only spoken like lore from the Cascade Alpine Guide deep in granite greys and metamorphic purple hues reach skyward giving a man time to dream of lofty peaks. With all these sights the high whistle of a marmots call draws the hikers attention away from dreamy sights. Standing alert from his hole, of seems he is the spirit of this alpine haven. This is part of what makes the Glacier Peak Wilderness so special.

Located just east of Darington, this wilderness by it's very nature is remote. Each year districtive floods erode away miles of trailhead roads and routes, placing the mountain further with each mood of the river. And yet there is a lure to the hiker to follow old paths and climb over washed-out bridges, there just is no other place that feels deeper then here. Even as we look from ridgeline trails, we know the valley floor 4000' below is here the trail will descend to the old growth groves only to ascend the next ridge again.

My first encounter with this mountains was after high school as I worked on a trail crew. Days spent in those backcountry valleys bucking out logs to build punchon bridges, working the two man crosscut through old growth hemlock, and brushing out miles of overgrown trail, came with tireing days. Yet my first view of the High Cascades, came from days walking Vista Ridge or Fire Creek Pass, meadows with indescribable views. To walk now again and see the logs that took two days to make the 5 cuts needed to clear the trail, now stacked with 2 new blowdows was sobering. The power of natures forces is something to behold. Motion of water, wind and land move the forest and rivers, creating an obstacle course that honestly was fun to cross.

For years these trails have been stated as impassible by the Forest Service, yet out trek found this to not be true. For the adventureous, the challenges of the trail brought with it a earned joy when reaching the alpine zone. Respect for DaKooba's power comes after a long sore day. With views north towards the distant mountains of the last section of trail, the enjoyment of this true wilderness before the final push seems to warm us at nights. Watching sumset fade over Fortress Mountains silowet and long marmots whistle, brings a reminicing memory of those long summer days... Soon our walk will be done.

From the backcountry mile
Ridgewalker
山武士
Http://ridgewalkernw.blogspot.com