Steep hike today with an 80 year-old. It was nice not being the slowest.
Today Karen, 72, and Hannalore, 80, and I hiked from the Mission Ridge Ski Area parking lot up to 6,000' elevation, gaining 2,000 feet elevation (and loss) over 5.3 miles total. That shows you how steep it was.
Construction of new lifts forced us up a steep ski run. Sharp, sliding rocks underfoot drove us sideways and up even steeper hillsides.
It was scary. Unable to stand safely, I scrambled uphill on hands and feet at times. Hannelore, who used to hike with us, is out of shape and struggles with vertigo and dizziness, especially at elevation. A German immigrant, she stubbornly refused to give up. "Atta girl!" I cheered.
"These rock slides remind me of World War II in Germany," Hannelore said. "My family hiked high in the mountains over rock slides to get away from the bombing. When bombers flew overhead, we had to lie flat."
Karen (trail name: Compass) led us through trees, looking for Clara and Marion lakes below. In the trees, we spooked a large buck with antlers. Saw extremely fresh bear poop. We sang to avoid surprising the bear. I led a rousing YMCA camp song, "The Bear in Tennis Shoes."
Ahead, the sky lightened through the trees. We stepped into a high alpine meadow filled with wildflowers at 6,000 feet elevation. It was beautiful.
Descending was so steep, all three of us sat down and slid on our butts in places. "Even I think it's way too steep," Karen said. We were bushwhacking, not my favorite thing. With bare legs, arms and hands, the ladies got into stinging nettles. I didn't because I was wearing gloves, long sleeves and long pants. (Rim shot)
Suddenly Hannelore shrieked: she had tripped and rolled downhill. "I'm DONE," she said firmly. "Call a helicopter!" We checked her over: no broken bones. Happily, I managed to jolly Hannalore out of grouchiness. It was fun making her laugh. After that, Karen and I kept Hannalore between us. "Put your feet where I step," Karen told her.
Karen and Hannelore were dangerously slipping and sliding in popular Hoka trail shoes with lousy traction. I didn't slip in sturdy hiking boots with Vibram soles. (Slam dunk).
With difficulty, we bushwhacked down to the lower section of Lake Clara and Marion trail, turned left and took the Pipeline trail down to the car. It was lovely walking on a proper trail.
It rained during the last mile to the car. Out came the raincoats.
Photos:
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High alpine meadow, 6,000'. Yellow Balsomroot flowers were sacred to the Wenatchii Indians. They boiled and ate the roots.
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Extremely rare, Tweedy's Lewisia plants only grow in North Central Washington at certain elevations on rocky cliffs. My favorite wildflower.
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To get off a rockslide below, we climbed up this "v" on the grassy side. Tricky footing and super steep. That's where we sat and ate lunch protected from of the wind.
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Clematis flowers.
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In the meadow, we found a 100 year-old, lightning-struck tree and blue Lupine flowers.
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12 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Literate, your pictures left me typeless and yearning for the northwest. Thank you for being so kind to share! My heart soared at the views and the flowers.
Holysocks
Level 8
July 3, 2020
1
Thank you. I can imagine how much you must miss the mountains.
@LiterateHiker
It makes my crusty heart ache to see the vistas you see and to read your descriptions. The important thing is that someone is out there enjoying it. 
Your downhill descent sounds a bit like a fun pastime I remember enjoying in the hills in the Lake District in NW England called scree running. Running fast downhill on loose shale totally out of control. A good descent was to get to the bottom without a broken ankle.
Moravian
Level 8
June 11, 2020
1
The rocks were not scree nor shale.
Uneven, sharp, rocks ranging in size from a baseball to a basketball. The sharp rocks rolled downhill.
"Extremely rare, Tweedy's Lewisia plants only grow in North Central Washington at certain elevations on rocky cliffs. My favorite wildflower."
That probably explains why I haven't managed to keep one happy enough to last two seasons.
MarkWD
Level 7
June 11, 2020
1
@MarWD
There are many types of Lewisia flowers.
Tweedy's Lewisia was discovered by a male Central WA University professor named Tweedy.
I remember my first 'scramble' with the Mountaineers years ago and the picture of the rocks reminded me of that hike. I thought then (and still do) this is crazy! Still the views are great.
Another reminder was of you guys sliding down the hill. Last century my former partner and went on a date to Salzberg, Austria. The town is named because it really is a mountain of salt and the salt mine is a huge tourist destination. When one goes one is outfitted with funny hats. some outer garb and a leather seat which one ties around their waist. You have to take a long train down to the mine and then slide down a long wooden slide to start the tour. Maybe next time you could get some leather seats for your hiking/sliding down the slopes.
JackPedigo
Level 9
June 11, 2020
1
"We need chaps with a leather butt," Hannalore said about butt-sliding downhill. She's right.
@LiterateHiker Yes, chaps. I looked some up and found these welding pants [grainger.com]
Some leather pants would do. Perhaps one can even buy leather hiking pants or, for us vegans, some faux leather hiking pants. I did find some faux/leather women's hiking pants or, for a real challenge, make some yourself and add extra padding in the seat.
@LiterateHiker Funny I was watching another episode i a new PBS series Expedition. It's about another crazy person who goes places no one has ever been. Of course he always takes trained people along with him. This expedition was to hike/climb the tallest peak in Greenland. [pbs.org]
Also, on Netflix is another "Alone" series (this one is alone in Alaska. A previous series featured a Lopezian woman (hada to leave because she got bitten by some spiders which created a serious problem) and this new series the features another crazy (friend) Lopezian. Pushing oneself seems a big deal these days. Nate has a business here where he evaluates people property for forest fire risk.
[history.com]
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Karen took these photos with her I-phone during yesterday's hike. Her phone is better at taking closeups.
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Tweedy's Lewisia flowers look like Hawaii.
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Hannalore is in the front butt-sliding downhill. I butt-slid behind Hannalore to help her. It's steeper than it looks. Here comes a steep drop-off!
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Red spotted lily in the high alpine meadow.
LiterateHiker
Level 9
June 11, 2020
12
Spectacular floral closeups! And that looks like some butt-bruising bushwhacking going on lol
Absolutely gorgeous
In the photo, Hannalore was butt-sliding downhill. I butt-slid behind her to help her.
In that middle pic it looks like there’s a couple of trolls hiding in the flowers 
In that photo, Hannalore is butt-sliding downhill after she fell. I butt-slid behind her to help her. It's steeper than it looks.
@LiterateHiker It is interesting how the steepness doesn't come through in pics. Several years ago I was watching the U.S. Open Golf Tournament in Bethpage N.Y. on TV and the course seemed fairly flat. A couple of years later I had a chance to go there and play that course and I couldn't believe how hilly it was. It was hard to believe I was looking at the same course I saw on TV.
You're right.
Once again beautiful photos and scenery. I instantly spotted you in the slope photo! Thank you for letting me know about the post
she was okay!
And I just walk 40 minutes, no running. Beautiful photos!
Merseyman1
Level 9
June 11, 2020
1
Looks lovely, and here is me puffing and panting going around my block. I have to do this every day from now. My middle is starting to expand at an alarming rate.
Jolanta
Level 9
June 11, 2020
4
@MissKathleen Good Philosophy Miss Kathleen. I shall stick to it.
You are a Serious Hiker!!!! Congrats!!!!
GipsyOfNewSpain
Level 9
June 10, 2020
1
Thanks. A passionate hiker, I have hiked 200-300 miles/year since moving to Washington State from Michigan at age 21.
"Don't slog in the bog. Get high on the ridges!" is my motto.
So far in 2020, I hiked 166.7 miles with 45,400 feet of elevation gain (and loss). Not bad at age 66.
@LiterateHiker Scary in a Good Way. You Walk the Talk with Validation and Miles to Show. You are a Woman with Passion.
Great pictures! I’m glad you didn’t hurt yourself sliding on the gravel. I’d be out of breath myself.
BudFrank
Level 8
June 10, 2020
1
Thank you. I'm glad I didn't fall on the rockslides, too.
@LiterateHiker I went on rock slides many years ago in summer camp in Colorado. You could run down them if you were careful to keep your weight back.
It wasn't gravel. Rolling, sharp rocks were underfoot, ranging in size from a baseball to a basketball. And bigger, of course.
Not a rounded edge in sight.
It was WAY too steep to run downhill.
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