Trip Date: October 5, 2009

ANNUAL BEAT-THE-DINER DASH:  CHIWAUKUM MOUNTAINS

Deadhorse Traverse:  McCue Ridge to Wildhorse Creek

Scottish Lakes High Camp
McCue Ridge
Chiwaukum Lake
Ewing Basin
Larch Lake & Cup Lake
Deadhorse Pass
Deadhorse Peak (7534′)
Wildhorse Creek Valley

Trip Report Summary

Region: Central Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Chiwaukum Mountains

Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Starting Point: Mac’s Express Trailhead at Scottish Lakes High Camp on Coulter Creek Road (Elev. 5000 feet)

Way Points: McCue Ridge & Chiwaukum Lake & Ewing Basin & Larch Lake & Cup Lake & Deadhorse Pass & Deadhorse Basin & Wildhorse Creek & Whitepine Creek (trail hike & off-trail hike & rock scramble)

Ending Point: Whitepine Creek Trailhead at end of White Pine Road (Elev. 2800 feet)

Summit: Deadhorse Peak (rock scramble via West Ridge)

Guiding Service & Guide: Scottish Lakes High Camp / Don Hanson

Approximate Stats (including sidetrip): 14.5 miles traveled; 3700 feet gained; 5000 feet lost; 9.7 hours elapsed.

Related Posts

Deadhorse Traverse: Lake Ethel to Grace Lakes – October 2016

High Chiwaukum Traverse: Lake Ethel to Lake Mary + Big Chiwaukum Peak + Ladies Peak – September 2016

Deadhorse Traverse: Chiwaukum Creek to Wildhorse Creek + Big Chiwaukum Peak – September 2001

Full Trip Report

Eileen and I took a Monday off work to enjoy a gorgeous day in the Chiwaukum Mountains. We joined Don & Chris Hanson, owner-operators of Scottish Lakes High Camp, on a 14-mile traverse over the Chiwaukum crest via Deadhorse Pass. This is Don’s annual version of the classic-worthy Deadhorse Traverse, which he advertises as the “Beat-the-Diner Dash.” That whimsical name refers to the fact that Don & Chris spring for a post-hike celebration dinner at the nearby 59er Diner…assuming the group arrives before the diner closes at 8:00pm!

Our group of 15 or so hikers left High Camp shortly after 9:00am and headed up McCue Ridge. After following the ridge crest for a ways, we descended to Chiwaukum Lake, then continued up through Ewing Basin to superbly scenic Larch Lake (3.0 hours from H.C.).

This alpine gem sits on a meadowy bench that is peppered with interesting gneissic boulders. Naturally, there are plenty of larch trees, but we were surprised to find that most had not yet turned gold. It looks as though the color will come unusually late this October.

During our group lunch break in the sunny meadow, several folks made the decision to head back to High Camp. The rest of us planned to push onward.

After lunch, George and Eileen and I got a jumpstart on the traverse peloton because we wanted to tuck in 7534-foot Deadhorse Peak on our way over Deadhorse Pass. We hiked up to frozen Cup Lake and worked up a rocky rib, then crossed leftward to the pass on a big screefield.

From the pass, we scrambled due north on a Class 2-3 ridge to reach the summit (4.9 hours from H.C.). All south-facing slopes were bare and dry, whereas the crests and higher north-facing slopes were plastered with snow and rime. Big Chiwaukum Peak was especially impressive from this vantage.

We scrambled back to Deadhorse Pass and rejoined the group as they descended to Deadhorse Basin.

Don led the way down through open slopes to Deadhorse Basin, then farther down on lightly brushy forest slopes until we intersected the Wildhorse Creek Trail.

From there, it became a 6-mile horse race down to the Whitepine Creek Trailhead, which we reached just before dark (9.7 hours from H.C.). Two backcountry limousines (a.k.a. Chevy Suburbans) were waiting to whisk us down to the 59er Diner.

We pulled into the diner’s parking lot at 7:30pm—a half-hour before closing and all hungry enough to eat a horse. At the big dinner table in back of the restaurant, Don beamed like a winning jockey. Maybe it was just his relief at getting ten unruly plow-horses over the Chiwaukum crest without leaving any at the glue factory!

Photo Gallery

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