09/13/06 Cantata Peak 6391' ~17mi +4800'

This seems to be a popular mountain this year. I figured I’d check it out on a nice day, hoping for views. It took me 11hrs45min trail head to trailhead with about an hour at the top. I got out the door behind schedule, as usual. I was pretty sure I would need my flashlight as I set out on the frosty trail at 9:45am. I tried to keep a good pace walking through the valley. The trail was quite dry, and fall colors were out in force. I began up the slopes south of lookout point at noon. I headed up the rolling uphill terrain, reached the saddle south of point 4727, and followed the ridge to another saddle just before the ridge shoots up at 2:00pm.

I had been to this point before but decided to turn around due to rain. With the sun out, and no flat light, it was easier to pick out the route up the ridge. It was pretty simple for the most part. There is a faint trail leading up the first couple hundred feet. I stayed on the ridge, except diverting for a few steeper spots. I thought it would be a bit more exposed, but it seemed pretty safe. I eventually reached the notch (darker colored rock below a steep rock face). I dropped down to the notch, and traversed ESE keeping the same elevation past a few gullies to an obvious wide scree slope. I tied a red trash bag handle to a rock, and headed up the scree, eventually rejoining the ridge. It was a short way to the summit from there.

I ended up taking a few steps through snow, and reached the summit at 4:00pm. It had a little snow on it, and even a small cornice. The entire way was essentially snow free, though. The views were amazing without any clouds. It must have been 55 or 60 degrees up there in the sun, quite a contrast to the cool day that followed. I took some pictures, identified peaks around me with my map, and ate a late lunch. I eyed Eagle peak a while, staring at the steep scree leading up. It looked like Calliope had a decent amount of recent snow on it.

I wanted to hang out longer, but I knew the sunset was at 8:30. I started heading down at 5:20pm. I grabbed my route marker at the bottom of the scree. After traversing back to the notch, I stayed on the ridge most of the way. If you get to a steep section on the ridge, you can see an easier way with the view it provides. If you pay attention on the way up there isn’t much to remember. I reached the saddle below the ridge at 6:30pm, and had a snack. Once I was out of the sunlight the temps cooled off dramatically, it was freezing in the valley bottom. Leaving at 6:45pm, I got to the base of lookout point at 7:30pm, and walked through waning light until 9:30pm when I arrived back at the trailhead. I arrived just before I would have needed a flashlight.