Putrid Pete's Peak

Putrid Pete's from I-90

21 October, 2013, Monday                    

Yeah, that's the name that has gotten stuck on this mountain in the I-90 corridor. It may have been named because you'll be plenty stinky by the time you climb the 3300 ft in 2.4 miles. [Hikingwithmybrother.com claims this bump on Defiance Ridgewas named in honor of Pete Schoening, a Seattle mountaineer famous for "The Belay" which saved six climbers on K2 in 1953] C.J. and I stopped at the first good viewpoint shortly after the trail ceased using switchbacks (twenty-some-odd to that point) to gain elevation. 

C.J. on the lower trail around noon

It was another foggy, cold day in North Bend, but we had been inspired by Chris and Patricia's report on Mt. Si the day before - warm and sunny above 1500 ft. Naturally we got our usual late start, but we popped out of the gloom by the time we had reached exit 38. It was already warm enough to shed jackets at noon before we even left the Ira Spring Trail parking lot at the end of the 3.6 mi FS Road 9030. Just a couple of hundred yards up the old road, now a wide trail, we continued straight when the road switchbacked to the right. For an unsigned and unmarked trail, it was remarkably well maintained. We followed long switchbacks up and up finally crossing a talus pile that offered a bit of a view. Just beyond that, about 2 mi from the TH and 3600 feet above sea level we reached a rock outcropping that provided a good view across the valley and as far south as Mt. Rainier. C.J. was concerned about how her still-healing feet were going to do on the way down so we stopped for a late lunch on the outcrop. Later I pushed a little way up to a clearing and

G just above our lunch stop

had a better view of the treeless ridge above. But it was right at our agreed-upon turnaround time so we headed down stepping carefully on the quite steep trail until we hit the more gentle switchbacks. We were back at the car by 1700 and the sun was just disappearing behind the peaks to the south from our perspective. When we reached North Bend we could see that the edge of the fog was only a mile to the west and by the time we had showered we were once again in the gloom.