Boulder Pass/Napeequa/Little Giant Mini-Miler
August 1981
by Cascade Bill Mooseker
1
Mike Baker Crossing the Napeequa
Adults on this trip:
"Cascade" Bill Mooseker, Merl Weatherhogge, Larry Throndsen
Scouts on this trip:
Scott Weatherhogge, Greg Mooseker, Randy Miller, Mike Ruhsenberger, Pat Haller, Mike Baker, Jim Hunt, Greg Emens, Todd Throndsen
Mini-Miler from the White River trailhead near Lake Wenatchee, up and over Boulder Pass, down to the Napeequa River, up and over Little Giant Pass (Don't ever want to go over Big Giant!), and down to trails end at the Chiwawa river. The worst part of the trip is the Looooong car shuttle required - all the way up the White river from Lake Wenatchee and then back to Lake Wenatchee and then a long way up the Chiwawa River and back again!!
Troop 24 "The High Adventure Troop" Backpacking Trip
-Cascade Bill Mooseker
Date(s): August 1981. Album by Cascade Bill. 1 - 35 of 35 Total. 2297 Visits.
enlarge 208KB, 800x549 1
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enlarge 334KB, 526x800 2 Troop 24 Mini Milers - Heading through meadows near Boulder Pass on our second day.
enlarge 308KB, 800x526 3 Another view
enlarge 341KB, 800x599 4 Left to Right: Greg "Wait for Me" Mooseker Mike "Rootin Tootin Regular" Ruhsenberger Pat "Hootin Hippie" Haller Jim "H.L." Hunt Randy "50 and Out" Miller Greg "Nose Dive" Emens Todd "Coca-Cola" Throndsen Mike "Tea Bags" Baker Scott "Screamer" Weatherhogge Merl "Mountain Man" Weatherhogge Larry "Death March" Throndsen
enlarge 314KB, 526x800 5 Its a long climb up to the meadows of Boulder Pass.
enlarge 284KB, 800x538 6 Taking a break before the final climb to the pass - Greg "Nose Dive" Emens ( for his spectacular falls going up Little Giant Pass. Todd "Coca-Cola" Throndsen (for trying to smuggle a full six pack of Coke.) Mike "Tea Bags" Baker (His total troop gear was a bag of tea-bags.) "Screamer" Scott Weatherhogge - (for his penchant of waking up in the middle of the night screaming.) Randy "50 'N Out" Miller (See '81 Paseyton) Pat "Hootin Hippie" Haller (See '81 Paseyton) Jim "H.L." Hunt (You don't want to know!) Cascade Bill Mooseker
enlarge 225KB, 800x519 7 Boulder Pass is in view (a lot of switchbacks to go yet)
enlarge 192KB, 800x526 8 A shoulder of Clark Mountain
enlarge 236KB, 800x526 9 Taking a break - Mike B., Pat H., Mike R., Greg M., Merle W.
enlarge 253KB, 800x526 10 Saddling up to hit the trail - Larry T, Scott W., Greg E., Randy M.
enlarge 262KB, 800x526 11
Merle, Scott, Larry, Todd, Mike R.(getting Kool Aid), Greg E., Bill M., Jim, Pat, Mike B. (Greg M. taking photo)
Kool Aid Break - This is back in the days before water filters, when you didn't need to worry about water quality in the high country. We would mix a bunch of Kool Aid with water from a convenient stream and drink it. I saw my first water filter in 1984 while filling my canteen from a stream that a couple was filtering their water from. I often wonder if the only reason we use a filter today is because they're available.
enlarge 191KB, 526x800 12 At the top of Boulder Pass - Larry and Scott.
enlarge 209KB, 800x518 13 Larry and Scott looking down into the Napeequa valley.
enlarge 273KB, 800x531 14 Jim (behind sign), Greg E., Todd, Mike R., Merle, Pat. at the top of the pass.
enlarge 247KB, 526x800 15 Another view.
enlarge 206KB, 526x800 16 The Napeequa River far below - Little Giant Pass is over the ridge across the valley.
enlarge 203KB, 522x800 17
We thought that there were a lot of switchbacks on the way up, but there were many, many more on the other side.
enlarge 235KB, 526x800 18 Switchbacks almost ad infinitum.
enlarge 212KB, 526x800 19 Hugging the edge of a cliff, the trail makes a steep descent.
enlarge 206KB, 800x600 20 Greg M., Larry, Todd, Greg E., Jim and Scott.
enlarge 263KB, 800x530 21 More Switchbacks - Larry, Todd, Greg E., Mike B., Randy, Pat, Mike R., and Merle.
Our camp is just ahead.
enlarge 284KB, 800x526 22 Another shot of the same series of switchbacks.
enlarge 262KB, 526x800 23
The next day we continued to head down to the Napeequa. We camped on a bench with a good view. Greg borrowed a bivvy bag to sleep under the stars and I decided to join him with just my sleeping bag. In the middle of the night, it started to pour and Greg got a good laugh as I struggled to get out of my bag and into the tent before getting soaked.
enlarge 182KB, 526x800 24 Heading down.
enlarge 177KB, 526x800 25 Larry on the trail.
enlarge 186KB, 526x800 26 Its a long way down.
enlarge 233KB, 800x526 27 Mike Baker is making his way across.
You have to ford the Napeequa, which is pretty daunting. Before we got to the ford, we got into shorts or underwear (in my case) and walked out to the ford where we met a group of Swedish hikers, who asked us where the bridge was. I told them that I always hiked in my underwear!
enlarge 256KB, 800x526 28 Todd making his way across -
To make the crossing safer for the younger scouts, Greg and I crossed first without packs. We strung a rope across the river to have a safety line. Scott is belaying the rope on the far side.
enlarge 238KB, 800x526 29 Randy's turn.
enlarge 253KB, 800x526 30 Greg Emens
enlarge 217KB, 800x526 31 Larry
enlarge 221KB, 800x520 32 Merl
enlarge 259KB, 800x526 33 Bill in his undies (had to go back and get my pack).
enlarge 232KB, 800x522 34 Scott - almost across.
enlarge 223KB, 600x800 35 Greg makes the final crossing.
I didn't get any more pictures - it was a grind going up Little Giant, with Greg Emens doing his nose dives and also having a run in with a yellow jacket. We found a spartan camp just below the pass as night fell. I used to have the boys bake "snacks" from recipes that I handed out, we would eat them at lunch breaks, etc. Our last one was Mike Baker's, who had a "trail bread" recipe. He got it out and we found that it was just whole wheat bread from Safeway - he never lived that down.
