‘Because it’s there’ does not mean ‘Worth the knee cartilage’

Mt Stanton doesn’t have much going for it. When looking down LMD from Apgar, it’s the lesser mountain on the far left of the Lewis Range. Has a long saddle going to another much better looking peak. Its slopes are rounded and boring, and they flow down onto Howe Ridge which is equally unimpressive on the best of days. Even more so since the 2017 fires ravaged the forests leaving you with no zero contrast of texture to enjoy. And at only 7750 feet, not even that high by GNP standards. As a do-over for me from my younger days, it shouldn’t even be on my radar. But I needed a good stretch before taking a down day, and it’s a shorter drive than the pass, and it’s going to be smokey anyway.

For all of these reasons (and more), I should have saved my knee cartilage and just enjoyed a good book or spent some time cleaning up some post and editing. But then what kind of story would that be? Last time at this peak I just parked on the side of the road and climbed right up a gully for 4500’. Yeah, forgot to mention that part. It’s a short peak, but you feel like you are starting out at sea level because there is some BIG gain. I’m smart and thinking just take the trail up a couple grand on the side and ‘walk’ it. Just a few more miles and not as much brush. So I picked a drainage that didn’t look too thick (first of many bad choices). I soon find out it is, and I’m smeared head to toe with over ripened berries walking thru what can only be called the Mecca of bear country. Like I would not be surprised if all bears are required to come to this mountainside at least one in their lives.

The fallen trees got tough to walk thru so I look for a better fall line to take. And kept going. The forest fades. Kept going. The angle is pushing 35-40 degrees and I can really feel those Achilles stretching out a little more than they are supposed to at my age. Finally, I just push for the ridge and get off the face, where I find the remnants of a nice little trail.

And the summit? Smokey and thick with flies. There was some kind of hatch going with an nasty insect that looked to be a cross between a horsefly, a termite, and a mini winged dragon. At least that’s what the bites felt like. As I enjoyed a moment in the sky video. Letting the smoke fully tear my eyes, while this living cloud of black death picked the flesh from my bones and laid eggs in the open cuts on my leg from the horrible bushwhack.

I looked at my watch. Holy crap. Nearly 4.5 hours coming up, leaving me maybe 3 to get back down get to work. And I know I wasn’t going to make time given the steepness of this grinding off-trail I had just done.

Let’s try that little trail along the ridge. Which not just keeps going but turns into a better trail down the far face of the mountain. Which I lose, and pick up again, and then lose again weaving thru the maze of fallen burned logs.

Now I’m a little uneasy. I know it should bisect the main trail. But is it in this drainage, or the next? Am I a half valley over? Am I bushwhacking in the right direction? Isn’t the road over there? How much time am I going to lose? The only thing worse than working a easy job is not showing up for it.

In the end, I broke thru the brush, fell onto the trail, and was out in 2.5 hours. If I ever venture up there again, I think finding that old trail is going to be the key to making any kind. It most likely was cut in the pack saddle days and abandoned after WWII. So many climber’s trail are on these abandoned horse paths. It would save much time and reduce the number of gashes and open cuts.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t a bad hike. Why do I say that? Because at about 5pm during my shift rain came in (had been a 95F day), with 50 mph winds. Then the next afternoon (my pre planned down day), the sky unleashed again with tons of thunder. First real rain across the whole park in many many weeks. Would have been a horrible day to be up high. But a great day to be staying low and dry, and creating these virtual conversations with you fine folks out there in there in web-land.

And maybe, just maybe, I’ll help myself to a couple of these ******* Utz baked cheddar cheese balls. Shhhhhhh. Don’t tell Mari-Leigh. 

And last but not least, the stats for the week. Only 32 days left until I have to go home.

Current as of:	8/1/2021		Last Day:	9/2/2021		Days Left:	32
Category	Count	Miles	Elv Gain/Loss	Hours	Avg Grade	Avg MPH	Drive Miles
Hikes	16	187.6	39,975	77.4	8.1%	2.42	845.0
Climbs	6	71.1	21,034	41.5	11.2%	1.71	520.0
Down Days	8						160.0
Totals	30	258.7	61,009	118.8	8.9%	2.18	1525.0