Noble Knob

I was in my bivvy sack on the summit of Noble Knob reading by headlamp when I saw something descending upon me from the corner of my eye. I looked up into the night sky and saw a large owl swooping down at me. I raised my arms and the owl veered away. It flew around the summit a couple times, then came at me again, and again. I had a big grin on my face as I kept my arms between me and the owl. It was so cool, I'd never seen an owl hunting at night. After a few minutes it flew off towards a meadowed valley.

Later that night I woke to the sound of fat raindrops hitting my bivvy sack. I blearily peered at the sky, when I went to sleep it was clear, now there were black clouds above me and lightening flashing in the distance. I went back to sleep.

At 4:30 AM I woke and noticed two stars on the eastern horizon. They were swollen and orange, like a harvest moon. They were the only stars visible in the sky, peeking under the cloud cover that didn't quite stretch all the way to the eastern horizon.

  • Date:
    2008/08/16 to 2008/08/17
    Elevation gain:
    505 feet
    Trip type:
    hike
    USGS quad:
    Noble Knob
    Car-to-car:
    17 hours 39 minutes
    • 2 hours 12 minutes driving there from Lower Queen Anne to Noble Knob trail head
    • 1 hour 52 minutes ascending from Noble Knob trail head to Summit of Noble Knob
    • 1 hour 8 minutes descending from Summit of Noble Knob to Summit of Mutton Mountain
    • 32 minutes descending from Summit of Mutton Mountain to Noble Knob trail head
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  • Sign on Forest Road 7174
    Sign on Forest Road 7174
  • Start of Noble Knob trail
    Start of Noble Knob trail
  • North side of Mutton Mountain
    North side of Mutton Mountain
  • South side of Noble Knob
    South side of Noble Knob
  • NE ridge of Noble Knob
    NE ridge of Noble Knob
  • Obligatory Mount Rainier picture
    Obligatory Mount Rainier picture
  • Harebell
    Harebell
  • Indian Paintbrush
    Indian Paintbrush
  • Noble Knob from Mutton Mountain
    Noble Knob from Mutton Mountain

  • Copyright © 2024 Gabriel Deal.