The Two Box Traverse
The classic high traverse from Mailbox Peak to Hibox Peak.
Date:
2016/08/18
to 2016/08/22
Round-trip distance:
48 miles
Elevation gain:
25,000 feet
USGS quads:
Snoqualmie Pass, Chikamin Peak, Bandera, Chester Morse Lake
In:
Middle Fork Snoqualmie Drainage, South Fork Snoqualmie Drainage, Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Day 1
The road to the Mailbox Peak Trail Head was closed, so we started at the Fire Training Center gate and bushwacked around the Fire Training Center.
We bushwacked around the Fire Training Center
The connector trail between the Fire Training Center and the Mailbox Peak Trail was marked with segments of old fire hoses.
The summit of Mailbox Peak.
The two box traverse is truly on now that we're on the summit of Mailbox!
Geocache on the summit of Dirtybox Peak.
Brush! The traverse between Dirtybox Pk and Dirty Harry's Peak was easily the most rugged and brushy part of the trip.
What?! Someone pruned a path (difficult to follow) between Mailbox and Dirty Harrys Pk.
Scramble!
We found a fixed line on the NW ridge of Dirty Harrys Peak shortly before the summit.
Steep duff, moss, and roots above the fixed line.
On the summit of Dirty Harrys Peak.
The mad trail numen's pruning continued until shortly before Coincidence Point.
Lower Granite Lake
Web Mountain from Coincidence Point
We were so happy this pond below Web Mtn was not dry, it was our only water source for the whole day.
Spider Lake
Ian on the summit of Web Mountain. Mount Defiance in the background.
The summit of Putrid Pete's Peak.
Mount Defiance
We bivvied on the west ridge of Mount Defiance.
Day 2
Lint Lake? Kaleetan, Chair, Bryant, and company in the background.
Granite Mountain from near the summit of West Granite Mountain.
West Granite Mountain
Kaleetan, Chair Peak, and Bryant Peak from just below the summit of Granite Mountain.
Low Mountain from Granite Mountain's NE ridge.
Low Mtn's SW ridge
Chair Peak from the summit of Low Mountain
Chair Peak from Low Mtn's north ridge.
Chair Peak over Melakwa Lake
Day 3
This gully provided excellent access to the 3,800' ledge above Hemlock Pass.
South face of The Tooth
Below the south face of The Tooth
The notch near Pineapple Pass that leads into the Source Lake basin.
An insectivorous plant, Butterwort, above Source Lake.
Chair Peak from the Snow Lake basin.
Snow Lake and Roosevelt Mountain.
We found a faint, steep path that took us between cliffs and up onto the Snow Lake divide.
Meadow at 4,800', west of Snoqualmie Mtn.
The NW face of Snoqualmie Mountain
The east summit of Snoqualmie Mountain
Ian on the summit of Snoqualmie Mountain.
Guye Peak and Snoqualmie Pass.
Yum!
Bivvy in Commonwealth Basin.
Day 4
Kendall Katwalk. And bouldering.
Mount Thomson
NE side of Huckleberry Mountain
Huckleberry Mountain and Mount Thomson
Our next destination in the distance, the NW high point of Box Ridge.
