June 19, 2005, Park Butte (Father's Day)
6/19/05
2884
1
My kids, not usually backpackers, offered a hike for my father's day gift this year. But I was concerned about not skiing yet in June, and did not want to wait until the final weekend, having skied a miserable final day of September some years ago. What to do? We decided to revisit Park Butte, site of one of the handful of lifetime hikes they have done, most recently 15 years ago.
Being fairly busy kids, they headed off to Spokane after work on Friday to visit friends for the evening, got home to Seattle the next afternoon for some homemade burgers before departing at 3PM. On the drive north, weather did not look good, but we were equipped with rain gear so we sped up the muddy road to the trailhead, which we left at 5PM. A little over an hour later we found nearly continuous snow at 4600' and at 7PM arrived at the summit ready to camp but happy to stay in the unoccupied lookout hut.
The weather continued to improve as we hiked, and by sunset even the summit of Baker was visible. After some instant dinners and another father's day gift, translation of an Argentine Patagonia early mountaineering article, we were asleep by 10; my son could not remember getting to be so early for several years.
Sunday AM I headed out for some skiing at 630 while the kids continued to slumber. Found a 380' soft corn run, did three reps to get my 1000', and returned to cook breakfast for the late risers. On the way down after breakfast I got another 500' or so, and we were driving home by noon.
Stops at Burlington and Everett outlet malls for father's day gifts for the kids, followed by a family dinner, and the boy was off for Chelan with his friends; I was glad he could carve out some time for Dad. All in all a great weekend, and the skiing streak survives.
Being fairly busy kids, they headed off to Spokane after work on Friday to visit friends for the evening, got home to Seattle the next afternoon for some homemade burgers before departing at 3PM. On the drive north, weather did not look good, but we were equipped with rain gear so we sped up the muddy road to the trailhead, which we left at 5PM. A little over an hour later we found nearly continuous snow at 4600' and at 7PM arrived at the summit ready to camp but happy to stay in the unoccupied lookout hut.
The weather continued to improve as we hiked, and by sunset even the summit of Baker was visible. After some instant dinners and another father's day gift, translation of an Argentine Patagonia early mountaineering article, we were asleep by 10; my son could not remember getting to be so early for several years.
Sunday AM I headed out for some skiing at 630 while the kids continued to slumber. Found a 380' soft corn run, did three reps to get my 1000', and returned to cook breakfast for the late risers. On the way down after breakfast I got another 500' or so, and we were driving home by noon.
Stops at Burlington and Everett outlet malls for father's day gifts for the kids, followed by a family dinner, and the boy was off for Chelan with his friends; I was glad he could carve out some time for Dad. All in all a great weekend, and the skiing streak survives.