Scatter Peaks by Solomon Mountain ranks #10 in North Wenatchee Mountains. At the same time, the peaks straddle four basins, including Fortune Creek. Best of all, views include the notable Mount Stuart and Ingalls Peak.
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Scatter Peaks at a Glance
Access: Road 4330-170
Round Trip: 6 miles
Elevation Range: 4060′-7031′
Gear: helmet, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface on Scatter Peaks
I did some research on Scatter Peaks, and it looked doable for the yellow pup. Then I realized that we haven’t been in the area for a while. It was a nice change of scenery from last week.
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Salmon La Sac
It’s been over a year since we came to Salmon La Sac. Someone had mentioned at the beginning of the year that the forest service had regraded the Cle Elum Valley Road. So I looked forward to a smoother drive.
But as I drive past Salmon La Sac Campground, I started questioning things. Not sure what people meant by “regrading.” The road hasn’t changed a bit. It was still in the same terrible shape as the last time.
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Road 4330-170
I had also read about the terrible conditions of Road 160. So, indeed it was. Not to mention the bumpiness of the first mile leading to Fortune Creek. But it wouldn’t have been suitable for low-clearance vehicles.
Then after the initial mile, the conditions improved greatly. It was also much less bumpy. The big rocks off to the side of the roadway looked like they had come off the scree slopes. Later I parked just past the open gate.
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North Fork Fortune Creek Trail
We walked Road 302 for .7 mile. Then we took the Fortune Creek Trail at the first junction. The initial part of the trail was steep. But later, it flattered before we crossed Fortune Creek. Then in another .2 mile, we went up the slightly brushy terrain into the basin.
Snow appeared at 5300′. It was right after we went past the talus field. Soon, we found ourselves stepping through the snow at 5500′. So I put on my snowshoes there, and we continued.
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The Final Stretch on Scatter Peaks
Later, snow firmed up a bit as we went up to the southeast ridge. So we could reach the saddle south of the summit block. But instead of going directly up to the summit, we dropped 50′ onto the eastern slopes.
Soon, we made our way up through the east face to reach the top. The summit was dry. But off to the side looked like the start of a moat. So the snow would peel off the rocks at any time.
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Scatter Peaks Summit Views
The scenery on this peak was superb, as the nearby high points. The day was warm, so the wind gave the much-needed relief from the heat. Our close-up views included Solomon Mountain and Harding Mountain.
Later I decided to exit via the west to plunge step our way down the snow. On the way up, that side looked much steeper from below, so we avoided it.
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Outro
It was another beautiful day in the backcountry!