Ugly Duckling by Mount Margaret is a lesser-known high point west of Kachess Lake. But the lowly summit harbors rewarding views with a short scramble from the road. On a nice day, one can expect open scenery in all directions.
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Ugly Duckling at a Glance
Access: NF-4948-120
Round Trip: 6.5 miles
Elevation Range: 3500′-5140′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
Box Canyon
Seven years had passed since we were in the area climbing Hibox Mountain. Road 4948 split off from 4930 right after we drove past Kachess Campground. It’s about two-thirds way up Kachess Lake’s west shore.
Soon, the road went up through the steep terrain. At the same time, we continued west to the top of Gale Creek Basin. Then at four miles from the campground, we reached Road 120 junction and parked.
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Road 120 to Ugly Duckling
Clouds had moved in earlier, and so views from the roadway were minimal. Along the way, we heard the occasional, distant target shooting sounds. Later we met a guy coming down the road after an overnight trip.
Before long, we were at the 4680′ hairpin turn directly below Ugly Duckling. Then we followed a faint path to the right of the quarry and went up the rocky hill. Then we started scrambling through the brushy slopes.
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The Final Stretch
The higher we were, the rockier it became. Soon, we reached the bottom of the summit. But the south route didn’t look feasible for the pups. So we went around the buttress to our right and checked out the other side.
As luck would have it, the terrain on the other side of the cliffs was more moderate. So it allowed all of us to climb up the final 100′ without a hitch. A tad rocky, but the pups said it was enjoyable.
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Ugly Duckling Summit Plus Swan Lake
We had no views today even to see Mount Margaret. So we stayed long enough for our selfies. Later I looked down and saw cliffs on all sides except the east, where we came. Though, the mist had made everything look creepy.
I wanted to check out the hidden Swan Lake. So back at Gale Creek, we followed an obscure path and headed west. It was brushy and wet in most places. Soon, in half a mile, we reached the firepit by the east shore.
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Outro
On the way out, we stumbled upon a road past the brush. Then it dawned on me that I’d seen the lower part of it earlier en route to the lake. So we ended up making a loop to arrive back at the main road.
From there, it was only another mile to go back to the car. Sadly, it was the pups’ final trip with me before the start of my summer climbing escapades.
See more trip photos here.