Crescent Mountain, Twisp River Drainage. An off trail hike


			Last update: April, 2008

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	The Methow Mountains are a sub range of the North Cascades of Washington State, separating the Methow watershed from Lake Chelan. The Forest Service refer to this area as the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. Not only is that cumbersome nomenclature, but Fred Beckey himself, along with other oldtimers used to call them the Methow Mountains, a quick, precise name that I like to reinstate here. This horseshoe shaped spine of rugged peaks are relatively lofty, with many summits over 8000', and wonderfully untravelled by hikers. The trail system is extensive and diverse, from well maintained to challenging obscure paths, created by adventurous fishermen looking for hidden mountain lakes. Now that the focus is on lakes, let's mention the identity of the highest named body of water in Washington, the austere Libby Lake at 7618' . They are also very close to our home. But most hikers from the Puget Sound area are presented with the obvious conflict of having to blindly drive past many other, possibly more spectacular areas before finally getting here. This fact keeps our Methow Mountains very quiet. The Methow Mountains described on this website is roughly defined as shown on this map, with Twisp River and all her steep tributaries as the obvious geographical apex.

A friend went out on research with the local cougar biologists, and later shared their route with us. It turned out to be a great two day loop with interesting route finding and spectacular scenery.

Start out with 8 miles of trail up over South Pass and down to McAlester Pass. Here the fun start. Besides an unpleasant fight with gnarled Whitebark Pines right below 'Hock Col', there's hardly any bushwhacking along this fine hike. The 7000' foot pass after Beaner Lake is a wild place indeed.

Crescent
off-trail
loop

maps

Methow
Mountains

Leaving the many grassy glades around McAlester pass, the route starts to climb again and shortly after this pleasant field of wild grasses we started fighting with krummholz on the steep traverse to Hock Col

Logan and conifers

Looking back on lovely McAlester Meadow, the site of a hidden horse camp above and around the corner from the pass. McAlester peak in the background.

From Hock Col looking east into the headwaters of Twisp River, with the aptly, but unimaginatively named Twisp Lake in the foreground. Gilbert Mountain in the blue haze of an august morning. Elavation 7050'

From the summit of Hock, part of next day's route toward Beaner Lake route is shown.

The same route from the image above, but looking back from the ascent up to Crescent Col. Our camp was in the saddle below Hock Mountain on the right.

Remote and relatively inaccesible Beaner Lake with the high point of the complex Crescent Massif looming in the bright morning sun.

Our route continues past the lake and up to Crescent Col.

From near the top of Crescent Col it is all downhill back to Twisp river through this spectacular trail less canyon. Shortly after this photo was taken, heavy rain set in and lasted the rest of the trip.