This one had been teasing us since the first week we started hiking this season. Pictures of its grade (you gain over 3,000 ft in a little over 2 miiles) and the absolute need for scrambling to summit caused us to hold off on it for a bit. It is a teaser, that's for sure. It is only a 4.8 mile RT hike, so it definitely calls you, though it is important to be aware that it isn't a walk in the park, no even just a strenuous hike, but one that calls for some care and a certain level of comfort in certain environments in order to keep it a safe and successful summit.
We made it to the trail head at 9:30ish, though didn't start until ten. To get there, you will take exit 45 from I-90 E, take a left and follow the road, staying left when it forks into another forest road, until you reach the parking lot. The road has some serious pot holes. The trail is a branch off of the Ira Spring Trail, so it will need a Northwest Forest Pass to enter [the Ira Spring Trail]. You cannot bypass this as there is a sign at the beginning of the gravel road saying, signifying that point and beyond needs a pass (some 2 miles from the trailhead). If you do not have a pass, nor purchased an epass, there is a pay station where you place your payment (no cards).
Entering the Ira Spring Trail, you will continue until it makes its first swithback. Here, there is a clear boot path straight ahead. You will take this to the summit. The trail has a couple of forks that lead to other areas, so always take the right/up trail. At the 11th switchback, there is a fork where both trails lead up, so that is why it is helpful to know take the trail that goes up and right. The boot path starts becoming a bit more faint as you continue. As you exit the elevating forest hike, the elevation only gets more dramatic. You will eventually leave the forest behind and make it to the ridge you must mostly scramble on to summit.
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| Beginning the ridge ascent |
It was a very dry day and the terrain was questionable. I wondered if moisture, or even snow, would have made me a little less nervous. The scrambling area often calls for all fours as you are dealing with loose dirt and very steep grades. That ridge to summit, alone, took us an hour and 45 minutes. Alas, we made it, and I was so nervous by that point that I stayed tucked into the side of the rock face and stayed put, trying to shake it off before the descent down. What made me nervous was not the partial rock climbing/scrambling, but climbing loose dirt. The rock was excellent and you could crab crawl it down with just your feet it offered so much to be gripped; but dirt...you cannot climb loose dirt! Or can you?! Apparently you can. Everyone else was without fear, but this is the first one that my mothering instincts found me...nervous. To be truthful, I was so nervous I thought I would be sick, a feeling I have never had in climbing. Hiking with children is different. I did not get sick, and often chose to put my focus on Brant's feet as he held my hand during sketchy parts.
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| Some of the ridge's climb until the loose dirt climb |
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| A look at some of the grade on a good section of the loose dirt parts. You can see the trees below are just that -- directly below. It's steep! |
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| The last push is a true scramble. |
It took us 4 hours to summit. Yes, 4 hours to go 2.4 miles. That should give you an idea of the type of hike this is. I read a report from a while back of a man who took his father and his 6 year old son. It took them 5 hours to summit. Hence, if it is to be a family hike, it is a lengthy one. The north view offers Spider Lake below, the east is Mt. Defiance, the west is West Defiance, and the south is McClellan Butte on the other side of the highway. We spent 30 minutes at the summit and then began the descent. It took us 2 hours and 45 minutes to safely arrive back down to the parking lot. Phew, a good serving accomplished. I'm a bit apprehensive when I have all my treasures with me, and P3 is just not for everyone. I read that before, and I will repeat what others have said -- P3 is not for everyone. We made it safely, but lack of caution, time, and strategy could put you in a precarious situation. Brant and I both agree that this was about a 9/10 for us (10 being the most dangerous and/or difficult hike we'd do AS A FAMILY -- our rating solo is entirely different), really bordering on that ten.
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| Good rock |
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| Just about the summit, view west |
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| Summit views east to Mt. Defiance |
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| Summit view northeast |
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| Lake below and behind |
Each time we go on a hike, we take opportunity to learn something more permanent. We always look for the spiritual application as we walk and go higher as a family. Some things that I reflected on during this hike: 1) There is a portion within the tree line that the grade is the same as that of the exposed area, yet you don't get nervous within the trees. The exposed ascent didn't change so much as the surroundings did. This showed me how much we allow our surroundings to influence our confidence, and on the flip side how sometimes having a shorter sight is the better way to go. Once I saw the full picture (top to bottom), I got nervous; whereas in the same grade, howbeit in the trees where I could only see just a portion, I wasn't nervous. Spiritually, sometimes I think if we see the full picture we'd cower like a little puppy with its tale in between its legs. It is often times for our best that we can only see just a portion. 2) When the ground below me was shifting (the loose dirt), Brant literally held my hand while leading me. I kept my eyes on his feet only and it calmed me. I stepped where he stepped. I must remember that when the ground is shifting sand, that Yeshua holds my hand and to keep my eyes on His feet and walk His footsteps. Take it one step at a time, but making sure that one step is a step He takes. 3) The rock is my friend. That is what someone told me on one of my first mountain hikes. In rock climbing, your instinct is to push your butt out, but the correct thing to do is draw yourself close to the rock. If you fall, you fall back on to the mountain/rock. Your center of gravity is to always be rock-bound. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. When I got to the top, the first thing I did was hike myself in the cleft of the rock. I felt safe there. It reminded of the hymnal, and sang it: "Rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee."
We didn't realize this until after we were already back on I-90, but there is a registry under a flat rock slab on the summit. It has a picture of Pete Schoenig, the summit's namesake. He was from Seattle and is known for the K2 belay that saved some climbers back in the 50's. I have pictures of us on the summit, but that registry calls. A good reason to go back. I'm sure I'll see P3 again, just maybe not with the children...at this age.
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