Trip type: back country ski
Elevation gain: approx. 2,235 feet
Car-to-car time: 7 hours 23 minutes
USGS quad: Stampede Pass
In area: Yakima Valley
I parked at the Crystal Springs Sno-Park, almost getting stuck in the newly-fallen snow before I was able to park. I headed up the roads to Stampede Pass, following the tracks of snow mobiles the whole way.
At Stampede Pass it would have been faster to go cross country directly to Dandy Mountain, but since I was solo I figured I'd better stay on the roads. So at the pass I took a spur road that heads north and took a circuitous route across a basin, then along a 4,120' ridge, down to a 4,160' pass, then finally up to the north summit of Dandy Mountain.
It's hard to tell if the north or south summit is higher. According to my inclinometer, the tops of the trees on the south summit are a tiny bit higher than where I sat on the south summit. The north one is probably higher, but I visited the south one too just to be safe (the pain of being a peak bagger). My altimeter said the north summit was 5 feet higher.
The north summit has excellent, 360 degree views. A good place to watch snow mobiles and admire Rainier.
References
- Winter guide book: Cross-Country Ski Tours: Washington's South Cascades & Olympics
Travel Times
Car-to-car time: 7 hours 23 minutes- 1 hour 14 minutes driving there from Lower Queen Anne to Crystal Springs Sno-Park
- 4 hours 54 minutes ascending from Crystal Springs Sno-Park to Summit of Dandy Mountain
- 24 minutes descending from Summit of Dandy Mountain to subsummit of Dandy Mountain
- 1 hour 45 minutes descending from subsummit of Dandy Mountain to Crystal Springs Sno-Park
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