20.5 miles of hiking • 6000' elevation gain •
Four of us took work off Wednesday and decided to attempt Chinidere Mountain. We planned a loop, from Herman Creek Trailhead to the Pacific Crest Trail, Chinidere, and back down the Herman Creek trail. Needless to say, we didn't make it; we made it within 2 miles of Chinidere but the snow was too soft on the exposed faces toward the end of the hike.
We made steps all the way through Benson on the PCT, although sometimes we would lose the trail only to course-correct, so they aren't perfect. With the aborted loop, we backtracked on the steps, further cementing them for future use.
This is my second attempt at Chinidere after trying via Eagle Creek to Wahtum a bit over a month ago. I'd love to see someone get out to this mountain before the snow's gone!
Shane
May 5, 2011
Kyle, we took off of work Wednesday, and it was 6K feet of climbing according to Jon's GPS. Great report though. Can't wait to see the rest of your photos!