Getting to the High Bridge TH takes a variety of transportation. First we took the Lady of the Lake ferry to Stehekin at the north end of Lake Chelan.
Then we took the Park Service shuttle bus to High Bridge. The Stehekin River Road currently ends at High Bridge, because the upper road was destroyed by the 2003 floods.
Our approach took the Agnes Creek trail from High Bridge to Swamp Creek, 8.6 miles, 1700 gain, 4.5 hours.
From High Bridge, 1600 feet, we followed the Agnes Creek trail upstream to its junction with Swamp Creek, 2800 feet.
Stehkin River at High Bridge. Hot weather had all the streams running high.
Looking back at High Bridge from the Agnes Creek trail.
We crossed Agnes Creek on a smaller bridge.
Agnes Creek
Higher along Agnes Creek, we could see Agnes Peak. Then we crossed a small bridge over Swamp Creek and set up camp at the junction, 2800 feet.
Our route followed the abandoned Swamp Creek trail to the Dark Glacier, 5.8 miles, 5850 gain, 150 loss.
The trail up Swamp Creek was obviously not maintained, as indicated by the trail sign half-buried in flood debris near camp.
For a couple miles, we found intermittent trail heading uphill in forest on the righthand side of Swamp Creek.
At 3800 feet, the forest opened into thick brush and the first view of our destination.
We crossed Swamp Creek on a wide log at 3800 feet.
The upper Swamp Creek valley featured swathes of thick brush with side creeks running through it.
The meadow and waterfall at 4500. Our route went off the left side to get over the rock band.
From the 5000-foot basin above the waterfall, our route up the Dark Glacier.
Eric heading across the 5000-foot basin. Our route follows snow ramps on the right, zig-zagging between rocks and ice.
Smaller watefalls cascading down the side of the basin.
Eric high on the glacier, looking back toward Swamp Creek, flanked by Needle Peak & Lyall Ridge.
First view of Bonanza, from the 8200-foot ridge at the top of the Dark Glacier.
Eric walking along the ridge crest to the Dark Peak summit.
Dark Peak Summit, 8504 feet, my 82nd of the T100 peaks.
Eric on Dark Peak summit.
Map of the Dark Peak summit route and Bonanza Peak.
The Company Glacier face of Bonanza. (Note the exceptionally straight slab break on the center snowfield.)
Martin from Dark Peak summit.
Tupshin & Devore from Dark Peak summit.
Glacier Peak and Bath Lakes High Route (the line of dark peaks across the center of the view)
Dome and Ptarmigan Traverse from Dark Peak summit.
Looking back down our route. You can see our tracks angling downward from the crest.
Glacier lilies on the hillside by the 5000-foot basin.
Waterfalls pouring into the 5000-foot basin.
Waterfalls pouring into the 4500-foot basin.
Waterfalls pouring into the Swamp Creek valley.
Spider threads refracting rainbows in the Swamp Creek jungle.
My pants beat up by bushwacking through the brush.
Finally back at camp at 9pm.
Lupine along the trail. Hiking back down Agnes Creek, I had time to notice all the wildflowers.
Queens Cup. Along this trail, I saw many woodland flowers different from the alpine flowers that I'm more familiar with.
Western Trillium
I don't know what this shrub is, but it made impressive sprays of white flowers in the forest.
Thimbleberry?
Nootka Rose
Eric spotted this barred owl in a tree.
Tiger Lilies
Twinflower
Honeysuckle.
Paintbrush.
The temperatures were over 90 degrees, so the water-cooled air by the river felt good while waiting for the bus. Round trip 28.8 miles, 8200 gain.
On the ride back, the bus stopped for a view of Rainbow Falls, and then for yummy refreshments at the Stehekin bakery.
