At first light we were packed and prepared. A little apprehensive but incredibly excited, we ate breakfast by the pond and went over the days plan again. We needed to get over one pass before Knapsack Col and wanted to be completely off of the pass by 12:00-1:00pm and hopefully below treeline by mid afternoon. As we were putting on our packs, Blueberry strolled up the trail toward us! We all talked about our plan, excited that we could do this together rather than alone. Climbing Knapsack was an off-trail route and there was safety in numbers.
Honestly, at this point pictures express the hike better than words can describe. The hiking to the Knapsack was hard but straightforward as we left the treeline and crossed Cube Rock Pass. The alpine landscape was unbelievable! Lakes dotted the talus-strewn valleys as we made our way toward Knapsack through the rocky landscape.
We reached the base of Knapsack and looked up at this huge saddle between Twin Peaks and Winfred Peak. After surveying a possible route and making a rough plan we started up the talus.
The climbing was deliberate and careful. Around halfway up we all needed a break and a snack. When we resumed, I led us up to a hidden snowfield and we had to backtrack to cross it. Fortunately, Blueberry is a ski instructor and she cut steps through the snow as we followed.
We reached the summit and the next valley unfolded before us. We still had a long way to go before we were safely back on level ground. We followed to our left along the side of a snow field down some easy talus before another long, steep snow field came into view. I chose to travel to my right toward the tip of the snow, but the footing gradually became slippery scree and fine gravel. Rocks and sand tumbled from my footsteps and down the steep wall into the snow and valley below. Blueberry and Rattle both started to descend on their butts as the descent became increasingly difficult. Committed to the route, I had to press forward, traversing the slope.
Rattle was starting to feel stuck as Blueberry finally reached this second snow field and tested the snow to see how well it could be walked. It was soft and grippy so she cut steps again through the steepest part. I stayed behind to help Rattle make it safely down the gravel and sand.
Almost halfway through the snow, Blueberry said it was safe to glissade and proceeded to slide down the snow on her butt. Still a bit stuck, Rattle carefully made her way further down and we reached the snow tracks together. As the steep field became more gradual, we both glissaded down to the valley below. I stood and left a butt-shaped snow cone behind as I hiked over the talus. A little further and we all finally stopped for lunch. It was a little after 1:00 and the clouds were building slightly. We took lunch, dried our gear, and breathed a sigh of excited relief. We made it.
