A series of “20-minute-pushes” brought Nate, Christian and myself to the meadow on the Hatchery Creek Trail (No. 1577), overlooking the next valley, with Big Jim dominating the horizon. Behind us, through the burned-out ghost trees, we could see Glacier Peak in the distance.

It was a beautiful, brutally cold day, but it still felt like we were getting away with something to hike under a cloudless blue sky in late October. The dogs enjoyed the scramble, easily doubling our mileage.