Just did this hike yesterday, and the weather was absolutely perfect. The traffic on the trail definitely thinned out at the turn-off for Bandera, and it was nice and clear at the top. Nice views of Rainier and Seattle in the distance.
TheBootfitter - Jun 21, 2007 11:05 am Date Climbed: Jun 20, 2007
Wine & Pretzels...
Had a good hike. We intended to take the old climbers' trail, but must have missed it. Just under two hours up. 45-minutes at top to enjoy pretzels and a bottle of wine, then about an hour back down.
Bandera is a fun SHORT hike on the 90 corridor. Its fun to climb Defiance, then Bandera in one outing. There is a treasure on Bandera. Clue: Where the trail splits... Hmmm... If you search for it, you will find it. The near last section is steep and fun...
osatrik - Sep 2, 2006 11:09 pm Date Climbed: Nov 17, 1996
New trail route -- before it was there!
A small OSAT group (Roy, List, Tom and Leah, and I) climbed the open south slopes before the new Mason Lake Trail was built. It involved a bit of bushwacking back then, but was worth the effort.
supermarmot - Sep 1, 2006 1:20 am Date Climbed: Aug 31, 2006
sunny
combined with defiance for a nice dayhike.
Kyle Bissell - Jun 28, 2006 4:19 am Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2006
Didn't make summit
Made it to the end of the hiking trail.... I was pretty sure that we weren't on the true summit, but then another hike told us we definitely were. Unfortunately, he was wrong, so I'll have to bag this one some other time.
rangermatt - May 3, 2006 11:20 pm Date Climbed: May 25, 2005
First of the season
Got home from college, had time for a couple hikes before jetting out again. I kept hearing about the light snowpack, and that was sure obvious here - no snow the entire way! Just a beautiful day; I'd hate to be out on that talus during the summer.
ren - Feb 27, 2006 1:32 pm Date Climbed: May 1, 2004
Route Climbed: Old Trail/Standard Trail 5/01/05
First time up I took the old trail with variations. I think most people stop at the false summit for what ever reason.
Climbed this with my dad and his friend. I enjoyed the final push to the summit over rocks, but the summit was somewhat of a letdown due to trees blocking the view to the north. It was a fun climb though.
Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: May 3, 2003
Six months without hiking will make a man mean. Bandera is a great early season hike, it's just not shady enough for summertime. It's amazing to smell the fire that happened here 45 years ago! I hiked up the old trail, and it was as cruel as ever. Light flakes fell off and on. Snow becomes continuous as the trail hits the ridgetop. A well worn path through extremely crusty snow, with some postholing to be expected. The sun shone for only a few moments. There were no footprints over to the true summit. Mason Lake and I-90 put in brief appearances. Where the new trail is crossed I jumped the tape barrier and jogged down it. Soon enough I ran into trail crews rolling rocks and cutting trees. Please stay off the new trail until finished, or it will drive some WTA volunteers bonkers worrying about your safety. When completed (hopefully this year) it will be magnificent, perhaps adding one mile each way, but saving knees on the descent. R/T 7+ miles, 3:30 car to car. This old fireline is in great shape.
Route Climbed: Standard Route via Mason Lake Trail Date Climbed: July 2005
Steep at the end. May be I'm spoiled but I don't have a whole lot to say about the view. I summited mt. Defiance earlier in the morning which is the next one over to the west. Don't bother with this one unless you're a peak bagger.
Route Climbed: the one trail Date Climbed: February 27, 2005
Snow free all the way -- in February. What a year. A minor amount of ice and hard pack in the last few hundred feet prior to the summit. Two hours to the summit. One hour forty minutes down. Could have mistaken the trip for Mt. Si based upon the number of people doing it on this picture perfect day.
Nice little climb with Becky Sototrucha. Lots of variable weather, rain. Great glimpses of Seattle inbetween clouds. Not much snow left on top--wish I'd done this one in the middle of the winter.
We got all of the above, and then some. My Tundra was the only vehicle to make it to the trailhead, even if it did take nearly an hour, and chains. So after an unexpectedly pleasant 4-wheel experience, we began. The trail had snow on it from the beginning, but we didn't don snowshoes until the first major avalanche chute. By then, there were about 8-10 inches of new snow on top of a crusty base. We were passed by a gratuitous foursome that said they were going to Mt Defiance, but ended up leading the way to Bandera.
As we followed the new trail around the far Eastern switchback, and started to cross the avalanche chute again, the trail disappeared. We proceeded to follow the earlier climbers straight up toward the trees on the ridge to Bandera. Tough climb made easier by the tracks. 3 hours and 10 minutes to the summit, where the weather was very pleasant, and the snow very deep. Views were constrained to local neighboring peaks only. The trip down was equally exciting. Exactly what the doctor ordered!
Route Climbed: Standard Route via Mason Lake Trail Date Climbed: September
Overcast day, but with cloud deck high enough to maintain a view of the surrounding peaks. Recent snow on the top of the mountain made for a great clean climb. Beware of cornice this time of yeah, and been keen on your navigation skills.
lukic - May 14, 2008 9:53 pm Date Climbed: May 14, 2008
Rainy DayThis trip served to refresh my memory about the miseries of hiking in the rain.
littlefrantz - Mar 8, 2008 11:31 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 1996
:):)
ashumack - Sep 10, 2007 2:00 pm Date Climbed: Sep 9, 2007
Awesome ViewsJust did this hike yesterday, and the weather was absolutely perfect. The traffic on the trail definitely thinned out at the turn-off for Bandera, and it was nice and clear at the top. Nice views of Rainier and Seattle in the distance.
TheBootfitter - Jun 21, 2007 11:05 am Date Climbed: Jun 20, 2007
Wine & Pretzels...Had a good hike. We intended to take the old climbers' trail, but must have missed it. Just under two hours up. 45-minutes at top to enjoy pretzels and a bottle of wine, then about an hour back down.
agreenstreet - May 26, 2007 12:22 pm
Route CLimbed: Mason Lk Trail Date Climbed 5-23-2007Climbed in the morning before work. Great day and good views!
nodbod - Jan 19, 2007 10:49 pm
BanderaBandera is a fun SHORT hike on the 90 corridor. Its fun to climb Defiance, then Bandera in one outing. There is a treasure on Bandera. Clue: Where the trail splits... Hmmm... If you search for it, you will find it. The near last section is steep and fun...
osatrik - Sep 2, 2006 11:09 pm Date Climbed: Nov 17, 1996
New trail route -- before it was there!A small OSAT group (Roy, List, Tom and Leah, and I) climbed the open south slopes before the new Mason Lake Trail was built. It involved a bit of bushwacking back then, but was worth the effort.
supermarmot - Sep 1, 2006 1:20 am Date Climbed: Aug 31, 2006
sunnycombined with defiance for a nice dayhike.
Kyle Bissell - Jun 28, 2006 4:19 am Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2006
Didn't make summitMade it to the end of the hiking trail.... I was pretty sure that we weren't on the true summit, but then another hike told us we definitely were. Unfortunately, he was wrong, so I'll have to bag this one some other time.
rangermatt - May 3, 2006 11:20 pm Date Climbed: May 25, 2005
First of the seasonGot home from college, had time for a couple hikes before jetting out again. I kept hearing about the light snowpack, and that was sure obvious here - no snow the entire way! Just a beautiful day; I'd hate to be out on that talus during the summer.
ren - Feb 27, 2006 1:32 pm Date Climbed: May 1, 2004
Route Climbed: Old Trail/Standard Trail 5/01/05First time up I took the old trail with variations. I think most people stop at the false summit for what ever reason.
dyscti - Sep 21, 2005 12:22 am
Route Climbed: Main Trail Date Climbed: May 2005Climbed this with my dad and his friend. I enjoyed the final push to the summit over rocks, but the summit was somewhat of a letdown due to trees blocking the view to the north. It was a fun climb though.
magellan - Sep 6, 2005 11:56 pm
Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: May 3, 2003Six months without hiking will make a man mean. Bandera is a great early season hike, it's just not shady enough for summertime. It's amazing to smell the fire that happened here 45 years ago! I hiked up the old trail, and it was as cruel as ever. Light flakes fell off and on. Snow becomes continuous as the trail hits the ridgetop. A well worn path through extremely crusty snow, with some postholing to be expected. The sun shone for only a few moments. There were no footprints over to the true summit. Mason Lake and I-90 put in brief appearances. Where the new trail is crossed I jumped the tape barrier and jogged down it. Soon enough I ran into trail crews rolling rocks and cutting trees. Please stay off the new trail until finished, or it will drive some WTA volunteers bonkers worrying about your safety. When completed (hopefully this year) it will be magnificent, perhaps adding one mile each way, but saving knees on the descent. R/T 7+ miles, 3:30 car to car. This old fireline is in great shape.
dicey - Sep 4, 2005 12:55 pm
Route Climbed: standard Date Climbed: June 2005Snow nearly gone.
gimpilator - Jul 26, 2005 2:28 pm
Route Climbed: Standard Route via Mason Lake Trail Date Climbed: July 2005Steep at the end. May be I'm spoiled but I don't have a whole lot to say about the view. I summited mt. Defiance earlier in the morning which is the next one over to the west. Don't bother with this one unless you're a peak bagger.
yayoubetcha - Feb 27, 2005 8:21 pm
Route Climbed: the one trail Date Climbed: February 27, 2005Snow free all the way -- in February. What a year. A minor amount of ice and hard pack in the last few hundred feet prior to the summit. Two hours to the summit. One hour forty minutes down. Could have mistaken the trip for Mt. Si based upon the number of people doing it on this picture perfect day.
pksander - May 9, 2004 2:10 pm
Route Climbed: Standard Date Climbed: May 8, 2004Nice little climb with Becky Sototrucha. Lots of variable weather, rain. Great glimpses of Seattle inbetween clouds. Not much snow left on top--wish I'd done this one in the middle of the winter.
dmuja - Mar 24, 2004 10:59 pm
Route Climbed: The one described on the main page, knee buster rte. Date Climbed: June 5th, 2003I really like this mountain. Took the *old* (STEEP!) Ira Spring trail. Bring your compass incase the clouds come in.
sixsigmafool - Feb 3, 2004 11:07 pm
Route Climbed: Part trail, part avalanche chute Date Climbed: February 1, 2004Objective: Significant altitude gain, decent summit, low avalanche danger. Answer: Bandera!
We got all of the above, and then some. My Tundra was the only vehicle to make it to the trailhead, even if it did take nearly an hour, and chains. So after an unexpectedly pleasant 4-wheel experience, we began. The trail had snow on it from the beginning, but we didn't don snowshoes until the first major avalanche chute. By then, there were about 8-10 inches of new snow on top of a crusty base. We were passed by a gratuitous foursome that said they were going to Mt Defiance, but ended up leading the way to Bandera.
As we followed the new trail around the far Eastern switchback, and started to cross the avalanche chute again, the trail disappeared. We proceeded to follow the earlier climbers straight up toward the trees on the ridge to Bandera. Tough climb made easier by the tracks. 3 hours and 10 minutes to the summit, where the weather was very pleasant, and the snow very deep. Views were constrained to local neighboring peaks only. The trip down was equally exciting. Exactly what the doctor ordered!
linxweiler - Oct 27, 2003 2:59 pm
Route Climbed: Standard Route via Mason Lake Trail Date Climbed: SeptemberOvercast day, but with cloud deck high enough to maintain a view of the surrounding peaks. Recent snow on the top of the mountain made for a great clean climb. Beware of cornice this time of yeah, and been keen on your navigation skills.