Distance

6.9 mi to summit

9.5 mi total

Elevation

6,394 ft start

9,965 ft max

Vertical

2,866 ft gain

Time

4 hr 16 min to summit

5 hr 11 min total

Short outing to Disaster Peak and the Iceberg. Took the Disaster Creek trail, then the old pack trail that doubles back to the SE and climbs steeply out of the drainage, then finally cross-country to the summit. The final several hundred feet is a steep cl. 2 scramble over mostly stable talus.

I wasn't looking forward to descending via the same circuitous route, so I set off cross-country, going south, then southwest along a series of ridges making my way towards the Iceberg. The cross country travel was quite pleasant and very quick. The Iceberg is a 5 min cl. 3 scramble from the backside.

The descent from the Iceberg back to Disaster Creek trail wasn't as bad as I feared. I headed mostly NW, zig-zagging down steep slopes. The ground was soft dirt, so it wasn't very slippery. Fire seems to have cleared out most of the brush on the upper slopes, but lower down there was a good tenth mile of moderate bushwhacking. It was mostly through Aspen, though, which is preferable to the chaparral plants. Overall I would recommend this as a descent route for anyone doing Disaster Peak since once can make a nice loop hike.

Obstacles

no info yet

Key gear

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Other peaks climbed on this trip