"Yearly backpacking trip with AK and LC. The route to Ice Lake is nice and consistent. Some snow, but avoidable on the route to the peaks (if you aren't a fan). The ridge between Peak 9775 and Sacajawea is where the party is at. Very fun class 3/4 scramble around the gendarmes -- take the west side most of the time around them, wear a helmet, take it slow." — zachmitch • Jun 27, 2025

"Hiked up to Ice Lake and set up base camp, then hiked Matterhorn the following day. Did not explore further along the ridge due to building clouds and not wanting to have to make a quick descent on that terrain in the rain. " — calipidder • Sep 6, 2023

"Number 8 over 4 days. Took around an hour and a half to gain the 2000 feet from Ice Lake. Conditions could not have been any better low temps and low winds. The brilliant white granite was incredible to climb on. Definitely different than anything else I climb locally, a real treat. " — oregon-mt-goat • Aug 30, 2018

"A huge classic into the heart of the Wallowas… with the ultimate grand finale once my phone got back in service. The Wallowas had beckoned for a while, but they're never "on the way" to anywhere. So finally I decided to just make it happen with a huge detour en route to CA from WA. After a flat I rolled in to Wallowa Lake, Oregon around 10pm… …and the 3:30am alarm felt like only a few minutes later. Struggled awake and while half-asleep fumbled through some gear manipulation. Finally started out at 4:30; it was already getting light, one of the longest days of the year. Didn’t see anyone on the long climb (7.8 miles?) up to Ice Lake; by then it was only 7:30 but my body was already exhausted. No worries. Ate 3 Snickers in a row and I was fully back to life. From Ice Lake the trail becomes a climber’s path marked with cairns. Lost this trail many times in snow fields but when in doubt I just went up and the route to the top of the Matterhorn kept falling into place. Upon reaching the ridge, took me a few minutes to realize the true summit is to the south marked by a tall cairn. A great summit… made it there by 9:40. Incredible exposure off the west side of Matterhorn..." — scott • Jun 20, 2015