Distance

7.0 mi to summit

14.0 mi total

Elevation

6,550 ft start

Vertical

4,200 ft gain

Time

5 hr 15 min to summit

11 hr 0 min total

This is my new favorite, but holy toledo is it a long one. It's a lot like Hyndman Peak but more varied and certainly more technical. Whereas with Hyndman it's hard to get yourself in a pickle, this one presents challenges at several points, which makes it a lot more fun but also less accessible. Beautiful approach on the ridge, even among all the smoke, and it turned out to be less smoky than previously in the week. A pair of girls working in Stanley for the summer (Kelsey and Ellie, if I remember correctly?) passed me, and I them, at various points throughout the climb, and they were nice enough to let me tag along to the summit. The trekking poles saved my legs from utter destruction on the wobbly rocks down from the peak, and even then the girls blasted past me when we reached the main trail. Besides us, there were only two other guys hiking up from Goat Lake with no packs.

A giant fire started up to the north, smack dab in Grandjean as I later found out. Huge plume of smoke, like a volcano had gone off. Luckily the winds were blowing north east, and I heading south, but I was still a bit nervous. Oddly enough, the next morning was even clearer than the previous day; the clearest day in weeks, I reckon!

Route name

South Couloir

out-and-back
Obstacles

routefinding, snow on route

Key gear

helmet, trekking poles