Alpine Scramble - Mt Deception & Mt Clark

I sent in my request for a Royal Basin camping permit the day they started accepting requests. 

7/15/18:  We took the 6:10am Sunday Seattle to Bainbridge ferry and arrived at the Upper Dungeness TH just before 9am.  Our plan was to hike in at a leisurely pace and set up camp at the Upper Royal Basin  for 2 nights.  With 3 in the Naturalist Course, we took time to identify the many flowers along the way.Four hours later we arrived at Royal Lake where 1 member took a swim.From here we climbed to the Upper Basin (1.5 add'l miles) where we got our first really good views of Mt Deception and made camp near the Imperial Tarn.Imperial Tarn and Surprise Basin between the 2 peaks.  What a perfect site except for the expected mosquitoes.  7/16/18:  We left camp around 6am the next day to summit Mt Deception.  A single goat greets us and visits us during the night too.

The standard route to the Deception-Martin saddle was easily visable from out campsite, but we have to figure out the rest of our route after that.  It was easy when traveling on the snow.  Crampons were probably not necessary, but they did add some protection as the slope got steeper.We got on the rotten rock maybe a few hundred feet from the saddle. (last bend below the saddle as shown in the photo above.)  It was really slow moving now.  We had to be extra careful not to knock rock on each other and taking turns moving through certain areas.From the Deception-Martin saddle, we dropped down to the other side and got on a large snowfield in order to circle around Gilhooley Tower to a gravel saddle.
Once at the gravel saddle, we traverse below Gilhooley Tower .And then we're on the ridge on the other side of Gilhooley Tower that takes us to the summit.Looking back at Gilhooley Tower.Final push to the summit.View of Upper Royal Basin from the summit.Group summit photo.  It takes us about 5.5hrs to get here.On our way back.

A glissade from the gravel saddle into the snowfield bowl and then back up to the saddle.

Once at the saddle, we move a little further north before heading down the mountain.  We are trying to stay near a track we got off Peakbaggers from someone who did it 2 weeks before. 
Unfortunately it probably wasn't any easier than if we went the way we came up.  Multiple short ledges filled with loose rock which again took a lot of time.   By the time we reach camp around 5pm, I think we're all pretty tired, but feeling rewarded too.  A good day's work!

7/17/18:  We depart camp at 5am for Mt Clark.  The rising sun lights up Mt Deception beautifully.

 We're headed for Surprise Basin.

 We couldn't see Surprise Basin yesterday, but we got glimpses of the saddle where we need to go as the start of the scramble begins there. Mt Johnson is on climber's left and Mt Clark on the right.

The scramble starts up a ramp.  Unlike Mt Deception, this route is more obvious and the rock so much more sound.  It is fun scrambling.Once at the top of the ramp, the route corkscrews around the mountain on a fairly wide ledge.It does involve some loose scrambling, but definitely not as much as yesterday.

Then it meets a downward, wide class 3 crack.  It's easy moving down the crack, but a little difficult getting out and the move is exposed so we put up a handline for an extra measure of safety.Then we continue corkscrewing around to the north side of the peak until we find the gully that will take us to the large crack that leads us to the summit that just fits us all.  The summit is on climber's left and can't quite be seen in this photo.Surprise Basin and Mt Deception from the summit.  The views are grand from here too.The ladies at the bottom of the large crack that takes you to the summit.

Then it's back down we go with some good glissades included.

One last photo of the beautiful views at the Upper Royal Basin.Back at our cars at 6:30pm and are some of the last cars to pull on to the 9pm Bainbridge to Seattle ferry.  Splendid 3 days with a capable group with terrific attitudes.