Alpine Scramble - Tokaloo Rock & Aurora Peak

Meeting place and time 5:30 AM at South Renton Park and Ride

Leader's notes The destination for this trip is not exactly Tokaloo Rock and Aurora Peak, (that was the closest entry in the club database). The actual destination is point 8966 on the Puyallup Cleaver, which is about 1300 feet up the ridge from Tokaloo Rock. Here is a map centered on that point. As you can see by looking at the map, this is a very cool place nestled up between two big glaciers. But if the topo does not convince you, check out these photos from Dave Morgan’s trip to Tokaloo Rock 2012. This picture of Dave’s shows the whole ridge above Tokaloo Rock.

The club database shows the distance for the trip to be 10 miles of hiking and 16 by bike. Our actual hiking distance will be more like 14 miles and 9 by bike. The difference is because we are going to ride to the first trail (of 2) and are hiking above Takaloo Rock. The biking is quite easy. There is a short washout section so the park service gates the road. You don’t need a mountain bike for the road. Any clunky hybrid will be adequate. If you are accustomed to riding a road bike with a back pack and have ridden it on dirt roads, that would work also. If you don’t have a bike and really want to go, let me know, I have two extra bikes I can lend.

Our route will be to ride the bikes to where the West Side Road crosses the South Puyallup River at 3500’. We then hike up the trail to where it meets the Wonderland, then follow that north to St Andrews Lake. We will stop there to filter water, then proceed cross country east-northeast up to the point between Tokaloo Rock and Tokallo Spire. We then continue up the ridge to point 8966.
Even with the bikes, this is still a 14 mile 5400’ gain trip, so it will be strenuous. However it won’t be very technical. I think the rating of S5-T3 is accurate.

We will meet at the South Renton Park and Ride at 5:30 AM. If any Tacoma folks want to join us, we can swing by the South Hill Park and Ride in Puyallup. Please enter a note when you sign-up whether you can drive and how may bikes you can carry on your car.