Trip Report
Alpine Scramble - Iron Peak
After an unfavorable weather forecast at our original destination, two leaders and four students pivoted to Iron Peak, and everyone enjoyed the better weather and beautiful views.
Christina Black
- Sun, May 11, 2025
- Alpine Scramble - Iron Peak
- Iron & Teanaway Peaks
- Scrambling
- Successful
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- Road rough but passable
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Consistent snow around 5000 ft and above with only a few bare spots on the ridge. We encountered some firm snow that was hard to kick steps into at times as well as some weak snow bridges. There were many cornices on the ridge but they were small, and we were able to avoid them. We saw some signs of avalanche debris in the valley below but nothing on our route.
After an unfavorable weather forecast at our original destination, two leaders and four students pivoted to Iron Peak in the Teanaway based on a WTA trip report from the prior weekend. We hoped to find enough snow to help our students get snow credit towards graduation, and to avoid the rain as much as possible (although some later in the afternoon seemed possible). We were pleased with what we found -- the snow was relatively consistent around 5000 ft and higher except for a few rock patches on the ridge near the summit. We were able to get some practice with routefinding in snow, using ice axes, and we even did a short glissade. We did not bring or need snowshoes, and although we brought microspikes, only one or two members of the party used them. The trip only took 5.5 hours -- we debated adding on Teanaway Peak but chose not to due to some incoming rain and trying to keep the trip straightforward for newer scramblers. Our timing and decision-making paid off as it began drizzling as we approached the trailhead and raining in earnest as we did our debrief.
