Trip Report
Alpine Scramble - Not Hinkhouse (Point 6878)
We ascended from Ingalls Pass and descending to Longs Pass taking a moderate/slow pace with time to enjoy the great views. A few snow patches past the Ingalls/Longs trail junction but the ridge from Ingalls to Not Hinkhouse was dry.
Chris Finley
- Sat, Jun 19, 2021
- Alpine Scramble - Not Hinkhouse (Point 6878)
- Ingalls Peak/South Peak
- Scrambling
- Successful
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- Road rough but passable
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The trail is dry up to the Ingalls Pass and Longs Pass Trail junction. Still some shallow snowfields above that point. By 10am, the snow was soft enough to walk in without microspikes. The ridge between Ingalls Pass and Longs Pass did not require any additional traction.
The road to Lake Ingalls Trailhead has some sizable potholes. Passable with a Subaru Outback, but it would be wise to avoid low-clearance vehicles.
Everyone was on-time and we left the trailhead at 9:08am following introductions. All but one participant were recent scramble graduates.
A snowfield after the Ingalls Pass/Longs Pass junction hide a few switchbacks, so we added some scrambling to get back to the trail.
We arrived at Ingalls Pass at 11:30am. The ridge from Ingalls Pass to Not Hinkhouse was dry. It is possible to pick easier routes along the ridge while making it no harder than T3. Dropping to the climber's right was usually easier. We passed to the right around the first rock outcrop.
The rock is solid and can make some nice climbing if you wish.
Still quite a bit of snow in the Headlight Creek basin, see above. We couldn't ask for better views of Mt Stuart. We took a long lunch and enjoyed the views. Great visibility but a constant wind.
The ridge from Not Hinkhouse to Longs pass is mostly dry with a few snow fields.
Looking back at Not Hinkhouse from the ridge to Longs Pass.
We had mountain goats escort us several times; close enough to be on a first-name basis. We took our time for some photography and enjoy the day.
Back to the car by 3:45pm and said goodby to a fun group. Everyone handled the route well and contributed to navigation and decision making.