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Alpine Scramble - Pinnacle, Plummer, Lane & Denman

Perfect day for a scramble of Denman, Lane, and Plummer Peaks. We skipped Pinnacle due to time and another party traveling in an unsafe manner.

Paul Kallmann Paul Kallmann
August 18, 2020
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • All the snow to the saddle is melted and just a little snow below Plummer on the way to Denman

It was an absolutely beautiful day for a scramble.  Our group of 7 started out at Reflection Lake and quickly hiked up to the Pinnacle/Plummer saddle.  After a short break to take pictures of a marmot, we continued on to Denman first.  We looked for the path of least resistance on the SW side of the peak and easily made our way to the first peak.  After some summit photos and snacks, we continued down the west side of Denman back to the trail.

Denman Lane.jpg

We then made our way to the base of Lane.  After some side hilling, we came up to the base of the main and obvious chute.  We broke into two groups to minimize rock fall.  The first group of 4 went up the chute with little problem.  After they were clear, the remaining 3 of us ascended the chute where we had rock with good hand and foot grips.  At the top of the chute, we went to the summit of Lane where there is really only room for 1 or 2 people at a time. 

Lane Ascent.jpg

After pictures, we went back to the top of the chute.  Though our GPS tracks from a Tatoosh Traverse two days prior show a track on the SW side of Lane, we decided that we would just down climb the chute we came up since we were already familiar with it.  Though we brought rope, everyone in the party felt comfortable the down climb so we went down the chute with the first four people going to the base followed by the remaining 3.

Summit Lane.jpg

We then returned on the trail back to the base of Plummer.  Plummer itself is more or less a walk up, so we made quick work of that peak.  We enjoyed the views of Paradise, the other Tatoosh peaks, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, and the Goat Rocks.  We then returned to the Pinnacle/Plummer saddle.  When we got to the saddle, we noticed that there was a group of 5 heading up Pinnacle that looked unsafe to us.  They were off route and were not wearing helmets.  It appeared to be a group of younger individuals who we felt that they could put others in harm's way.  After some discussion, we decided it would be best to skip Pinnacle especially since it was already getting pretty warm out.  So, we decided to call it a day and head to Base Camp bar and grill in Ashford for burgers and beer.  It was a fun 3 peak day!

PInnacle Castle.jpg

My GAIA track is here: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/Tt4Srv0viyN6uWfpEqcWwVMi