Trip Report
Alpine Scramble - Pyramid Peak
Fishers Hornpipe Creek route - great alpine day; effort 7.5, beauty 9
Richard Shaw
- Sat, May 20, 2017
- Alpine Scramble - Copper Mountain, Iron Mountain & Pyramid Peak
- Copper Mountain, Iron Mountain & Pyramid Peak
- Scrambling
- Successful
- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Rampart ridge trail snow covered above 3600 ft. Log bridges intact across Kautz and Pyramid creeks. Impossible to follow snow covered trail between Kautz and Pyramid creek. Easy to follow Wonderland trail from Pyramid creek to our exit prior to Fishers Hornpipe creek. Consolidated snow below 4800 feet and sticky / sloppy snow above necessitating snowshoes. Good snow for kicking steps from notch to summit. Crampons not needed.
Rampart ridge trail from Longmire is mostly snow covered above 3600 ft. We crossed the Kautz creek at bridge, trail lost in snow, so crossed the flat to Pyramid creek with path of least resistance. We crossed the Pyramid creek at bridge and followed Wonderland trail to within ear shot of Fishers Hornpipe creek, then cross country on consolidated snow, brush-free slope keeping Hornpipe creek on climbers left and steep slope on right. Snowshoes necessary by 4800 feet. Snow sticky and sloppy from there onward to the Pyramid notch especially through Hornpipe creek basin. Exited basin climbers right at first reasonable avenue. Crossed fresh bear tracks several times through Hornpipe creek basin before it headed toward Indian Henrys and we toward Pyramid. Path of least resistance from there to the distinct notch staying below fresh avy activity on Pyramid's southwest face. Removed snowshoes at notch - kicked steps to summit just safely left of corniced south ridge.