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Trip Report    

Crater Mountain

  • Sun, Jul 5, 2015
  • Crater Mountain
  • Scrambling

Trip Date: 07-04-2015 (one day)
Party Size:3

TH to summit: 6 hours
Summit: 0.5 hours
Summit to TH: 4 hours
About 15 miles and 6300' elevation gain

Started/finished at Canyon Creek TH (1900') . Trail is well shaded, dusty, and generally free of bugs below the 5800' lake. Near the lake there were biting flies. There are several stream crossings below the lake that can be used for filling water bottles or cooling off. Conditions were quite pleasant, despite temperatures in the 90's back in Seattle.

Entire route is snow free. Used trail runners/hiking shoes on the approach. Changed into mountaineering boots + helmets for the summit scramble. Stiff soled footwear was useful for a couple short sections of steep dirt traversing.

Utilized Standard Mountaineer's route description (1994 by Mike Torok) and this trip report: http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7985816&view=previous

Rock scramble finish is truly T5, not just an exposed trail like some existing and former lookout tower sites. The rock scrambling was fun and generally solid. There is one 4th/low 5th high-step bouldering move. The location is obvious and the hand holds are large and solid. The route is well-marked with cairns. I agree with the Mountie Route Description comments: "lots of exposure....recommend all party members complete at least two T5 scrambles before doing this peak"

Fantastic summit views of Jerry Lakes to the north!