Rampart Ridge & Alta Mountain

Very nice trip on 9/13/15, although views were limited. I had recalled that there was a scramble route up the south side of the summit block, but didn't see it this time. We circled around to the right to access the easier slabs and blocks. We took a somewhat more direct descent from the north side of the summit which required some interesting and enjoyable downclimbing in a few places. Fall color was great, but there was not much in the way of distant views from the summit. On the way down, there was some partial clearing, and when we got back to the junction for the trail down to Rachel Lake, we took a little side trip to the west to get the view down to Gold Creek that we didn't have at the top. Total time was about 8.5 hours. Everyone did fine, including two students who needed this for credit.