Trip Report
Winter Scramble - Teebone Ridge,SW Spur
A gorgeous day in the sun with cloudless skies and incredible views, north to Baker, Shuksan; south to Glacier Peak, plus even Mount Stuart (if you have eagle eyes ;)!
Dave Morgan
- Sat, Feb 12, 2022
- Winter Scramble - Teebone Ridge/Southwest Spur (winter)
- Teebone Ridge/Southwest Spur (winter)
- Scrambling
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Due to driving concerns (downed trees on the road with sparse beta) we approached this trip with trepidation, however these fears were baseless. Although there are plenty of debris on the Cascade River Road, they can all be easily negotiated with a bit of care (although in one unique spot a cedar tree leans across the road to lean against a tree on the far side, with you driving under it).
The Lookout Mountain trailhead is snow free, with few downed trees on the trail and essentially no snow until reaching the open meadow at ~3400’ elevation. The snow was continuous from that point upward using micro-spikes (just in the morning) and snowshoes (we brought crampons for the upper ridge but never used them).
We were surprised to learn that summer had been moved forward with substantial periods having shirt sleeve temperatures (primarily when working hard on ascent ;). Winter was soon restored just a few feet away on the north side of our ascent ridge (in the shade). Quite unusual conditions for February, however the next winter storm should soon restore normalcy. A great workout with a total trip time of ~8 hours (4.5 hours for ascent, 3 hours for descent, and half an hour for lunch on the sun drenched summit). Photos from this and other trips to this venue can be seen here.