Beta from Mildred Lakes Approach

[yngeagle]

I wanted to pick some of your guys brains that have been to the Sawttoth Ridge from the Mildred Lakes approach. I wanted to know what the usual approach time is and what kind of condition the trail might be in this time of year. Plus, what is the trail like during the summer if you know. Right now I am trying to send to different groups in from Flapjack lakes side and Mildred Lakes Side. And my question is: what would be the best way for the two different teams to cross paths and go out the opposite starting point?

 

If this topic has already been discussed could you point me towards any relavent threads? ThanX

 

Johanthan

[yellowdog]

I've been to Mildred Lakes and Flapjack Lakes to do Cruiser. Did Mildred last year over 4 July weekend. VERY LIMITED camp sites around lakes. LOTS of BUGS. Trail is good from road to the creeks above the small headwall. Large avalanche damage area after that makes finding the trail (and crossing for that matter) difficult. NO trail from camp area to Cruiser and the rest of the ridge. You have to do some serious bushwhacking and crawling on your knees. We left our camp by the lake at 0700. Joined the Cruiser route about 7 hours later. Just as hard to get down. In contrast, did Cruiser in early September last year car to car via Flapjack. This was with the extra 1.5 miles both ways due to the culvert work (we had to park on the road 1.5 miles from the Staircase entrance). Car to car was 0500 to 2100 (9 pm for you non-military types). We summited Cruiser via Flapjack earlier than we did via Mildred by two hours. My suggestion is Flapjack. Much easier trail (no bushwhacking) and there is plenty of room around Flapjack to camp. I think you need a reservation as they limit the number of campers. I think you have to pay a fee also. No fee for Mildred since it is outside the park. If you are going in the immediate future I think you will find more snow and a tougher time on the Mildred side. The trail to Mildred Lakes has two headwalls. The second is similar to the Lake Constance trail (but not maintained or marked). The bottom line is that the trail to Mildred is shorter but much steeper and there is no trail at all from the lake so you are almost certainly going to spend two nights up there just for one peak. For the same time (two nights) you could carry more (if so inclined) and almost certainly get more climbs in. Besides the trail from Flapjack to Staircase is so good you could do all 8 miles with headlamps easy.

[Flying_Ned]

Agree here with Yellowdog. Flapjacks is longer but easier. But the approach via Mildred is not nearly as henious in early season in good snow. It's fairly easy to get to the Fin from either direction, but that puts you a bit away from Cruiser, which I think is best approached from further up Gladys Divide.

 

Coming in via Mildred Lakes there's an interesting xcountry route on the south ridge above the lakes (turn left into timber at the tarn before descending to the first lake) that takes you toward Lincoln--a seldom visited scramble from which you can traverse the entire Sawtooths if you have the time and weather.