[TR] Mt. Maude - Standard 9/4/2012

[Le Piston]

Trip: Mt. Maude - Standard

 

Date: 9/4/2012

 

Trip Report:

This isn't much of a climb (It ain't the North Face), but it's in a spectacular area and is in the shameless peakbaggers list. My original plan was to do a solo recon for a future trip to South Spectacle Butte. Instead of the ususal Leroy Basin approach, I decided to try the Carne Mountain high route. The first half of the trail is steep, but easy to follow. The second half involved some cross-country connect-the-trail routefinding. I wound up making camp on a ridge above Chipmunk Creek basin. The view was pretty nice!Tuesday dawned clear, with great views of Glacier Peak. I decided to head straight up to the ridge and drop down to the Ice Lakes basin. It involved some steep hard snow descent and 3rd class rock, but took me right where I wanted to be. After dropping down to upper Ice Lake and snapping some pictures, I headed up an easy snow slope and onto easier trail up to the summit of Maude. It took me about an hour and 20 minutes to the top, where I of course enjoyed a summit treat. I am looking forward to coming back here when the larch trees have turned color. I took the regular approach trail down to the junction with the Carne trail and packed up for home.

 

Gear Notes:

Glad to have the crampons and ice axe for the hard snow portion.

 

Approach Notes:

Water is sparse, but still there along the route. Carne Mountain trail is a bit hard to follow, but cross-country travel usually gets you back on it.

[tvashtarkatena]

Good on ya for taking the Carne route. Bear 'n ice!

[Val Zephyr]

The Carne high route is much more scenic than the standard route. You found a pretty cool bivy spot there too. Nice!

[CaleHoopes]

Your third photo is a closeup of Glacier from the East? Looks like the cool glacier on the left hand side?

[Le Piston]

Yes, Chipmunk Creek basin is to the east of Glacier...not quite due east, but close enough.