WaterproofMonk Posted June 10, 2016 Posted June 10, 2016 Trip: Ingalls Peak/Headlight Basin - E Ridge + South Face Date: 6/4/2016 Trip Report: Great short weekend out. We did the E Ridge then descended and did the top section of the S Face (the best part!) before descending the rest of the way Approach conditions were snowy, with a tricky moat to get on route for the E Face. We got on the rock at the wrong spot (too far left) and had to climb a little vertical section to get to the ramp. No matter how you do it the moat is gonna be a little hairy. The whole day was very hot and we should have brought more sunscreen for the reflected sunlight. Headlight Basin is still quite snowy though I bet it's melting fast. Others brought crampons/ice axe for the gully and didn't regret bringing them, but I didn't have them (1 hiking pole only) and was OK using steps kicked before us/kicking more in the mostly soft snow. Road 9737 is still closed ~1 mi from the trailhead due to washouts. The right turn on the trail is also at a washout so it's extra easy to miss - the sign is gone! Have some photos: Stoke: beauuutiful rock on Ingalls S Face The washout just before the Esmerelda trailhead would be impassable by most cars, but to make sure nobody makes the situation worse, WSDOT has put a barrier in 1 mile up the road. Easy road hike, keeps out some of the riffraff (but not us unfortunately). Stuart W Ridge ridge is still quite snowy A bit of Aurora Borealis at around 2AM Star and airplane trails. Larger version at 500px. Quote
holdennb Posted June 10, 2016 Posted June 10, 2016 Sounds like a great trip! Any pictures of what the basin/lake looked like in terms of snow? Quote
ajpederson Posted June 10, 2016 Posted June 10, 2016 We were on snow from just before Ingalls pass to the base of the route. The lake was just starting to show some blue around the edges. Quote
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