Putrid Pete's Peak and Mt. Defiance - 6.27.2012
rodman's GPS route for our loop hike of Putrid Pete's Peak and Mount Defiance... 9.5 miles roundtrip, gaining 4089 feet of elevation.
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Take Exit 45 on I-90 and drive FS 9031 to the Ira Spring trailhead (2200') at the end of the road.
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Hike a short distance on the Ira Spring Trail and take the boot path at the first hairpin turn in the trail.
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The boot path traverses west for at least a half mile before heading steeply uphill.
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BarbE, Snowdog and rodman... finally out of the woods at ~3800 feet.
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Izzy came with us on this hike.
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Bear grass.
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Continuing up on steep terrain.
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Looking south across I-90... Kent's Court, Mt. Kent and McClellan Butte in the foreground... Mt. Rainier in the distance.
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Mount Defiance (left) and Bandera Mountain.
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BarbE leading the charge... we can see the summit on the ridge above.
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Getting closer to Putrid Pete's Peak.
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Summit party on Putrid Pete's Peak (5200+).
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BarbE got this shot of me on the summit.
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A photo of Pete Schoening in the summit register... one of Washington State's famous mountaineers... check him out on the Internet for his amazing adventure on a climb of K2.
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From the Putrid Pete summit we are looking at our general route over to the shoulder of Mt. Defiance.
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Foreground peaks... Mt. Roosevelt (left), Kaleetan Peak, Chair Peak, Snoqualmie Mountain, Bryant Peak and The Tooth... Mt. Stuart in the distance on the far right.
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A closeup of Mt. Rainier from Putrid Pete's.
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A closeup of McClellan Butte from Putrid Pete's.
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Lunch break just below the Putrid Pete summit... Mt. Defiance and Bandera Mountain beyond.
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nwhikers ree and Galadriel are approaching the Putrid Pete summit.
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ree and Galadriel celebrate on the Putrid Pete summit.
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BarbE, Snowdog and Izzy just below the summit.
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ree and Galadriel are working their way over to join us for the ridge walk over to Mt. Defiance.
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Looking down on Spider Lake.
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rodman and Izzy lead the way along the ridge toward Mt. Defiance.
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BarbE on the ridge... with the Putrid Pete summit behind.
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Looking back at Putrid Pete (second bump from the left) as we head for Mt. Defiance.
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On Banana Ridge and heading for Mt. Defiance.
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Miss Isabel on Banana Ridge.
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Looking back at Putrid Pete's Peak in the center of the photo... as Galadriel, BarbE and ree hike along Banana Ridge.
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Izzy on the edge.
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ragman leading five ladies... a scary proposition for the ladies... Putrid Pete's Peak on the far right.
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We have parted ways with ree and Galadriel now... and are heading for the Mt. Defiance summit.
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Nearing the Mt. Defiance summit... the trail has melted out near the summit.
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Broad views from the Mt. Defiance summit (5584').
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Group shot on the Defiance summit... Snowdog, BarbE, rodman and ragman... Lake Kulla Kulla below.
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Looking down on Lake Kulla Kulla from the Defiance summit.
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Lake Kulla Kulla (center)... Mason Lake and Little Mason Lake on the right... Blazer, Rainbow and Island are also visible.
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A stitch of the previous two photos.
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Leaving the Defiance summit and heading for Mason Lake (right).
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Still some snow below the Defiance summit... Lake Kulla Kulla below.
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Compact snow in the trees... using an ice axe and microspikes now.
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rodman on the main trail now... on the south side of Defiance... Mason Lake on the right.
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Looking back at the south slope of Mt. Defiance.
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Mason Lake... with Bandera Mountain above.
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Past Mason Lake now... back on the Ira Spring Trail... looking at Putrid Pete's Peak.
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A short break where the Ira Spring memorial plaque is located... Rainier in the distance.
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Three miles of easy, downhill trail walking to get back to the car.
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Life is good back at the trailhead.
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