Iron Peak (South Ridge) - 5.8.2009

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This is our general route and not a GPS track... we did the loop clockwise... ~12 miles roundtrip, gaining 3900 feet of elevation.
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2.7 miles from the 29 Pines Campground we were blocked by both this car and the snow.
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After walking the road for 1.3 miles, rdyhiker leaves the road and heads for the SSE ridge of Iron Peak.
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rdyhiker... with Judy's Peak in the distance.
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The ridge was snowfree until about 4500 feet.
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Bill's Peak
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Earl Peak
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rdyhiker on the ridge... with Jolly Mtn in the distance.
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rdyhiker on one of the many bumps along the ridge.
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Continuous snow at ~5000 feet... still a long way to go.
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Argonaut Peak... the views are getting better.
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ragman approaches the top of another of the many ridge bumps.
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Still a few ridge bumps to deal with... and still no summit.
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Argonaut Peak... with Colchuck Peak starting to appear.
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Mt. Rainier
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Colchuck Peak and Dragontail Peak
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Finally... rdyhiker has passed all of the little bumps.
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Looking back down Iron Peak's bumpy SSE ridge.
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On steeper terrain now.
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Dragontail Peak and Little Annapurna
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rdyhiker looks at our route up to the ridge.
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More ridge.
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ragman coming up towards the ridge... Mt. Rainier in the distance.
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rdyhiker and interesting tree just below the ridge.
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It can be lonely at the top.
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ragman on the ridge at 6000 feet... Mary's Peak, Judy's Peak and Earl Peak on the left.
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ragman going underneath a rock outcropping along the ridge.
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More interesting ridge work to do.
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Looking back at our route underneath the rock outcropping.
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rdyhiker takes the lead.
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rdyhiker heading for the two 6400 foot bumps south of Iron Peak.
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ragman near the two 6400 foot bumps... when we get around them it will be clear sailing to the summit.
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Our first good look at the Iron Peak summit... with Teanaway Peak beyond.
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rdyhiker takes a break with most of the Stuart Range in the distance.
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Bill's Peak in the foreground... Stuart, Sherpa, Argonaut and Colchuck in the distance.
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The corniced south ridge of Iron Peak.
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Still working our way around the two 6400 foot bumps south of Iron Peak... Mt. Stuart and Sherpa Peak to the right.
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Sherpa, Bill's, Argonaut, Colchuck, Dragontail, Little Annapurna and McClellan.
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We've made it past the two 6400 foot bumps... only 200 feet of elevation gain left to reach the summit.
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Sherpa, Bill's, Argonaut, Colchuck, Dragontail, Little Annapurna and McClellan.
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The corniced south ridge of Iron Peak.
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Interesting cornice on Iron Peak's south ridge.
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Almost to the Iron Peak summit.
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Looking back on our route around the two 6400 foot bumps.
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rdyhiker is really close to the Iron Peak summit.
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Teanaway Peak, Mt. Stuart, Sherpa Peak and Bill's Peak from the Iron Peak summit (6510').
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Fortune Peak, Ingalls Peak and Teanaway Peak.
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Hawkins Mtn and Esmerelda Peaks from the Iron Peak summit.
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A closeup of the 3 summits of Ingalls Peak and Teanaway Peak.
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rdyhiker on the Iron Peak summit.
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rdyhiker starting down towards the 6200 foot pass between Teanaway Peak and Iron Peak.
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A pano shot of Teanaway Peak, Bill's Peak and Devils Head in the foreground... with the Stuart Range behind.
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Large and small... white and red.
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Looking back on the Iron Peak summit (in the sunshine).
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rdyhiker getting ready to drop down to Beverly Creek... Bean Peak, Mary's Peak and Judy's Peak across the valley.
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rdyhiker takes a photo of the shinning mountain.
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Looking back on Teanaway Peak as we head for Beverly Creek.
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Looking back on Bill's Peak as we head for Beverly Creek.
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After we cross Beverly Creek we will follow it down to where it crosses Bean Creek.
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rdyhiker crossing Bean Creek... only ~3 miles of easy walking left to get back to the car.