Colchuck Peak - 7.5.2010
This is our general route from Colchuck Lake to the summit of Colchuck Peak via the Colchuck Glacier... the trip was ~13.5 miles, gaining ~5400 feet of elevation.
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Start the hike at the Lake Stuart Trailhead (3540').
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Reach the Lake Stuart/Colchuck Lake intersection at 2.5 miles and head for Colchuck Lake.
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Crossing Mountaineer Creek on the way to Colchuck Lake.
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Mountaineer Creek... roaring through a funnel.
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BarbE holding up a boulder so that we can pass safely.
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Not to Colchuck Lake yet... but a view of Colchuck Peak (center) and Colchuck Glacier (left).
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Looking up the valley to Jack Ridge... with Axis Peak on the right.
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Cashmere Mountain as we head for Colchuck Lake.
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We have arrived at Colchuck Lake... and this view of Dragontail Peak... with Aasgard Pass on the left... and the Colchuck Glacier on the right.
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Our general route up and down the Colchuck Glacier.
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madman, Sahale and BarbE resting at Colchuck Lake... with Colchuck Peak beyond.
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Mountain goat at Colchuck Lake.
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Looking across the small land-locked pond to Axis Peak.
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Following cairns around Colchuck Lake... Aasgard Pass in the distance.
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A place to drink and pump water at the south end of Colchuck Lake (5570')... looking north to Icicle Ridge.
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Starting up the boulder field towards the Colchuck Glacier.
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BarbE and Sahale... on the Colchuck Glacier... several hundred feet above Colchuck Lake... with Cashmere Mountain on the left and Icicle Ridge on the right.
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madman setting the pace up the Colchuck Glacier.
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The east side of Colchuck Peak as we head up Colchuck Glacier.
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Making our way towards the Dragontail/Colchuck col.
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Two specks making their way towards the Dragontail/Colchuck col.
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Rocks at the Dragontail/Colchuck col... almost there.
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Sahale, BarbE and madman resting at the Dragontail/Colchuck col (~8000').
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A very worn-out ragman reaches the Dragontail/Colchuck col.
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BarbE, Sahale and madman at the col... with Colchuck Lake 2500 feet below.
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Time to leave the col and finish off the last 700 feet of elevation gain to the summit.
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madman setting the pace towards the summit.
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Now we can see the Colchuck Peak summit.
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BarbE and Sahale finishing up the last few steps to the summit.
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Cashmere Mountain from near the Colchuck Peak summit.
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Colchuck Lake... 3100 feet below.
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Don't worry... just happy to be on the summit (8705')
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Group shot from the Colchuck Peak summit... BarbE, ragman, madman and Sahale... with Mount Stuart behind.
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Dragontail Peak from the summit of Colchuck Peak.
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Left to right... Cannon Mtn, Enchantment Peak, Dragontail Peak and Three Brothers.
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Sherpa Peak, Mount Stuart and Jack Ridge from the Colchuck Peak summit... with very little snow on Mountaineer Ridge (right).
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From the Colchuck summit we are looking up the middle of the photo to Devils Head, Volcanic Neck, Bean Peak, Judy Peak and Mary Peak... Earl Peak to the left... Hardscrabble Creek drainage on the left and Fourth Creek drainage on the right.
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Cannon Mountain on the right... and Icicle Ridge on the left.
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Argonaut Peak from the Colchuck Peak summit.
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Leaving the summit and heading back to the Dragontail/Colchuck col.
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Cashmere Mountain on the left... and Colchuck Lake... taken a few hundred feet below the col.
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Looking back at the Dragontail/Colchuck col as we plunge-step down the Colchuck Glacier.
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Looking back at the Dragontail/Colchuck col.
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madman, BarbE and Sahale are getting ready to finish the last several hundred feet down to the lake.
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BarbE and Sahale plunge-stepping towards Colchuck Lake.
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A debriefing session after returning to the lake... lake-to-summit took 3.5 hours... summit-to-lake took 2.5 hours.
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A little more wind on Colchuck Lake than earlier this morning... 5.5 miles of hiking left to reach the car.
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