Navaho Peak - 6.12.2011
From 29 Pines Campground... drive the N Fork Teanaway River road for 1.2 miles... turn right onto FS 9703 and drive 2.5 miles to the Stafford Creek trailhead (3100').
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A google earth look at the Navaho Peak area.
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The Stafford Creek Trailhead.
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Stafford Creek was roaring.
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If it isn't balsamroot, it is a nice impersonation.
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Denali Girl at the first stream crossing.
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Fairy Slipper orchid
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Denali Girl at another stream crossing... there were 4 of them that required more than a simple step-across.
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At ~4200 feet the trail has been trashed from a slide coming down a gully on the south side of Freedom Peak.
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Freedom Peak from a meadow along the Stafford Creek trail.
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A Yellow Bell... with a sprinkling of Spring Beauties.
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Spring Beauties dominated the flower scenery on this hike.
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Glacier Lily
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After hiking for 3.5 miles, Denali Girl crosses the stream at ~4800 feet... where we will leave the main trail and head north for the Navaho summit.
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Off trail now... Freedom Peak (a.k.a Little Navaho) in the distance.
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On steeper terrain now... the summit is up there somewhere... nice waterfall in the center of the photo.
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A closer view of the waterfall.
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Gaining elevation now... looking over at Freedom Peak (6442')... and we need to get to 7200 feet.
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Still going up... and looking for as much shade as we can find.
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There won't be much shade from here on.
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Close to 6400 feet and the same height as Freedom Peak... only 800 more feet of elevation gain to go.
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Denali Girl ascending... Earl Peak on the right... with a distant look at Mt. Rainier (center).
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As we get higher, more of the Teanaway Peaks come into view to the right of Earl Peak.
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ragman, Mt. Stuart and Sherpa Peak.
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Still ascending... and a clear view of Mt. Stuart, Sherpa Peak and Argonaut Peak.
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At ~6800 feet we have found a melted out portion of the summer path that leads to the Navaho summit.
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Really close to the summit now.
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A pano shot from near the summit... the Stuart Range dominates the view.
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A closer look at Mt. Stuart, Sherpa Peak and Argonaut Peak.
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A close look at Dragontail Peak, Little Annapurna, Enchantment Peak (through the gap) and McClellan Peak.
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A pano shot from Earl Peak (left) to Argonaut Peak on the right.
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Denali Girl and ragman on the Navaho Peak summit (7223').
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A closeup of Mt. Stuart and Sherpa Peak.
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A pano shot of Fortune Peak (far left) to Little Annapurna on the right.
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A closeup of Argonaut Peak.
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A closeup of Dragontail Peak and Little Annapurna... with Witches Tower through the gap.
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A closeup of Fortune Peak and Ingalls Peak.
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A pano shot from Earl Peak to Little Annapurna.
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A closeup of Earl Peak.
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Three Brothers
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Denali Girl leaving the Navaho Peak summit.
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Descending
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ragman descending... Miller Peak on the left and Freedom Peak on the right.
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Ever downward.
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Back to patchy snow... still 400 feet above the trail... roughly 4 miles of hiking to get back to the car... the trip was ~11 miles roundtrip... gaining ~4200 feet of elevation.
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