Mount Pugh - 10.4.2012
From downtown Darrington... drive the Mountain Loop Hwy for 12.5 miles... turn left on NF-2095 (a.k.a FS 3131) and drive 1.5 miles to the trailhead.
|
rodman's GPS route of our trip to Mount Pugh... 11 miles roundtrip, gaining 5321 feet of elevation.
|
A google earth look at the terrain for Mount Pugh.
|
There is no parking lot at the Mount Pugh Trailhead (1900')... but there are several turnouts along the road near the trailhead.
|
The trail starts uphill immediately on nicely graded switchbacks and pretty much stays that way all the way to Lake Metan and Stujack Pass.
|
After hiking 1.5 miles we reached Lake Metan (3180')... Mount Pugh is above.
|
Finally out of the trees at ~5000 feet... looking up at Stujack Pass on the left.
|
Taking a break in the boulder field below Stujack Pass... Izzy, Snowdog, BarbE, larman and rodman.
|
Looking west to Three Fingers (snow) and Whitehorse Mountain on the right.
|
Snowdog and rodman heading for Stujack Pass on switchbacks.
|
BarbE lost in the vegetation below Stujack Pass.
|
rodman, Snowdog and BarbE at Stujack Pass (5800').
|
From Stujack Pass we looking down on our route... Sloan Peak (sharp one on the far left) with the Monte Cristo Peaks... Dickerman, Twin Peaks and Forgotten are in the right foreground.
|
White Chuck Mountain from Stujack Pass... smoke from the fires in Eastern Washington limits the views.
|
Continuing above Stujack Pass.
|
Just above Stujack Pass we got our first look at the Mount Pugh summit area... is there really a trail that goes up there?
|
A couple hundred feet above Stujack Pass... with Three Fingers (snow) and Whitehorse Mountain in the distance.
|
larman starting across the quarter-mile airy ridge walk.
|
Continuing on the east side of the airy ridge.
|
Continuing along the airy ridge walk.
|
On the west side of the airy ridge now... Mt. Forgotten in far right foreground.
|
Some easy Class 2 scrambling.
|
A short break on the airy ridge.
|
Looking up toward the summit area from the airy ridge.
|
Izzy led the way.
|
rodman and larman finishing up the airy ridge.
|
Snowdog and BarbE starting up a Class 2 section after getting off of the airy ridge.
|
rodman and larman coming up the Class 2 section.
|
BarbE above.
|
Reasonable trail here... just don't do anything stupid... part of the airy ridge at the top of the photo.
|
Done with the Class 2 stuff for awhile now.
|
Snowdog leads the way.
|
A little more Class 2 work.
|
larman coming up.
|
Continuing up... will we ever get there?
|
Looking down at the airy ridge.
|
Continuing up.
|
The trail will go around to the right... where the terrain will be a lot more friendly.
|
Hard to see the troops here... but they are switchbacking their way up the vegetation toward the low point on the ridge... with the summit in view on the right.
|
Nice rock formations near the summit.
|
BarbE, Snowdog and rodman celebrate on the summit.
|
Looking down on our route.
|
rodman relaxing on the summit (7201')... showing off his new puffy jacket.
|
Summit shot... front row... larman, Snowdog, rodman and ragman... with Izzy and BarbE in the back... White Chuck Mountain on the left.
|
We could barely see Glacier Peak because of the haze and smoke.
|
Sloan Peak and the Monte Cristo Peaks from the Pugh summit.
|
Looks like a glacier to me.
|
Heading down.
|
Heading down.
|
Heading down.
|
Heading down.
|
Heading down.
|
Heading down.
|
Heading down... with the start of the airy ridge below.
|
larman uses a huge bolt for aid.
|
Izzy leads Snowdog over to the start of the airy ridge.
|
Snowdog and rodman at the start of the airy ridge... Three Fingers and Whitehorse Mountain above them in the distance.
|
Heading back along the airy ridge.
|
Heading back along the airy ridge toward Stujack Pass.
|
A monster shroom above Lake Metan... what a trip... looking for the car now!
|
