Trappers Peak and X Mountain - 8.17.2017
We started this hike at the Thornton Lakes Trailhead (~2500')... our total trip was 11.7 miles roundtrip, gaining 4382 feet of elevation.
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No big deal crossing this today... but earlier in the year it might be a challenge.
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Crossing Thornton Creek after hiking 1.2 miles.
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Crossing into the North Cascades National Park at ~4350 feet after hiking a total of 3.8 miles.
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We have reached the Trappers Peak/Thornton Lakes junction at ~5000 feet after hiking a total of 4.5 miles.
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Shortly after the Trappers Peak/Thornton Lakes junction the terrain turns to Class 2.
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Working Class 2 terrain on an obvious path.
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First look at Trappers Peak in the right foreground... with X mountain just beyond and left of Trappers... the tops of Thornton Peak and Mount Triumph are in the clouds.
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The Class 2 terrain didn't last very long... gaining elevation on a good path.
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We can see the summit clearly now.
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We can see all three of the Thornton Lakes... and Thornton Peak above.
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Working our way up to the summit of Trappers Peak.
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Continuing up to the summit of Trappers Peak.
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We have reached the large summit area (~5960') after hiking a total of 5 miles.
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Awesome views from the summit of Trappers Peak... with X Mountain the bump in the foreground... with Thornton Peak and Mount Triumph beyond... and the upper Thornton Lake on the left.
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Some peak identification... and our approximate route over to X Mountain.
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A selfie from the summit of Trappers Peak... Snowdog, ragman, Jason, BarbE and rodman.
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I have left the Trappers summit and heading for X Mountain... will the others follow me?
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Working my way down the NW ridge line on an obvious path... with the Trappers summit on the left.
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We have left the NW ridge and are on some Class 2/3 heather on the NW side of Trappers... this is the crux of the route from Trappers over to X Mountain.
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Steeper than it looks... being careful as we down climb the heather on the NW side of Trappers Peak.
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Off of the steep heather on the NW side of Trappers Peak now... you can see it on the right side of Trappers' summit block.
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The terrain is very easy now that we are off of the steep heather.
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Here come the troops... with the summit of Trappers Peak behind us.
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Heading for the summit of X Mountain.
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Very easy terrain.
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Looking back at Trappers Peak as we near the summit of X Mountain and the connector ridge between Trappers and X.
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The Southern Pickets as we near the summit of X Mountain... the clouds have almost lifted over them.
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Jason and Barb on the summit of X Mountain.
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Looking back at Trappers Peak from the summit (5964 feet on my GPS) of X Mountain.
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Thornton, Triumph and Despair from the summit of X Mountain.
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The highest of the three Thornton Lakes from the summit of X Mountain.
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A selfie from the X Mountain summit... Snowdog, Jason, ragman and BarbE.
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Notice the very large quartz vein forming an 'X' in the right foreground... well, I assume that is how this mountain got its name.
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Heading back to Trappers Peak as we trace our steps back to its summit... part of the lower lake is below.
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Jason on the connector ridge between Trappers and X.
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The granite face on the north side of Trappers Peak.
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Almost back to the Trappers Peak summit.
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A closeup of the Southern Pickets from Trappers Peak... there are no more clouds hanging over them.
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Some peak identification on the Southern Pickets.
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The Southern Pickets from the summit of Trappers Peak.
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One last look at this amazing view before leaving the Trappers Peak summit.
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Leaving the Trappers Peak summit.
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Heading down and looking at the lower lake.
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Heading down and looking back at Trappers Peak and Mount Triumph on the left in the distance... a 4.5 mile hike will get us back to our car.
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