Steep trees and cliffs, loose glacier rock, high alpine "mine fields"...if you find this complicated, dangerous, or unnecessary, you're right.
"Tree section" from TH to glacier path: difficult to discern a precise route only about 0.2 miles from the parking. Some is just overgrown and some parts allow for multiple difficulties to ascend. Below and in the waterfall/ice-fall sections, it will require choosing between climbing up rocky/muddy cliff sections and/or choosing to crawl up through the creek. Slipping and falling in this section is dangerous considering the exposure and it is almost impossible to not slip due to the creek or during inclement weather.
The glacier/glacier rock section: requires navigating a massive amount of loose scree, crevasses, the creek, and water falls. The best bet is to walk where you see grass so the ground doesn't crumble out from under you.
Ridge Section (Above the last waterfall in the glacier, between 13k and summit cone - between photos 9 and 11): there is a lot more loose scree-like ground to cover than the route photos indicate. There is a lot of mining debris, roads, mine shafts, crevasses, and loose rock to navigate. Traveling off the old mining roads is more difficult because the roads criss-cross the slope creating steep inclines and declines to get on and off of the roads. There are also potential hazards on the slope such as holes, crevasses, and several mine shafts that a person could easily fall into if they were not aware of them. Besides them being dangerous, they at least make you change your route to navigate around them. Several of the lower roads switch-back up to the ridge and then others go to the north east side of the cone to the well established trail that merges with the ridge trail to Mt. Cameron.
|
