Peak Nine

Route: Leviathan Creek Approach + South Face/SE Ridge
Posted On: 9/12/2023, By: supranihilest
Info: Approach: Beartown to the bottom of Leviathan Creek is easy enough. There's some downed trees on the Vallecito trail, mostly climbing over, some crawling under. There's an old trail up Leviathan Creek's north side. It's hard to pick up at the bottom, easier in the middle. Past approximately 11,000 feet the trail disappears. Travel becomes much more difficult here, with tall grass and plants (which, when wet, suck to walk through), tons of downed trees, rocks hidden in the grass, and eventually just steep slopes the last 100-200 feet. We camped at the small lake around 11,500 feet, where there's a handful of tent sites and flowing water. Peak Nine: from the lake we headed more or less directly towards Peak Nine. Some sidehilling along super loose scree-in-grass slopes and then a super loose slope up next to a small creek leading to the upper basin. From here Peak Nine looks ridiculous, just a mess of cliffs. Head up towards the Peak Eight/Peak Nine saddle, looking for cairns on the cliffs to climber's right. There are two green ramps, you'll want the lower of the two. Again, there will be cairns here. Traverse this ramp for like a quarter mile - farther than you feel like you should - past one obvious gully and to the next obvious gully. All of this traverse is very exposed and the footing is often down sloping and gravel covered. It's mostly Class 2/Class 2+ with maybe a spot of Class 3 thrown here or there, but very insecure feeling. At the gully scramble up Class 2+ and Class 3 ledges (more down sloping, gravel covered feet) to the ridge, then traverse back northwest along the ridge. Ample Class 3 along the ridge, sometimes much harder climbing that can be avoided by dropping south on more crummy ledges. Only at one point did we cross to the north side of the ridge and up a dirt/scree slope (Class 3) before once again re-gaining the ridge. As you get to the summit block it looks very difficult, but down climb into the notch (Class 3) and climb up the south side of the block. There are several Class 4 dihedrals to climber's left, and to climber's right there is an easier Class 3 dihedral marked by several cairns. Exposure here was very high but the rock OK. Still, test every single hold on this entire peak. Carefully retrace your steps down the whole thing. Rebecca and Rich, if you see this, send me a message! 

Route: From Lake Silex
Posted On: 9/28/2020, By: WildWanderer
Info: A little bit of snow in the access gully just after the pass, but otherwise summer conditions. I kicked in steps, no traction needed. 

Route: Storm King Saddle
Posted On: 8/21/2018, By: Vadim34
Info: Did Peak Nine to Peak Three to Peak Two loop from beaver ponds in Elk Creek. Peak Nine Peak Eight saddle which usually holds a lot of snow is dry, more importantly class 3/4 couloir to the top of Peak Nine is also dry.