Forum Index > Trip Reports > Teanaway Trio - Iron Peak, Teanaway Peak, Bill's Peak 6/17/17
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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostMon Jun 19, 2017 10:29 pm 
This report is a little wordy. If you don't like reading, just enjoy the pictures. biggrin.gif I headed out late Friday night to bag some peaks in the Teanaway range. I had seen recent reports of the area with pictures and it looked pretty melted out. I was excited that I could bust out my approach shoes and do some scrambling! I arrived at the DeRoux trailhead to find it surprisingly crowded, with lots of other people camping there too. The road was closed at that point, so I suspect most were headed to Ingalls or Stuart. I forgot my pillow so I slept in the back of my Outback using a shoe under my thermarest as a pillow. I did not sleep well. One party got up and left at 3. I woke up at 4 with the rest of 'em. Some breakfast, got my gear ready, and hit the trail! About 7-8 minutes in I remember ****, forgot my sun glasses. Damn, I always do that. I went back. By a shade past 5 I was on the trail for real this time.
Morning light over Ingalls
Morning light over Ingalls
The trail went quickly. It was a bit chilly, but I was cozy enough. I started hitting snow patches around 5300-5400 and the snow was very firm and icy. I passed a few before putting on microspikes. I was glad I brought them. Back at the trailhead I made the decision to leave my ice axe in the car. I figured I wouldn't need it and it would be extra weight. More on that later. Soon I was at the pass and starting up the ridge to Iron Peak.
Iron Peak summit ridge
Iron Peak summit ridge
Teanaway Peak from Iron
Teanaway Peak from Iron
I was enjoying the snow in my microspikes so I just stayed on the snow all the way up to the summit, getting there around 6:30. It was cool to see the next two peaks I would climb framing Mount Stuart in the morning light.
Iron Peak summit selfie
Iron Peak summit selfie
Teanaway, Stuart, Bill's
Teanaway, Stuart, Bill's
Mount Stuart
Mount Stuart
I stayed for a few minutes before heading back down the ridge and onto my next peak, Teanaway Peak! This was where the trip got really good. I had no idea what I was in for. I spent some time picking out a line up to the summit. The mountain had some neat clouds over it which added nicely to the ambiance. Teanaway, here I come!
tee-
tee-
-ANN-
-ANN-
-a-
-a-
-way
-way
As I got to the base of the peak it got a bit harder to pick out my route, but I found it without any real trouble. What great scrambling! Something about having to slow your pace and make precise purposeful movement up technical terrain is such a unique experience. I really dig it. The scrambling was great, I may have picked a fourth class move or two but it was a really great climb up to the summit where I was greeted by the best view of the south face of Mount Stuart that I have ever seen!
Oh, hi there! Teanaway Peak summit view
Oh, hi there! Teanaway Peak summit view
I also think Ingalls from this view point looked the best I've ever seen it. Great views all around. Amazing.
Ingalls Peaks
Ingalls Peaks
Iron Peak
Iron Peak
Mount Daniel
Mount Daniel
Sherpa
Sherpa
Bill's and da 'chants
Bill's and da 'chants
Enchantment peaks
Enchantment peaks
I just kept staring off at Ingalls and Stuart. I have no idea how long I spent on the summit, but soon it was off to Bill's.
Best view point for Stuart's south face?
Best view point for Stuart's south face?
I didn't really look into specific beta for routes up these peaks other than GPS tracks, but maybe I should have. The trip from Teanaway up to the summit of Bill's was quite an adventure. I started to descend the east ridge of Teanaway but soon it started to not look so good. I spotted what looked like a melting out scree field gully on the NE slopes of Teanaway so I thought I'd give that a go, only now I was in some mild cliff bands. I found a good goat trail through the chossy cliffs to reach the scree field without much difficulty. Only, it wasn't a scree field but rather sharp spiny rock covered with kitty litter. Not a lot of fun. I worked my way down that a bit until I reached snow which I would have taken, but I had left my axe in my car. The snow was getting soft by then and microspikes couldn't bite as well. So, I just took my time down this precarious stretch but didn't have too much trouble with it. Soon I was looking at Bill's trying to figure out the best way up. I wanted to take the west ridge direct, but it looked like a false summit cliffed out, so I decided I would stay a bit north of the west ridge and make my way up to the notch north of the false summit cliff I had seen. Soon I was at the saddle and heading up Bill's.
Bill's Peak west ridge
Bill's Peak west ridge
@ the Teanaway - Bills saddle
@ the Teanaway - Bills saddle
I gotta say, the views out towards Stuart drew my attention the whole way up...
Bill's west ridge scramble
Bill's west ridge scramble
good views
good views
lovely, just... yeah
lovely, just... yeah
with an occasional glance back at Iron and Teanaway.
Iron Peak and Teanaway Peak from Bills
Iron Peak and Teanaway Peak from Bills
Looking back at Teanaway
Looking back at Teanaway
I scrambled up through talus, rock, boulders, and brush until I reached the gully that would lead me to the notch I had seen earlier.
scrambling up Bill's
scrambling up Bill's
spiral tree
spiral tree
There was a long skinny very icy snow finger in the gully. The terrain looked better on the other side, so I crossed the base of the finger on rock and headed up the opposite side, only to be forced back over when I ran out of moves. Just above the snow there was a chockstone like headwall about 12 feet high that was the crux of the whole trip. Certainly class 4, possible low 5 but the holds were great. As I was climbing this section I thought to myself, I sure hope this route goes because I'd hate to have to down climb this! Soon I was at the notch, and around the corner there was a way up and the summit block was in view!
Bill's west ridge summit block
Bill's west ridge summit block
The rest of the way was pretty easy and I was glad I wasn't going to have to down climb that steep part. Summit views were again, amazing! Check out the photosphere:
View larger size in new window Stuart of course stole the show, but Rainier had some nice light on it.
Stuart from Bill's
Stuart from Bill's
Rainier with fun light
Rainier with fun light
I laid down and took a brief nap. I don't nap, hate naps... once I realized I was sleeping I awoke with a momentary panicky feeling of what's happening, where the hell am I... only to open my eyes with Stuart and the Enchantments in my face and realize oh, hey I'm on a mountain! Awesome! I descended Bill's via the standard east slopes, SE ridge. Again I wished I had my axe as the snow up high was a bit too high angle, so I stuck to rock until the angle eased up then did some boot glissading until the snow ran out. I probably should have just headed straight down and picked up the trail in the basin, but I'm an elevation preservationist so I side hill traversed (not a lot of fun) onto the south slopes until I crossed the creek at ~5550. I picked up a trail and followed it until I realized it was heading north, not west so I had to back track a bit before I as back on trail and soon after back to the car.
Bill's
Bill's
Bean, Mary's, and Judi's
Bean, Mary's, and Judi's
Bill's
Bill's
Parting shot
Parting shot
It was an amazing day, with a ton of fun scrambling! It was so nice to have a hike with a summer feel to it. ~10.5 miles ~4900 ft gain ~8:50 car to car

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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostMon Jun 19, 2017 11:43 pm 
Lots of great photos there, and the proportions of this tree are amazing.
awilsondc wrote:
Parting shot
Parting shot
Thanks for the condition report -- I want to do Mary and Judy this spring and your photo showed that the ridge was clear.

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HermitThrush
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HermitThrush
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PostTue Jun 20, 2017 6:03 am 
Simply awesome. I can't wait until I can attempt something like this.

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Bootpathguy
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PostTue Jun 20, 2017 6:52 am 
I read the whole thing. Only thing that caught my attention was that, you forgot...YOUR PILLOW!? hockeygrin.gif biggrin.gif What a dummy! Nobody forgets their pillow! Hiking poles, crampons, extra layers, sunglasses, etc... are all understandable and excusable. Forgetting a pillow!!!??? You should be ashamed and I can't believe you call yourself a outdoorsman. Hey moderators!? How do I put someone on ignore?

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostTue Jun 20, 2017 7:48 am 
Bootpathguy wrote:
you forgot...YOUR PILLOW!?
Yeah... I know. After a night sleeping on my shoe as punishment, I hope to have learned my lesson! That's a rookie mistake I won't soon repeat. embarassedlaugh.gif

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Slide Alder Slayer
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Slide Alder Slayer
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PostWed Jun 21, 2017 11:39 am 
Great trip report, thanks.

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rwkhikes
because it's there



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rwkhikes
because it's there
PostWed Jun 21, 2017 6:01 pm 
awesome report - thanks for this! Thoughts on potentially linking this route up with Mary's, Judi's and Bean as part of a multi-day route?

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Secret Agent Man
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Secret Agent Man
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PostWed Jun 21, 2017 9:10 pm 
rwkhikes wrote:
awesome report - thanks for this! Thoughts on potentially linking this route up with Mary's, Judi's and Bean as part of a multi-day route?
It absolutely can be done. The ridge from Bean to Mary's is quite technical if you want to ride the crest, but there are ample opportunities to drop down and traverse easier slopes. Also opportunities to include Earl Peak or Volcanic Neck and Devil's Head, or other options. The Teanaway is a great area for scrambling.

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