[Randy]

This one starts at the Lake Stuart Trailhead, elevation 3400'. Axis (Back Court #19) acts as the central hub for superb viewing of several big-time peaks including Stuart, Sherpa, Agonaugt, Colchuck, Dragontail, Cannon, Cashmere, Eightmile, and the high points along Jack Ridge. Although the previous peaks include strenuous and/or technical approaches, to reach Axis is a relatively simple affair. I left the trailhead at 830 (under sunny and very warm conditions) and followed the trail up and down to the intersection with the trail heading off to Colchuck Lake. No snow to this point. A couple more miles of relatively flat trail wandering brought me to the crowded Lake Stuart (5064') at shortly after 1000. Only about 20 yards of snow on the trail just before the lake. Once at the lake, I walked the trail about 75 yards until I came to a large talus field extending up the side of the mountain to the north. This is the take off point to the summit 2500' above. Although the summit is not visible from the lake, any sort of route essentially straight up the hill will work as the terrain is benign scrub fir, heather and polished slab - no real difficulties to speak of. I finally found snow around 6900' and used that as much as I could to make travel easier on the higher slopes. Crested the ridge at 7400' and followed the semi-exposed ridge rocks to the summit. I found the remnants of a summit cairn, but no register - uh oh. There are about 5 summit pinnacles spread over a 1/4 mile that all look roughly the same height so I kept on rolling down the ridge (not entirely easy class 4 scrambling) until I had bumped up each one. After all that, the first one I had settled on, the second from the west, was the highest of the bunch! Great views in all directions, but especially nice was the angle I had on Colchuck Lake framed by Dragontail and Aasgard Pass. Followed my same route down and out and had a nice, lazy afternoon stroll down the trail. Back at the car by 1600 and digging a strawberry milkshake at 1630.

Eightlake

Aasgard1