Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mount Phelps - 9/14/02
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Randy
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Joined: 18 Dec 2001
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Location: Near the Siamangs
Randy
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PostSun Sep 15, 2002 8:39 pm 
Craig and I opted for an easy day on Phelps on Saturday. Mount Phelps is the impressive, fan-shaped mountain lying along the Cascade skyline and plainly visible from Seattle. Although steeper and more daunting on its west side there is an easy and straightforward route up its south flanks. We parked along Road #113 where a steep 4wd track heads steeply up hill. This is Just below the abandoned "Blackhawk Mine" labeled on the USGS Quad. If you come to a large turn around with bullet holes in everything imaginable (wine bottles, chairs, CO2 canisters, book cases - you get the picture) then you've gone too far. We walked the 4wd drive track until we had gained 200' then hooked right where the road turns into more of a trail. Immediately, we were in a clearcut, which is bad thing, but it's not impassable like some clearcuts seem to be. The general idea is to head straight up the hill, finding the best line through the brush and sticks. Surprisingly there is a pretty decent trail through all of this if you can find it. We followed it all the way back on the descent, but did not locate it until about 3200' on the way up. Difficulties are further lessened at 3500' where we encountered tall timber with only medium-brushy undergrowth. We continued to follow the way trail (heavily flagged) until 4000' where it faded at a talus field. Here we trended more to the NE adjacent to a subtle rib on the hillside. At 4700', we broke out into a clearing at the base of some cliffs seemingly protecting the summit of an easy walk up. However, we traversed to the left and came to a prominent gully that looked easy enough and looked as though it would get us most of the way to the top. This is the gully that Beckey says not to take. Anyhow, up we went with minimal difficulty, some scrambling, but nothing at all stressful. The gully brought us up to a saddle at 5350' between the true summit and the lesser SE summit. From here it was 200' of easy rock scrambling and steep heather to the summit, elevation 5535'. Views from the top are excellent. Of note were those of Little Phelps (Point 5162'), Index and Persis, Treen and Garfield, Lennox and Goat, and of course that of downtown Seattle. We spent a solid 1.5 hours lounging on the summit rocks before heading down via the mountain's SW ridge. We followed the ridge to about 4600' where we headed straight down the hillside. We intersected the talus field once again and quickly found the trail on the other side. This time we were able to follow it all the way through the clearcut to the 4wd track. This trip goes extremely fast and would make for a nice snowshoe come winter and the sorter days. In winter, it would be best to take the SW ridge route as it offers the least avalanche potential and an equally easy route as the one we took.

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Tom
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Joined: 15 Dec 2001
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Tom
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PostSun Sep 15, 2002 9:35 pm 
Thanks for the trip report. Kind of odd how the USGS quad labels point 5162' as "Mt Phelps" and point 5535' as "McClain Peaks". That had messed me up when labeling my Anderson Lake pictures. Phelps looks pretty daunting in this shot.

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Randy
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Joined: 18 Dec 2001
Posts: 2910 | TRs | Pics
Location: Near the Siamangs
Randy
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PostMon Sep 16, 2002 11:20 am 
That picture is a great illustration of the routes we used. You can see the "gap" we ascended to at 5350' between the two highest points. The SW ridge is the ridge along the skyline and takes one all the way down to the saddle seperating Phelps and Little Phelps.

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