[Bloated Chipmunk]

Yes, another Mt. Maude TR. After reading Sadie's Driver's recent report, we had some good beta for tackling this lofty peak that's been on our list all summer. So, the boyz & I took off Monday morning under blue skies & made our way up the Chiwawa River Rd., arriving @ the TH to find amazingly few cars. This time we got the 1st parking spot.

Rock star parking

The boyz @ the TH

We made our way up the flat easy wide trail, spotting a bee/wasp/hornet nest along the way.

Nest

Then we came across a guy w/a llama, asking us if we had seen a white llama that got away from him. Evidently he & another hiker further up the trail had been walking along w/a bunch of llamas when a horse party came along & a horse spooked one of their llamas & it took off into the woods. We hadn't seen it, & wished him good luck. Further up the trail we came across his companion who had the llamas parked while they searched for the missing beast. We talked w/her for awhile & took some pics of the resting llamas.

Llamas

MM & a llama

Checking each other out

MM gets fresh w/one of the llamas

Llamas on the trail

We continued on up the trail & saw another nest of basketball proportions.

Another nest

We crossed Leroy Crk. & headed up the steep, unmaintained trail, snapping photos of the waterfall along the way. This trail is obviously well-traveled despite the fact it is unmaintained.

Wilderness sign

Todd crossing Leroy Crk.

Map

For an unmaintained trail, it's in decent shape

Falls

After many very steep & exhausting switchbacks, views open up to Leroy Crk. basin ahead. 7 Fingered Jack & Mt. Maude come into view. The trail eventually eases up & crosses the creek once again. Around this point we came across 2 hunters & a horse camped next to the trail. We went a bit further for a pit stop, @ which point Todd realized he forgot to pack TP.

Looking up toward Leroy Basin & Mt. Maude

Zoom of the Gully of Doom

The notch

7FJ

At the east end of the basin, the trail swings to the south & starts heading toward the "notch" SD referred to in her TR. It goes through a mix of larch & fir forest before crossing some rocks & reaching the infamous "Gully of Doom" - quite the impressive site. I would not want to be anywhere near that thing during a rock slide/avalanche/heavy rains. We walked downhill a bit to reach a slightly more shallow part of the gully, where Todd & MM put some effort into making a little trail across it. I'm sure this winter will wipe it out, but for any of you going before the storms hit, now you have a decent trail to use.

Looking up the Gully of Doom

MM makes a path up the other side

The boys build a path thru the gully

Looking down the Gully of Doom

The boyz above the trail they built

The boys crossing the Gully of Doom

Once across the Gully of Mass Destruction, we picked up the trail again a little higher up, continued traversing through rock & sparse trees, then climbed the short steep switchbacks to the notch/saddle of a side ridge.

Almost to the notch

Gnarly

7FJ

@ the top of this east-west running ridge, the trail splits. One goes straight ahead & one turns left. We turned left uphill, following the ridge until it reached a nasty loose rock slope. From here the trail is a little eroded & traverses the slope, then climbs more steeply @ the end to reach the ridge just above Upper Ice Lk. This last section of trail is steep, somewhat loose/eroded & exposed. We managed to pop up & over just around sunset, grateful that the lk. wasn't far below.

Upper Ice Lk.

Mt. Maude @ sunset

Sunset on Glacier Pk.

Sunset on Glacier Pk.

We descended into the basin, picking the 1st flat sandy spot to pitch camp. The temp was dropping quickly but the skies were still clear, affording for some nice stargazing. We had dinner & filtered water, & @ some point Todd realized that not only did he forget TP, he forgot to bring clean undies. The next morning we awoke to clear blue skies once again.

Todd's ancient stove

The boyz @ b'fast

The boyz @ b'fast

Maude in the morning

Upper Ice Lk. in the morning

After b'fast we headed up the south ridge of Mt. Maude. There is a trail of sorts & cairns placed along the way. The trail is pretty solid w/the exception of one spot just before regaining the ridge where it is steep & loose.

Todd w/big fanny pack

Heading up Maude

Fang

1 label

Looking back @ the tiny tents

MM coming up

Glacier Pk.

Glacier as seen from the base of Maude

Upon reaching the ridge, it is a simple walk-up to the summit. Near the top we discovered that the best way is to round the left side a bit to avoid any unnecessary scrambling, but really it doesn't matter much. The summit is in view almost the whole time & it's easy to see where you need to go.

Just a walk-up

Todd heading up

Glacier Pk.

The views from the top are amazing - peaks in every direction. We signed the register, had a snack, & snapped lots of photos. Lots of familiar names in the register.

5 labels

Views from the top

Views from the top

7FJ & Mt. Fernow

N. & S. Spectacle Buttes

3 labels

View NE

1 label

View east

5 labels

View SE

1 label

Our tiny camp below

6 labels

Spider Gap & beyond

4 labels

N. & S. Spectacle Buttes

5 labels

Looking over to 7FJ

5 labels

View west - Mt. Pugh, 3F, Mt.. Bullon, Whitehorse Mtn.

Dome Pk.

5 labels

View south

Glacier Pk.

Upper Ice Lk. & Ice Crk. valley

Distant Stuart & others

It felt pretty good to be on top of a 9000' mtn., w/none of that ugly white stuff no less!

Nixon pose

BC on top of Maude

BC on top of Maude

After a leisurely stay on top, we eventually headed down to leave some time for exploring the lks. before it was time to return to camp. We bypassed our tents & headed for the shores of Upper Ice Lk., & were satisfied w/our view of Lower Ice Lk. from the summit. Yes, I'm sure some of you will insist that we should've checked out the lower lk., but I guess we were lazy.

Heading down

Todd does cairn reinforcement

MM

Looking back up

Heading down

View east

Orange lichen

Upper Ice Lk. & the buttes

MM coming down

Stripes

Upper Ice Lk. & Pt. 7746'

Ice Lk.

Ice Lk.

Reflection of N. Spectacle Butte on Ice Lk.

Ice Lk.

Colors

MM @ nice campsite w/a bench

Lk. outlet

Camp on the other side

Moss

Content w/our explorations, we headed back up to camp. After we got there, Todd asked "Where are my poles?" I thought for a bit & then told him I remember seeing them on the summit, but not sure about after that. MM looked through his pictures of the hike down, & noted that Todd didn't have his poles on the way down. D'oh! They were still up there, a good 1700' above. 1st the TP, then the undies, now the poles. Sheesh! MEN! There wasn't enough daylight that afternoon for Todd to go back up to get them so he opted to get up a couple hrs. early the following morning to retrieve them. Consequently, he got some good sunrise pics. He also re-signed the register.

Dawn @ Ice Lk.

Dawn @ Ice Lk.

Good Morning, poles

Glacier Pk. Sunrise

Simmering Ice Lk. Morning

Meanwhile, MM & I started b'fast back @ camp, & began packing up. Todd returned w/his poles & made his own b'fast.

Last morning @ camp

Once we were all ready, we headed the short distance back up the ridge & down the other side, which was sketchier going down than it was going up, or @ least it seemed that way after I took a fall. Near the end of the rock traverse, we came across 2 trekking poles left in a somewhat odd location. One was a few feet off the trail, & the other was several feet below that in a small gully. It didn't quite look like someone had just sat down for a break & accidentally left them there, so we worried that someone may have fallen. We shouted out & looked around but didn't find anyone. MM retrieved the poles, we hiked down the trail a bit, then used binocs to scan the area above & below where we found the poles but didn't see anything.

Last look @ Upper Ice Lk.

Last look @ Maude

Looking back @ the ridge

After we reached the notch, me made pretty good time heading down. We saw a very bloated chipmunk along the way.

Fat-bellied chipmunk

Crossing the rock slope

The clouds were rolling in & we could see there'd be a change in the weather; showers were to start that evening but hopefully after we were off the trail. We had a snack in the basin, chatted w/the hunters again (no success getting any deer) & headed back down to the main trail, thankful to have a easy flat path under our feet.

Heading down the steep Leroy Crk. trail

Falls

Another nest

Another sophisticated map

Back @ the TH, the llama peeps had posted a sign for the lost beast. Hope they find him. MM also posted a note about the poles we found, but no takers yet. Great peak & great company, once again!

[Magellan]

Nice report, nice trail work, nice pictures.

You look pretty happy right here

[EastKing]

Good job all of you!! Nice pics!!

[ale_capone]

[Bloated Chipmunk]

Yay! Glad the lost llama was found.

[Presto]

Wow, that's really great about finding the lost llama! On the other hand (or shall I say "on the other END"), the lack of TP and clean underwear ... Better luck next time with that!

[harrymalamute]

that is good news about the llama, you peeps just might get addicted to altitude if you keep going to the high places. i need to get me some trail builders to go hiking with me. todd next time trick em and don't wear any undies.

[MountainMan]

My Maude Pics:

Llama

BC and Llama

BC and Llama

Llamas

Leroy Creek Falls

Seven Fingered Jack

Gentian

7 Finger Jack and Maude from Leroy Basin

Approaching Gully Of Doom.

Gully Of Doom

On the other side!

First notch/saddle.

Almost to the first saddle.

Looking up at second saddle above Ice Lakes.

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

Camp

Upper Ice lake

Ridge and Maude from our camp,

Headed up

Looking back at camp.

BC headed up Maude.

Chipmunk

Made it!

Summit register

Todd, BC and MM on Mt. Maude.

Us on Mt. Maude.

Maude 1

Maude 2

Maude 3

Maude 4

Clark to Glacier

Glacier Pk. from Maude

7 Fingered Jack

Pyramid Mtn.

Duncan Hill

Ponds

Lower Ice Lake

Buckskin Mtn.

Dome Peak

Old Gib and Carne Mtn.

Upper Ice lake

Todd

Me

BC

BC relaxing

Looking down

Bivy spot near the summit

The Summit

Tents zoomed

Orange Lichen

Maude over Ice Lake

Nice Ice Lk camp site.

Upper Ice Lake reflection

S Spectacle reflection

Me at Upper Ice Lake.

BC at Upper Ice Lake.

Blue/green

Glissading

Outlet Pond

Camp

Heading out

Looking down from saddle.

Ptarmigan

Chipmunk

Pika

Marmot

Marmot

Marmot

BC coming down the Leroy Creek Trail.

Mushroom

Lots of cars on a Wednesday.