The 3.5 mile hike from the Esmeralda Basin/Ingalls Way Trailhead (~4200') to Ingalls Pass (~6500') is basically snow-free.
There is still enough snow in Headlight Basin to make it difficult to follow the trail over toward Ingalls Lake... so we alternated between rock and snow as we worked our way over toward the lake... eventually getting our first view of the lake at ~6700 feet... where we continued up toward the Dogtooth Crags in the saddle (~7350') between the south and north summits of Ingalls Peak.
Crossing over to the west side of the saddle we found a snow-free Class 2/3 gully that got us past the north-side-crux of the south summit... leaving an easy 150 foot gain up to the summit (7640').
Outstanding views from the summit.
After a short visit on top, we descended a Class 2/3 gully on the south side of the summit as we worked our way down to the ridge that connects South Ingalls with Fortune Peak... went around one easy rock outcropping... then around the west side of a gnarly rock outcropping that involved some Class 3 climbing... before deciding that enough was enough and choosing to get back on snow for the descent back into Headlight Basin... where we chose to take a slightly higher route on our return to Ingalls Pass... leaving the easy 3.5 mile trail hike back to the car.
~8.5 miles roundtrip, gaining ~3800 feet of elevation.
We used our ice axes for the descent from the South Ingalls/Fortune ridge into Headlight Basin... carried spikes, but did not use them.
Saw 6 goats in Headlight Basin.
IMO, the climbing photos in both of the Class 2/3 gullies tend to exaggerate the exposure.
Maps and photos of our trip to South Ingalls Peak.
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"Teanaway 70" Peaks List... a guide to hiking and scrambling in the Teanaway Area.
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"Teanaway 70" Peaks List... a guide to hiking and scrambling in the Teanaway Area.
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"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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Here's a few more pics.
Enjoyed your photos and TR.