[b00]

round+alpine lookout+round mt 4-6-2014 aka round and a round again :>)

alpine look-ouuuuuuuuuuuut!

big group, big fun. of course there was the big email discussions going on before the trip as folks thrashed about for the choices of destinations. iron and i both were both a little worried about alpine lookout as the trail approached from the south and we did not want to ascend the obviously dangerous avy terrain. fortunately with regards to avy danger, we were able to avoid it by finding a nice ridge route to the summit.

getting around to it on round mt

we parked the cars two miles before the trailhead.

the obligatory discussions about routing ensued as we moved along. a memorable moment for me was when we were early in the trip and i looked over at gabriel as the others were expressing their opinions about which way to go, and i just knew that he had come to the same realization as me - just about any way would work, so just let the others how had stronger opinions decide.

we smiled. once we got moving, it was great chatting with one person then moving on and chatting with another. so many fun conversations, so little time :>)

the route was obvious - follow the road or bisect the road to the trailhead, follow trail to round mt, do the large group, long break on round mt, follow trail and then take alpine lookout east ridge to finish at the lookout.

on the way down, eric and i both commented how happy we were with this choice of peaks and how it was so cool that they were not ones we would have thought of ourselves for this weekend.

if was so fun to get out with so many nice people. 12.82mi 5265' gain 2:58 car to round mt summit 0:28 summit stay 2:15 round mt summit to alpine lookout 0:25 summit stay 1:54 alpine lookout to round mt summit 0:08 summit stay 1:30 round mt summit to car 9:38 car to car equipment: snowshoes, ice axe, (brought but did not use: crampons)

ps to lindsay - thanks for the great cookies:>)

[Roly Poly]

Nice.

[Magellan]

Sounds great!

[iron]

great report wood. i'm glad you captured my most flattering pose...

[n16ht5]

nice report, looks like a party up there

[raising3hikers]

thanks everyone for the fun trip and company. awesome cookies lindsay!

[Matt]

Date: April 6, 2014 Party: GeoTom, Dicey, Iron, r3h, Lindsay, Gabriel, Suzanne R, mtnmike, Matt Destination: Round Mtn 5800 & Alpine Lookout 6235 (USGS Lake Wenatchee) We went east to escape the clouds and rain. The drive was rainy almost to the last mile. Then just before the Nason rest stop, the skies cleared. Round Mountain We were able to drive only 0.9 miles up Road 6910, where it had been plowed for private landowners. For the rest of the way to the Round Mtn trailhead, we cut most of switchbacks, since it's easy open terrain for hiking. That reduced what would have been about 4 miles of road walk to only 2 miles of mostly off-road walking. Then we followed trail, snow and ridge up to Round Mtn. Weather was mostly sunny on the way up, but clouds hung on the higher ridge crest.

One of the places we left the road

Back on the road, having walked only about half the marked distance

Silliness at trailhead

Colorful at trailhead

Going up the silver forest

Foggy/snowy on the ridge crest

Questionable summit decoration

Group near Round Mtn summit

Alpine Lookout Six of us decided to continue two Alpine Lookout, 2.5 miles further along the ridge. Clouds covered the crest most of the way, but then it was sunny at the end. The undulating crest looked like it would be a fine view hike in clear weather. The final col before the lookout had some steep cliffs and cornices. Up on to was mostly sunny. Distant clouds lifted enough to give views of Buck Mountain and the Maude group.

Some grounded cornices along the way

The last col before Alpine Lookout

Alpine Lookout

Group at the lookout

Me at the lookout

Looking across Lake Wenatchee to Buck & Maude

View further west toward Howard & Mastiff

Exit Along our way out, the weather became clear and sunny. Snow on the ridge packed down firmly, but the top foot was getting very soft on the open slopes in the silver forest.

Sunlit cornices at the col

Mis-use of trekking poles

Sunshine on the crest

Looking off the east end of Nason Ridge

Descending the silver forest

GPS seems to overstate the odometer

Stats: 14 miles, 5450 gain, 9:45 hours

[GeoTom]

More of the same, but different:

Carla disappears behind a snag

Silver forest

The frogs made a new friend

Small trees and snag

Hikers

Full set: Round Mountain & Alpine Lookout; April 6, 2014

[iron]

more of the different, but the same...

in the middle of the forest, on the ridge, we came across a hole that was at least 10ft deep, if not more. never seen anything like that before, though snowking, i'm told, is similar.