[neek]

I had done Big Snow from Myrtle Lake about 10 years ago and have wanted to try the more standard (but longer) Hardscrabble approach since. Left Seattle at 8:50am and got to the Dutch Miller parking area at 10:30. The new pavement on the first half of the Middle Fork Road is so smooth! The second half is rough as always, high clearance mandatory. Biked the 7-mile gated section of the road and got to the trailhead at an obvious pullout at noon. The trail was easy to follow most of the way to the lower lake, with not too much blowdown. The talus section was well marked with cairns. Got to the lake at 1pm with patchy snow around the talus making for some treacherous holes. I stuck to the rock as much as possible. The start of the route to the upper lake, just to the left of the waterfall, is marked with some giant cairns. From here snow was intermittent and there seemed to be a number of vague paths. Got to the upper lake at 2pm, skirted it on the left, and headed up, maybe slightly too soon, as some veggie belays were necessary. It was mostly solid snow from here up to the gap at 5760' that provides access to the north side of the ridge that leads to the summit and forms the upper curve of this giant question mark shaped route. I climbed Pt 6131 thinking it was part of the ridge but should have just gone around the north side. Eventually I hopped up to the crest of the ridge and briefly had to walk along the knife edge snow. It was fairly soft though and the slopes are mild. Made it to the summit at 4pm and hung out for a bit. Had a leisurely descent, reaching my bike around 7pm. Rattled a few brain cells loose on the ride down, which took less than an hour. A thoroughly enjoyable day, and with the cloud cover I didn't even get sunburned.

1. Lower Hardscrabble Lake

2. Upper Hardscrabble Lake

3. South ridge of Big Snow

4. Overcoat, Lemah

5. Gold Lake, I think

6. Otter Point, Hinman, Daniel, Bears Breast. That bump on the left might be Wild Goat

7. NE Ridge

8. Overcoat, Chimney, Lemah, Chikamin

9. Hester Lake

10. Dorothy Lake

11. Rainier

12. Point 6131

13. Summit Chief

14. Waterfall

15. Maybe Burnt Boot in the distance

16. Tempting to go NNW from lower Hardscrabble but it probably doesn't go

17. Waterfall

[GaliWalker]

[Distel32]

[zephyr]

[NorDub]

Wow beautiful photos! I did a much tamer hike up the middle fork trail recently, but agree, the new road is awesome (at least as far as it goes). Is there much area to camp at the hardscrabble lakes?

[awilsondc]

Awesome trip! I really liked this area. Nice photos.

[Backpacker Joe]

Great report and pics. Thanks for the beta Neek.

[puzzlr]

Nice work doing all that in a day from the Dingford trailhead. Two days earlier I was pulling Scotch Broom in that wide spot in the road where the trail starts -- maybe you noticed the big piles we left there. RE "16. Tempting to go NNW from lower Hardscrabble but it probably doesn't go" -- I've wondered that myself many times. Great photos. That bump on the left is Wild Goat in the photo where you wondered about it.

[neek]

[hikerbiker]

[GC99]

Great job! We were across the valley a few days before and were wondering what it looked like up there this time of year.

[cartman]

Strong work, and thanks for doing Excelsior with me today so I could test my foot.

[ONELUV1]

[Backpacker Joe]

Picture 10. Is that Myrtle lake in the lower left?

[DIYSteve]

Luv that route. Good on you for doing it as a day trip out of Dingford. Yup, pic 5 is Gold Lake.