Trip type: scramble
Elevation gain: approx. 3,600 feet
Car-to-car time: 10 hours 2 minutes
USGS quad: Stevens Pass
In area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Trip Organizer: The Mountaineers Scrambling Committee
We parked on Road 6095 on the hairpin turn where Highway 2 meets Tunnel Creek. Except for the first 50 feet the road was completely snow-covered.
We hiked the road to the Tunnel Creek Trailhead (trail #1061) and then wandered on and off the snow-obscured trail through open, old-growth forest. At Hope Lake started turning south then SW following the same path the PCT follows along the east ridge of K9.
Soon we started getting great views of what I think are Thor Peak and Nimbus Peak. Bulls Tooth and its subsidiary peaks, Lux Peak, and Lumiere ridge also started making appearances at this point.
As we traversed on the south side of the ridge we crossed many open avalanche slopes until we were SE of K9. Here we headed north up a steep gulley then through open slopes and into the clouds that enclosed the summit of K9.
On the descent we followed the SE ridge of K9 to the basin at 5,200', which was a very pleasant way to descend. From the basin we traversed east and rejoined our ascent route.
References
- Winter guide book: Winter Climbs: One Day Ascents (out of print)
Travel Times
Car-to-car time: 10 hours 2 minutes
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