Hike in to Lower Ice Lake
I apparently couldn’t get enough of driving the Phelps Creek Road this summer, so I braved the endless miles of sharp rocks yet again, this time for a solo outing of South Spectacle Butte. There was some haze in the skies from wildfires, and I was hoping it wouldn’t impair the experience too much.
The climb up the Leroy Creek trail is steep, especially with an overnight pack in the middle of the afternoon on a hot day. I was sweating pretty good by the time I reached the basin and took a quick break before setting off on the high route to Ice Lakes. Side note: does anyone know if the Box Creek route is a more efficient way of getting to Ice Lakes? It obviously cuts down on the distance, but I’m not sure whether it would be faster than the standard approach via Leroy Creek.
Before long I was descending the rubble-covered slope down to the lakes. Even under hazy skies, the lakes were still shimmering, and I was excited about the prospect of camping on the shores of the lower lake. I negotiated a steep class 3 bit near the outlet of the upper lake, which I was familiar with after a previous trip to the area. This brought me down to a picturesque little pool with a small waterfall pouring into it. From there, after some more steep terrain, I had an enjoyable stroll past another small, shallow lake and meadows, before finally reaching the lower lake.
It was a great spot to spend the night. No other people were there on a summer weekend, and I found a great spot to pitch the tent on a small peninsula which extended into the lake. I toyed with the idea of scrambling up North Spectacle Butte for sunset, but laziness took over and I instead enjoyed a relaxing evening watching the colors reflecting on the water change as the sun went down.
South Spectacle Climb
I got started at a reasonable hour the next morning and began the steep descent from the lower lake basin down into the Ice Creek valley. I left the rough bootpath at about 6500’ and lost a bit more elevation before beginning a traverse that followed the 6400’ contour almost exactly. Arguably the crux of South Spectacle is a big ditch/gully that is made of hardpan dirt and rock on each side. I was able to edge my feet into the sides and gingerly cross, but I could see it posing an issue for some parties if you don’t pick the right place to cross.
From here it was more easy travel again until reaching the base of the ridge. The ridge eventually steepens, and climbers must pass multiple gendarmes to reach the summit. The first bit was some annoying, tedious loose rock, before coming to the first gendarme, which was easily passed on the climber’s right. After one more gendarme, the trickiest passage reveals itself. Some call this part class 4, but I found the traverse to be very chill, if exposed. I would call it easy, but consequential, class 3. Once past this barrier, the most solid and fun scrambling of the whole mountain awaits in the last few hundred feet to the summit.
The summit views were hazy but still quite nice, especially looking back towards Ice Lakes and the big faces of Maude and Fernow. I took my time savoring the scenery, before descending back exactly the way I came. Passing all the gendarmes was just as chill on the way back and I managed to find the same spot to cross the gully/ditch.
I cruised back into Lower Ice Lake in good spirits and had enough time for a swim in the dare I say it - icy – waters.
Hike Out
I decided to hike out the same way I came in, which meant going out of my way back towards Leroy Basin. Until I know more about the Box Creek route, I figured the more established trail was going to make for the quickest exit for me. All went smoothly and I was back at the familiar trailhead before long, happy to have checked another fun climb off the list.
Final Stats: 21.5 miles / 7554 feet of gain
Comments