Mount Defiance 2017-06-05

This was Blue's last big hike.

10.1 miles and 4,334 feet of elevation.

Great day for a hike with 'see forever' views at the top.  Lost the trail in the snow at around 4,700 feet of elevation and just headed for the ridge.  The snow was compacted spring snow that was hard to get a footing with microspikes, crampons would have been the best.  Once we made it to the ridge the trail was visible for a short distance.  Rather than trying to guess were the trail is, we just kept going up the ridge.  This wasn't too bad until close to the top were it was difficult to kick steps into the snow and I had to grip my trekking  pole at the tip and use it as an ice axe. 

 

Google Maps link

Sly enjoying the waters of Mason Creek close to the start.

The "underpass" to get through an area with several downed trees.

Mason Lake is still partially covered with ice.

Lost the trail at around 4,700 ft.

Climbing up the ridge

At the top

Great views

 

Bandera Mountain with Mason Lake at the base.  The white stop before Mason Lake is Little Mason Lake.  Lake Kulla Kulla is on the left.

Enjoying a water break on the way down the old trail.

 Blue trying to pose on the Mason Creek bridge.

Almost back to the car.

Putrid Pete's Peak - Mt Defiance Loop 2015-07-23

8.38 miles and 3,998 feet of elevation gain.

Putrid Pete's Peak a.k.a. P3. This was the second time for the loop.  I had forgotten how much scrambling was involved once you are almost out of the trees.  It seems like I was always grabbing something to help me up the hill, I'm sure age had nothing to do with it.  The boys didn't have any problems.

There were low clouds when we started and we hike into them once we gained some elevation.  We met a couple of guys coming down in the fog and they said it was fogged in at the peak.  Fortunately, a breeze came up after we arrived at the peak and it cleared up on the north side of the ridge.

Google Maps link

On the trail

You can't keep a good tree down.

Can't see very far but the ridge is getting narrow so we are getting closer.

P3

Looking down the north side of the ridge to Spider Lake.

 The ridge over to Mt Defiance which is hidden by the clouds.

Looking back at P3 just barely visible on the right.

No views from the top of Mt Defiance.

pub 3/27/2016

Mount Defiance 2014-09-16

10.13 miles and 4,414 feet of elevation gain.

Decided to hike the whole mountain, so we started from the freeway. 

Google Maps Link

Blue's full name is Blue Longtongue

Looking down on the freeway exit we started from.

At the top

I'm not sure why Blue has his whole mouth stuck in the water, fishing?

Mount Defiance 2013-08-16

We started from the Ira Springs trail head, 9.7 miles and 3,950 feet of elevation gain.  We went up the old trail and came down the new trail.

One time we were at this trail head on a nice sunny weekend and almost didn't make it out of the parking area.  The parking area had filled up while we were hiking, and people started parking on BOTH sides of the SINGLE lane gravel road leading to the parking area. At one point the driver's side mirror just missed a car and at the same time the passenger side mirror passed over the top of a car's mirror. 

At the junction of the Thompson Lake trail and the boot path up to the summit of Mt Defiance.  Putrid Pete's Peak is the first point on the ridge in the back ground.  You can make a loop by going up a boot path on the left side of the ridge to Pete's and then follow the top of the ridge over to Thompson Lake trail by Mt Defiance.    

Looking down on Mason Lake and Little Mason Lake.

 Mt Rainier in the clouds.

On top of Mt Defiance looking towards the Stuart Range. 

Revolution Peak is on the right and the cabin we went to on our last attempt is the little white dot on the left side at the end of the old road.

Looking south at Kent's Court, Duke of Kent. Mt Kent, and McClellan Butte.

Looking back up to Mt Defiance during our descent on the new trail.

Mount Defiance 4-14-2012

We started at Ira Spring trail head.  In summer, this trail head is a zoo and to be avoided.  But in winter, hardly anyone goes there because the dirt road to the trail head is many feet of snow.  Today, we saw 2 people who were going to Bandera.  It was only 7.5 miles but hard 3,435 ft of elevation gain.  

Crossing the snow covered boulder filed to Mason Lake.  You can access it through the old Mason Lake trail.  Can you see our tracks?  We were the only ones today.

Climbing the boulder field to Mt. Defiance.  Summer trail is all snow covered.  The best way up is to hike straight up.  McCllelan Butte behind.

View east from the summit

Champ

Trio at at the peak with view west.  Putrid Peat's Peak and West Defiance on the left.

 We did not see any one today, except at the trail head.  We stayed close to the tree line on going up the avalanche field.  Snow was getting slushy as we came down.   It was very steep and we had lots of fun running up and down the steep slopes.