East face

Approach

Approach from Lost Lake (see Mountaineer Peak main page). Cross the creek northwest of Lost Lake and find a passage through the willow thicket on the otherside.

Route Description

-Scramble 1000 feet up smooth rock slabs to the basin of Mountaineer Lake. Go towards the climber's left side of the lower, flatter rock to the left of the taller rock pillar. The slabs are wet and slippery in places, but are otherwise mellow.
-Drop into the boulder field and walk along the southwest shore of the lake. The large boulders might have snow that could fill the gaps between boulders or make unstable snow bridges, so be careful.
-Climb out of the lake basin and start up the snow on the far climber's-right side of the face. This section is moderately steep but relatively safe from avalanche/rock fall. Continue to the base of the terraced cliffs. Here, one must cross under the cliffs, which are exposed to avalanche/rock fall.
-Traverse to the narrow, 40-50 foot, diagonal couloir that goes up and left through the cliffs. This could be sketchy depending on snow conditions, but is easy to climb. From the top of the couloir, it is straight up to the summit ridge.
-Descend by the same route

Essential Gear

Ice axe is the only pro we used, but a rope and crampons might be a good idea if the snow is hard/icy. In October 2003, we brought crampons, but left them at Mountaineer Lake because the top layer of snow was deep/soft enough that we did not need them and probably would not have been able to use them. We also brought a rope, but only used it once and it was an unnecessary, tangled mess. But I would still bring all those things if I go back.
Snow pro (like deadmans and pickets) are probably not needed, especially when it might be more important to be speedy and get off the mountain before storm/avalanche time.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.

Images

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