Easy Way is a named ski route on the Northwest Face of Telegraph Peak. For the purposes of this page, the name will also be used for this route when climbed. This route is best climbed when skiing would be a poor idea. A ski descent on the same day would be an excellent idea, if one descends the broad and easy West Face (not southwest face) to Thunder, and from Thunder back to the notch/lifts, or Big Butch Gulch to Manker Flats, if conditions permit. This would cut down on time spent on the mountain.

Ze Route, and amazing summit flag

The Northwest Face of Telegraph peak offers a multitude of nice, short alpine routes, all around 400 meters in length, and steepening to about 60 degrees, with loose traditional mixed climbing available.

Climbing this face when conditions are thin, with lots of rock showing in the couloirs, is not suggested. This is a very chossy face, typical of the San Gabriels.

Getting There

The most direct route is to simply take the road to the summit of Thunder Mountain, and then head directly east down onto the saddle between Thunder and Telegraph. From that saddle, heading north at the saddle's altitude/elevation will have you walking directly along the face. If conditions are acceptable, simply pick your route up from the various shallow couliors.

The second route involves following the San Antonio Falls / Baldy road up to Baldy notch, and northeast where it continues and connects to Stockton Flat road, in Lytle Creek.

From Stockton Flat, look for COldwater Canyon on your map. This face is at the end of Coldwater Canyon.

If following the 3-T's trail, simply move up to the saddle between Thunder and Telegraph, which the trail runs along. From there, you can move direclty onto the face, and climb straight up.

Route Description

The majority of the route, including all below the Telegraph-Thunder saddle, is an easy snowclimb. Once you enter into the constricted couloirs, the route steepens to 45 degrees overall, with several spots up to 55 degrees. Hard alpine and water ice is common up closer to the summit (up to 10cm thick in April 2008). Expect prime avalanche conditions with deep, loose powder early in the season. Mid-spring on a good snow year (such as 2007-2008) offers some ice, and good supportive snow.

Steepness of bottom half of route

One can skip 240 meters of snow climbing by moving onto the face below the "fun stuff" from Telegraph-Thunder saddle at 8200ft. All below this point is a easy-moderate snow climb, with the substance above.

Looking into the top half

Suggested and Essential Gear

-=Protected=-
Light alpine rack:
-Full range of nuts
-Several hexes or cams up to 3in range
-3-4 36-48in runners for trees
-Several "stubby" (+/-10cm) ice screws
-1-2 pickets, shorter rather than longer, overall.
-60m or longer twin ropes
-1x Mountaineering axe
-1x Mid-range ice tool (Ex: Black Diamond Venom)

*The best protection on this face in prime conditions, not counting trees, would be from shorter ice screws, backed-up.
*The best overall protection on this route in any condition comes from the trees.
*I would feel that a set of your average ice tools would not be at home here. One can do this with one tool, easily, but if there is an abundance of hard alpine ice, two tools overall would be an assistance.

-=Essential Gear=-
-Mountaineering Axe
-Steel crampons
-Helmet

*Windproof lightweight outergarments are helpful, as this face often recieves very strong winds (60mph+), and whiteout.

External Links

San Gabriel Mountains Discussion Forum

Weather from Mt Baldy Notch at 7800'

Wind graph from Baldy Notch