Lake Charles

Approach

From the Fulford Cave Campground hike SE on the Lake Charles Trail for 4.5 miles to the lake. Start the climb from the lake's inlet or continue on up the trail for one mile to Mystic Island Lake.

Route Description

Two easy routes are possible from Lake Charles.

Lake Charles:

Cross East Brush Creek upstream from the lake and head south for .5 miles towards the basin below the northwest face of the mountain. Pick a route around east side of the small lake and head for the saddle on the west ridge via some steep and loose scrambling. From the saddle head east for a third of a mile and 800 feet of elevation gain to the top.

Mystic Island Lake:

Head south from the lake's outlet and look for a grassy slope that leads to an obvious ramp contouring below the peak's steep east face. Follow the ramp as it ascends to the saddle on the southeast ridge. Traverse west from the saddle to avoid the worst difficulties of the ridge until the terrain relaxes and upward progress again becomes an option. 400 feet of easy scrambling leads to the summit.

Both options can be combined into a nice loop. Starting from Mystic Island Lake is the easier option as it avoids some tricky route finding that would be needed if going in the reverse direction.

Essential Gear

During summer conditions no specialized gear is needed. A pair of trekking poles is helpful on one steep section from Mystic Island Lake.

Winter conditions may call for skis or snowshoes along with appropriate avalanche gear.

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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