Trip Report
Alpine Scramble - Wahpenayo Peak, Denman Peak Traverse
A perfect fall trip plus a great workout at ~15 miles and ~5000’. This gorgeous traverse spanned a huge variety of multicolored terrain (meadows, summits, tarns/lakes, waterfalls, river crossings), with the Wonderland Trail gently escorting us back to the cars at the end of a long day.
Dave Morgan
- Sat, Sep 11, 2021
- Alpine Scramble - Wahpenayo Peak
- Chutla, Eagle & Wahpenayo Peaks
- Scrambling
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Zero snow. Cooler temperatures gave us substantial amounts of brush laden morning dew and helped us appreciate the utility of rain gear, even with a precipitation free forecast:
(By Tianming Chen)
We headed out at 6:40 AM from Longmire (elevation 2760’) for some brisk early morning hiking using the Eagle Peak trail. Our cross country travel began at ~5000’, traversing talus, light brush and meadows to finally emerge into stunning sunshine at 5700’:
A short time later found us on the summit of Wahpenayo Peak (elevation 6231):
A key part of this traverse is descending to meadows on the southern aspect of Wahpenayo, then turning the corner northwards at ~5900’…
…for a talus traverse that included a berry eating Bear (at a respectful distance):
(By Tianming Chen)
On our way to an important cross country section (leading to the outlet of Cliff Lake)…
…we took a brief break at a gorgeous tarn:
(By Tianming Chen)
We followed the eastern shore of stunning Cliff Lake…
…then ascended a meadowed line towards Denman Peak:
(By Max Parsons)
A great spot to catch your breath is the boot track trail at ~5800’, with a last chance to review the day’s route so far:
After summiting Denman Peak (and shortly before reaching the Pinnacle Peak trail) we saw the eastern Tatoosh Range peaks with Mount Adams in the distance:
There were surprisingly few folks on the Pinnacle Peak trail, but the Reflection Lakes parking area had plenty of people. The world class Wonderland trail made our ~6 mile hike back to the cars a great way to end the day, with a final bit of excitement as we crossed the Nisqually River:
An outstanding fall trip with lots of diverse scenery and time to forget the cares of lowland life. Our total time was just under 12 hours, with ~4 hours from Longmire to Wahpenayo Peak and ~4 hours from Wahpenayo Peak to Denman Peak. Photos from this (and other ) trips to this venue can be seen here.