Alpine Lakes High Route centers around West Fork Foss River and Necklace Valley in Alpine Lakes Wilderness. From Malachite Peak to Tank Lakes to Mount Hinman, it harbors the most rugged terrain of the Central Cascades.
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Alpine Lakes High Route at a Glance
High Route = Malachite Peak + Turquoise Peak + Camp Robber Peak + Tourmaline Peak + Wild Goat Peak + Iron Cap Mountain II + Otter Point + La Bohn Peak + Mount Hinman + Saint Agnes Ridge + Atrium Peak
高路線=孔雀石峯+綠松石峯+灰噪鴉峯+電氣石峯+野山羊峯+鐵蓋山之二+水瀨高點+拉邦峯+辛曼山+聖艾格尼絲脊+中庭峯
Access: West Fork Foss Lakes Trailhead
Round Trip: 43.4 miles
Elevation Range: 1600′-7492′
Gear: helmet
Route Info: Jerry Stein, Outside & Stuff
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no
Common Theme: krummholz, damp rocks
Friday, October 1
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4
Malachite Peak + Turquoise Peak + Peak 5812 East 5500′ Meadow Camp
Return to Alpine Lakes Wilderness
The trip took six years after the pups and my first visit in 2015. Back then, two friends had invited me along on a similar traverse. But I wanted to spend some time with the late black lab during the shutdown of the North Cascades Highway.
The popularity of this place has outgrown its size with the rise of social media. But now that the high season has ended, it was an ideal time to revisit before the snowfall. Best of all, the weather cooperated most of the time, with just a handful of people around.
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Alpine Lakes High Route: Malachite Peak
I embarked on my four-day trip at 6 AM with two other cars at the trailhead. Later, after going through the flat trail in the forest, I reached serene Trout Lake. Then, past the empty camp, I went up the switchbacks to Lake Malachite’s outlet.
I soon left the path before the bridge and headed northwest into the trees. The small rock fields in the open forest helped to keep me from sliding on the steep, slick terrain. At 4000′, I broke into the open and went through some talus.
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South Route on Malachite Peak
Past the rocks at 4600′ was the dense forest I couldn’t avoid. Then I went north-northwest and spent the next 800′ zigzagging my way through the brush and slide alder. I even tried hugging the headwall off the south ridge, hoping to find a more pleasant way.
The terrain later expanded at 5400′ and would be so for the rest of the trip. After more scree, I reached the 5800′ south notch and saw my next goal, Turquoise Peak, to the south. Then I continued below the summit ridge to the west notch at 6040′.
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Finishing Final Stretch From the North
Going straight up the west ridge from the notch is tempting without paying attention. I checked out several spots but didn’t like the wet rocks over the exposure. Then, I returned to the saddle and moved a short way north of the crest.
Despite the dampness, the shady side looked way better. From there, a ramp brought me higher up on the crest. A short, exposed class 3 section then took me through the grassy slope up to the summit.
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Viewing From Malachite Peak Summit
Malachite Peak was my only concern on the itinerary, as I’d decided to leave the rope behind. But to my surprise, it was at most exposed class 3 on the snow-free terrain. Then everything after this climb would be tamer.
The quiet summit gave much-needed solace from the everyday chaos. The only sounds I heard were the overhead ravens. To the east were some places the pups and I had visited. But I bet they were glad not to come on this trip.
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Alpine Lakes High Route: Turquoise Peak
My second stop on the Alpine Lakes High Route, Turquoise Peak, sat less than a mile away. Soon, back on the south notch, I slowly dropped onto the southwest rock gully. I avoided the adjacent timbered slope with hard dirt and slick duff.
Below the joining ridgeline was a massive rock field that required much work to traverse. So, I went up Turquoise Peak’s north side through light brush and broad talus. At 5600′, I took the steep northeast ridge while battling some krummholz en route.
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Turquoise Peak Summit Views
The day went by so fast! When I reached the top, the sunset was only an hour away. That also meant my plan of traversing to Camp Robber Peak today was too ambitious. But, for now, I needed to find a place to crash.
Malachite Peak looked more impressive from this side than from Silver Eagle Peak. Glancing south, it looked like quite a way to Tourmaline Peak. Mount Hinman, the last of my goals for this trip, also looked way out of reach.
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Traversing South Ridge to Camp One
After surveying the broken south ridge, I knew I needed to bypass the top to descend. So, I worked through several slab gullies plus more krummholz from the west. Then I returned to the crest by the cliffs above Hinter Lake Basin at 5600′.
From the saddle, I continued south just as the daylight slowly dwindled. But shortly before dark, a series of cliffs above Lake Malachite stopped me in my tracks. So I called it a day and bivvied in the east meadow below Point 5812.
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Saturday, October 2
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4
Camp Robber Peak + Tourmaline Peak + Wild Goat Peak + Point 5880 NE Saddle Camp
Resuming the High Route Southbound
The following day, I poked around the cliffs and found a way down via—you guessed it—more krummholz. It was smooth sailing at first until midway through the descent. There, I encountered an awkward, tall step that forced me to take off my pack first.
But as I lowered the pack onto the platform below me, it tipped over and started rolling down the ledges. “Crap,” I thought as I watched the bag tumble onto the rock field a hundred feet below. So I quickly downclimbed and recovered it from the talus.
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Alpine Lake High Route: Camp Robber Peak
Amazingly, the only thing I smashed was the sunglasses; everything else stayed intact. So grateful! I soon continued south atop Malachite Lake and saw a lone tent by the outlet. From here, Malachite Peak looked even more striking.
I traversed below east of the broken crest between 5200′ and 5400′ without obstacles. Then, I encountered more cliffs to bypass beyond the ridge between Lake Malachite and Copper Lake. Again, I was able to continue with the help of more krummholz.
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Traversing Scree and Granite Rocks
As I neared the top of Little Heart Lake, the big rocks slowly turned into granite slabs. The small ponds and the slabs reminded me of the Robin Lakes area. It was the most enjoyable part of the traverse.
The last group of cliffs was over Big Heart Lake’s west shore. I went above it via a ramp by the headwall until I reached the grassy area. Above the heather was a broad rock field that took a while to hop through before the rocky summit.
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Viewing From Camp Robber Peak Summit
Wow, I was a long way from Turquoise Peak! But the views certainly offset the tedious traverse. The last time I saw the stunning Summit Chief Mountain and Chimney Rock was through the wildfire smoke. But I was able to appreciate their sheer beauty on this clear day.
There’s a reason the wilderness got its name: Alpine Lakes. So far, I’ve seen at least three lakes from the summits I’ve visited. And that didn’t even include the tiny ones west of here in Camp Robber Valley. So glad for the decent weather.
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Alpine Lake High Route: Tourmaline Peak
The way to my next goal, Tourmaline Peak, was pretty straightforward. Like Camp Robber Peak, I only had to contend with the massive boulders below the top. But I’ll take those rocks over the scree to the north any day.
Going down required me to hop through steep boulders. Then I hugged the headwall at 5800′ to the northwest saddle and went through more krummholz over the northwest ridge. But a dirt ramp below the west would also have worked.
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Tourmaline Peak Summit Views
The top also offered an open view of three big lakes: Big Heart, Angeline, and Chetwoot. Pressing for time, I limited my visit to half an hour like the other summits. But that still wasn’t enough time to savor the scenery.
Today’s final stop, Wild Goat Peak, shared a pass with Tourmaline Peak, but it looked farther than it was. Again, Mount Hinman still looked untouchable. I wasn’t sure If I could get to it on this trip, so I had to play it by ear.
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Alpine Lake High Route: Wild Goat Peak
Somehow, I thought Chetwoot Lake had a trail along the north. So I hurried and dropped 500′ straight to the shore through the dense forest. But it quickly dawned on me there wasn’t much room by the water for me to walk continuously.
So I returned to the trees and headed to Chetwoot Pass through the light brush. Views here weren’t all that great, but it’s still an ideal place to avoid the crowds. Soon, I climbed up through a massive talus to the east notch.
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Vistas From Wild Goat Peak Summit
From the pass, it’s only a short way west to reach the broad summit of Wild Goat Peak. The evening colors had grown more vibrant, and the sunset was an hour away. It was the first peak I’ve been on with an open south view.
Across the valley was Big Snow Mountain, which I’d like to visit at some point. I personally think that the area from Chikamin Peak to Bears Breast Mountain held the most stunning landscape. It was still on my bucket list.
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Traversing East Ridge to Camp Two
The initial plan was to camp by Chetwoot Lake’s outlet like the dogs, and I did the last time. But after seeing how annoying it was to go around the shore, I decided not to return that way. So, back at the notch, I continued on the ridge through the east peak.
Beyond the peak, a short stretch of krummholz forced me to bypass from the south. Soon, the terrain expanded through the bouldered ridgeline. It would narrow before Point 5821 by the rock arête, where I scooched across as the sky darkened.
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A Night Above Chetwoot Lake
Going around Point 5880 was a little tricky, especially in the dark. Twice, after going through more krummholz, I started heading back west. WTF?! Instead, I bypassed the dense forest from the east the third time and soon reached the slab ridge.
Thanks to Outside & Stuff for noting the small pond on the ridge. But due to our warm summer, I wasn’t sure if the water would still be there. And it was! After dinner, I watched some Britney vs. Spears and slept as the clouds slowly rolled in.
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Sunday, October 3
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4
Iron Cap Mountain + Otter Point + La Bohn Peak + La Bohn Gap Camp
Bypassing Point 5760 in the Mist
It rained overnight, and it continued to drizzle into the early morning. So I waited around for the weather to improve. As the rain subsided, the clouds remained. But I wanted to start moving to reach Necklace Valley at a decent hour.
In the mist, I reached the top of Point 5760, which ended above the cliffs. So, I backtracked and bypassed the sheer terrain from the steep south. Meanwhile, I briefly glimpsed Crawford Lake, which I had wanted to see from the camp.
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Alpine Lake High Route: Iron Cap Mountain
I wanted to skip Iron Cap Mountain this time since I had been to it before. But dropping into the basin from Point 6077 would take much more time. So I bit the bullet and continued on the ridge to save the headache of route-finding in the fog.
I stayed on the crest but moved to the north of the ridge before Point 6077. The broken ridgeline had steered me away from the south. Soon, a defined boot path showed up and took me the rest of the way to the top.
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Iron Cap Mountain Without Views
The clouds haven’t left the area since the crack of dawn. By the time I reached the top, visibility was virtually nonexistent. At least when we were here before, we had smokey views of the entire area. I signed the register and then left the summit.
Cliffs spanning the east ridge had kept me from going straight down to Iron Cap Gap. Otherwise, it would’ve saved some time without detouring from the north. But I didn’t have any other options in this crappy weather.
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Iron Cap Gap to Tank Lakes
I made my way north and got a glimpse of Otter Lake. Then, at 5800′, I followed the cairns east and dropped onto the talus below through a path in the bushes. Then I lost another 200′ as I contoured southeast in the broad basin to Iron Cap Gap.
Judging by the influx of photos on social media, I expected to start seeing people in the area. But a runner was the only one I saw en route to Tank Lakes. Meanwhile, lingering clouds continued obscuring the dramatic southern peaks.
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Alpine Lake High Route: Otter Point
Afterward, I stashed my pack at the bottom of Otter Point’s extensive ridgeline and went toward Tahl Take. But before I walked too far, I noticed the massive talus spanning the east. Not wanting to traverse all that, I checked out the ridge instead.
At the start, the narrowed, bouldered ridgeline had a few cairns leading the way. I went through the big rocks on the crest until they dwindled. Shortly, I strolled along the meadow and went up to the false peak from the west.
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Otter Point Summit Views
It took only minutes to reach the actual high point. Right away, Otter Lake, Azurite Lake, Locket Lake, and Tahl Lake stood out as they glistened in the afternoon sun. But what felt more surreal was seeing the first part of the Alpine Lakes High Route.
Silver Eagle Peak and Bald Eagle Peak comprised the dramatic landscape to the north. My two other goals were on the other side of Necklace Valley: La Bohn Peak and Mount Hinman. But I needed to make my way over to La Bohn Gap first.
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Alpine Lakes High Route: La Bohn Peak
With a late start this morning, climbing La Bohn Peak and Mount Hinman today was out of the question. I reached the north of La Bohn Peak via the moraine before the tedious 700′ climb to La Bohn Gap. En route, I spotted two people and a dog coming down from La Bohn Lakes.
This place had no shortage of boulders! I dropped off my gear on the gap and headed west uphill 30 minutes before sunset. The lower ridge had a defined path and cairns. Then, higher up, I scrambled through more boulders to the top at sundown. Yaaaaaas!
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La Bohn Peak Plus Camp Three
By now, clouds had sunk into the valley, revealing only the top of the nearby peaks. The jagged southern peaks piercing through the beautiful inversion had dramatized the mood considerably. I finally had an even closer look at my next goal–Mount Hinman.
Despite the shorter daylight, I returned to La Bohn Gap without the headlamp in the last light. I quickly found a decent spot facing the southern peaks and turned in for the night. Oh, but a foot massage sounded great right about now.
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Monday, October 4
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4
Mount Hinman + Saint Agnes Ridge + Atrium Peak + Exit
Alpine Lakes High Route: Mount Hinman
My final day in the area would turn out to be the longest. Clouds had cleared during the night, and it looked like another beautiful day ahead. After breakfast with Bears Breast Mountain, I headed east toward Mount Hinman.
Cairns showed up past La Bohn Lakes, where the path allowed me more time to savor the views. The way to Mount Hinman had the best scenery of the places visited in the past few days. Meanwhile, it harbored the most boulders and slabs.
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Viewing Alpine Lakes From Mount Hinman
I saw the summit from the southeast ridge, where the cairns stopped. From there, I went around to the north side above Hinman Glacier. A short, southeast traverse below the pinnacles then put me on the windy summit.
I didn’t know where to begin with the views, but I had been waiting to see Mount Daniel. Sitting by it was the familiar sight of Dip Top Peak and Lynch Peak above Pea Soup Lake. But seeing the eight peaks from the last few days was the most thrilling part!
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Alpine Lakes High Route: Return to West Fork Foss River
The part I had been dreading came after a short visit to the summit. Now, I needed to go back through Iron Cap Gap and find my way to Saint Agnes Ridge. But the only route descriptions I had were from Cascade Alpine Guide, which was no help.
Back at camp, I packed up and quickly returned to Necklace Valley. During this, I spotted two people on the ridge as I slowly walked up through the moraine. But it was all downhill from Tank Lakes as I marveled at the dramatic landscape.
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Alpine Lakes High Route: Saint Agnes Ridge
I took the lower trail from Iron Cap Gap and went north toward Otter Lake. But the path faded after only a few hundred feet. Then, I continued in the narrow valley around Iron Cap Mountain’s north flank.
At 4400′, I walked across a meadow to a talus field with a few cairns. I soon returned to the forest and scrambled up to Azurite Lake. Then, I climbed the southeast ridge from the outlet through a series of outcrops to the meadow above 5000′.
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Leaving Saint Agnes Ridge Summit
From the meadow, I continued west while avoiding the cliffs on the south side. Then I went through 300′ of talus to reach the woodsy ridgetop. A quick walk north put me on the actual high point among krummholz of all places.
I left the top at sunset and looked for the northwest ridge trail mentioned in several reports. But I only found it later at 5200′ by a large cairn. The steep path took me to Angeline Lake’s outlet, where the water ran under the rocks.
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Alpine Lakes High Route: Atrium Peak
On the other side of the creek, I fumbled through the cliffs in the dark. Then, I found the path above the headwall and continued through the light brush. Interestingly, after crossing the outlet, I never saw another cairn.
I had somehow missed the fork to Big Heart Lake. But I already was on the ridgetop below Atrium Peak when I realized it. I decided to forego the peak earlier today because of the long day. But since I was here, it would be a pity not to pay a quick visit.
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Atrium Peak Summit After Dark
It’s been a while since I’ve gone up a summit after dark, which isn’t something I enjoy doing. The woodsy crest took longer to reach the bouldered top at night. Too bad I couldn’t see the lake or the ridge across the water.
Back on the trail, I hiked to the fork 400′ below. Then I hiked out to Big Heart Lake’s outlet, now under raging water. I hopped through the log jam to the other side and continued. By now, my eyes were heavy with sleep.
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Alpine Lakes High Route: Exit
Exiting in the dark was uneventful as I walked six miles back to the trailhead. It’s a Monday and late season, so I didn’t expect to see any campers. During this, I took a break by Copper Lake before finishing the rest of the trip.
As it turned out, it was the only weekend in October with decent weather. What timing!
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