The yellow pup and I tackled Dirtyface Peak, the highest point of Dirtyface Mountain. It’s two miles northwest of the popular lookout site. But instead of traversing the ridge, we went up the north side by Twin Lakes.
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Dirtyface Peak at a Glance
Access: NF-6300
Round Trip: TBD
Elevation Range: 2640′-6240′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
The Road Approach
I parked on Road 6300 by the gate. Then we started walking toward Twin Lakes Pass. Later the path turned into a trail at the end of the roadway. Here marked the Glacier Peak Wilderness boundary.
Soon, we scrambled southeast and aimed for the abandoned road at 3100′. The path was super brushy. Depending on the amount of slide alder, we either walked around or ducked under it.
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The North Route
Later we reached the unnamed creek off the north basin of Dirtyface Peak. Then we climbed up the timbered slopes while going southbound. Shortly afterward, we crossed another road at 3800′.
The terrain steepened with lots of thickets. At 5500′, we traversed around Point 5634 from the east. Then we worked our way toward Dirtyface Peak’s northwest saddle. Right then, an army of mosquitoes came out in full force.
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Dirtyface Peak Northwest Ridge
Soon, we made our way up on the northwest ridge. We were able to stay on the crest mostly. So that, in turn, allowed us to bypass the snow on the steep north side entirely.
Occasionally, we would drop onto the north side. So we could go around a few outcrops. But for the most part, the rock scramble was quite enjoyable.
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Dirtyface Peak Summit
The tall mountains to the north and the south were mostly in clouds. But every so often, the mist would dissipate for me to photograph the landscape.
Lake Wenatchee and Upper Twin Lake were only partly visible because of the ridgelines. Then there were the river valleys. They looked gorgeous and broad from here.
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Outro
On the way back, the mosquito armies were even more relentless. They came out right as we bypassed Point 5634. Then we spent the rest of the time battling them back down to the car.