This was a single day push of Seven Fingered Jack with my friend, Claire. We started at the trailhead around 7:15AM. The first 3.5 miles are very flat and enjoyable as signs of fall were peaking around us. We reached the turnoff point towards Leroy Creek basin which is where the trail became very steep.
The basin came into view a mile and a half later and we finally saw golden larches up close. They were glowing in the sunlight and surrounded by red foliage and adorable ptarmigans. We continued upward and put our helmets on when we reached the talus fields. The route can be tricky so it's essential to have route finding skills and assess the terrain as the rocks are loose.
We mainly stayed on class 2 and class 3 rock and reached the summit around noon. There was no wind at the summit so we stayed awhile and enjoyed the incredible views. The North face of Maude was dusted with snow and looked stunning with it's hanging glaciers. We also saw Dakobed, Kulshan, Eldorado, Bonanza, Stuart, Daniel and Tahoma in the distance.
We went down the same way we came up and were back at the trailhead by 5PM. This trip was a success and very lovely overall. I really loved seeing the golden larches and alpine views in the fall season.
Road Conditions: They are super rough but I did see cars with low clearance make it to the trailhead. I still would err on the side of caution especially if that area got rain recently.
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