Plan extra time for this hike during wildflower season--you will stop every five minutes to take pictures!
Day 1:
Iron Peak to Beverly Turnpike, camped at intersection with Fourth Creek Trail.
Day 2:
Scrambled Mary and Judi peaks
Day 3: Hiked out
Parked at DeRoux TH and found the unmarked, but featured on Gaia, trail up to the road and IP TH. This trail is a lung burner. Lots of switchbacks which I don't mind because they make the trail easier. Several blowdowns, some of them quite old, so it seems like it's overdue for a visit from WTA. Eldorado Creek was dry--or it least I couldn't hear or see any water from where the trail gets very close to it. So no water on Iron Peak Trail.
Bev Turnpike Trail has several spots of severe trail erosion been IP and 4th Creek trail intersections. I camped at the nice campsite at the intersection between BT and 4th Cr trails. There are some other ones scattered around the area but I was the only person camped there. Several abandoned but empty bags of backpacking meals that I packed out. (Yuck!)
Day 2 I did a loop from my CS up Fourth Creek trail, turned right off trail up the north ridge of Mary's Peak, continued along the ridge to Judi, and then attempted to descend the SW ridge of Judi. There is no boot path although the way is clear up until the treeline when descending Judi. Then, I had trouble finding a good "line" and ended up bushwhacking down very steep slopes and gullies, trying not to break an ankle and ending up on the Bev Tpike trail far to the west of where I intended to. Awful! More experienced scramblers may have a better time finding the best route down but I was hating life for a while there. Took the Bev Tpike trail back to my campsite, trail in good condition.
Day 3 I hiked out.
This route is a great and not crowded alternative entry to the Teanaways. I saw one party the first day, one the second, and two the third. Parking at the north end of the DeRoux CG is a great way to avoid the traffic jam caused by Lake Ingalls.
There is a wanted poster for Travis Decker at the TH. Stay alert out there.
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