This was an incredible hike! I hiked with a friend and we started from the Sunrise Mine trailhead after 9AM. The trail was fairly easy to follow in the beginning as it meandered through the forrest. There were four small water crossings that were passable but should not be taken lightly.
The trail opens up a little before a mile where you are greeted with views of large rocky slabs and epic peaks. You go through another small forested patch before entering the large basin. This is where route finding skills become important. There are many rock fields to cross with some helpful cairns along the way.
A little before 2 miles, you head Northwest towards a gully. There are several switchbacks up the gully but beware of loose rock! At the top of the gully, you see Vesper Peak for the first time. It stands out with its rocky summit. The trail is easy to follow with some rock field crossings along the way.
At around two and a half miles, you see Lake Elan. This area is so gorgeous and offers awesome spots for backpacking. At around three miles we entered the fields of granite. This is where route finding becomes important again. There were many sharp drops and potentially challenging scramble portions so it's crucial to be careful when approaching the summit.
We were greeted with gorgeous views at the summit. We saw Copper Lake, the glacier, and other cool peaks. On our way down, we got rained on but that didn't sour our spirits. I would definitely recommend to hikers to reconsider going on this trip if it is raining. The rock can be slippery and if you're not comfortable with that, you'll have a hard time.
I definitely enjoyed this trip and would definitely love to climb it again!
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