Blowdowns, Bouldering, and Bushwhacking
Road - great shape and paved most of the way. Gravel part has some rutting but not bad at all
Trailhead - only car when i got there and when i left and didn't see a single person all day?! Room for 20 cars. Toilet has no tp and is quite full, yikes!
Trail - the good part is ripe thimbleberries and huckleberres and water every mile or so. Other than that the trail is a mess. Reports of blowdowns are not exaggerating. 50+ in the first 4 miles. Pain for dayhikers, serious issue for multi-day or less agile hikers.
Star Peak - from the pass, see that trail past star lake way over there to the right? yep, that's our trail. sorry, but it is worth it!
Courtney Peak - direct but short and straightforward
Buttermilk Ridge - lots of bouldering from Courtney, honestly not worth it unless you are peakbagging as the views aren't much better. Kept on the ridge all the way past Buttermilk Ridge until it cliffs out and dropped down to the (very) unmaintained trail and connected back to Buttermilk.
10 hours, 20 miles, 7700 feet gain
Comments