The trail was snow free until headlee pass, where parts of the switchbacks were covered in snow. Getting past the snow was not difficult. I had an ice ax ready to go, but didn't need it since enough of the trail was snow free. After reaching the top of the pass, I traversed toward the lake where I came upon a small snow bridge. I probed a bit and it seemed ok. There were obvious boot prints across the snow, so stepped up, walked a couple steps, and then fell right through. Fortunately, I was ok, just fell up to my thighs or so. A great learning lesson for me, considering I'm still learning a few things. I then proceeded further toward the lake where the whole basin was covered in snow. I would have needed to cross a gushing, snow covered creek, which looked risky. I realized I was out of time, due to my late start and decided to play it safe and turn back, considering I was the only soul up there. Overall, this was an incredible and fairly challenging hike. I plan to head up again in a few weeks, much earlier and get to the top. Wirtz basin was gorgeous, despite the amount of loose rock needed to hike on.

Once on the other side of the narrow bridge crossing, we started switch-backing uphill, in humid 90 degrees weather, sweating like a shower. Tree cover was scarce on this section, but eventually the sun hid behind a giant rocky peak east of the trail. We continued up the valley, then on a bolder/scree field on the west shoulder, until we got to the bottom of a gully leading up to Headlee Pass. The pass was half snow, half loose rock and dirt. It was not difficult to climb, but there was some amount of rock fall danger. Here at the pass we stopped for a quick bite to eat. About 20 minutes from the pass, we got onto the snow field below Vesper and stared marching up to the sound of kicking steps. Didn't take more than about an hour from the pass to peak the snow field. The last hundred feet or so was the best, a little scramble on big boulders and a perfect place to have lunch, relax, and enjoy the views. I would not mind even spending the night up here - the views are outstanding! I heard somebody on the trail who did it; they must have had one hell of a sunset. For a lot more photos, please visit my blog (link below): https://zilcsak.com/blog/vesper-peak-hike

Vesper Peak is quite challenging this year with mostly snow above 3500'. Trail #707 is easy to follow into the basin and the only obstacles, before the basin, are the five rushing-stream crossings. Some have small logs and rocks to cross on but the biggest crossing has small logs lashed together. In the morning the logs were wet and hazardous to cross but in the evening they were dry and much less a hazard. For either time trekking poles were extremely helpful. The trail ends where snow starts in the basin, and continues all the way to Headlee Pass (4800'). We put away the poles and used axe's to climb the very steep slope to Headlee, after determining which gulley was the correct one. Beyond Headlee was a brief bare trail on the west side. We traversed on snow and rock below Sperry's steep slope. Watch for post-holing when transitioning from snow to rock. Beyond Sperry and the lake basin there is a long, steep snow-climb directly to the summit. It was a warm, sunny day so the snow was soft and crampons were never needed but gaiters were. Vesper is a peak with spectacular panoramic views from Baker to Rainier and Pilchuck to Stuart. There were three skiers and one other climber that made it to the top while we were there. This is much more than a hike so wear good boots for kicking steps on the steep upward slopes. Total elevation gain is over 4000'. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nabuckley/sets/72157645354130463/

I finally got a chance to write up a report of my recent return to the Mountain Loop Highway. Vesper Peak was an ideal location for a last minute weekday hike. The trail was nearly snow free up to about 100 feet below Headlee Pass, and for most of the traverse over to Lake Elan. Vesper had 2-3 feet of snow above the lake and a well beaten path broken in by at least 5 pairs of snowshoes since Friday. I reached the summit at 10 am without snowshoes, and experienced only minor post-holing, mostly on the way down. Sperry peak appeared to have just a light dusting, most of which was caught by small vegetation. Both of the dogs did great on Vesper but Sperry seemed to have more scrambling than I wanted to drag them along for. This was Maverick's first serious hike since his knee surgery nearly six months ago, and all signs point to a 100% recovery. We saw about 20 people and a few dogs on the way out. We hit the trail at 7 a.m. as the sun began to rise. Alpenglow struck the top of Sperry Peak as we crossed the North ridge of Morning Star. Fall colors were pushing through all of the green in the South Fork Stillaguamish River Valley. I noticed one of the mine entrances described in several trip reports I have read, more on that later. Small patches of snow began in the switchbacks leading up to Headlee Pass. The talus field traverse beyond the pass was nearly snow free, but Vesper Peak was blanketed in the white stuff. We crossed Vesper Creek and started up the ridge while a 4-some broke down their camp on Lake Elan, the surface of which was half covered in slush. The snow on on Vesper was already softening in the morning sun, and the talus terrain below it made for a bit of post-holing. I was lucky to have the day-old tracks from several pairs of snowshoes which had firmed up a decent path to the summit. A small glacier hid in the shade below the sub-peak to the south. A few huge rocks at the summit were bare and dry. I dug around in the snow but could find no trace of a register. The surrounding peaks were in clear view, many of them dusted in snow. The long ridge to Big Four Mountain looked like it would make for a fun day trip from Lake Elan. I enjoyed the quiet summit with the dogs for about an hour before heading down, allowing the sun to further heat and soften the snow surface. The dogs were post-holing nearly as bad as I was and we were all stoked to get back to solid rock. I stopped to chat with a solo hiker near the snow line, who was glad to have brought his snowshoes after hearing about the snow condition ahead of him. I really started to feel the sun's heat on the way back down the switchbacks. We took a detour to explore the mine entrance, which turned out to go only 10 feet into the rock. On the way back I got a much better view of Lewis Peak in the sunlight, which would make for a great winter ascent. More pics and route map @ http://www.jebsjourneys.com/2013/10/vesper-peak-10-5-2013.html

Current conditions are perfect for a summit of Vesper Peak and/or Sperry Peak. The trail is nearly snow free up to about 100 feet below Headlee Pass, and for most of the traverse over to Lake Elan. Vesper peak has 2-3 feet of snow above the lake and a well beaten path broken in by at least 5 pairs of snowshoes since Friday. I reached the summit at 10 am without snowshoes, and experienced only minor post-holing, mostly on the way down. Sperry peak appeared to have just a light dusting, most of which was caught by small vegetation. Both of the dogs did great on Vesper but sperry seemed to have more scrambling than I wanted to drag them along for. Saw about 20 people and a few dogs on the way out. more pictures and details coming soon