<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523474534/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Summit Chief, Bears Breast, Mt Daniel"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523474534_795b30143d_b.jpg" alt="Summit Chief, Bears Breast, Mt Daniel"/></a> Summit Chief, Bears Breast, Mt Daniel from Noble Knob # Stats and Links - [Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/albums/72177720314741679/) - Distance: 23.5 miles - Elevation gain: 5400ft - Elapsed time: 13h25m - Gear: Ice axe, crampons - Camera: [[Sony A7R III]] with [[Sony G 24-105mm]] and [[Sony GM 100-400mm]] # Report I started at the Palisades trail at 4:30am. I started there because 1) I thought it would be a nice loop and 2) my guess was that gaining elevation would be easier there in the dark than at Deep Creek (which turned out to be very true). I would not want to do Deep Creek in the dark. I was at Little Ranger Peak at 7am. I carried a lot of gear (notably a heavy lens), so it was a bit slow going. Until Little Ranger Peak there was almost no snow (just a dusting). The last section up Little Ranger had a few inches of fresh snow. The flat section just above Little Ranger has quite a few blowdowns from the fire, but not too terrible (nothing compared to Deep Creek). The Dalles Ridge traverse was fairly easy travel. There is some steeper traversing around 30-40%, for which I prefer to use ice axe and crampons. It helps to have CalTopo open with slope shading so you can pick the easiest path. Views at Noble Knob were fantastic. I brought a 100-400mm lens (earlier I had only used it for animals in Costa Rica) and was pretty happy with the result. Traverse from Noble Knob to Mutton Mountain similarly has some 30-35% traverse. I do not mind going straight up 40% at all, but extended traverses I find pretty unpleasant. I used ice axe again. Mutton Mountain also had nice views, but honestly it did feel a little redundant after Noble Knob. Deep Creek is really bad due to the 2017 Norse Peak fire. It is obliterated by blowdowns from the road to 4500ft. There was not enough snow coverage to cover up hundreds of blowdowns, many kind of hard to get over. It was physically quite demanding after a long day. If you go up and down that route, you are not having a good time unless you have some sick fascination with blowdowns. Erosion and washouts are also starting due to the fire. This trail does not appear to have a bright future ahead. White River trail back also has some burn sections, but gets pleasant after Dry Creek. This day no snowshoes were needed (fortunately I did not bring them). Ice axe and traction were needed (for me, but I prefer to be safe on steeper traverses). # Route <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523592225/in/album-72177720314741679" title="GPS track of Noble Knob and Mutton traverse"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523592225_bdc39c9da6_b.jpg" alt="GPS track of Noble Knob and Mutton traverse"/></a> # Highlights <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523165661/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Ridge towards Mutton"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523165661_fa3c12f2b2_b.jpg" alt="Ridge towards Mutton"/></a> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523324773/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Big Snow, Thomson, Huckleberry from Dalles Ridge"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523324773_3f0f75ffdc_b.jpg" alt="Big Snow, Thomson, Huckleberry from Dalles Ridge"/></a> Big Snow, Thomson and Huckleberry from Dalles Ridge <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53522259142/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Kaleetan and Chair Peak from Dalles Ridge"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53522259142_88531590f3_b.jpg" alt="Kaleetan and Chair Peak from Dalles Ridge"/></a> Kaleetan and Chair Peak from Dalles Ridge <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523591310/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Enchantments from Noble Knob"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523591310_89b8d4c87f_b.jpg" alt="Enchantments from Noble Knob"/></a> Enchantments from Noble Knob <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523477084/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Lundin and Big Snow from Noble Knob"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523477084_03493913b3_b.jpg" alt="Lundin, Red Mountain and Big Snow from Noble Knob"/></a> Lundin, Red Mountain and Big Snow from Noble Knob <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523479524/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Little Tahoma"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523479524_b9e0e675eb_b.jpg" alt="Little Tahoma"/></a> Little Tahoma <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bravenboer/53523335168/in/album-72177720314741679/" title="Mt Rainier from Mutton Mountain"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53523335168_df10991267_b.jpg" alt="Mt Rainier from Mutton Mountain"/></a> Mt Rainier from Mutton Mountain