The Other 6 Peaks of SGW
Nice stuff, Zé! You're a freakin' animal. 
I too have considered going up Grinnell Ridge as a method of ingress/egress, but it's such a long slog, and that Lost Creek trail was designed by drunk baboons. It takes for-freakin-ever to get anywhere.
If I were to select a good jump off point, I would say the Fish Creek Trailhead is a good option. That road isn't that bad. You could drive to the trailhead in the early A.M. (pre-dawn) and give yourself a little more daylight.
Aspen Grove would be another good option, particularly if you didn't want to take the dirt road to the Fish Creek Trailhead. Yeah, you add a few miles, but it's relatively gentle terrain on a good trail.
I see you ascended/descended Zahniser from Mine Shaft Saddle. I've always thought that, if I were going north to south that I would ascend from from Lodgepole Saddle and descend to Mine Shaft Saddle. Was there anything that would preclude the traverse that I'm describing? How was the brush?
It looks like on your return from 10K Ridge, you dropped down below Fish Creek Saddle and then had to climb back up to FCS. Was there a particular reason for this?
Dang good job. You even bagged Grinnell twice.
HJ
I too have considered going up Grinnell Ridge as a method of ingress/egress, but it's such a long slog, and that Lost Creek trail was designed by drunk baboons. It takes for-freakin-ever to get anywhere.
If I were to select a good jump off point, I would say the Fish Creek Trailhead is a good option. That road isn't that bad. You could drive to the trailhead in the early A.M. (pre-dawn) and give yourself a little more daylight.
Aspen Grove would be another good option, particularly if you didn't want to take the dirt road to the Fish Creek Trailhead. Yeah, you add a few miles, but it's relatively gentle terrain on a good trail.
I see you ascended/descended Zahniser from Mine Shaft Saddle. I've always thought that, if I were going north to south that I would ascend from from Lodgepole Saddle and descend to Mine Shaft Saddle. Was there anything that would preclude the traverse that I'm describing? How was the brush?
It looks like on your return from 10K Ridge, you dropped down below Fish Creek Saddle and then had to climb back up to FCS. Was there a particular reason for this?
Dang good job. You even bagged Grinnell twice.
HJ
If it takes too much time to get to the Fish Creek TR, I would pass. If total time (hiking + driving) is similar, I go with more hikingHikin_Jim wrote:Nice stuff, Zé! You're a freakin' animal.
I too have considered going up Grinnell Ridge as a method of ingress/egress, but it's such a long slog, and that Lost Creek trail was designed by drunk baboons. It takes for-freakin-ever to get anywhere.
If I were to select a good jump off point, I would say the Fish Creek Trailhead is a good option. That road isn't that bad. You could drive to the trailhead in the early A.M. (pre-dawn) and give yourself a little more daylight.
Aspen Grove would be another good option, particularly if you didn't want to take the dirt road to the Fish Creek Trailhead. Yeah, you add a few miles, but it's relatively gentle terrain on a good trail.
I see you ascended/descended Zahniser from Mine Shaft Saddle. I've always thought that, if I were going north to south that I would ascend from from Lodgepole Saddle and descend to Mine Shaft Saddle. Was there anything that would preclude the traverse that I'm describing? How was the brush?
It looks like on your return from 10K Ridge, you dropped down below Fish Creek Saddle and then had to climb back up to FCS. Was there a particular reason for this?
Dang good job. You even bagged Grinnell twice.
HJ
Perhaps Aspen Grove would have worked better, looks like you you head up the ridge directly south of it to Grinnell. I was waiting for someone resting at Mineshaft saddle so we returned back down that way. Not much of a cost, not like Zahniser takes that long! I don't think there's any reason one couldn't descend down the route you mention.
I missed Fish Creek saddle b/c I was getting impatient traversing across, I found a nice soft descent that I flew down but went too far. Trust me at that point it was really upsetting to have to climb up an extra 200 ft!!! Luckily no one followed me.