OTHER Trip Report 07/26/2015

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Sawtooth - 12304
Date Posted	07/26/2015
Date Climbed	07/26/2015
Author	switchbacker

Sawtooth Mountain (IPW) - East Ridge
Sawtooth is a cool little mountain in Indian Peaks Wilderness. It's only 12,304ft but they named a beer after it and it looks cool. The east ridge is mostly class 2 with a few easy scrambles, there is a little exposure at times and you can find plenty of class 3/4 stuff on the east face after ascending the ridge. The approach starts at the Coney Flats Trailhead, if you have a quad or rock crawler, you can easily get to the parking lot, otherwise the long approach will need to start at Beaver Reservoir and head down Coney Flats 4x4 road or from the Mt. Adubon trail starting at Mitchell Lake in Brainerd. If coming from Beaver, there is a hiker cut-off along the 4x4 road that will save you some time. A stock SUV can get near this hiker cut-off but I wouldn't advise going further without a crawler. I parked about 2.3 miles from Coney Flats Trailhead and hiked along the road and through the cut-off. At the trailhead, head up the Buchannan Pass trail. Coney Flats Trailhead Continue down the trail for approx. 1.5 miles, you will leave the trail just before you start to see the willow covered slopes that lead to the east ridge. If you see two steel culverts, you've gone just a bit too far, if you leave the trail after that you will be bushwacking through willows. Leave the trail to find a path to east ridge Work your way up to the grassy/willow covered slopes and start heading towards the first rocky section on the crest of the ridge. Navigate the willows First obstacle, flat rock formation The view of the start of the route coming down from Buchanan Pass. Looking back along the approach to east ridge Head towards a flat rock formation with large talus beneath it, climb over it. Climb over first rock formation You will now continue on the ridge towards some rock towers, avoid the first staying just below it to the South (left) and head towards the base of the second one. Stay beneath first rock tower Head towards second rock tower Climb over these rocks. Climb over second tower Once over these rocks, continue on the ridge on easy terrain. Continue along ridge A look back from the top of the second rock tower Looking back from atop 2nd tower Continue along the ridge, staying just below the crest to avoid the exposed crest and head towards the base of the final rock tower. Head towards final tower Climb over this final rock tower Climb over final tower The rest of the route up the Sawtooth's east face is clear now. You can stick to the right on difficult class 2 terrain, the talus is mostly solid. Another option is to cross the loose gully to find grassy ledges with solid rock outcroppings. This area could be kept at easy class 3 or you could probably find some more challenging moves here also. Head up east face Fun looking terrain to the left Another look at the loose gully and the solid rock on the other side Solid rock across a loose gully A look at the steep class 2 talus that will take you to the summit Class 2 talus climb From the summit, it's easiest to head north to the Buchanan Pass trail for the descent, but first I recommend hiking down to the south just a little bit so you can catch a glimpse of what really makes the Sawtooth, its dramatic north face. Sawtooth's north face Here is a summary of the area with distances, my GPS track is in red with descent down Buchanan Pass trail. Distances are approximate Distances are approximate My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Sawtooth Mountain (IPW) - East Ridge

Sawtooth is a cool little mountain in Indian Peaks Wilderness. It's only 12,304ft but they named a beer after it and it looks cool. The east ridge is mostly class 2 with a few easy scrambles, there is a little exposure at times and you can find plenty of class 3/4 stuff on the east face after ascending the ridge. The approach starts at the Coney Flats Trailhead, if you have a quad or rock crawler, you can easily get to the parking lot, otherwise the long approach will need to start at Beaver Reservoir and head down Coney Flats 4x4 road or from the Mt. Adubon trail starting at Mitchell Lake in Brainerd. If coming from Beaver, there is a hiker cut-off along the 4x4 road that will save you some time. A stock SUV can get near this hiker cut-off but I wouldn't advise going further without a crawler.

I parked about 2.3 miles from Coney Flats Trailhead and hiked along the road and through the cut-off. At the trailhead, head up the Buchannan Pass trail.

Continue down the trail for approx. 1.5 miles, you will leave the trail just before you start to see the willow covered slopes that lead to the east ridge. If you see two steel culverts, you've gone just a bit too far, if you leave the trail after that you will be bushwacking through willows.

Leave the trail to find a path to east ridge

Work your way up to the grassy/willow covered slopes and start heading towards the first rocky section on the crest of the ridge.

The view of the start of the route coming down from Buchanan Pass.

Looking back along the approach to east ridge

Head towards a flat rock formation with large talus beneath it, climb over it.

You will now continue on the ridge towards some rock towers, avoid the first staying just below it to the South (left) and head towards the base of the second one.

Climb over these rocks.

Once over these rocks, continue on the ridge on easy terrain.

A look back from the top of the second rock tower

Continue along the ridge, staying just below the crest to avoid the exposed crest and head towards the base of the final rock tower.

Climb over this final rock tower

The rest of the route up the Sawtooth's east face is clear now. You can stick to the right on difficult class 2 terrain, the talus is mostly solid. Another option is to cross the loose gully to find grassy ledges with solid rock outcroppings. This area could be kept at easy class 3 or you could probably find some more challenging moves here also.

Another look at the loose gully and the solid rock on the other side

A look at the steep class 2 talus that will take you to the summit

From the summit, it's easiest to head north to the Buchanan Pass trail for the descent, but first I recommend hiking down to the south just a little bit so you can catch a glimpse of what really makes the Sawtooth, its dramatic north face.

Here is a summary of the area with distances, my GPS track is in red with descent down Buchanan Pass trail.

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Bowman

Cool report!
7/28/2015 10:51am

I had been looking at this area of the IPW for a while. This looks like a great hike––thanks for sharing!

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