Ice Lake to Razz Lake, Eagle Cap

[weekend_warrior]

Does anyone have any experience with the XC route from Ice Lake south to Razz Lake in the Eagle Cap? From pictures and maps it looks like there is a notch just to the N/NE of Razz that could be descended. Seems that might be a scenic shortcut from Ice down to the lower lakes basin as well. Headed out there tomorrow...

[Koda]

I too would be interested in this route, I have looked at this route myself. Seems like that notch would be an ideal gateway, but the terrain steep. I would hate to get up there and need technical gear. Hillmap roughly estimates 50deg slope on the Ice Lake side. There might be a less steep route around the west point on the ridgeline.

*edit to add this screenshot from GE. Looks like a difficult pass for a backpacking connector.

If anyone has done this route info would be great.

[Koda]

I just returned from the Eagle Cap yesterday. Did not go up to Ice or Razz lake, but took this picture from afar of the saddle (pass) in question... (center of photo)

[Water]

reading the register on the top of matterhorn i came across and entry detailing this information.

they said the place to go over was at the lowest spot/saddle west of Razz Mnt (or whatever it is that is just after Craig Mnt). They also had details about another register and awesome bivy spot at 'pinnacle bed' which in the photo provided above is the specific looking pinnacle of the ridge more to the west (well after the pass), but the 'pinnacle bed' are just below this jutting bit of rock... so supposedly not technical.

It is on my list to check out next time. The ridge run between Matterhorn and Sacajawea was incredible

[tweeterdee]

Posting for hjg0989...
"I took the photo yesterday morning. It shows the tree that is used as a bridge to continue up to Ice Lake."

[R11]

reading the register on the top of matterhorn i came across and entry detailing this information.

they said the place to go over was at the lowest spot/saddle west of Razz Mnt (or whatever it is that is just after Craig Mnt). They also had details about another register and awesome bivy spot at 'pinnacle bed' which in the photo provided above is the specific looking pinnacle of the ridge more to the west (well after the pass), but the 'pinnacle bed' are just below this jutting bit of rock... so supposedly not technical.

It is on my list to check out next time. The ridge run between Matterhorn and Sacajawea was incredible

Do you think it may have said the saddle to the east of that point maybe? That would be the wide saddle between Curtis and the point (the far right of that photo). The ridgeline to the west looks a bit cliffy on both sides. Here's what it looks like looking up from the Ice side in a pano I made from my camp a couple weeks ago:

From looking at it from my camp, from up closer after hiking up to the lake at the head end of the drainage directly below the ridge, and from up on Matterhorn I'd say it looks like more of a scramble than a "shortcut" over to the Razzes .

ron

[Koda]

From looking at it from my camp, from up closer after hiking up to the lake at the head end of the drainage directly below the ridge, and from up on Matterhorn I'd say it looks like more of a scramble than a "shortcut" over to the Razzes .
ron

I have never been to Ice Lake due to the detour involved and other itinerary logistics but would like to and a way over that pass would be very cool. It looks like a scramble at the least and until a route is described it probably is more technical. I think it's doable and hopefully a route could be found that would not require technical gear since it would create a scenic loop option with the rest of the Lakes Basin for a fun backpacking tour with an off trail section. Looking at the photos I'm not too optimistic now a non technical route is possible. The pictures coming in are helpful, hopefully someone will share a route when they do it.

[R11]

From looking at it from my camp, from up closer after hiking up to the lake at the head end of the drainage directly below the ridge, and from up on Matterhorn I'd say it looks like more of a scramble than a "shortcut" over to the Razzes .
ron

I have never been to Ice Lake due to the detour involved and other itinerary logistics but would like to and a way over that pass would be very cool. It looks like a scramble at the least and until a route is described it probably is more technical. I think it's doable and hopefully a route could be found that would not require technical gear since it would create a scenic loop option with the rest of the Lakes Basin for a fun backpacking tour with an off trail section. Looking at the photos I'm not too optimistic now a non technical route is possible. The pictures coming in are helpful, hopefully someone will share a route when they do it.

It looks like it would be fairly straightforward to climb up the draw to the saddle between Curtis and the point. Not having seen the other side up close I'm not sure what it would be like getting down from there to the lakes though. The whole Razz side of the ridge would appear to be steeper from the maps:

http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.p ... ord=latlng

It's something I've thought about for a couple years and I think it's definitely doable, but I'm not so sure it would really save much (any) time vs just hiking back down from Ice and going around, especially with any kind of significant pack anyway.


ron

[Koda]

....but I'm not so sure it would really save much (any) time vs just hiking back down from Ice and going around, especially with any kind of significant pack anyway.

I'm thinking it would be much much shorter if it was nothing more than a steep scramble. I think the route would be like this, click on the link then switch to Satellite mode (upper right corner) http://www.hillmap.com/m/agtzbG9wZW1hcH ... YXAYkr8FDA

[Don Nelsen]

. The ridge run between Matterhorn and Sacajawea was incredible

No kidding! I was up there yesterday and after getting to the top of the Matterhorn attenpted to do the ridge over to Sacajawea:

Here's the last half of it:



Looking back the other way towards the Matterhorn:



Don