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Peak(s):  Jones Mountain  -  13,214 feet
Date Posted:  06/13/2016
Date Climbed:   06/12/2016
Author:  tomcat32
 Jones Mountain and Ptarmigan Lake   

I was looking for an alpine summit that didn't require any scrambling or rely too much on poles due to a hand injury. I heard good things about Ptarmigan Lake below Cottonwood Pass but never been there. It is a fairly easy hike with 13er Jones Mtn just 1000 feet above. I started early due to TStorm forecast and encountered snow just below the basin. I ascended the mostly snowfree ridge rather than traverse the basin.

I had a beautiful ridge walk along Jones to its summit and descended the ridge to the upper Ptarmigan Lake. Below the upper lake much of the basin was still snow covered. Entering the woods I lost the trail requiring a bushwhack back to the TH through some deep drifts and a lot of runoff.

The ridge walk along Jones is a beautiful grassy traverse well worth a visit.

I have a much more thorough TR at my blog and plenty of pics at the link below
http://tomcatoutdoors.blogspot.com/2016/06/jones-mountain-and-ptarmigan-lake.html



Comments or Questions
Jay521
User
Nice
6/14/2016 7:59am
Nice report, Troy. I may have to follow your route this coming weekend. If you had it to do over again, would you have taken snowshoes? (I assume you didn't have any with you?)


tomcat32
snowshoes
6/15/2016 6:48pm
I didn't have them with me and I'm not sure if I would have used them. The deep snow wasn't continuous enough. Following the other postholes kept me from sinking, except where I was bushwhacking. I had microspike and didn't need them either. Tall Gaiters are definitely helpful. Enjoy it if you do go Jay, this area has some great scenery.



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