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Route: East Ridge from Rock Creek Posted On: 2020-10-04, By: supranihilestInfo: More involved than expected. Bring a helmet. We took the Rock Creek Trail for somewhere around 2 miles before heading straight north up steep, forested slopes to the ridge crest. There we ran into a trail that runs most of the length of the ridge to treeline. Shortly past treeline the rock begins and doesn't relent until you've summited and returned to treeline. The initial section is just boulders. Eventually the ridge narrows. Early on you can scramble across the crest of traverse on the south side on dirt and boulders. As you make your way towards the prominent point on the ridge note an obvious notch with tall cairn on it below the top on the south side. It's easiest to traverse below and around the point to this notch and there's no need to summit the point. From this notch there's a down climb of about 100 feet, the first real scrambling of the route. It goes at Class 2+/Class 3. The rock deteriorates greatly from this point and beyond. Scramble down and then traverse across several gullies and ribs. Test everything as it's all loose. If you return to the crest too soon you'll be forced back down by much harder and more exposed scrambling. When you run into a big block of white rock on the ridge you'll have to down climb again and then traverse a narrow, exposed dirt ledge to a steep dirt gully. This is just below the final point on the ridge, and you'll have avoided most of the much harder scrambling by staying lower where possible. Scramble up this gully (extremely loose Class 3) and walk to the summit, which is the farther lump on the ridge. Though you can go towards Bighorn Pass and down a steep scree/talus slope to the lakes below we went back across the ridge, following the trail where it picks up at treeline and taking it all the way to the Gore Trail. I would not recommend this. The trail was an absolute nightmare of deadfall several miles long. We would have had an easier time descending the steep slope we ascended from the Rock Creek Trail. |
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Route: East ridge Posted On: 2020-09-12, By: Col_ForbinInfo: I highly suggest Keller tomorrow if you are looking for an easy scramble with a dusting of snow to make things more exciting.
Mountaineering boots and spikes were ideal |
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Route: Bighorn Posted On: 2020-07-06, By: art__vandelayInfo: Conditions are good. Good and steep. |
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Route: Bighorn Creek Posted On: 2019-10-07, By: tdawg012Info: Summer conditions albeit new dusting on NE facing shadow faces. Chilly but amazing. |
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Route: East Ridge Posted On: 2018-06-24, By: JeffRInfo: Zero snow except for a few easily-bypassed snowfields and the cornice right at the summit.
I have no idea where these pictures are from, I'm pretty sure there's not actually a mountain range west of Keller. Weird. |
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Route: East Ridge Posted On: 2016-10-25, By: JtheChemEInfo: Summer conditions, for the moment. The entire route is runnable. |
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Route: View from Mt Silverthorne Posted On: 2016-07-09, By: WillRobnettInfo: Keller Mountain at the center, NW ridge still holding a fully connected couloir.. little scree at the bottom |
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Route: Southwest Ridge Posted On: 2016-07-03, By: WillRobnettInfo: Climbed Keller starting from North Rock Creek trailhead and camped at around 10,700 near the creek. Approached from the larger alpine lake at 11600, directly south. Snow on the approach above 11500. Solid rock on the ridge just south of Keller where almost everywhere else in the basin south of Keller (Valhalla, Grand Traverse, North Traverse) rockslides were throughout the day with heavy rain. From the ridge south of Keller made it up to Keller's class 3 SW ridge. Still plenty of snow for glissades, more than 500 feet! |
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Route: East Ridge Loop Posted On: 2015-06-12, By: dillonsarnelliInfo: Snowshoes went on just below treeline before the steep slope to gain the ridge. Used microspikes on the east ridge once we hit the false false summit. A few sketchy cornices from Keller to North Traverse were avoidable. The bushwhack thru North Fork didn't get brutal until about a mile before the mine. Some pics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dillonsarnelli1/sets/72157653962468498 |
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Route: East Ridge Posted On: 2014-08-10, By: jeremy27Info: Climbed most of Keller yesterday (storms chased us off just shy of the summit). I HIGHLY recommend the ridge route suggested in Cooper‘s book over the "standard" route up from the mine. We ascended the ridge on a very good use trail and descended the standard route down to the mine. The ridge was much better. PM for a .gpx. Good luck. |
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