
Along the Wildcat Trail.

Skip a few miles, and we're at the overlook at the end of the Northgate Peaks Trail. North Guardian Angel visible on the right. A social trail leads off to the left. you can see the pair of bumps we aimed for quite visibly in the center of this photo. That's the goal.

The pair of bumps in the center, well after leaving any sort of social trail.

Looking back toward the way we came, North Guardian Angel on the left.

Continuing toward the pair of bumps. We went between them in a wide, sandy crevasse.

After the bumps, heading down the ridge. South Guardian Angel visible on the right. Subway Peak is the pointy one in the center. Left Fork of North Creek the obvious canyon below.

Looking back up along the ridge as we make progress down. Cairns and simply following the ridge crest helped us down.

One of a few brushy, dirty gullies.

Looking up one of the gullies, where some Class 3 moves were.

At a flat area, looking down into the canyon. The crevasse on the right (out of frame) is the correct way down.

Within the Left Fork of North Creek, looking south to the escape route.

The Class 4 route out the south side of Left Fork of North Creek. A jug handle arch marked the exit spot.

Looking down at Yoshi as he comes up the Class 4 move, Left Fork below.

Working our way up the social trail on the south side of Left Fork.

A cairn at the top, the last one we'd see all day. Greatheart Mesa visible on the left. The slickrock in the center is our first goal - there's a notch toward its top whose gates lead to distant wonders. :)

But first, some bushwhacking and route-finding to get there.

Working our way up into slickrock, North Guardian Angel visible in the center.

Approaching our notch within the sandstone.

Looking back toward North Guardian Angel, lots of pretty slickrock.

At the notch, looking south. Turkey Peak is hard to make out, but is on the right of the hoodoos. That peak is the last on our agenda for the day.

Heading south from the notch.

A bit brushy once the slickrock ends, but nothing too bad.

The wash that Yoshi is walking in begins to curve southwest, so we took to the brush and navigated around some hoodoos, following animal trails. We'd return up this wash from the south after leaving Turkey Peak later in the day.

Looking back through the brush. The hoodoos were pretty and the bushwhacking wasn't super bad, but probably the worst for the day.

Elkhorn Peak! Dead Tree Peak visible on the left. We had to first work through the lovely brush/hoodoo mayhem to get to the base of Elkhorn Peak, then work along its base to the mostly out of view slickrock bowl on the left.

One more bushwhacking photo, South Guardian Angel in the background.

The bush clears up eventually and we can start following the creek at Elkhorn Peak's northern base.

Elkhorn Peak (right).

Within the creek bed at the northern base of Elkhorn Peak.

Some obstacles, but overall pleasant.

Approaching the bowl separating Greatheart Mesa and Elkhorn Peak.

Looking back down into the creek we came out of, Elkhorn Peak's northern slopes visible. South Guardian Angel on the distant right.

The gorgeous slickrock bowl! There was water flowing for us, absolutely incredible.



Working our way up to the saddle of Dead Tree Peak and Elkhorn Peak.

Looking back down into the bowl.

Crazy! A naturally-formed trail in the slickrock. For some reason, this really stunned me. It was really cool. The saddle of Dead Tree and Elkhorn is visible on the left.

Looking back along the natural slickrock trail. Greatheart Mesa visible on the left, a spur of the mesa on the right.

Working up Dead Tree Peak, Elkhorn Peak on the left and South Guardian Angel in the center.

Approaching the steep section of Dead Tree Peak.

Yoshi scrambling up, the crux just above him out of frame.

Looking down after the crux. We used some webbing to tie to the tree on the left to aid in our descent later on. No, I didn't leave the webbing.

Dead Tree Peak summit. Elkhorn Peak on the left, Greatheart Mesa on the right, South Guardian Angel center.

Dead Tree Peak summit looking south toward Iron Lion (center right) and Rabbit Ears Peak (far right). The super-obscure Emerald Peak is the hump in the center. Ivins Peak far left, Inclined Temple center left.

Close-up of Ivins, Inclined, and Inclivins Peak between them. Emerald Peak also center, just a bump.

After Dead Tree Peak, now headed to Elkhorn Peak.

Looking back toward Dead Tree Peak (right) and the bowl we came out of (left).

Yoshi coming off the Elkhorn Peak summit, view west. You can see Turkey Peak on the far right, the bald-ish red bump.

Heading down Elkhorn Peak's southwest slope. Rabbit Ears Peak center left.

Looking up the steep slickrock slope.

Working down from Elkhorn, headed west. Rabbit Ears on the left.

Gorgeous slickrock with flowing water.



A waterfall blocking access within the creek. We went up and over on the left.

After the waterfall as we work north through the gap seen in the center. The cliffs on the left block easy access to Turkey Peak's mesatop. I'm sure there's at least one viable route, but we didn't try.

Instead, we took a east ridge up Turkey Peak's mesa. Some harder moves along the ridge, so consider working to the north side for easier terrain.

Yoshi coming up the east ridge.

Class 4/5 obstacle along the ridge. Again, this is avoidable if you decided to head up Turkey Peak from the north.

Along the east ridge, looking north toward North Guardian Angel (right), South Guardian Angel (left), and the incredible hoodoo landscape below. I'll also note the notch that we came down from long ago (and will use to ascend later) is visible on the right.

Yoshi scrambling along the ridge, looking east. Rabbit Ears on the right.

More pretty ridgeline, South Guardian Angel in the center.

Looking back along the ridgeline, Greatheart Mesa (right) and North Guardian Angel (left).

At Peak 6097, looking west toward Turkey Peak (far right).

Close-up of Turkey Peak (left) and South Guardian Angel (right).

Yoshi on Peak 6097, North Guardian Angel and Greatheart Mesa framing him.

Looking back at the ridgeline, some bushwhacking and animal trails leading to Turkey Peak.

Turkey Peak ahead.

Summit of Turkey Peak, looking northwest toward the Guardian Angels.

Summit of Turkey Peak, looking southwest toward gorgeous terrain. I didn't take any more photos as we came down Turkey Peak, but just follow the map to locate the proper gully off the mesatop and the head back the way you came.

Now for Subway Peak, seen ahead. We wrapped around the left side of it within a series of creeks.

Heading up the creek on Subway Peak's southeast side.

Subway Peak ahead. Our route went up the gully in the center before going along the ridge to the summit on the left.

Heading up the Class 2/3 gully toward the small saddle separating the two peaks of Subway Peak.

Looking back down the gully as we work toward the small saddle.

On the Class 3 rim, the small saddle seen on the right, separating the main summit from the smaller summit.

At the saddle, looking toward North Guardian Angel.

Above the Class 3 section as we continue up to the summit.

Great views as we near Subway Peak's summit.

Close-up of South Guardian Angel.

Summit of Subway Peak, view northeast.

Close-up of Left Fork of North Creek.

Subway Peak summit, view southeast toward the many amazing Zion summits around this area. We returned to the trailhead the way we came.
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