
Herman Gulch Trailhead.

View back toward Mount Sniktau along the Herman Gulch Trail.

Continuing up the Herman Gulch Trail.



The Herman Gulch Trail swaps between meadowy views and forest.


View back along the Herman Gulch Trail as we near Herman Lake.

Herman Lake is up ahead, but we would first make a right and take the Jones Pass Trail instead.

Along the Jones Pass Trail. Herman Gulch is on the right in this photo.

View back along the Jones Pass Trail. The Citadel is visible top center.

Along the Jones Pass Trail.

The trail ascends a minor ridge, then descends into the valley below before reascending to the ridgeline visible ahead. Hassell Peak is top right.

Close-up into the descent into the valley.

View back into the valley we descended into, now ascending to the ridgeline.

Almost to the ridgeline.

View back. The trail comes from the far right in this photo. Herman Gulch is visible top right. Grays/Torreys visible in the distance.

Onward to Hassell Peak.

View back as we hike to Hassell Peak. Pettingell Peak visible above Yossi.


A quick dip in the ridgeline on the way to Hassell Peak.

Hassel Peak summit, view toward Pettingell Peak and the ridgeline we'd be on shortly.

Close-up to Pettingell Peak from Hassell Peak.

Back at the south side of Hassell on our way to Pettingell, view back to Hassell.

Onward along the ridgeline to Pettingell Peak.

Pettingell Peak top right, Herman Lake on the left.

Close-up of the ridgeline to come.

First rock outcrop. We chose to stick to the ridgeline for some fun Class 3. You can avoid it by staying to the right of the ridgeline, a Class 2 alternative.

View back toward Hassell as we scramble along the Class 3 ridge crest.

Yossi wrapping up the last bit of the add-on Class 3 section. As you can see on the left in this photo the crest is avoidable.

The true ridgeline ascent to Pettingell Peak.

We found ourselves mostly avoiding the crest, but there were still plenty of fun Class 2/3 moves.

View down at Yossi scrambling just below the ridge crest.

View back.

The route leads to the left of the outcrop ahead.

View back, Herman Lake visible on the right. Herman Gulch, the trail we came in on, come sup the valley in the center.

Class 2/3 to the left of the spine.

View back on the Class 2/3.

Along the ridge crest, or just to the left of it.

View back at Yossi on the Class 2/3.

Almost to the summit of Pettingell Peak, view back along the crest.

Pettingell Peak ahead, some easy Class 2 to the summit.

Pettingell Peak, view back toward Hassell Peak.

Pettingell Peak summit. To get down we continued along the ridge crest, headed west.

Dropping off the ridgeline down to the pleasant tundra below.

Descending the steep slope, heading southeast. There is a cliff on the right, so we didn't want to get too close to it.

View back toward the ridgeline. Pettingell Peak visible top right. We descended via the tundra on the left.

Class 2 after the tundra. We headed to the gully on the left.

Class 2 gully complete with a social trail, which led to the north side of Herman Lake.

Herman Lake, view up at Pettingell Peak.

On our way back via the Herman Gulch Trail as the storm hit.
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