
Starting from the Highline Trailhead on a social trail leading east.

The spur ridge option (Class 4 move) is seen on the right. I took the steep gully at the top of the slope seen center.

View back toward Bald Mountain just as I start up the slope, leaving the social trail.

Class 2 up the slope.

Approaching the gully.

View back down the gully. Class 2+.

Steep, loose stuff within the gully.

Past the gully you should take a moment and decide which way up you want to go. You can keep the slope Class 2/3 if you pay attention. The ridge crest is seen just above.

View back down the gully from the ridge crest.

Along the Class 2 ridge to Hayden Peak, seen left.

Class 2 blocky fun.

View back toward Mount Agassiz.

Approaching the first headwall. Keep left.

Left of the headwall, head to the center of this photo.

Class 2/3 blocky stuff.

View back down the scramble and the avoided headwall.

Flattish section leading to the second headwall.

I kept right at the second headwall on a Class 2 wide ledge.

View back along the wide ledge.

The ledge ended and I started up the Class 2/2+ boulder slope.

Nearing the crux.

View back down the Class 3 crux move.

Hayden Peak summit, view east. McPheters Lake seen below.

View toward Kletting Peak and A-1 Peak, north.

Close-up toward Mount Marsell and Bald Mountain.

Middle Basin, Mount Agassiz seen in the center. That's next!

Close-up of the ridge traverse I'll be doing.

Mount Agassiz ahead. The ridgeline begins with a cool section of crevasses forming a maze.

View back toward Hayden Peak along the traverse.

Short drop to a small cliff band, the first ridgeline obstacle.

Keep right and use a Class 3 pull seen far right in this photo.

The second obstacle along the ridgeline. Class 2 to the notch below.

Second Obstacle.

Class 2+ up the second obstacle.

View back along the ridgeline.

Close-up of the Class 2+ section from the notch.

Onward along the ridgeline.

View back toward Hayden Peak.

Mount Agassiz ahead.

A few hundred feet drop to the saddle. Keep right of the crest to avoid the steepest, loosest boulders.

Heading up to Mount Agassiz. I kept right of the ridge until about 12000'.

A shot back at Hayden Peak (right) and the descent I just did to get to the saddle (left).

Keeping right of the ridge.

And then I gained the ridge crest for some fun scrambling. Keeping right until the summit is doable, but looked more loose.

Class 2/3 moves to Mount Agassiz on terrace-like formations.

View back along the ridgeline.

Along the crest. There's a cool slot-like feature seen center-top of this photo.

Mount Agassiz summit, view east.

Shot into Middle Basin. Hayden Peak seen left, and the ridgeline I just traversed far left.

View back along the ridgeline.

Back at the saddle, I descended south on this Class 2 slope.

View back toward the saddle within a pretty meadow.

Descending into the forest.

Burn area.

View back toward the ridgeline.

Mostly easy forest terrain.

But also some light bushwhacking.

Another shot back toward the ridgeline from within a meadow.

I made it to the Highline Trail and headed north back to the trailhead.

Mount Agassiz seen in the distance (right) along the Highline Trail.
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