Charleston Peak

3-Aug-99

By: Chris Libby

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The description for Route C on Charleston Peak in the DPS Guide is a bit vague. Here's a bit more detail.

From the Lee Canyon Ski Area, follow up under the western chair lift. Just below the top of the chair, a road heads left over to a small creek and canyon. (There is a little catch dam here for a water supply.) Go up the creek past the prominent rock above in the woods to the left. When past the rock, one will see a steep chute headed up to the saddle at 3288m (as mentioned in the DPS Guide). Top off your water here, then head up the chute. Initially it is easiest to go up the wooded ridge to the right of the chute, then about 2/3 of the way up, cross to the steep dirt slope left of the chute. Continue to the saddle at 3288m 41 and follow the Route C directions to the summit.

Round trip is about 8.75 hours. This is an excellent way to climb Charleston and Mummy. The trailhead is higher than Kyle Canyon (8720'), and the area is more alpine and less developed. The last part of the chute to the saddle is steep, however, and a small group with good group management skills would be best, as rocks go bounding down. Incidentally, the eastern chair lift (the other one) does scenic rides on weekends, and it may be possible to climb to the ridge from there, but one would have to wait for the chair to start (8 or 9 AM). Chris


Detailed information for visiting one or more peaks mentioned in this article can be found in the
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