Lake Basin Triple Crown – 2 Mt. Elwell

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Vaca Russ
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Location: The Nut Tree

Lake Basin Triple Crown – 2 Mt. Elwell

Post by Vaca Russ »

Mount Elwell is located just northwest of Long Lake. We started our hike at the trail head just west of the Elwell lodge.
1 Start.JPG
This is a 6 mile hike with about 1800 feet of elevation change. The first mile and a half get you to the shore of Long Lake then north to the dam.
2 Long Lake Dam.JPG
You then wrap around the top of the lake and follow the shoreline south west. This trail is very well marked.
3 Well Marked Trail.JPG
There is a cabin with a boat dock on the far side of the lake. There are no roads so the residence must have hauled this boat in over the trail.
4 Motor Boat.JPG
After a few miles of hiking the trail turns north toward the summit.
5 Sign Neart Summit.JPG
The summit block comes into view and you wonder which side is the actual summit.
6 Elwell Summit Block.JPG
It soon becomes apparent the western peak is the summit block.
7 Closer Summit Block.JPG
There is a short talus scramble to get to the actual peak.
8 Rock Scramble on Summit Block.JPG
There is quite a bit of debris near the summit. There must have been a structure here at one time.
9 Summit Debris.JPG
Here is a picture of her on the summit. That is the Sierra Buttes over her right shoulder. She had just bagged that one earlier in the morning. She still had one more peak to go.
10 Sport Sutter Buttes.JPG
While on the summit we met a nice young lady with a black lab. The Labrador’s name was “Sophie”. We informed her of our intent to climb Haskell. She had a cabin on Haskell creek and had often climbed Haskell. She said the 10 foot cairn on Haskell was built because of a special rule followed by the locals. When you summit Haskell you are supposed to add your rock to the cairn.

We noted this rule and bid her farewell. We headed off to our next peak...

Thanks for reading our post,

-Russ
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"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Kahil Gibran.
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