Peak 3,592 / Duck Lake Peak
Ascents of Peak 3,592 (Southeast Ridge, class 2-3) and Duck Lake Peak (North Ridge, class 2), August 15, 2020.
Timeline:
August 15, 2020. I started hiking from the Duck Pass trailhead at 7:18. Despite the early hour, there were already many people on the trail, this being a Saturday in August. I made relatively quick progress to Duck Pass, reaching it at 8:39. There, I left the trail and headed northeast toward the saddle between Peak 3,592 and Duck Lake Peak (i.e. Peak 3,681). I hiked over blocky and sometimes unstable talus, until reaching the saddle. At that point I turned north up the steep ridge (class 2 with a few class 3 moves especially when down climbing into some notches). I reached the summit of Peak 3,592 at 9:50, but I was not certain it was the summit, so I continued along the ridge to two darker colored high points further north. These were lower, so I was able to confirm that the second bump I reached on the crest of the ridge was the true summit (as noted in Secor). I found no summit register anywhere. To return, I dropped a bit on the east side of the peak to avoid unnecessary difficulties, and I made my way back toward the saddle leading to Duck Lake Peak. From this saddle, I climbed the blocky but easy talus to the summit of Duck Lake Peak (reaching the top at 11:31), taking care to avoid the stunted pines that blocked the way on the West slope of the peak. I enjoyed the outstanding views toward Red Slate Mountain, Red and White Mountain and Mount Izaak Walton to the southeast, Silver Peak to the southwest, Laurel Mountain, Bloody Mountain and Mount Baldwin to the east, the Ritter Range and Mammoth Mountain to the northwest, as well as the Duck Lake and Duck Pass area immediately below. Unfortunately, dark clouds were gathering, interrupting my plans to traverse further peaks in the Duck Lake basin. I left the summit at 11:45 and started down on sand and talus toward Duck Lake. Soon I saw a steep chute to the left, directly below Pika Pass, that would lead me to Pika Lake. Having never visited this lake, I took a small detour and went down the chute (some class 3 at the top, steep class 2 talus further down) to the north shore of Pika Lake. I was disappointed to see numerous fishermen and day hikers there, and did not stop for a planned break. Now on a trail, I quickly skirted the northeast shore of Duck Lake and was back at Duck Pass at 13:08. I ran back most of the way to the trailhead, under intermittent rain, trying to dodge hordes of weekenders. I reached my car at 14:00. (A 6:39 hour day, 12.20 miles, 3,620 feet of elevation gain).