Anaconda Pintler traverse

8/2-3/2024 I had a lingering desire to return to the Pintlers for a complete traverse of the alpine portion of the range after doing most of it in 2014.  I was able to capitalize on a brief respite from another smokey summer for an attempt.  

I rolled out of the Falls/Middle Fork Rock creek trailhead mid-afternoon and biked the 46 miles to my stashed pack at the edge of Anaconda.  It was in the mid 90s when I started walking.  Starting the whole thing overheated was intimidating, but it would set the tone for most of the outing - stay way on top of fluids and keep moving.  Fortunately the road tucked out of direct sun after a few miles, the evening walk up to Hearst lake was pleasant.  I found a mosquito free spot to sleep near the lake, watched the last of the sunset, settled in for short but good night of sleep. 

I was walking before 4 am, and on Haggin shortly after sunrise.  I followed a large heard of goats West toward peak 10,282 and dropped off the ridge before the peak to top off water.  10,378, Evans, Howe, and Little Rainbow all went pretty smoothly, and I found water on the edge of Goat flat. I bumbled through the technical section near Kurt on the East (wrong) side of the ridge, but worked through it without too much lost time and continued through the afternoon to Kurt and Queener.  

Rolling on the first morning.

I was several hours behind schedule, but I felt good and didn't worry too much about the time.  The entire section around Fish was looser and slower than I remembered.  I arrived at Cutaway pass around sunset and walked for a bit on the trail before embarking on the ridgeline toward Beaverhead peak at last light.  I had hoped to make it further along this somewhat technical ridge in the daylight but opted for a conservative decision to drop off the ridge at Beaverhead Mountain and descend to a camp in La Marsche Creek, effectively bypassing several unnamed peaks.  The going in the dark was very slow, but it was safe, and I was tucked into my sleeping bag by 11 pm.

Classic Little Rainbow view from Goat Flat.

Queener from Fish.

Short trail bit around Cutaway Pass. 
I dropped off the crest shortly beyond the peak in the background at last light.

I was walking by 4:30 am and spent a few hours bumping along off trail below treeline the base of 10,259.  My body was intact, and I felt good.  Sunrise along with climbing into the alpine again helped top stoke levels off again, and I summited 10,259 with crisp morning views out to the end of the traverse.  Warren was quick.   The scrappy-at-times section of unnamed peaks South of Warren was quick because I had reconned a route a few weeks prior.  I also encountered two CDT hikers near Rainbow pass, and it was cool to see them on their journey.  As planned, I dropped off the ridge at point 9,805 and descended to the Pintler Pass trail for water.  While I couldn't quite smell the barn, I could now bail to the car easily if needed and was psyched to be in the home stretch.  I ran the tank a little dry on the surprisingly vexing ridge to West Pintler and loose scree slog to East Pintler.  Overcast afternoon skies took the sting out of what could have been an unbearably hot exit.  When I hit the trail, I took a few tepid running steps, and my body really didn't want to run.  Everything was a little too shot.  So I walked it in.  

On East Pintler, looking back at terrain covered in the second day. 

At the trailhead lots of water was consumed and shoes were gratefully exchanged for flip flops. Sitting down and relaxing felt splendid.

Thoughts

47.75 hours from the Haggin trailhead in Anaconda to the Falls/Middle Rock creek trailhead trailhead.  Very very approximately 20,000 vertical feet and not as many miles as the time would indicate.  

I got what I wanted to out of this outing.  It was good and hard but not too dangerous or physically smashing, and recovery was quick enough.    I definitely went a bit slower than anticipated, I think that the extreme heat played a big role, and I probably over compensated by carrying a lot of water and stopping at every available snow patch to refill. A mountain athlete with the right mind set and the skill set to move quickly through talus could absolutely smash this time.   I don't think that it's out of the question to do it in a push, especially with support, and the commitment level is lowered by the fact that it's possible to bail to the car from the back quarter of the route.  On the other end of the speed spectrum, a similar traverse would also be quite a rewarding outing over the course four days to a week.