Mt. Daniel circumnavigation, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Sir Hikes a Lot invited me on a long-form circumnavigation of Mt. Daniel in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. He chose a longer and possibly more-scenic route instead of the tight loop, and it's a tour of basically every alpine lake on the mountain proper.

In summer, as opposed to a ski tour, the route is marked by a continuous 10-mile stretch of cross country travel mostly consisting of talus and scree with a few very cool areas of glacially-scoured slabs and a disintegrating glacier descent at the end.

The clockwise loop was approximately 26.5 miles with 9,100' of gain.

Sir Hikes made a little video as well:

The Citadel (with the pass just below right) and Circle Lake outlet above Deep Lake, on the traverse from Peggy's Pond to Circle Lake

Sir Hikes traversing toward Circle Lake, the Citadel above

Smoke blankets the view to the east; with Mt. Stuart

Circle Lake, looking back east toward the approach traverse

Climbing up to Citadel Pass, above Sir Hikes

Hinman, Bears Brest, Summit Chief and Rainier, over Spade Lake; from Citadel Pass

Goats on the descending traverse to Venus Lake

Sir Hikes descending to Venus Lake, with Bears Breast

Venus Lake below Mt. Daniel; pass to the next drainage at center-left

Venus Lake and the south face of Mt. Daniel

Hinman-Daniel col, Hinman, Bears Breast

Short swchack on the way to Hinman-Daniel col; Sir Hikes photo

Rising traverse to the col

Looking back at the pass above Venus Lake, from near Hinman-Daniel col

Glacial retreat lake north of Hinman-Daniel col

Very unstable glacier and moraine terrain

Glacier visible under the debris at center-left; traversing through new slide muck

On the Hinman Lakes bench, with Dip Top Peak

Lower Hinman Lake and Dip Top Peak 

Smoke jumpers' plane; Sir Hikes photo

East Fork Foss River headwaters basin; looking up at the climb to Pea Soup Lake

On the beginning of the slab climb to Pea Soup Lake; Hinman and lakes bench behind

Midway up the slabs; Sir Hikes photo

Dip Top Peak from midway up the slabs; Sir Hikes photo

Sir Hikes styles the slabs, near the top

Mt. Daniel's retreating Lynch Glacier over Pea Soup Lake

Sir Hikes photo

Descending the glacier from Dip Top Gap to Jade Lake

Icy and slushy at the same time, with crevasses opening a bit; Sir Hikes photo

Nearing the bottom of the glacier; Sir Hikes photo

"Thank you" to the couple for taking our picture!

Dip Top Gap above the glacier and Jade Lake

Reaching Marmot Lake and maintained trails back to the car