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Krag Peak, Oregon, September 2022

September 12, 2022 by Paul McClellan Leave a Comment

Saturday morning, September 3, Larry Luehring and I were camped just above Crater Lake in the Wallowa Mountains of Northeast Oregon. We had packed in from the Summit Point Trailhead two days earlier. Our plan this day was to climb Krag Peak after climbing nearby Red Mountain the day before.

Krag Peak from the summit of Red Mountain
Krag Peak from the summit of Red Mountain

Early that morning after a warmer night than previous ones, I listened to the wind blowing through the trees around us from within my tent. I peeked out and saw heavy overcast with darker clouds approaching from the southwest. This was unexpected – I had checked the weather forecast from the summit of Red Mountain the previous day and it was forecast to be sunny this day.

Climbing Krag Peak

Larry leading low on the SE Ridge of Krag Peak. We climbed above to the right of these cliffs.
Larry leading low on the SE Ridge of Krag Peak. We climbed above to the right of these cliffs.

After some debate Larry and I decided to give Krag Peak a try in spite of the weather outlook. We ate breakfast and started our climb up a ridge immediately beside our campsite.

We climbed to the ridge above this talus slope and gained the upper eastern basin.
We climbed to the ridge above this talus slope and gained the upper eastern basin.
Krag Peak rises from the upper eastern basin
Krag Peak rises from the upper eastern basin

Our route followed the ridge, skirting some cliffs to the right, and up a steep slope with good footing to the base of a talus slope. We traversed the talus upward and climbed onto a ridge above. This put us in an eastern upper basin below the Southeast Ridge of Krag Mountain.

The upper Southeast Ridge leads north to the steep South Face of Krag Peak.
The upper Southeast Ridge leads north to the steep South Face of Krag Peak.

We crossed a small dry lakebed and found a ramp that led higher onto the ridge above us. We took a break and I checked the weather forecast since I had cell phone reception. The forecast called for a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then clearing in the afternoon. I noted some virga in the distance, but nothing seemed threatening at this point.

The South Face is a mixture of rock bands and loose talus. The summit is high on the left.
The South Face is a mixture of rock bands and loose talus. The summit is high on the left.
The talus low on the South Face was mostly stable.
The rock bands higher on the face seemed stable and were fun to climb.
The rock bands higher on the face seemed stable and were fun to climb.
Higher, the talus was loose and we chose our separate routes to avoid sending rocks onto each other.
Higher, the talus was loose and we chose our separate routes to avoid sending rocks onto each other.

We followed the ridge northward to gain the steep South Face of Krag Peak. The South Face is a combination of loose talus and firm rock bands. High on the route we would occasionally knock talus loose onto each other so we moved apart and chose our routes up individually.

Larry pauses on the summit ridge of Krag Peak with Red Mountain behind him.
Larry pauses on the summit ridge of Krag Peak with Red Mountain behind him.
The roomy summit of Krag Peak
The roomy summit of Krag Peak

Eventually our routes rejoined and we reached the summit ridge. A short walk across the ridge led to the summit of Krag Peak.

The view west from Krag Peak with it's subsidiary summit on the right
The view west from Krag Peak with it’s subsidiary summit on the right
The view north up the East Fork Eagle Creek drainage towards Eagle Cap from Krag Peak
The view north up the East Fork Eagle Creek drainage towards Eagle Cap from Krag Peak

The visibility was poorer today than yesterday on Red Mountain but we enjoyed the views anyway. We had an early lunch and relaxed, understanding it was to be a short day and there was no hurry to leave.

Looking down onto the SE Ridge from the Krag Peak summit as light rain begins
Looking down onto the SE Ridge from the Krag Peak summit as light rain begins

After our enjoying the summit for about an hour light rain began. I heard no thunder, but we did not want to delay descending the steep rock and talus in case it became wet and slippery. So we put on our rain jackets, packed up, and began our descent. The light rain ended before we returned to the Southeast Ridge but the wind seemed to pick up and we were glad to be off the steep slopes behind us.

The light rain has ended as we descend the upper east basin
The light rain has ended as we descend the upper east basin

We descended and returned to our camp. Soon the rain resumed and we relaxed in our tents comparing notes from the day’s climb.

When the rain ended Larry went looking for a small lake and mine he noted on a map while I refilled our water containers and enjoyed the afternoon views from camp as the skies cleared. Larry returned with another goal achieved for the day. We enjoyed our last evening camped near Crater Lake.

Filed Under: Climbing Tagged With: Eagle Cap Wilderness, Krag Peak, Larry Luehring, Oregon, Wallowa Mountains

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