mtmtnslayer406 - Feb 22, 2024 11:36 am Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2023
Fun In The Fog
Started at the Little Rock Creek TH and successfully summited El Capitan in poor weather conditions. This trip was also a traverse route, in which we ended the day at the Tin Cup Creek TH. 24.5 miles, with 6333' in total elevation gain on the trip.
wildfiredjade - Feb 18, 2024 10:39 am Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2022
Bitterroot Grand Traverse
Climbed El Cap as part of a Bitterroot Grand Traverse attempt. Fun peak to start the day on before the challenges begin with Lonesome Bachelor and the Three Sisters.
Jamez - Oct 26, 2023 9:42 pm Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2023
July 7
Tin Cup, Kerlee Lake, 3 days, Guiding 11 young men To the summit of El Capitan, sooo much water, sooo much food, sooo much fun, we all packed food for four days and ate good that trip left a day early... one day to Kerlee, one day to Cap and back to Kerlee and one day out, had this trip planned of an October 30th attempt in 2022 up Little Rock creek camped at The first lake and traveled the south facing side to the saddle, took too long in waist deep snow so we hopped over into Narnia and camped on a frozen lake and went out Rock creek the next morning.
For sure one to bag multiple times!
Peaker - Aug 11, 2022 8:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2022
Tin Cup Creek/Kerlee Lake
Came up the Tin Cup Creek trail and hiked up from overnight camp at Kerlee Lake. The trail climbing out of Tin Cup Creek to Goat and Kerlee Lakes is steep and faint in spots, doubt it was ever an official maintained FS trail despite that it's on the topo.
A mix of pleasant subalpine forest and walking on talus to get to the summit area from Kerlee Lake, then short scrambles up the highpoints at the summit. Amazing view from the summit - you feel way above everything else aside from Trapper Peak. Easily among my favorite peaks in MT so far.
guerinak - Aug 15, 2020 2:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2020
First stop on the High Five traverse
Climbed on a *long* day as peak 1 of the Bitterroot Grand Traverse. Remember feeling pretty tired as we summited, and thinking that was a bad sign considering we had 5 peaks to go! Epic bushwhack from Little Rock creek in which I lost a shoe and had to ascend the top of the snow couloir in trail runners made things a little spicy. Great climb of its own accord!
Link to High Five trip video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpKMauvYvnU
ColtonV - Jun 28, 2020 2:34 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2019
2 day in an out solo climb
My favorite and hardest climb yet. I went up Little Rock Creek and came out Tin Cup. Tin Cup is by far the easier and safer approach. Do not attempt the couloir without an ice ax or crampons. I didn't have crampons and had to carve my way up with my ice ax, overall incredible climb!
bagged el cap and stayed at the upper lakes. a tough one!
HikesWithDogs - Aug 17, 2018 10:18 am Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2018
Snow in August!
A friend and I set out under mostly clear skies, both smoke and weather-wise, for a backpacking trip to earn El Capitan. We left the Rock Creek Trailhead around 12:45pm. The bushwhack after Rock Creek Lake was a bit tedious and cairns seem to be sporadic (and at times misleading). Finally, we made it to the "7" shaped lake just under El Cap after about three and half hours of backpacking. After enjoying a clear, calm night of fifty degree weather we woke the next day to head for the summit. But...one small problem, though. We hadn't brought crampons or ice axes and the couloirs still had so much snow in them that bypassing the snow on rock was not an option. We decided to go for it and made some temporary ice axes out of the branches of a dead tree by carving the ends to a point. These homemade axes proved indispensable on the descent! We began kick-stepping up and let me tell you, with soft Salomon boots, it hurts! Near the top quarter of the snowy couloir, we detoured off in to some exposed class 4 rock and eventually found our way to the summit ridge. From there, it was a beautiful hop to the top and we climbed both stacks to ensure we gained the true summit. Smoke had filled the valley that morning, but there were enough peaks to ogle in the distance to make ones imagination work out potential new trips. We descended the same way we came up (with Riker, the yellow lab in tow..tough boy!) and eased down to load our our backpacking gear at "7" Lake. The bushwhacking from there to Rock Creek Lake was more difficult to follow than it was on the way in and our tired bodies let us know it. All in all, it was a beautiful trip and El Capitan was a more difficult peak to earn than I initially thought it would be.
Young Royce - Apr 29, 2017 11:32 pm Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2016
Camped at Kerlee
That summit is a long way back there, but worth the views! Lonesome bachelor looks tiny from the top! It's a must in the Bitterroot! Kerlee is a perfect mountain lake.
LazyJSkwires - Sep 8, 2014 12:10 am Date Climbed: Sep 6, 2014
A short day?
15 hours from car to summit to car. I do not recommend doing this as a day climb. Stretching this out over 2 or more days would have been much more enjoyable.
Could not have had better weather. No clouds, almost no wind, 70s throughout the day, and really no snow to contend with. The snow that was left in the couloir was easily bypassed on climber's right where the solid rock sits.
locke456 - Oct 7, 2013 11:07 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2012
This Was A Beautiful Mess
Route: Little Rock Creek
We wanted to do El Cap as an overnight, and it turned into a *literal* overnight. First, we arrived at the trailhead to find the Bitterroots cloaked in wildfire smoke. The hike to the lake was beautiful and a bit surreal (because of the haze), and when we arrived just before dark we found the only even remotely reasonable camp site already taken. So, we kept hiking, skirted the lake, and ran out of daylight right as we bumped up against the bottom of a boulder field just short of where the bushwhacking portion of the hike starts. So we slept on boulders.
The next morning, we started the bushwhack and found it took us a few hours (yes, hours) longer than we'd expected. We pushed on to the couloirs, where my hiking was almost crushed by a mini-rockslide and I almost feel fifty feet after losing my grip heading up the chute (neither one of us are technical climbers, and this was a terrifying ascent for us). We stuck it out, and were rewarded with hours of scree-hopping up and then down, with only a brief break at a summit socked in by wildfire smoke to break up the monotony.
The going back down through the chute was so slow that it was dark by the time we reached the creek again. With only a small, hand-cranked flashlight to light our way (my headlamp malfunctioned), we slowly worked our way back to camp and got there just before morning. We'd set out from the tents at 7am and got back at 430am. A really hellish route, but still worth it just to be in the Bitterroots.
VIEWFIND3R - Jul 5, 2013 2:11 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2013
So close!
We attempted the peak as a day hike. Left the trail at 8am. Made our way to the couloirs via the little rock creek trail. Experienced some very unstable snow due to the high heat we saw this weekend, which made kickstepping a lot of work. We made it about halfway up the couloirs and made a judgement call. I had two 50' slides and my buddy almost got hit during a rockfall from the ridge. With no technical gear we decided to call it. Next time I will have an ice axe and crampons! El Cap will be mine! All-in-all an amazing hike of about 17 hours. Bring the deet!
MTfred19 - Mar 5, 2011 2:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2010
SE ridge from Kerlee Lake
Took the southern approach via Tin Cup Creek and Kerlee Lake - didn't think the dogs would enjoy the couloirs on the northern approach. Crazy log crossing of Tin Cup Creek right where you leave the main trail and head up to Kerlee Lake (one of my dogs fell off it about 15 feet into the raging creek on the way back)! Camped at Kerlee Lake. Nice little climb at the top to the true summit of El Cap!
alpinelight - Feb 8, 2010 4:00 pm Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2006
Very long day
16 hour trip. Made it to top of couloir with friend Joshua, but bagged it there. One of my best days in the Bitterroots. Need to try again.
alpinelight, did you climb this in the winter or summer? Any suggestions for a winter attempt?
Michael Hoyt - Jul 19, 2009 5:19 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2009
Almost
Made a 1-day attempt at this summit. Hiked from the Little Rock Creek trailhead to the lakes at the base of the summit, then climbed on boulders, talus, and scree to the bottom edge of the snow in the couloir. Climbed the couloir to the ridge, then hiked along the ridge toward the summit. Unfortunately I was bone tired and the summit block was blocked by a 20+ foot deep drift of snow. I decided to live another day and save the summit block for another time. Only 600' of distance and 100' of elevation to go!
urnotreal - Aug 18, 2008 8:28 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2004
tin cup solo
decided on this route after seeing it from the top of trapper. left tin cup trail about five miles in at a good size scree field. went straight up toward como peaks and headed west once above timberline. made for an unbelievably beautiful, albeit long approach. little creeks, small tarns, and wildflowers galore. thunderstorms forced a quick descent to kerlee lake and a bushwack out. as great as the ascent and summit were, the descent proved to be equally as miserable. not sure on total mileage but this route made for an 18 hour day.
mtn ear - Jun 24, 2008 10:55 am Date Climbed: May 4, 2008
Ski Ascent
Skied to base of couloir late on Saturday, bivied, then climbed under bluebird skies to summit on Sunday morning. Climbed with mtsurveyor-- he skied the couloir on descent (glissade for me!)
wyomtman - Dec 12, 2007 12:49 pm Date Climbed: Sep 3, 2006
Great Area
Climbed via some couloir? Nice climb with the lakes below as a base camp. Climbed with Sarah, she is a rock star!
mtmtnslayer406 - Feb 22, 2024 11:36 am Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2023
Fun In The FogStarted at the Little Rock Creek TH and successfully summited El Capitan in poor weather conditions. This trip was also a traverse route, in which we ended the day at the Tin Cup Creek TH. 24.5 miles, with 6333' in total elevation gain on the trip.
wildfiredjade - Feb 18, 2024 10:39 am Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2022
Bitterroot Grand TraverseClimbed El Cap as part of a Bitterroot Grand Traverse attempt. Fun peak to start the day on before the challenges begin with Lonesome Bachelor and the Three Sisters.
Jamez - Oct 26, 2023 9:42 pm Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2023
July 7Tin Cup, Kerlee Lake, 3 days, Guiding 11 young men To the summit of El Capitan, sooo much water, sooo much food, sooo much fun, we all packed food for four days and ate good that trip left a day early... one day to Kerlee, one day to Cap and back to Kerlee and one day out, had this trip planned of an October 30th attempt in 2022 up Little Rock creek camped at The first lake and traveled the south facing side to the saddle, took too long in waist deep snow so we hopped over into Narnia and camped on a frozen lake and went out Rock creek the next morning.
For sure one to bag multiple times!
Peaker - Aug 11, 2022 8:00 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2022
Tin Cup Creek/Kerlee LakeCame up the Tin Cup Creek trail and hiked up from overnight camp at Kerlee Lake. The trail climbing out of Tin Cup Creek to Goat and Kerlee Lakes is steep and faint in spots, doubt it was ever an official maintained FS trail despite that it's on the topo.
A mix of pleasant subalpine forest and walking on talus to get to the summit area from Kerlee Lake, then short scrambles up the highpoints at the summit. Amazing view from the summit - you feel way above everything else aside from Trapper Peak. Easily among my favorite peaks in MT so far.
guerinak - Aug 15, 2020 2:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 3, 2020
First stop on the High Five traverseClimbed on a *long* day as peak 1 of the Bitterroot Grand Traverse. Remember feeling pretty tired as we summited, and thinking that was a bad sign considering we had 5 peaks to go! Epic bushwhack from Little Rock creek in which I lost a shoe and had to ascend the top of the snow couloir in trail runners made things a little spicy. Great climb of its own accord!
Link to High Five trip video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpKMauvYvnU
ColtonV - Jun 28, 2020 2:34 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2019
2 day in an out solo climbMy favorite and hardest climb yet. I went up Little Rock Creek and came out Tin Cup. Tin Cup is by far the easier and safer approach. Do not attempt the couloir without an ice ax or crampons. I didn't have crampons and had to carve my way up with my ice ax, overall incredible climb!
missoula - Sep 8, 2019 8:31 pm Date Climbed: Sep 8, 2019
bagged!bagged el cap and stayed at the upper lakes. a tough one!
HikesWithDogs - Aug 17, 2018 10:18 am Date Climbed: Aug 16, 2018
Snow in August!A friend and I set out under mostly clear skies, both smoke and weather-wise, for a backpacking trip to earn El Capitan. We left the Rock Creek Trailhead around 12:45pm. The bushwhack after Rock Creek Lake was a bit tedious and cairns seem to be sporadic (and at times misleading). Finally, we made it to the "7" shaped lake just under El Cap after about three and half hours of backpacking. After enjoying a clear, calm night of fifty degree weather we woke the next day to head for the summit. But...one small problem, though. We hadn't brought crampons or ice axes and the couloirs still had so much snow in them that bypassing the snow on rock was not an option. We decided to go for it and made some temporary ice axes out of the branches of a dead tree by carving the ends to a point. These homemade axes proved indispensable on the descent! We began kick-stepping up and let me tell you, with soft Salomon boots, it hurts! Near the top quarter of the snowy couloir, we detoured off in to some exposed class 4 rock and eventually found our way to the summit ridge. From there, it was a beautiful hop to the top and we climbed both stacks to ensure we gained the true summit. Smoke had filled the valley that morning, but there were enough peaks to ogle in the distance to make ones imagination work out potential new trips. We descended the same way we came up (with Riker, the yellow lab in tow..tough boy!) and eased down to load our our backpacking gear at "7" Lake. The bushwhacking from there to Rock Creek Lake was more difficult to follow than it was on the way in and our tired bodies let us know it. All in all, it was a beautiful trip and El Capitan was a more difficult peak to earn than I initially thought it would be.
Young Royce - Apr 29, 2017 11:32 pm Date Climbed: Jul 30, 2016
Camped at KerleeThat summit is a long way back there, but worth the views! Lonesome bachelor looks tiny from the top! It's a must in the Bitterroot! Kerlee is a perfect mountain lake.
pintlerpro - Jul 26, 2016 9:23 pm
solo with lonesome bach addsolo
LazyJSkwires - Sep 8, 2014 12:10 am Date Climbed: Sep 6, 2014
A short day?15 hours from car to summit to car. I do not recommend doing this as a day climb. Stretching this out over 2 or more days would have been much more enjoyable.
Could not have had better weather. No clouds, almost no wind, 70s throughout the day, and really no snow to contend with. The snow that was left in the couloir was easily bypassed on climber's right where the solid rock sits.
locke456 - Oct 7, 2013 11:07 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2012
This Was A Beautiful MessRoute: Little Rock Creek
We wanted to do El Cap as an overnight, and it turned into a *literal* overnight. First, we arrived at the trailhead to find the Bitterroots cloaked in wildfire smoke. The hike to the lake was beautiful and a bit surreal (because of the haze), and when we arrived just before dark we found the only even remotely reasonable camp site already taken. So, we kept hiking, skirted the lake, and ran out of daylight right as we bumped up against the bottom of a boulder field just short of where the bushwhacking portion of the hike starts. So we slept on boulders.
The next morning, we started the bushwhack and found it took us a few hours (yes, hours) longer than we'd expected. We pushed on to the couloirs, where my hiking was almost crushed by a mini-rockslide and I almost feel fifty feet after losing my grip heading up the chute (neither one of us are technical climbers, and this was a terrifying ascent for us). We stuck it out, and were rewarded with hours of scree-hopping up and then down, with only a brief break at a summit socked in by wildfire smoke to break up the monotony.
The going back down through the chute was so slow that it was dark by the time we reached the creek again. With only a small, hand-cranked flashlight to light our way (my headlamp malfunctioned), we slowly worked our way back to camp and got there just before morning. We'd set out from the tents at 7am and got back at 430am. A really hellish route, but still worth it just to be in the Bitterroots.
VIEWFIND3R - Jul 5, 2013 2:11 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2013
So close!We attempted the peak as a day hike. Left the trail at 8am. Made our way to the couloirs via the little rock creek trail. Experienced some very unstable snow due to the high heat we saw this weekend, which made kickstepping a lot of work. We made it about halfway up the couloirs and made a judgement call. I had two 50' slides and my buddy almost got hit during a rockfall from the ridge. With no technical gear we decided to call it. Next time I will have an ice axe and crampons! El Cap will be mine! All-in-all an amazing hike of about 17 hours. Bring the deet!
MTfred19 - Mar 5, 2011 2:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2010
SE ridge from Kerlee LakeTook the southern approach via Tin Cup Creek and Kerlee Lake - didn't think the dogs would enjoy the couloirs on the northern approach. Crazy log crossing of Tin Cup Creek right where you leave the main trail and head up to Kerlee Lake (one of my dogs fell off it about 15 feet into the raging creek on the way back)! Camped at Kerlee Lake. Nice little climb at the top to the true summit of El Cap!
alpinelight - Feb 8, 2010 4:00 pm Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2006
Very long day16 hour trip. Made it to top of couloir with friend Joshua, but bagged it there. One of my best days in the Bitterroots. Need to try again.
brittonruss - Mar 1, 2010 11:32 pm
Re: Very long dayalpinelight, did you climb this in the winter or summer? Any suggestions for a winter attempt?
Michael Hoyt - Jul 19, 2009 5:19 pm Date Climbed: Jul 17, 2009
AlmostMade a 1-day attempt at this summit. Hiked from the Little Rock Creek trailhead to the lakes at the base of the summit, then climbed on boulders, talus, and scree to the bottom edge of the snow in the couloir. Climbed the couloir to the ridge, then hiked along the ridge toward the summit. Unfortunately I was bone tired and the summit block was blocked by a 20+ foot deep drift of snow. I decided to live another day and save the summit block for another time. Only 600' of distance and 100' of elevation to go!
urnotreal - Aug 18, 2008 8:28 pm Date Climbed: Aug 5, 2004
tin cup solodecided on this route after seeing it from the top of trapper. left tin cup trail about five miles in at a good size scree field. went straight up toward como peaks and headed west once above timberline. made for an unbelievably beautiful, albeit long approach. little creeks, small tarns, and wildflowers galore. thunderstorms forced a quick descent to kerlee lake and a bushwack out. as great as the ascent and summit were, the descent proved to be equally as miserable. not sure on total mileage but this route made for an 18 hour day.
mtn ear - Jun 24, 2008 10:55 am Date Climbed: May 4, 2008
Ski AscentSkied to base of couloir late on Saturday, bivied, then climbed under bluebird skies to summit on Sunday morning. Climbed with mtsurveyor-- he skied the couloir on descent (glissade for me!)
wyomtman - Dec 12, 2007 12:49 pm Date Climbed: Sep 3, 2006
Great AreaClimbed via some couloir? Nice climb with the lakes below as a base camp. Climbed with Sarah, she is a rock star!