11.09.2020
With smoke in the forecast for Saturday and beyond I decided to take Friday off and enjoy a blue sky scrambling :)
Spetch FSR is drivable up to the actual TH by most AWD/SUV cars (there is one dip waterbar of concern but the rest of the road is in good shape).
At the beginning you'll be greeted with the post of missing couple from 2010 - serves as a reminder that you have to come prepared for any situation as what happened with them is still unknown.
It's a will marked trail up to the Valentine lake, first going steep up through the forest and then flattening out on swampy meadows.
After the lake you have an option to go around it left or right - depends which mountain - Saxifrage or Cassiope - you want to reach. There is no established trail or path, but terrain is open and you can clearly see your objective.
I decided to do Cassiope first, so I turned right and initially followed a small creek up and then steep but manageable mix of grass and rocks side hilling to the beginning of rocky terrain.
There are two false summits with the second one ending up with a short but exposed rib walk down.
Once on top - you can enjoy views of Joffre Peak, Cayoosh Mountain, Lillooet lake and your potential next target - Saxifrage.
Traversing to Saxifrage, I decided to stay close to the small glacier on the NE side instead of descending to the col level from the NW and what was not the best option. It was a sheer ice and smooth rocks - nothing to hold on - but somehow I managed to reach the col.
Going up Saxifrage is a lot of fun and there are many scrambling options to choose from - based on your comfort level.
On top you are rewarded with another great views towards Olds, Oleg and Gardiner.
I was particularly interested in approach to Oleg ;) and looks like it's totally doable from White lakes (with the same starting point as to Saxifrage, unless your car can ford Spetch creek).
From the top I opted not to go back to the col but continue along the ridge and started descend at the lower point towards the lake. It was surprisingly pleasant walk down open slope without any major obstacles.
I took a dip in the lake before going back to the car.
There was another party of three - they went to Saxifrage first and were planning to do Cassiope when I met them on Saxifrage ascend.
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