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The easiest peak in the Downton Creek area, getting to Statimcets (or Peak 8700) is mostly a matter of looking ahead and picking the easiest route before you. We hiked up from Lorna Lake where we'd camped overnight.
We followed the creek above Lorna Lake to the upper meadows below Linus and Faulty Tower before heading for a low ridge. From here we walked over vast open meadows, which must be wonderful in summer, heading for the low-point in the divide between the Downton Creek and Lost Valley watersheds. Our plan was to follow a gentle line up the scree to reach the ridge, but it was hard work side-hilling on the loose, plate-like scree. We weren't the only ones to have followed this route as we encountered a couple of cairns near the top. (On our descent we took a more direct route which was much easier - I'd be tempted to do this going up too.) But eventually we gained the ridge and enjoyed the incredible views on either side.
From the divide, gaining the summit was a simple matter of walking more or less directly up the slope, switchbakcing ever-so-slightly to ease the way. Going up was easy - coming back down was a little harder, as it was easy to lose balance. The views from the summit were awesome - we could see the Joffre Group, Wedge, Marriott, Birkenhead and too many others to name (not that we knew the names anyway ;-) We could have sat there in the warm sun for hours, but we had to get back to the tent to pack up and hike out.
Definitely worth the effort. We want to return and explore some more!
See my other Downton Creek report for info about the road etc. Distance and elevation gain are crude estimates and may not reflect reality :-)
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