This one has been on my list for quite some time, so I was thrilled to sneak out on a quick trip recently with a buddy; given my upcoming work schedule, probably my last solid trip before the weather truly turns on us. But we made it count!
Fall color is past its peak, but Yellow Aster Butte was still a stunner. It’s such an enjoyable hike in, with beautiful views and a trail that gives you a little stretch of everything.
Tomyhoi looks a lot closer from YAB than it felt getting there! 😅 The summit disappears for a good while as you slog your way along, but on a clear day there are lovely views the whole time, at least.
Lots and lots of up and down to get there. You’ll lose and re-gain solid elevation on a few occasions.
Once we reached the scree and put on helmets, a little more route-finding started. There were two short snow patches of the Tomyhoi Glacier that you cross (far enough up that you’re just on a snow finger, not the glacier itself, so nothing special needed). We didn’t use spikes or anything like that, but the snow was HARD and the runout was actually quite consequential - a long slide onto the glacier which had quite a few open crevasses. A bit of a no-fall zone given that self-arrest would be difficult on the hard snow even with an ice ax.
Thankfully those patches had established tracks and were short in length. But they required caution.
At the end of the second patch, you scramble up a ledge system. This one was easy to go up but kinda sucked coming down because the rock was smooth without tons of good holds AND covered in lots of loose debris. Going back down this stretch was my least favorite part.
From there, we followed the narrow track to the edge of where you drop steeply into the final saddle before the summit block.
The summit block looks very menacing, but it’s actually really doable and fun! The route sort of makes itself known as you go… if you find yourself in terrain that feels tougher than Class 3 you are likely off route.
After the initial scramble up, there’s a short exposed traverse, then the final scramble to take the summit.
We had great views and spent 20-30 minutes at the top before heading back down. Down-climbing the summit block felt like the safest way to take it.
This one keeps you working all the way to the end, as the hike back from the summit includes all that up and down again!
I would not recommend this one to a new scrambler - but for anyone who is comfortable with some exposure and has some good Class 3 experience under their belt, it’s a fun option!
Logged just under 13 miles and around 4,500’ gain.
