A classic Cascades scramble with big payoff for relatively little technical skill required. From the Sunrise Mine Trail, cross Vesper Creek instead of heading toward Vesper Lake. A bootpath climbs steeply through heather, cedar, and rocky slopes before breaking onto granite slabs. From here, it’s straightforward off-trail scrambling: mostly low-angle rock, with light hands-on moves and easy routefinding. Stay on the central rib to avoid gullies (left) or exposure (right).

Klutina Lake Road is a 23-mile dirt pack trail that travels alongside the Klutina River and down to the lake. The Klutina is one of the major five rivers in the Copper Basin. Its eerie brilliant blue makes it beautiful to run alongside.