Ptarmigan Traverse(edit)

From Yang Yang Lakes ascend SSW to a low part of the crest, a little steep to attain, but once on top, you'll find it broad and easy at 6500 feet. Walk the crest a short distance, then drop east onto the long, intermittent Le Conte Glacier. (To climb the standard route of Le Conte Mountain, ascend from here to its NE slope. Beckey's guidebook describes Points 7456 and 7612 as Le Conte's Middle and South peaks.) Traverse SE on the Le Conte Glacier toward Sentinel and Old Guard Peaks. You'll descend almost to 6,400' to pass below the E face of Point 7456. The glacier begins as a narrow band of ice clinging to the NE slope of the ridge, broadens and deepens into a major ice field covering the entire N slope of the Sentinel/Old Guard massif and cutting through three ridges to hang over the E, S, and W sides. The route ascends the main part of the glacier, passing though some of the most active and heavily-crevassed ice of the PT. At 7300' you'll reach the end of Le Conte Mtn. (If you wish to climb Sentinel and/or Old Guard, continue up to their summit pyramids.) Otherwise, pass through the break and descend the W slope 100 - 200 feet before turning S. Contour the W slope of Sentinel southward, staying at 7100' all the way to the South Cascade Glacier. Cut across the top of the glacier, heading SW to a pass (6800+') in the S ridge, 2000' feet (3/8 mile) W of Lizard Mountain's summit. (Lizard is an easy ascent from here.) Descend glacier ice, rock, talus, and more ice to White Rock Lakes, elev. 6194 feet. The best camping is probably near the largest lake; we were desperately soaked after a few hours of dramatic weather and settled for the 6280' hump just E of the outlet from the E lake. https://www.summitpost.org/stage-3/168170