The Picket Range is the forbidden heart of the jagged North Cascades. The range is protected by long approaches, deep jungly valleys, steep broken glaciers and wet weather thanks to tidewater only 50 miles away. It takes a lot of "sweat equity" to get in and out, but the reward of a successful trip will echo in your memories for years. The range is getting more popular, but many days of solitude are always available. It's important to be prepared for emergencies and have contingency plans in case of weather or fatigue.
Email from a friend who just returned from a trip to the Southern Pickets (September, 2007):
And check this out for a parting laugh... two guys were bushwacking out of the Picketts two weeks ago and got separated. One guy stumbled out on the Big Beaver trail. He waited half of a day for his buddy. Finally stumbling out of the brush he see his friend. He asks, "Bill, where the F^&% is your 5-day full pack with the rope, ice axe, crampons etc.?" He replied, "F&^* that stuff. I left it!" true story.
The Northern Pickets
Here are the peaks of the Northern Picket Range. The range forms a "C", with Mount Challenger and it's large glacier in the north, sweeping down on a continuous ridge to the south and then east to Mount Fury, and then Luna Peak as the eastern terminus.
The Southern Range is noted for slender spires of rock rising above small glaciers on the southern slopes, and is visible from the North Cascades visitor center down in the Stehekin valley. It has an outlier "view peak" to take in the majesty called the Chopping Block. The northern walls of the Southern Range are truly terrible to behold. It has been said that the slopes below those walls are the most remote place in the continental U.S.
McMillan Spires - Summitpost page for West McMillan Spire here.
Inspiration Peak - Radek made the Summitpost page here.
A set of climbs has emerged as the "must do" list of the range, I'll mention the ones I know about here:
* Mount Fury - by the North Buttress or the Southeast Glacier. Either route is a dream come true
* West McMillian Spire - West Ridge
* Challenger Peak - Challenger Glacier route, via any approach.
* Mount Terror - the North Buttress - yeah baby!
* Inspiration Peak - West Ridge, East Ridge AND South Face - the "Forbidden Peak" of the area...much loved (argh, no summitpost pages yet though - come on peeples!). UPDATE: Radek came through big time with an East Ridge page...yeah!
* Luna Peak - Southwest Ridge
Of course there are new classic climbs waiting to be discovered here.
In the last few years local Northwest climbers have done some stunning things. In 2003, Forrest Murphy and Colin Haley made a February ascent of Inspiration Peak's West Ridge. Later that year Wayne Wallace, Mark Bunker and Colin Haley made a high level traverse of the entire Southern Range (VI, 5.10+).
Approaches
Overview of approaches
I'll do my best to give sufficient detail here, but for planning a multiday trip to the Pickets, it would be silly to go without the Cascade Alpine Guide Volume 3. There are many pages of detail on these approaches. My descriptions below cannot match their quality.
Easy Ridge to Perfect Pass
This is a popular way to climb Mount Challenger. Many people go in this way and then deproach via Big Beaver/Wiley Ridge. A clever trick is to meet friends who came from the opposite direction and exchange car keys on the Challenger Glacier. The advantage of the Easy Ridge approach is that there is not too much bushwhacking, and you have a very scenic walk along the spine of Easy Ridge. The two disadvantages are 1) it is a very long trip, with ups and downs and 2) the Imperfect Impass shortly below Perfect Pass is a perplexing feature, sometimes easy walked across on snow, other times requiring a long detour down and back up through brutish brush. For my part I was stymied by the "Imperfect Impass," so I can't comment on the route beyond that point.
To get to the Hannegan Pass trailhead drive the Nooksack River road to a left turn on road FR 402. The trailhead is at 3100 feet, starting from a large parking lot at the end of the 4 mile long road. For great detail of the hike to Hannegan Pass see the Ruth Mountain page.
From Hannegan Pass, you can descend to Copper Creek Camp above the Chilliwack River at about 3200 feet (marked as "campsite" on USGS map). This is a good strategy if you came in Friday evening and want to make it to Perfect Pass Saturday night. From the campsite hike two more miles, then start looking for an unmarked trail descending a little bit to the river. You'll ford the river here and find the Easy Ridge Trail on the other side. At first, the trail is pretty brushy and you'll get wet from dew in the morning. Eventually it starts climbing steeply as it works from 2800 feet up to 5000 feet, where you leave deep forest and enter huckleberry bushes at a pass on the ridge. Congradulations, now you can enjoy the scenery!
You'll follow the ridge a long way to Easy Peak (6615 ft) in beautiful terrain. At one point there is a scenic hut-tub sized pond of clear water with a panorama of snowy peaks. Soak in the views because as the afternoon wears on you'll have to deal with the Imperfect Impass! After Easy Peak (it may hold some snow all year), travel east on the ridge until walls of Whatcom Peak begin to loom. Drop gently down from the ridge in grassy terrain heading southeast. You'll want to lose about 1000 feet, dropping from about 6200 ft to 5200 ft to get to the base of a buttress of Whatcom where an imposing sight will greet you: the Imperfect Impass.
Going early in the year you may barely notice it: just walk across what is actually a very deep gorge on snow. But when it melts out there is no easy entrance or exit. I see that summitpost user meganerd has also been stymied here, doing the same thing I did - trying to climb around in and above the gorge to find a way across. He describes the experience as "terrifying exposure" and I have to agree, especially once you decide to give up and have to climb down from whatever perch you've treed yourself on. At a minimum, if you want to cross the gorge directly, be prepared to get the rope out, but also know there is little protection on the slabby terrain. Getting out the opposite side looks hard too. In 2001 I saw a forlorn rope hanging on the other side, swaying over featureless wet slabs. Without heavy snow cover, it is a fools game.
Photo with beta about a possible rappel into the Impasse.
So be smart and descend (another) 1000 feet or so until the gorge ends and you can walk across the stream. On the other side grimace and enter the brush and start climbing back up. If benighted, there is a flat spot on the west side of the gorge for a camp. You'll climb up through thick brush and slabs until the way eases below Perfect Pass (6200 feet). Good camping is available here on the edge of the Challenger Glacier.
Rest and relax: the climb to the summit of Challenger is a piece of cake compared to the work completed!
Big Beaver Creek to Wiley Ridge
tbd...this is the preferred approach to Mt. Challenger.
Little Beaver Creek to Whatcom Pass
tbd...
Terror Creek to Terror Glacier
This is definitely the easiest approach, making access to McMillan, Inspiration and the Chopping Block possible for a weekend trip. Drive a short ways up Goodell Creek until the road ends. Begin walking up the old road. An illegal "brushing out" of the trail occurred sometime in 2003. The illegal trail-maintainers may have used a chainsaw to chop through the numerous blowdowns. Before the brushing out, the trip up Goodell Creek apparently took at least another hour. Deplore it or applaud it, please don't get any ideas from it!
After about 4 miles you'll come to a wide spot in the forested trail with a small cairn, and possibly a fire ring. If you are going for Terror Glacier and points east (like West McMillan Spire), this is your signal to turn up on a steep side trail. It is kind of faint at the start but gets better. It heads straight up to the east for 3000+ feet. There is no water, so stock up first! At least it is good trail, only getting brushy for a brief period near the top before breaking out into stunning views of the Terror Basin to the north. Now enjoy a glorious traverse north on heather and boulders. The trail climbs to a 6200 foot high spur on the ridge. Look down to a flat camping area at 5800 feet. Descend on scree or snow to the typical camp for a climb of West McMillan Spire. From here you can see other peaks for a climb such as Inspiration. The west wall of Terror Basin is called the Barrier, and you'll need to cross it in order to go climb The Chopping Block, Terror Peak or other points to the west.
If on the other hand, you don't want the complexity of crossing the Barrier, you can climb directly up Terror Creek from the lonely cairn back at the end of the Goodell Creek Road. This way is less scenic, brushy and hot, but is probably quicker if you are making for Mount Terror or other western summits of the Southern Range.
I have only descended this way and would happily include more beta if someone has it. From the cairn, continue traversing through relatively open forest on faint trail. You are heading due north until you hit Terror Creek (you'll hear the roar of water). The faint path now contours above the creek for about a 1/2 mile. Eventually a massive log jam marks the point to cross Terror Creek (roughly 2100 feet elevation). Become hyper-attentive for signs of passage around here. There is plenty of brush on both sides of the creek. You definitely want to find the trail heading up the ridge on the west side of Terror Creek. There may be some flagging. Once you found it, somewhere near the logjam creek crossing, follow it faithfully up to the forested ridge crest at about 3800 feet. Pat yourself on the back here because many folks have gotten lost on the ascent or descent of this trail and endured not only bushwhacking but difficulties with hidden cliffs in the forest.
Once on the ridgecrest, there is a long climb up to "Stump Hollow", an open slabby/heather basin east of the Chopping Block. For our part, we lost the trail several times in here. Try to stay near the ridge crest (on the right). Eventually you'll get dramatic views down to Terror Creek. This is a hot and masochistic journey, it might be best to sleep by the forest cairn and begin the trip up early in the morning. The waterless forest from the ridge top to Stump Hollow can be incredibly hot and windless.
From Stump Hollow hike easily to the pass between the Chopping Block (again, marked as Pinnacle Peak on the USGS maps) and the Barrier. About descending the Barrier from here to Terror Glacier, I have no information. It isn't advisable to descend it without having been up it though. You have to choose the correct gully carefully and I don't know of any good markers.
The Barrier
Can someone provide this info?
Camping/Accomodation
A primitive though adequate system of wardened huts links the...HAAHAHAA! Oh sorry I just couldn't resist. Nada. Nichts. Null.
There is a wooden shelter at Beaver Pass. You are only supposed to use it in case of emergency, though I've seen that rule ignored more often than not.
Picket Pass
A permit from the North Cascades National Park Visitor Center in Marblemount (360-873-4500) is required for any overnight stay in the park, almost mandatory for a visit to the range. ("crazy" people have climbed The Chopping Block or West McMillian Spire in a day).
Weather Conditions
Here is a link to a site where you can buy prayer beads :-D.
But seriously, Lowell Skoog's weather conditions page is all you need for Washington State.
* Wayne Wallace's site - Wayne Wallace's accomplishments in the Picket Range are really something to marvel at. I don't know anyone who has more experience than him. Read about his trips here.
Just for fun
I made a movie in 2005 which gives a pretty good overview of the Pickets. It's a computer-generated flight over terrain data, first circling around the Northern Pickets cirqe, then down into McMillan Cirque (where no one ever goes). Might be fun to see, though nowadays Google Earth makes it so easy!
