| McCartney Peak Mountain/Rock |
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| McCartney Peak   | 
| Page Type: Mountain/Rock Location: Washington, United States, North America Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling Season: Spring, Summer, Fall Elevation: 6784 ft / 2068 m | Page By: Mountainjeff Created/Edited: Jun 27, 2008 / Sep 23, 2008 Object ID: 416049 Hits: 325 Loading... Page Score: 87.57% - 6 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview
McCartney Peak is a seldom visited, fairly unknown peak. This is not a difficult, exciting climb, but is rewarding with amazing views and very few people.
Both standard routes ascend the south ridge of the peak,which is gentle except for a little scrambling near the summit. The steeper Northwest face has no listed routes, but looks like a more exciting climb.
Getting ThereFrom Seattle, take the ferry to Bremerton and drive Highway 303 North the the Hood Canal Bridge. From the bridge continue west and then drive north on US 101 to Port Angeles. In Port Angeles follow the signs to Hurricane Ridge. Just before reaching the lodge at Hurricane Ridge, turn left on to Obstruction Point Road. Follow this narrow dirt road for 8.4 miles to the Grand Pass trail head.
ApproachFrom Obstruction Point, follow the Grand Pass trail for about 2 miles until just before it starts to descend into the Grand Creek Valley. At this point an unmarked way trail follows the ridge crest south.
This trail stays near the ridge crest and is fairly easy to follow. After Pk 6580 the ridge becomes a rocky spine. Resist the urge to descend below the ridge crest too early. Once the ridge is reached, the trail threads through the first part of it and descends left down the third gully.
The trail becomes hard to see after this point and is often covered in snow. Head for the low point in the ridge just north of Moose Peak. Once this point is reached, follow the ridge to the summit of Moose Peak.
From the summit of Moose Peak, continue to follow the ridge south towards Low Pass, which is the next low point in the ridge. At Low Pass, McCartney Peak is visible to the southwest.
From Low Pass, follow a faint way trail traversing down the west side of the ridge. The trail ends in a boulder field. Cross this boulder field and find the easiest way to cross the short, rocky ridge on the other side. Once across the ridge, descend the steep grassy, or possibly snowy, slope to the bottom of the valley where there are a few small ponds.
The route from Low Pass |
Here you have two choices:
1. Ascend the valley to the Lillian Glacier and on to the summit.
2. Traverse over to Lake Lillian and climb from the west side.
The first choice is shorter, but the second is much more scenic.
If you take the first choice, the route is very straight forward. Follow the Lillian River up the valley and ascend the Lillian Glacier and follow the ridge to the summit.
If you decide to go to Lake Lillian, the route is much more difficult, but more rewarding. From the small ponds, follow the Lillian river up stream to the first possible ford. From this point, you will traverse around the head of a ridge. Do not go up it. If you do, you will end in cliffs above the meadows below the lake. After traversing for a while, a very flat meadow will be reached. Cross this meadow towards a waterfall on the southwest side. climb the gentler slope on to the left of the waterfall, which flows out of a lake just below Lake Lillian. From this lake, ascend a short slope to Lake Lillian.
To summit from the lake, climb to the pass south of the lake and follow the remnants of an old trail to a spur ridge of McCartney Peak. Ascend this ridge to the summit.
Red Tape-This is in the Olympic National Park, so park entrance fees must be paid.
-Lake Lillian is in a quota area and only a certain number of people are allowed to camp at a time, which is seldom a problem because very few people camp there.
- The Obstruction Point Road only opens after all the snow has melted of fit. This is usually is mid July and Sometimes into August.CampingThere is a car campground at Heart O' The Hills near the park entrance. External LinksOlympic National Park
Mountain Weather ReferenceFor Further information on this mountain refer to the Olympic Mountain Climbing Guide Fourth Edition by Olympic Mountain Rescue. This book includes way points and perhaps a better route description.
Note: Most of the pictures on this page were taken by my father. He takes better pictures than I do. Images
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