To the web hosts for the Pickets page! FYI and others who may wish to update said excellent page redo.
Pickets Page for North Cascades National Park is missing 2 fairly major routes on it.
http://www.summitpost.org/picket-range/171088
1) Is the main route between Luna Pass and E. Fury. What is shown is the lower traverse route. The route that I have always taken is the ridge crest. Great views both directions and 1 move of class 4/5 and it completely bypasses the glacier as one takes snowfields on the right. Well one could do this with the lower route as well, but the ridge route is so well used that there is a boot beaten path through the heather. The start of the ridge run is a bit spooky though as one has to ascend a loose gully right out of Luna Col.
2) E. Fury descent route that does NOT go over Outrigger peak. Its class 2 and a very tiny bit of class 3 descending to the direct west. Its a main descent route as described in Fred Becky's book as well. Is it better than going over outrigger peak? It sure is faster when I compare how long it took my brother and I to get from E. Fury to Picket pass. Did compare to what others describe the loose Outrigger peak and very steep snow and they seem to state an all day excursion or half day excursion from E. Fury to Picket pass when descending to the west and then traversing takes a couple of hours.
3) I don't believe the exact elevation was given for the exit point for descending the barrier when dropping into terror creek. It is 3000 Feet. DO NOT drop over at a higher elevation than this! You will run into cliffs forcing you BACK up or repelling through vertical brush. NOT FUN, made that mistake once, never again.