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Friday, August 8, 2025
Old Snowy Mountain - via Snowgrass Flat, July 2024
The central feature of the Goat Rocks Wilderness is a rugged semi-circle crest of peaks that were once part of a much larger volcano, which went extinct some 2 million years ago. Of these, the most popular with the hiking community is Old Snowy, followed closely by the tallest peak in the range, Curtis Gilbert Peak. I climbed Curtis Gilbert back in the fall of 2004, making the most of the early season snow touring on skis/split up the Conrad and Meade glaciers en route to the summit, and enjoying a nice long descent back down! My previous attempt on Old Snowy, many moons ago and also as a ski tour, was stymied by navigational challenges which ultimately caused us to run out of time. Before the GPX era, we wandered in circles through the forest near Tieton Pass, struggling to navigate with a topo map. By the time we finally emerged from the trees into the 5000-foot creek basin north of peak PCT 7210, we simply didn't have enough daylight hours to continue and, more importantly, return through the disorienting forest in the dark. Our vehicle then got stuck in the snow on the drive home, adding insult to injury as we spent the next hour or so digging ourselves out!
I conveniently allowed myself to forget about the peak after that, until July 2024, when I decided that a hike to Old Snowy via the popular Snowgrass Flat Trail would complement my week of WA peakbagging quite nicely. Either that, or I still had "Snowgrass" on the brain after climbing a peak by that name immediately prior to Old Snowy! Whatever the case may be, I left Icicle Canyon, drove over Blewett Pass, enjoyed the Yakima Canyon views (photos 2-4), then headed west via White Pass, detouring around Rimrock Lake and stopping at Clear Creek Falls (photos 5-11) on my way to the trailhead. As I was doing this, I recalled the description written for Old Snowy in the Selected Climbs in the Cascades guidebook by Jim Nelson, which states, among other glowing remarks, that "Old Snowy symbolizes the kind of mountaineering that restores the soul and psyche...". Well, how could I ignore such a ringing endorsement!
I turned off Hwy 12 just south of Packwood and continued up to a charming little campground adjacent to Chambers Lake for the night. The following morning, I completed the short drive to the Snowgrass Trail trailhead and made my way through the forest, reaching Snowgrass Flat after about 9 kilometers of good trail. Now traveling over snow, the way forward was obvious, following others' tracks aiming for the craggy peaks directly ahead. As the final ascent follows Old Snowy's North Ridge, I made an ascending traverse leftwards over snow to eventually gain the crest of the western spur overlooking Packwood Glacier. I followed this over loose talus to the base of the North Ridge for the final easy scramble to the summit, where the outstanding view did not disappoint! It's obviously all about the volcanoes in these parts, chiefly Saint Helens, Adams, and Rainier, all of which surround the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Simply stunning!
I had read about a neat little arch feature located somewhere near the summit and so proceeded southeast along the summit ridge towards a saddle. Sure enough, there's a volcanic arch here! I've seen plenty of sandstone arches and bridges in the national parks of the southwestern US, but this must be my first lava arch! To return to the trailhead, I simply descended from the saddle down scree and snow to intersect my route from earlier, then back to the trail for a mind-numbing plod back to the van with my soul and psyche restored indeed!
Ladies Pass Quartet - Cape Horn, Ladies Peak, Snowgrass NE Peak, Snowgrass Mountain, July 2024
Couple previous trips into the Chiwaukum Range, always approached from the north and on skis/splitboard. First there was the so-called North Chiwaukum Tour with Todd B., an attempt on our primary objective, Big Chiwaukum stymied by weather up at Cup Lake before crossing over the crest at Deadhorse Pass, essentially cutting our loop short before making camp in a blizzard and hightailing it the next day. Then there was an attempt via the standard but interminably long Whitepine Creek Trail with Eric H., making a go for "Big Chiwi" from a camp somewhere along the trail several miles in. Uninspired by the surprisingly thin snow conditions, we deemed it not worth pursuing as the skiing down from the peak would have been marginal at best and instead entertained ourselves yo-yoing short pitches on the lower slopes before calling it a day. And finally, joined by a different Eric H., we enjoyed a ripper descent from Peak 6601 just northeast of North Chiwaukum Peak down an avalanche chute informally referred to as "The Swath". Having satisfied myself of all things "Chiwaukum", despite the shortcomings, I moved on to other things and forgot about these mountains...for a time.
Fast forward several years, and increasingly on the hunt for novel trail approaches to areas and peaks I've not yet visited, my search led me to the upper reaches of the Icicle Creek Valley. Here the Chatter Creek Trail is found, providing access to the Chiwaukum Mountains this time from the south. I was intrigued by the network of trails present here, following a meandering and mostly alpine route up and over numerous passes going roughly SE to NW, with no shortage of peaks to bag along way. A quick search on the internet confirmed that the area is indeed a popular destination with ski tourers in winter and backpackers and peakbaggers in the summer and fall. Nuff said, I had to go check it out for myself and made this my second objective on a week-long mini peakbagging trip in WA last July!
As I was approaching from the south this time, I narrowed my focus to peaks in the vicinity of Ladies Pass, where I would make camp the same night I hiked in from the trailhead. But first I had a sweaty ~7 kilometer grunt up to the unnamed pass at the head of Chatter Creek to contend with. Took a short break here, eyeing the mostly snowbound basin on the other side which I'd be hiking through next. An absence of tracks in the snow suggested that few if any parties had traversed out beyond the pass yet this year. Down I go, doing my best to follow the trail mostly still buried in snow to reach picturesque Lake Edna. From the lake, the route to a saddle directly north of Cape Horn was obvious, so up I go for an additional ~3 kilometers from the pass to that point. Dropped my pack here and made the short ascent up to Cape Horn, the first of four on this trip. Excellent views from up there, even if it is the lowest of the lot!
Collected my backpack back at the saddle and resumed hiking another ~0.5 kilometers to Ladies Pass proper. Pitched my tent and with daylight to spare I decided to wrap things up with an evening hike up Ladies Peak. Continued directly on the crest from the pass making my way up heather and grass onto the ESE Spur. A short scramble at the very end saw me to the summit where a glorious view awaited me. Grindstone Mountain with The Enchantments to the SE, the Snowgrass summits close at hand to the north with Glacier Peak and the Dakobed Range beyond, The Cradle with mighty Mount Rainier looming behind to the south, and even Baring Mountain and the Gunn Peak Group far to the NW - a damn fine view if I do say so myself! Back down to camp where only the finest freeze-dried fare awaited me for dinner. Settled in for a breezy night at Ladies Pass, without a soul a soul in sight for miles around.
Got going shortly after dawn the following morning, making my way back towards Ladies Peak before dropping right (north) off the ridge and traversing snow slopes northwards towards Snowgrass. Unsure which was the highest, I went for the Northeast Peak first which required a bit of careful navigating. Stepped off the snow following a ledge to the right, then back left traversing below a steep snowfield before turning back right for a short scramble up some steeper rock along the upper margin of the snowfield to reach the summit. Getting there, I immediately realized that it wasn't the true summit, but at least it afforded me a great vantage point of the serrated ridge connecting with Big Chiwaukum. Couple minutes up top and back down I go, reversing the route back to the gentle snow slopes below. Backtracked until directly below Snowgrass proper before turning up and kicking steps in steep snow the rest of the way there. Can't say enough good things about the view, like that from Ladies but obviously better being higher and such. Without the distant clouds from the day before to obscure things, I could also enjoy fine views towards the Daniel-Hinman Group to the SW, Sloan, Pugh and White Chuck to the NW, and so much more!
Spent a good while up top before starting the slog back down to camp. With several hours of daylight remaining upon arriving there, I decided to pack up and head back to the trailhead. Encountered several parties now on the trail as I was returning, mostly the trail runner type - if only my ankles would permit me to do such things! Back at the campervan around 7 or 8 pm, deciding to call it a night right there enjoying cold beer and a proper meal before turning in. Slept soundly, pleased with the outcome of the previous days and finally able to put this Chiwaukum business to rest once and for all!
This was the first objective of my week-long mini peakbagging trip through WA last July. Kinda got maxed out with the bushy cross-country approaches and post-holey snow, and was in search of interesting and unclimbed (by me) peaks with great views that also happen to be served by good trails. Accessed directly from Highway 2, about 14 kilometers east of Stevens Pass, Rock Mountain fit the bill perfectly. It would be my second summit on the ~5-kilometer-long alpine ridge flanking the north-side of the Nason Creek Valley, the first being Mount Mastiff which I hiked with my beloved dog Ozzie (RIP) back in 2010. Rock is neither the highest nor the most visually striking of the 3 main summits along said ridge, that distinction going to Mount Howard, but it is nonetheless a fine outing with a relentlessly steep but efficient trail leading up to the peak.
For something different I briefly considered the alternate approach and trail via Rainy and Snowy creeks on the north side but didn't relish the idea of abusing my campervan on the reportedly rough and bushy forest road to get there. No, just the standard grunt up from the highway would do this time. With over 4000 feet to be gained over 7 kilometers, this would be a great warmup for the other peaks on my itinerary anyway. Driving from North Vancouver, it wasn't till about half past 10 am that I started hoofing it up the trail. The ascent is steep, but straightforward, following an endless number of tight switchbacks up the south face/spur. Continued past Peak 5489 along the way, soon reaching treeline with open snow slopes above. Made a left here (right goes down to Rock Lake) and proceeded up the wide eastern spur to gain a large saddle directly below the South Peak. From here it was just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other for the remaining half kilometer to reach the summit.
Cool and breezy up top, with clouds slowly beginning to part. Superb 360-degree views starting with the Chiwaukums to the south, Glacier Peak and the Dakobed Range to the north, and Nason Creek Valley winding its way through the mountains to the east. Spent a good hour or more up there, and I'm glad I did for just as I was about to head back down, a pair of C-17's came roaring down the Little Wenatchee River Valley before banking left up the White River Valley, all at an altitude BELOW where I was standing on the summit. Bear in mind that these aren't little fighter jets, but rather full-sized, four-turbine military transport jets, comparable in size to a compact version of the 747! Quite a sight to behold I tell ya. Started down very satisfied with the day and a great start to the remaining adventures planned for the week!
With recent reports of improved FSR access thanks to previously locked gates being left open, Wes and I seized the opportunity to finally tag Mount Urquhart. It is an attractive peak, appearing from most angles as a thumb of rock protruding from the forested hills that surround it. For those driving eastbound on Rte. 1 near Chilliwack on a clear day, its unmistakable summit horn can easily be spotted far to the NNE. Situated in the swath of mountains bound by Harrison Lake to the west and the Fraser Canyon to the east, this is an area where, save for Slollicum Peak, I have made little inroads so far. With this and a subsequent trip to the Old Settler, I was committed to once and for all changing that!
Considering the longish drive, we left town the afternoon prior with the intention of making a car camp at one of the numerous rec sites along the Harrison East FSR. Finally called it a night at the Cascade Peninsula Rec Site, making an impromptu spot of our own as all the sites were taken and it was getting close to being dark out. Nobody seemed to mind, so at least we had that going for us. I generally just pitch my tent in the truck bed, so if the parking spot is reasonably level I'm good. Wes on the other hand made do with a flat piece of ground on the trail leading to the outhouse. Good thing he's not the fussy type!
Up and at 'em first thing the next morning, completing the annoying pothole-ridden drive over the bridge spanning Cogburn Creek before hanging a left and proceeding along Cogburn FSR for some 14 kilometers to the BR2500 junction. Left here and continued to a final junction (BR2510) where we made a left once again and drove a kilometer or so before stopping. Parked right before a washout I could have easily driven over, but we were close to our peak by this point, and I saw no need to abuse my truck any further. Geared up and started hoofing up the road the remaining ~1.5 kilometers before diving off into the forest.
With GPX in hand, we followed a sparsely flagged climbers' path steeply upwards, eventually gaining the crest of a timbered spur protruding from the south flank of Urquhart. Trees soon thinned as we ascended into the alpine finding a mix of snow and heather. With the peak's imposing south face now directly above us, we traversed a large snow slope left (west) to reach the toe of the SW Ridge and our ascent route. Turing up the ridge, we proceeded up the steepening pinnacle before us, finding generally easy scrambling despite the daunting appearance from below. Soon found ourselves on the summit admiring the lovely 360-degree view! Most noteworthy were those looking south towards the Old Settler, NW towards the Breakenridge Group and SW towards Harrison Lake.
Had us a nice long rest up top before reluctantly beginning our descent. All was going well, until Wes motored on past me as I was refilling my hydration pack shortly before the descent back into the forest. Figured he'd stop and wait for me before dropping down into timberline where navigation would be a bit tricky, but oh no, he just blindly kept going. Only to then lose the trail and end up thrashing around in a ravine before I show up and help guide him back on course. No comment and no further drama after that, returning to the truck for a very civilized 8 hours round trip.
Set out for Gibson on what proved to be a marginal weather day, consistent with what the weather forecast predicted but which we foolishly hoped wasn't accurate. Made it to the trailhead under heavily overcast skies, thinking to myself that if at least if it doesn't rain all will not be lost. Several minutes into the hike, it started to rain. But fortunately, it wasn't heavy rain, more a light drizzle and so we forged on. Reached Watersprite Lake in good time and thankfully by then the showers had ceased. Wes and I have both been here at least once before, myself bagging the highest in the group Dreadnought Peak back in October 2018. No rain or snow whatsoever that time, opposite to the conditions we found at present.
Snowshoes on, and around the south side of the lake we go aiming for the amphitheater cradled below Martin and Gibson peaks. There's an Epiphone Peak and Fender Peak nearby in case you were wondering about the guitar theme to the names here. Slogged up saturated snow to the Martin-Gibson Saddle and contemplated our next moves from there. Straight up from the saddle pitched up quite steeply with a rock step that looked like it might require technical climbing. No interest in experimenting with that, especially considering the conditions. Wes was all for it, but then his skill at assessing terrain and navigation leaves much to be desired. Decided to descend the opposite side of the saddle for a bit before traversing to a shoulder on the south side of Gibson. Proceeded from there soon encountering a rock rib beyond which was a vertical drop off on the peak's SE Face. Turned up along this rib, then onto a snowy bench to wrap back around to the NW Ridge, above the rock step. Short bit of steep snow from there to the summit proper.
Views were decidedly moody thanks to the dark clouds just overhead and particularly to the west. Still a respectable panorama from up there panning from south to east to north - towards the peaks flanking the east shore of Howe Sound, Sky Pilot and co., Meslilloet and Gillespie Group to the SSE, the remote ranges flanking the east shore of Pitt River to the east and NE and finally north to Dreadnought with the Mamquam Massif lurking behind. Not too shabby for an otherwise miserable day! The rain soon resumed and so we cut our stay up top short, this time opting to descend via the North Ridge towards an obvious saddle. Some steep snow here, but still very saturated and soft, making for a nice log glissade. Returned to Watersprite Lake and on towards the trailhead again under intermittent showers. The cold beer afterwards never tasted better!
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