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Trip: Baker to Glacier Peak: - 17 days across the North Cascades Trip Date: 07/20/2025 Trip Report: The result of years of imagination and separate efforts. Perhaps it started after exploring the Ptarmigan Traverse, but wanting more. We started gradually exploring the areas to the north and south. Many of us have noted, with some surprise, that there was not a defined “High Route” for this area, unlike some other spectacular ranges of the American West. A few years ago some mountain runners established a “North Cascades High Route”, starting from Silver Creek and ending along the flanks of Agnes mountain. This was an impressive and inspiring feat. Nevertheless we felt it incomplete and starkly contrasted with the style in which we experience these mountains. Although in the end, our route would include much of the same terrain traversing the heart of the National Park and Cascade Crest. But as we played with the possibilities of this terrain it was hard to ignore the striking aesthetics of the volcanos near each end of the range. With both Baker and Glacier Peak being slightly higher than the peaks of the crest, they act as natural waypoints to assess exactly where one is in the vast sea of Cascade summits. It would be impossible to include every spectacular basin, cirque and summit into a single high route but starting and ending with the volcanos gave us a framework to operate in. The route we eventually completed is actually composed of many different shorter routes, linked together by various less visited terrain. Within reason, our goal was to 1) stay above tree line, 2) avoid trails and 3) keep it only lightly technical. We suspect that climbers with the required stamina, skillsets and schedules will likely choose other exploits in the range, or beyond. Nevertheless we present here some basics of our North Cascades high route. Mount Baker Our route up and down the Park Glacier had some obvious benefits. Most significant was that we could change out proper mountaineering gear for more of a hybrid backpacking kit upon return to the TH (Artist Point). The route itself is pleasant, with a scenic approach and lovely high camp. The day we climbed it the snow was soft enough not to require any belay or rappel applications, though in more firm snow that would not be the case. The upper part of the glacier was fairly broken up considering it was early July. We managed an improbable line between a series of large cracks. This line may not have been viable even a week later in the season. We stood on the summit late morning of July 5th. Shuksan Navigating this terrain presented a few obvious and a few not-so-obvioius options. Perhaps at first glance one would think Fischer Chimneys…and then descending from the Crystal Glacier onto the Nooksack. Unfortunately the bergschrund separating the two was gaping by early July and would have required a substantial amount of extra gear that would become dead weight for the week to follow. Additionally the prospect of immediately starting this traverse by hiking on trail through the forest did not match the criteria we set forth. Looking instead to the North side we scouted various lines contouring high above the deep, alder filled basins. There were definitely viable lines through the majority of the terrain, but we determined them to be too complicated and conditions dependent. The biggest concern being that the time involved would be hard to predict. It could take a few hours, or a few days. Additionally there was a good deal of objective hazard traversing high in this terrain. Ultimately we chose a safer and surer, albeit less appealing line. Hiking the ridge above Chair 8 and eventually descending to meet with the White Salmon approach, we faced our first bushwhack in the hottest part of a very warm day. Once escaping the alder hell we climbed to a ridge above and contoured forest down towards Price Lake. We crossed the outflow and traveled along the approach for the Price Glacier route for a while. There would be some fuckery along the base of Nooksack tower getting down to the glacier. But once down there we continued on part of the Nooksack Traverse until Ruth Mountain. Mineral High Route On a map this looks like comparatively straightforward terrain. We did not have a pre-scouting trip for this zone. And we definitely underestimated it. The bushwhacking before and after Chiliwack pass was steep and complicated. Before we escaped tree line onto Mineral mountain there were a series of steep and improbable gullies that took us far longer to complete than what we imagined. In hindsight I think we started out in the wrong gully and paid the price. Eventually we reached “the route” but by then we really weren’t sure if the terrain would go. Finding some clearing among the multitute of brush-gulleys. Above the forest travel cleared again. Although we soon found an abandoned, and completely full backpack. A startling sight this far into remote territory, we searched around for signs of remains but found none. The pack was probably out there for at least one winter, possibly more. We noted its location and passed a message to the park service before continuing our quest. Mount Challenger via Easy Ridge This terrain was fairly straightforward, although the day we did it was very un-summerlike. With no chance of shortcutting the impasse in these conditions we continued the sog and slog down to the lower bypass. Climbing out above the crossing was fairly sketchy. It is very eroded, hard packed and water running along the surface definitely made it attention worthy. Some of the steeper scrambling between there and Perfect Pass was also potentially consequential in heavy rain. Nevertheless we made it to the pass, but soaking wet and in high winds plus white out conditions. Crossing the Challenger glacier in near hypothermic conditions was very….engaging, to say the least. We were all very relieved to step back to “dry” land an hour later. Northern Pickets Descending into the basin is fairly straightforward, albeit somewhat tedious and extended side hilling. The climb back out through Luna Lake and to the Fury shoulder is pleasant, scenic and fun. Especially given that this day the sun had returned. The lower part of the Fury glacier develops some pretty sketchy moats early in the summer and may require walking on exposed glacier ice around 30 degrees. Rather than spend time with that we found a bypass to the north, which lines up with one of the ways parties may choose to climb Fury. We skipped the summit and instead climbed Outrigger along the way. From the col we ascended a 50 foot 5.0 pitch, followed by some rightward traversing 3rd class terrain to the south ridge. Looking back, there was a way to avoid the initial low 5th entirely by starting a bit further west in the col. Descending Outrigger was one of the highlights of the trip. Easy hiking, with the Southern Picket skyline so close you can almost touch it. There was a 15m rappel, which could certainly be bypassed by down climbing 4th class terrain slightly east of the anchor. A short but exciting and exposed bit led to continued easy hiking. Southern Pickets Getting from Picket Pass to the bottom of the basin was pretty fucked. There is some 4th-ish slab downclimb that some parties have rappelled. Beyond that, some of the beta out there is pretty snow dependent. Our planned line was not viable and it took some time to find another way down. Two of us independently destroyed a trekking pole in this zone. Once at the bottom there is some unavoidable alder to contend with. You ever get through one of these, look back from a higher vantage point and realize oh wow, I could not have possibly taken a worse line. That’s what happened here. We should have stayed closer to the cliff along the SW side of the shwack. Oh well. Climbing out to the east of the McMillan spires was fairly straightforward. We managed to avoid brush entirely. Other than a few deep gullies it was a breeze, and an incredible position. From McMillans to Highway 20 Choose your own adventure, depending on legality. Once the Sourdough trail re opens you can traverse east towards elephant butte and then south along Stettattle ridge. Until then, a legal option would be to find Goodell Creek trail/approach and take that to the highway. I cant remember which of these we took… Highway 20 provides the only on route resupply. You could probably utilize Cascade Pass, or even a trip to Holden. But we did not. Isolation Traverse- much has been written on this. Its awesome Looking back to the Pickets, Redoubt from the Mccallister glacier Eldorado to Cascade Pass- decent travel along a nice ridge and basins. Nothing too complicated. Sahale arm trail for a mile or so is a nice reprieve. If you wanted to add some major style points throw in the Torment-Forbidden Traverse through here, although its likely to add some gear complications. Ptarmigan Traverse- MUCH has been written on this. Its awesome Classic White Rock Lakes shot Dome peak area- leaving the Ptarmigan and finding the Dana then Dome glaciers. We scouted a route along the south side of Dome. It probably would go but on the trip we ultimately took the Chikamin glacier around past the gunsights and onto Kaiwhat Pass Doin’ the bull dance. Feelin’ the flow. Workin’ it. Workin’ it To Canyon Lake- The terrain eases here and may involve some bushwhacking but nothing crazy. We abandoned our map, and rationality…instead navigating on vibes alone. Our line to Totem pass was awesome and on paper probably shouldn’t have worked. Between the pass and Canyon Lake there may be a way to avoid significant brush but we did not find it. Still it went quick (downhill) Canyon Lake trail- Seems decomissioned. It’s overgrown and washed out in different places, but still a comparatively decent 5 miles. Image Lake to Lyman Lakes- We looked hard how to avoid such an extended on trail section but there really weren’t any viable alpine options. When we came to this section we were exhausted and very calorie deficient. The easy miles were welcomed. The trail itself is well maintained and incredibly scenic (cloudy pass in particular). Just a hop, skip and a “fuck!” away... Lyman Lakes and beyond- We climbed over Chiwawa mountain without much difficulty. Although the last few hundred feet were steep, slimy, scree covered slab when approached from a direct north line. Pretty gross. It would be better to find the main ridge further east and continue to the summit from there. It started to rain when we were on the summit, so we schemed a bypass for the exposed scrambling awaiting on Fortress. We found a line of weakness that allowed us to bypass to the south. It didn’t take long from there to find the pass no pass trail and follow it towards High Pass (another really scenic on trail moment). Bypassing Fortress For Napeequa we took a path of least resistance well south of the summit, descended to another saddle and then back up and around Hoof. Eventually we had to traverse below the north side of Ten Peak. It took a while but overall it was straightforward. The Honeycomb and Suiattle glaciers brought us to Glacier Gap, along the standard walk up for GP. We were greeted by friends with treats. The next morning we jaunted up the last couple miles. It was a busy weekend on the peak. Spirits were high, despite the suicide gestures Standing on the summit felt surreal. It wasn’t necessarily a positive emotion. Spending the last few summers obsessed and the past few weeks starving made this moment feel like a weird dream. The hike out from there is long, but we crushed it in hopes of making it to Olive Garden in time. Which we did. All the pasta…dipping donuts in wine…it was finally over… By the numbers: 17 days 175.2 miles (73% off trail) 86k vertical gain (86% off trail), 88k lost Average vertical change per mile: 993 feet Average time from camp to camp each day: 14 hours Average calories/day ~3800 Body weight lost- 18lbs (9.6% total lost) Pizza consumed- nowhere near enough Gear Notes: a picket, 2 screws, 3 cams, 4 nuts Approach Notes: the whole thing was an approach...