picketer

The neighbor who did the Picket traverse was John Lindstrom. His memory of a trip that long ago is so sharp it's remarkable.

One of my neighbors completed a Picket traverse in 1972 via Stetattle Creek. He confirmed that getting around Elephant Butte into the Torrent Creek cut is "not a problem" near the small tarn shown on the Mt Prophet quadrangle and described by Beckey. Turns out he's even been to Lake Berdeen, but that's another story ...

I'm not a technical climber, but this post may be of interest to climbers as it involves non-bushwacking access to the Pickets. While trying to access the southern Pickets (and Azure Lake), I've followed Stetattle Ridge to the low point below Elephant Butte. At that point, there's a large wall to climb. Quite an obstacle. I've noticed a brushy switchback at a lower elevation that may provide a non-technical route across this obstacle. I want to avoid Stetattle Creek. Has anyone else accessed the Pickets without ropes on this route?