ScottPick

Good luck and play it safe Marc.

Jordan Copy on the shhhhhh....Can't wait to get there and take lotsa pics. I was just 2-3 weeks too late getting in there. The river is wide and slow there and I would have tried to look for a crossing by going up-valley but the slopes above were snowy and dark. I want to see this area in its mid-summer glory. Its really high on my hit list. Also Standard Ridge looked like a total cakewalk from the road. The meadows look lush and gorgeous. The Noel Creek road is OK. Its pretty good (dare say 2wd) to the "forks". The west fork is getting single-track like. Its getting scratchy too. I managed to almost below the Incisors but stopped when the alders really grew in. It was about a 10 minute walk to where the creek from the Incisors crosses the road. This road might be undrivable in a 2-3 years - either it sloughs off or the alder continues to grow in. That's why I am going back ASAP. Too bad I didn't discover this gem of an area before the end of the season.

I enjoyed this trip immensely despite being in the shadow of some great climbers. Burdened by my love of mountain and landscape photography and ever midful of my pitiful abilites to keep up with climbers gunning for a peak I decided to wander around the Cadwallader backroads and poke my nose into some places that I wanted to check out for future access. Jumping backwards after an incredibly yummy diner at the Gold Bridge Hotel we made our way in the evening gloom to the "trailhead". Weather was spitty and didn't look too promising for the next day. Bad weather for climbing = bad for photography. The evenings activities started off with watching Don quickly improvise a "teepee" system for his tent in liew of actual tent poles (which were forgotten at home). What was amazing was how fast the situation went from a puzzling problem to a bomb-proof solution in minutes. The result was a combination of prospector/modern climber shelter. It worked and the guys slept soundly...that is after a few beers in Don's truck while laughing at the antics of the classic movie "Borat". In the AM the troops packed up and dissapeared into the bush just as it got light enough to see. I headed up to the headwaters of the Cadwallader under Mt. Aragorn. I was hoping to head to the lakes below Mt. Taillefer but my hopes were dashed after walking about a klick to the end of the road and discovering that not only the bridge was out the slopes above looked super wintery. Oh well, at least when I come back next summer I'll know the way. Later on I prowled around both forks of Noel Creek and discovered that the access to the Incisor Peaks in the west fork is drop dead easy. Would have wandered up the valley under the peaks but was getting late and I wanted to get back to the trailhead and make sure that I met up with the guys before they bugged out, knowing that I had to give Marc a ride home. Progress back to the meetup was slow as I stopped constantly to photograph the things that caught my eye. Made it back just as night came only to find out that the climbers were still not back. About 8pm something I started to see headlamps bob in the forest above and I counted 4 meaning that the troops left the battle successfully. All that remained was a bizarre 1/2 sleeping 5 hour drive home over brutal, bounce sideways washboard and a psychedelic blurry-eyed drive down the Sea-to-Sky slalom course. Thanks for the memories guys.

From Bivouac.com: Name Notes: Originally a name "Crazy Peak" was proposed for this peak, and that name has been used in some articles. However, for encyclopedia purposes, we have adopted the name "Cadwallader Peak". The reason this name would serve us better is that since we name regions after the highest peak, it would serve our purposes better to use the name Cadwallader Peak, such that we have a "Cadwallader Region", rather than a "Crazy Region".

Yup Marc that be the same wall. It has your name written all over it.

I think this is the wall in question:

Best area in BC

Old post I know but that shapely peak on the horizon is definately Mt. Tinniswood. To left the high peak is likely Mt. Albert which is above Princess Louisa Inlet.

No snow there at all except small patches. Wait 2 months and you'll be good to go.

Anybody know who has the key to the gate and do they give it out? The funny thing about the gate is that it keeps 4x4s out but quads and motorbikes just go around it. Getting the key would cut off a lot of time as its about a 5km walk and 1500' elevation gain to the ridge crest from the gate (just walked it 2 days ago).

Thanks for posting this TR. These are the best photos that I have seen of climbing in Garibaldi Park!

Best photos of the Pickets that I have ever seen. Good job!

WOW pics. No helmets? Looks dicey to me.

Beautiful photos

Hi all, went for a scenic flight from Chilliwack, BC to the Pickett Range yesterday. Also took in Slesse, Rexford, Lindemann, Redoubt, Spikard, Triumph and the Border Peaks. Photos are here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/566796759EKyPHg While the peaks were stunning I was amazed at how little glaciation there was as compared to the Whitemantle and Waddington Ranges which I flew over last weekend. The Challenger Glacier was the only large one (besides Baker and Shuksan of course). The Picketts do not have large glaciers.

1/2 a degree south and this would be ours: And damn what were we thinking we should have outbid the US for Alaska. A few bottles of vodka could have sealed the deal and then we would have ALL the best peaks (evil laugh...)

I was joking!!! I have been looking at that beast since you were in diapers lol.

I was joking!!!

Marc just took it this morning on a flight to the Pickett Range. Will upload all and add a link to them. Lots of tasty lines for you to ooogle over. Hows abpout another tease....can you see the line you climbed? I think its really hard to see in this photo.

That's freaking off the hook cool....quite litterally. Now in BC we have mountains, the ocean and CANYONS!!!!!!!!!

Hey Drew I know this is an old post but is that..... Headwall Creek with Klite and/or Portal Peak?? Looks like it to me. Was going to fly over that way last Sunday but Mr. Pilot swayed us to fly a quick lap around Waddington. Oh the torture.... And about John. I think its cool when Yanks venture up here and are not totally obsessed by their own state/country. Its no secret that the REAL mountains start north of the 48th parrallel. Yes we should grab the Picket Range then all cool peaks outside Alaska would be ours (evil laugh...)

Here they are: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/566670809yBWzNO On Sunday a friend and I flew from Campbell River airport to Waddington and back. What was cool was that only a month ago I flew with Marc Leclerc around Waddington from the other side. That flight was far more windy and also the visibility was bad. This flight was really smooth with the only butt clencher when we curved around the south side of Waddington and got bashed around a but at nearly 12,000 feet. It was amazing to see the incredible Waddington from all 4 sides.

Is there at least a flagged trail from the head of Chance creek or is it a pure bushwack? I'll take a look in the backroads mapbook.

Marc Last year I drove right to the very back of the valley very close to the US border in my Pathfinder with very little trouble. It was almost 2wd. But things change and I have not been back this year. Here are photos from last year's drive: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/560988280YChkHl