mike1 Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Has anyone completed the Pickets, Pyramid inspiration or the Ptarmigan traverses? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Tried the Pickets once - weathered off. Completed the Ptarmagin after being weathered off twice. Do I detect a pattern here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Jim said: Tried the Pickets once - weathered off. Completed the Ptarmagin after being weathered off twice. Do I detect a pattern here? THAT YER A CRAPPY CLIMBER! HAHA! JUST KIDDING DUDE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 That may be, compared to some, but I may also be a bad weather magnet. We got caught going up to the Spider/Formidable col from behind by a cyclone storm coming up the valley. Nasty - hail, lightning, 1 foot visibility. Or it could be I choose to (try to) climb in the North Cascades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Szyjakowski Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Jim said: Or it could be I choose to (try to) climb in the North Cascades. Yup, thats right go to sunny california or colorade! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 Jim said: That may be, compared to some, but I may also be a bad weather magnet. We got caught going up to the Spider/Formidable col from behind by a cyclone storm coming up the valley. Nasty - hail, lightning, 1 foot visibility. Or it could be I choose to (try to) climb in the North Cascades. I know many people who have been weathered off much smaller objectives than the ptarmigan traverse many more times. It's a long trip and getting a window big enough around here is not all that easy. I'm hoping to do this traverse early this summer on skis. It's an amazing area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tod Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 A few years back we did the traverse from Whatcom Pass, over Challenger, over Fury via N. Buttress, but then had to abort via the Luna/Access Creek route due to weather. We ended up spending an extra 1.5 days on Fury trying to wait out weather so we could complete the traverse over the Southern Picketts. It's a kick *ss area that is well worth the struggle to get into. Weather is certainly an issue, but the main difficulty is being comfortable with navigating. If your navigating is up to par, then getting around is not too difficult since there are non-technical (as far as rock goes) ways to complete the traverse. I think it would be great to link up the Depot Creek/Redoubt area with the Picketts and call it a full traverse (kind of like doing the full N. Ridge of Stuart rather than cutting in from the middle like most do). If your looking for further info there is some great threads from the last year or two you can do a search on here. I'm hoping to get back there this year to try again and finish it off... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1 Posted May 13, 2003 Author Share Posted May 13, 2003 The Ptarmigan is awesome. We tried for Easy ridge the first day on the Pickets a few years back, but I strained my ankle in a rotten exposed gully traversing from Hannegen pass Southeasterly towards Ruth right off the bat, fortunately I’d just pulled my axe out for stability… I ended up pulling off my first ever self arrest on rocks. I fall into the crappy climber category, what a pain. We stayed in the trees with all the insects for a couple days to see if I felt like I could climb on it. No dice. Was anyone able to traverse the Imperfect Pass? also, I’ve heard it’s difficult to make the connection from Luna to Terror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowell_Skoog Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 There are lots of great traverses in the North Cascades. In addition to the Pickets, Snowfield-Eldorado, and the Ptarmigan, I've done these: Logan high route (Rainy Pass to Cascade Pass) Ragged Ridge (Easy Pass to July 4th Pass) Backbone Ridge (Little Devil to Eldorado) Buckindy Range (Green Mtn to Snowking Mtn) Hanging Gardens (Dome Peak to Image Lake) Suiattle high route (Image Lake to Glacier Peak) I did these trips on skis, so I wouldn't have summertime beta, if that's what you're looking for. You can find short descriptions of these trips here: http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/ms/lds-journal.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Teebone Ridge looks like it would offer some good touring still. If I didnt lend my boards to some fucker in AK then I would go this weekend. Instead I'll have to wait another time or maybe just hike it in summer. Snowking area still has lots of snow around 4000 feet and up on the approach up from CCR Road. Some slides coming down in large form though... but if you stay on the ridges it would be certainly safe and have good views. A short bash of skis up the wooded trail would likely still be worth it this weekend. The road is blocked by debris at around 1800 feet and impassable even if you had 10 chainsaws and 10 people working for hours it would take half a day to saw your way up the road and rock slide debris is in the way too. It's apparently unmaintained.. Maybe a tank would make the approach road best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Lowell_Skoog said: Backbone Ridge (Little Devil to Eldorado) You did this in one day too! WOW. It took me three days....but then again I was on foot and we climbed several peaks along the way including Perdition.....which I DO NOT RECOMMEND via Roper's route in Beckey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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