Access creek beta

[Alasdair]

Can anyone tell me which creek is access creek. I am heading in to Luna this weekend, and route descriptions reference Access creek. I can not find access creek labeled on any map. Can someone help me figure out which one it is? I can see an luna creek and a Mcmillan creek. Is access creek the one between the two?

[Tod]

You are right. Access creek is between Luna Creek and McMillan Creek. On the map, it's the drainage due east of Luna. Here's a map.

 

Have fun! Cool area. There is a decent spot to camp in the basin at the head of Access Creek.

[David_Parker]

Alisdair, just call me and I'll give you beta. 206-714-4300

 

[Picketeer]

Hi:

 

This is copied from a previous post I made a couple of years ago. Check out the website listed below and follow link to Picket Range 1999. Should help.

 

See a trip report at http://antares.sc.suu.edu/climbing/ Follow the link to The Picket Range 1999. Access Creek is a wild approach route to the range. I can remember only seeing one sign of previous human visitation on the way up to the cirque (a tiny scrap of plastic). The keys to this approach are finding a log across the Big Beaver (note the photos of the broken log crossing on the day in and the "good" log on the way out in the trip report) and ascending through timber to the north side of Access Creek. This is correctly noted in some guidebooks (Nelson, Mt Fury route, Selected Climbs, Vol. II) but not in certain other guides (I am recalling Nelson, Luna Peak route, Selected Climbs, Vol. I). The Beckey route description in the current edition adequately describes the preferred route up Access Creek (which is the route we descended). As described in the trip report, we made the cardinal error of ascending up the south side of Access Creek. NOT RECOMMENDED!

 

Enjoy the wildness of this place. There is plenty to marvel at as you make the journey!

 

 

[AllYouCanEat]

I was just up there 2 weeks ago, so here is the key. About a mile and a half after luna camp is a stick in a log with an arrow scratched in it. From there go down and slighly to the left until you are at the river. The log is there. The trail has been maintained almost all the way there too. Enjoy. I spent 9 days in the area over two weeks and was absolutely blown away.

 

Jason...

[kThurner]

I've been up and down Access Cr perhaps a dozen times in the last 15 years. It has been my experience, contrary to popular belief, that the south side of the creek is an easier and more pleasant route for the initial climb into the hanging valley. Once you become familiar with the place, it is quite an easy route. I also now only use the upper valley when it is in snow. In summer I always climb to Access Ridge and traverse the spectacular crest north to Luna. Take some time to get to know the different possible routes in this area, you won't regret it.

[David_Parker]

AllYouCanEat said:

I was just up there 2 weeks ago, so here is the key. About a mile and a half after luna camp is a stick in a log with an arrow scratched in it. From there go down and slighly to the left until you are at the river. The log is there. The trail has been maintained almost all the way there too. Enjoy. I spent 9 days in the area over two weeks and was absolutely blown away.

Jason...

 

Ahhhh, I put that stick there and scratched the arrow and the word "access" with my ski pole last August (02) on the way out from Fury. I'm surprised it lasted through the winter! Seems like people are finding it and thereby the trail to the river is becoming more defined. It was a bush wack when we did it. I maintain that in situations like this, it is better that everyone leaves the trail at the same place vs. everyone stumbling around all over the place trying to figure it out. Over all much less destructive to the forest.