[TR] Picket range traverse- 7/10/2004

[Nate]

Climb: Picket range traverse-

 

Date of Climb: 7/10/2004

 

Trip Report:

I'm headed to the cascades with my girlfriend for a week to backpack, I'm wondering if it is reasonable to traverse from access creek back to whatcom pass. I've read the route discriptions in the beckey guide but would like more info from someone who has done it recently. if anyone can point me in a dirrection i'd appreciate it, what is the recommended gear? The easiest route? Or if there is an alternate trip to get in and see the range or one of the more impressive basins I'd like to hear about it. Thanks, Nate

[Crackbolter]

You might try and hunt down the Crowder/Tabor book on the Mt Challenger Quad. It is called Rocks and Routes written in the 60's. Check the Mountaineers Library. There is very useful hiking information in that book. Between the Beckey approach notes and the Rocks and routes book, you should have enough info. Bring axe, cramps, 8mm rappel rope and expect rain.

[catbirdseat]

I thought this was one of those "prospective" trip reports.

[Alex]

Nate, I tried the N -> S Traverse of the Picket Range in 1999. (http://www.mountainwerks.org/alexk/climb/TRPicket.htm).

 

My first reaction is yes a traverse from Access Creek to Whatcom Pass and out is doable. My second reaction is dont do it that direction, go FROM Whatcom Pass TO Access Creek. That way you are going downhill down Access Creek, so any bushwacking you encounter on the way out will be that much easier. There is no 'shwacking from Hanegan Pass/Chilliwack to Whatcom Pass, just large sections of trail possibly wiped out by avalanches (but easy to get over). So getting in there is pleasant.

 

Gear - minimal glacier travel gear if you want to get accross the Challenger Gl. and decend Challenger Arm or into Luna Cirque.

 

Alternate trips - if you are comfortable with Glacier travel I would suggest the Ptarmigan Traverse as a better high traverse to see the range, but it is mostly off-trail going.

[Heavy_B]

I would also propose going up Easy Ridge to Perfect Pass. From there you can climb Whatcom and Challenger, while enjoying great camp spots along the way. Whatcom is a scramble, but Challenger has some airy spots and a little technical rock. I did this trip back in '96 and it was fantastic. We went in and back out over Hannegan Pass, which wasn't bad.

[Norman_Clyde]

Perfect pass is SO suck. Go for it, as long as you don't mind yo-yo-ing down to the valley floor and back up, 2000 plus feet of filthy 40 degree bushwacking. Probably better if done early, when the talus and some of the brush is snow covered. But by July it'll be too late.

[meganerd]

Are you referring to the situation if you must drop below the "Imperfect Impasse?" People do cross at a more convenient elevation but we were stymied there a couple years ago, mostly because the exposure is so disturbing (STRAIGHT down 150ft into a slot gorge with old jagged iceblocks in it and a creek running, but curiously out of sight...) and we're wussies.

[mvs]

(meganerd's experience happened to me too, I'm going Whatcom pass next time - still a wussy)

[tshimko]

Or go there like we did, in mid July after a high snow year (about 4-5 years ago?)......the "Impasse" was literally full to the top with snow....we walked right over it!!

[Ziff]

Be careful. I have been there twice and both times there was snow in the "gorge". However, after closer inspection, it was really a snowbridge spanning the gorge and hollow underneath. Looked great from above but I am glad we did not cross it as we probably would have broken through.

[AllYouCanEat]

I was there in early June and the impasse was not covered. This was last year. Going around the bottom takes an extra few hours but isn't bad. There are some TR's on www.cascadeclassics.org on challenger, whatcom, fury and luna. This may give you some information on the area and many photos of what it may look like then. Good luck. It is an amazing place...

[Skeezix]

Some people exit the traverse via Wiley-Eiley Ridge and descend to Beaver Pass. ...If you do go out Access Cr., stay on the S side of the creek as long as you can to take advantage of talus slopes and avoid some brush, but cross over to the N side of the creek near the bottom. Also, crossing Big Beaver can be tricky at some water levels.