Stetattle Ridge

[picketer]

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?

[Stefan]

I would like more detail than you speak about. Specifically, elevations that you noticed.

 

However, most people access the southern pickets from the well travelled climbers path from Goodell Creek.

[klenke]

I've been up into the Stetattle Jungle. Go into that mizmaze and you might become a noctivagant, never to see daylight again. We got to Torrent Creek south of Elephant's Butt and were thwarted by a deep canyon. I don't know why anyone would want to immerse themselves in that chlorophyll hell unless they absolutely had to see Azure Lake.

 

It may be easier to traverse Stetattle Ridge. I have done this too all the way to the deep notch east of Elephant Butte at the head of Torrent Creek (ran out of time). If you were heading into the Pickets by this route, with an early start, you could make it all the way to Elephant Butte in the first day. It is something like 5,000 feet of gain to make Stetattle Ridge from Diablo then a looong traverse to the notch. A steep, heathery descent gets you into the notch, then there'd be a mildly rocky ascent up the other side out onto EB's south side. From a camp there, you could get into the north side of the Southern Pickets the next day. You could also get to Azure Lake from here.

 

Good luck. Yooooou'll need it!

 

Here is a picture of the spires, the lake, the fury, the butte, and the luna from Stetattle Ridge:

[picketer]

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 ...

[mattp]

Is your neighbor Mr. MacLean?

[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.