Summit Routes: Washington's 100 Highest Peaks

[summitseeker]

Scott Stephenson and Brian Bongiovanni would like to announce the release of their new guidebook for the 100 highest peaks in Washington by the easiest routes (400 ft prominence). Routes from hikes, to scrambles, to technical climbs, but mostly scrambles. It is now available online and will also be in the local REIs and the Mountaineers Bookstore by late next week.

 

Highlights of the Guide:

 

* Focused on hikes and scrambles over technical climbs

* Over 100 quality photos, most with route overlays

* Thirty trips ranging from 1 to 6 days in duration

* Recommended itinerary for each trip that includes daily elevation gains, mileages, and times to camp and summit

* Appendix of trips and peaks organized by difficulty and duration to help you quickly choose an appropriate objective

* Detailed driving directions to the trailhead

* Recommended climbing season

* Recommended maps for the climbs

 

If you're interested, more information on the guide can be found at http://summitroutes.com, including where you can currently buy it.

 

Hope to see some of you out there on these peaks!

 

--Scott Stephenson

[chucK]

Which of the top 100 is the most difficult?

 

- techinically?

- logistically?

- overall?

 

What about if you exclude the volcanoes?

[summitseeker]

Technically, most people seem to agree that the SE Mox (Twin Spire) in the Chilliwack Range is the most difficult of the 100 highest. It has a mid-fifth route with loose rock and is seldom-climbed, so there is some exciting route finding. It also has a pretty strenuous approach, a good chunk of which is cross-country. So, overall it's probably the most difficult. (Keeping in mind that the focus of the book is the easiest routes to the summits.)

[summitseeker]

The American Alpine Club reviewed the guide in the Winter 2005 issue of the "American Alpine News." They said that the guidebook contains "enticing gems in out of the way places that are not covered in the bevy of existing Washington climbing guidebooks."

 

The entire review can be read at http://www.summitroutes.com/aac_review.html

[Lowell_Skoog]

I flipped through a copy of Peggy Goldman's "Washington's Highest Mountains" (Wilderness Press, 2004), which I assume is a direct competitor to Scott's and Brian's book. Goldman's book may be the least impressive guidebook I've ever seen. I didn't read any of it, but just flipping around I found at least a half dozen photographs that were flopped (printed backward). Ed Cooper's pictures were flopped so consistently that you'd think that was part of the usage agreement. If the author and publisher can't even get a photo of Mt Shuksan from Heather Meadows printed straight, I wouldn't trust them to guide me up the peak.

[tomtom]

The American Alpine Club reviewed the guide in the Winter 2005 issue of the "American Alpine News." They said that the guidebook contains "enticing gems in out of the way places that are not covered in the bevy of existing Washington climbing guidebooks."

 

How many of these routes are not in Beckey? How many of these routes were found not using Beckey?

[blue_morph]

I just ordered my copy (Goldman) mostly because I pretty much buy every guide book for around here. I got it this week and so far I am a bit disappointed. The pictures are of a poor quality and as was pointed out, flipping the images is unacceptable in a guidebook. The route maps are really good though, very clear and you should be able to recreate these with Topo quite nicely. I have yet to test out some of the routes described however so maybe time will tell. At first glance though it does not look like it will come off the shelf very often. I am disappointed because I liked her 75 Scrambles book very much.

Edited June 21, 2005 by blue_morph

[barjor]

I just ordered my copy mostly because I pretty much buy every guide book for around here. I got it this week and so far I am a bit disappointed. The pictures are of a poor quality and as was pointed out, flipping the images is unacceptable in a guidebook. The route maps are really good though, very clear and you should be able to recreate these with Topo quite nicely. I have yet to test out some of the routes described however so maybe time will tell. At first glance though it does not look like it will come off the shelf very often. I am disappointed because I liked her 75 Scrambles book very much.

 

Are you talking about Scott Stephenson and Brian Bongiovannis book or Peggy Goldman's book?

[blue_morph]

Sorry my bad. Yes, I was talking about Goldman's book. So far I like Stephenson and Bongiovanni's book much better.

[summitseeker]

The Seattle Times pronounces Summit Routes the best of this year's Specialty Guides category, calling it "a terrific guide" that "outlines clear, individual game plans for bagging the state's tallest peaks via their least-demanding routes." Read the entire review here.

[Blake]

Hey Brian, Scott, or anyone out there who has your book: could you please reply with the given description for approaching the lakes just North of Devore Peak from the Bird Creek Basin?

[summitseeker]

Hey Blake,

 

I've included it below. How 'bout supporting us poor authors and picking up a copy?

 

From Weaver Point Campground, hike the Devore Creek Trail southeast approximately 4 miles to the Bird Creek Campground and good camping (4,200 ft). Alternatively, leave the trail and follow the right (north) side of Bird Creek (some bushwhacking) approximately 0.75 miles west into a brushy, flat basin and additional good camping (approx. 5,400 ft).

 

From the basin at 5,400 ft, continue upstream along Bird Creek and cross another brushy basin (approx. 5,600 ft). Ascend into forest at the head of the basin and climb steeply, near and north of the creek, into a large, open basin near lakes and beneath Devore Peak (approx. 7,000 ft). There is some nasty and unavoidable bushwhacking through slide alder and vine maple in these sections (one climber warned to "bring a machete"). Cross Bird Creek at its source at the northernmost lake and hike south-southeasterly, staying left (east) of the lakes.

 

When you get back from your climb, would you mind posting a trip report on http://summitroutes.com? Thanks!

 

--Scott

[Blake]

Hey Blake,

 

I've included it below. How 'bout supporting us poor authors and picking up a copy?

 

I wasn't trying to get pre-trip beta from your book, i wanted to confirm the error before i posted the need for a major correction. I don't want to buy your book

becuse it is aimed toward the easiest way to the top, which i don't typically need a guidebook to help with, and because you use this site to advertise for your book a lot.

 

Ascend into forest at the head of the basin and climb steeply, near and north of the creek, into a large, open basin near lakes and beneath Devore Peak

 

Following the above directions to get down from the lakes is the only time i've seen/used your book (my partner had copied the page and brought it with us). This route resulted in a wide impassible cliff band more than 200' high between the basin and the laks. See Paul Klenke's devore peak page on summitpost.org for the best way from the middle basin to the Bird/Devore lakes, or see my TR from mid august for an unapealing but doable Northern alternative to avoid these cliffs.

 

[summitseeker]

My apologies for the error, and thanks for letting me know. I will see that it is corrected if/when there is a second edition. We endeavored to be as accurate as we could in our guide, but it appears we missed this.

 

I have also posted a notice on my website informing folks of the mistake.

 

--Scott