[TR] Sloan Peak - Corkscrew 7/7/2007

[BlackHawk]

Trip: Sloan Peak - Corkscrew

 

Date: 7/7/2007

 

Trip Report:

Not a lot of traffic on this route recently, but 7,835' Sloan is good-to-go via the corkscrew. This details a July 7, 2007 dayhike that consumed 6.5 hours up and 3.5 hours down over the approximately 6 miles & 6000' (one way) distance/elevation gain. With the Mountain Loop highway still closed over Barlow Pass it's going to take a couple of hours from Seattle to get to the trailhead via Darrington, traveling south on the Mountain Loop about 17 miles to Forest Service Road 49. FS 49 is just a little rough in places but easily open to cars to the bridge just before the #648 Sloan Peak trailhead (maybe 3.5 miles in at an elevation of 1900 ft.)

 

Mike Stuckey talks a bit about the road in his 7/4/2007 Glacier Peak trip report. I also climbed Sloan on July 4th and when I got to the "Road Closed" sign at the Lost Creek bridge early that day it blocked off the entire road. When I came out that evening, however, part of the barricade was moved out of the way and it was obvious that there was traffic going up and down the road. If I were to park at the bridge like Mike did and not risk it I would seriously consider bringing my mountain bike along to cover the 2.5 miles to the N. Sauk trailhead. On the other hand, if you are going up the Sloan Peak trail it is just around the bend past the bridge.

 

The Sloan Peak Trail #648 is still that same obnoxious, overgrown, washed out, downed-log mess that it has been for years. However, it is presently well-flagged and fairly obvious across the 3 minor tributary crossings to the final North Fork Sauk river crossing where a massive log jam at the final crossing has created a much deeper channel than there used to be. This would be a really tough crossing were it not for a solid new fallen-tree just upstream from the old gravel bar crossing. During my recent trips up there I cleared the trail a little, flagged a little, and cut roots off the new tree crossing to make it a little easier to navigate. It's time to rewrite the guide books because the log crossing is back in.

 

Once on the far side of the North Fork Sauk the route heads upstream hugging the bank to the start of the old forest trail. Once on the trail, it continues to run along the river for a bit before heading uphill to intersect an old logging road, and then head uphill some more. The way is fairly well flagged. Once in the forest you face about 4 miles of steady uphill to get to the upper meadows on old, unmaintained #648 through fallen logs, brush, avalanche debris, and a number of water crossings. The way remains fairly obvious all the way to the camp area at the start of the heather meadows.

 

After about an hour on the trail you arrive at the awesome Cougar Falls crossing, which can be a destination in itself this time of year with all the high-water snowmelt. It's good to consider that this may be a difficult crossing in the late afternoon as the river rises - I left a rope-assist which was comforting to have on the way out. Just past the falls I hacked out a direct uphill bypass to get around a significant new treefall area. That's the only new obstacle on the trail, as if you needed any more, and the old avalanche crossing higher up has actually become an established trail.

 

As you break out into open meadows (~4,500') there is continuous snow this time of year and the use-trail to the upper ridge is not obvious. It helps to have a clear idea of where to go but if in doubt, simply heading up works. Figure on an hour from the meadow camp to attain the ridge (and some nice bivy sites) at the glacier's edge, and then another couple of hours to cross the glacier and climb the peak. I headed directly uphill on snow from the large flat rock with a cairn on it in the camp area to eventually attain the ridge-top at the edge of the Sloan Glacier which lies beneath the very distinctive long rock wall of Sloan Peak. The summit block is not obvious from this side, but as you wind around the corkscrew it is revealed. Here's a shot of the summit block from the upper corkscrew:

 

 

Crossing the glacier was so straightforward - just a slushy uphill snow slog, angling up and across towards the rock wall with axe in hand but no crampons needed at this time. Right now there are no open crevasses but caution is warranted since they are there, waiting. The final portion of the glacier traverse runs fairly close the the rock wall with some nice northerly exposure as the glacier rolls steeply out of sight below you. Here's a shot of the basic route ascending up the lower portion of the Sloan Glacier:

 

 

There is currently no moat at the far side where the goat trail begins, but there are lingering snow banks along this upwardly corkscrewing route and also in the gully that leads towards the summit. These, however, are easily bypassed with standard class 3-4 scrambling. The summit experience on a clear day is quite fantastic with peaks surrounding you both near and far, 360 degrees. For me, this is one of the finer summits to stand on in all of the Cascades. There are a couple of summit register tubes up there, both filled with loose scraps of damp maps & paper. If you're headed that way, taking along a new Mountaineer's logbook register would be a great idea. Glacier Peak is just one of the hundreds of familiar peaks you will see:

 

 

Gear Notes:

Axe, helmet

 

Approach Notes:

Darrington, Mountain Loop, FS 49, Sloan Peak Trail #648, Sloan Glacier, Corkscrew

[mikestuckey]

 

Excellent report, Hawk. We are going to do this soon, especially now that you have hacked it out!

 

Probably go up on a Friday after work, sleep in the meadow and do the rest in the morning. See much bear scat? I forgot to mention that in Glacier report. They are thicker 'n' thieves up #649. Some of it was just about still steaming.

 

Thanks, man!

[BlackHawk]

Now much in the way of wildlife on the way to Sloan. No bear scat, and surprisingly few bugs. I saw goat tracks in the snow but didn't spot any. One or two campsites have recently melted out in both the lower meadow and on the upper ridge.

[fenderfour]

Made an attempt on the West Face on 7/14/07

 

FSR 4096 is in good shape. It was a bit loose, but no real issue for a Saturn Sedan. The trail is also in good shape.

 

When you get to the first major wash, go straight up for about 650' (vert) to find the trail again on the other side.

 

Plenty of water in the basin, also plenty of bugs. Rockfall kept us off the route.