[TR] The Pickets Traverse - late - North to South 8/27/2009

[mike1]

Trip: The Pickets Traverse - late - North to South

 

Date: 8/27/2009

 

Trip Report:

Better late than never...

 

We planned to traverse the Picket range from North to South; entering from the Little Beaver Creek Trail via a Ross Lake charter boat, then exiting the Terror/Goodell Creek basin to my pickup. Specific route details we referenced from the Routes and Rocks of the Mount Challenger Quadrangle booklet and map by R. W. Tabor and D. F. Crowder and the Cascade Alpine Guide 3 - Rainy Pass to Fraser River by Fred Beckey. We carried the Routes and Rocks booklet and map and had the Pickets section from the Cascade Alpine Guide. We also carried the National Park map and some custom maps printed from home. Navigation tools included two declinated compasses and my trusty Avocet barometer/altimeter watch. We carried one cell phone for emergencies as it was reported that you could get service from the summits of selected peaks.

 

A 20 minute walk from the parking lot led us to a boat dock on Ross Lake. A phone call to the lodge and the water taxi was on its way to us. After a 15 mile boat ride on the Ross, we arrived at the Little Beaver Creek dock. 14 miles of trail hiking to the Twin Rocks Camp (camp 1). After our first of many gourmet meals, we were all sipping some single malt and nibbling some dark chocolate. As we had expected, it rained over night. By morning the skies were clearing - less some smoke wafting down from a wildfire just west of Whatcom Pass.

 

After our typical breakfast of dry granola, fruit, and freshly brewed Seattle’s Best; we trekked on to Whatcom Pass. Some hikers we passed mentioned the trail was actually closed from the pass West due to the fire. From Whatcom Pass we left the trial and headed southerly to the eastern slopes of Whatcom Peak. Our intension was to drop to the Challenger Glacier, bypassing the Perfect Pass camp. Traversing talus and slabs of the Chilliwack Batholith we traveled below the Whatcom Glacier through some recent ice fall, then onto some heather benches directly above the Challenger Glacier (camp 2). Ramps we identified this day were our target for the morning approach to the Challenger Glacier.

 

The next morning we got on a ramp and ledge system that lead nearly to the glacier, but we were forced to rappel about 40 meters to the glacier. Setting up the rappel anchor I sliced my palm ever so slightly on a sharp edge of granite. This would be a large infected wound by the end of the traverse as it was right in my ice axe grip. Once on the glacier and roped up we were on our way through the maze of ice and snow. Along the way we walked right by a moulin that was emitting an eery howl from the depths. It was the sound of the headwaters of Little Beaver Creek flowing beneath the glacier.

 

We targeted Mount Challenger and a few others, hoping to make a summit bids as we traverse past. Dropping our packs, we made our way to the snow bridge. What looked like a solid snow bridge ended being too risky upon closer inspection. We searched for other access attempting to bypass the bergschrund and found some snow ramps that led to some rock but we were stopped by weak snow. Time dictated we got back to the packs and finished our traverse to the Challenger Arm camp (3). We found it noteworthy that we had just traversed the entire length of the Challenger Glacier (3 km). A quick descent past a few Mountain Goats and down gentle slopes to deglaciated rock barrens led to us to the some flat heather patches among a mixture of older gneiss mixed with younger quartz diorite.

 

The next morning we descended sloping moraine barrens, slabs, and debris riddled with spectacular crystals and iron pyrite. Tediously crossing refrigerator sized boulders beneath the awesome hanging glaciers of the Northern Pickets led to a lateral moraine, which we crossed high to get onto the stagnant pig of a glacier feeding Lousy Lake. Close to the head of another lateral moraine, we made our ascent to Luna Lake. After quick break at Luna for some fresh tape on our feet, some bread, cheese, venison, and salmon we were back on our feet making the ascent to the Luna/McMillan Ridge. We stopped about 400 feet from the ridge and discussed the next camp. It was about 400' back down the other side of the ridge. Rather than re-climbing the ridge in the morning we decided to search for a camp here. A quick search turned up a beautiful heather bench surrounded by Alpine Larch. Camp 4 was at about the same elevation as, and a couple hundred yards northerly from the large reddish breccia and shattered gneiss fin noted in both guides. Spectacular crystal formations were reported to exist here, but we didn’t have the time to investigate. A few thunder showers passed in the night, but left us a sunny day for our traverse to Mount Fury.

 

After ascending to the Luna/McMillan Ridge, we climbed another couple hundred feet of rock ridge before dropping down the Southeast Fury Glacier. Our aspirations for a quick summit bid on Mount Fury disappeared when we saw the snow bridge over the bergschrund was gone. It really came down to how much time we had. We climbed the glacier to the col between Mount Fury and Fury Southeast Peak. From here we climbed Mount Fury Southeast Peak (AKA Outrigger) to a notch which allowed for a crossover into the Southern Pickets. The normal descent was to traverse the ridge Southerly to Picket Pass. Instead, we decided to finish climbing Fury Southeast Peak then drop onto its south face. We descended to heather slopes and slabs with a few rappels thrown in trying to reach the talus below. We missed our target by one rappel, actually landing on a gneiss bench by torchlight. We made a bivouac of it, clipped to anchors while we sleep in camp 5. Thunder storms brewed in the distance.

 

Morning light allowed for our final rappel to the talus. A quick break for some food, sun block, and water and we were off on a traversing ascent to the other end of the Southern Pickets and the Stetattle/McMillan Ridge. Bushwhacking, climbing creeks, traversing waterfalls and gullies, climbing alder choked notches, and a short glacier ascent put us on the ridge.

 

We found a nice bivy site with flat sandy ground within some rocks. Camp 6 looked like it would be the most comfortable yet! Another superb dinner followed by our ration of scotch and chocolate and our spirits are high. I dozed off to a starlit night sky...

 

By 3:00 A.M. our little bivy site was flooding and already had 3 inches of standing water. We were forced from our slumber to set up a MegaMid out on the snow and ice in the throws of a full on rain storm. This was no local thunder shower... After anchoring the corners with ice screws and pickets, we huddled together under our humble pyramid tarp trying to settle in. Almost everything was soaked including our bodies. We rode out the next few hours shivering the minutes away, hoping the Mid wouldn’t blow away.

 

By the time we were ready to move out, the little bivy site had filled to about 6 inches. Our plan was now to exit along the ridge, easterly to the Elephant Butte High Route. A long an arduous hike referred to by some as a marathon. We agreed that we should keep moving, stopping only to refuel our bodies unless the rain stopped. We knew if we stopped to try and camp without being able to dry out, it could turn bad. If the rain did let up, we would make a fire and camp.

 

Over 14 hours later, hiking by torchlight in the fog with low visibility, we knew we were close to the boot path that led down to the main trail. We just couldn’t locate it in these conditions. I don’t remember when the rain stopped, but we decided it was time to make that fire and set up some shelter.

 

Two wet lighters and a handful of wet storm matches proved a good reason to have brought a flint/magnesium fire starter. We carved a small pile of magnesium and tried to light the nest of wood shavings, but the wood was too wet. I don’t recall who said it, but someone mentioned the stove. The Stove!!! It was like our brains were turning to mush... Minutes later we had the Snowpeak out and shortly thereafter a blazing camp fire! One more great dinner at about 11:00 P.M. and another hour of drying gear by fire, we retired to a soft bed of damp heather in our dry mummy bags.

 

The morning came with sunshine. The storm had passed! We moved all of our gear onto some nearby granite slabs to dry things out even more. After we had prepared our last brew of morning coffee our stove fuel ran out. Perfect! After rehabilitating the fire pit we easily found our boot path and a quick 6 mile hike down led us to the trail head where we took off our packs and boots for the last time on this trip.

 

Pictures

 

Our Pickets Traverse:

~ 45.5 miles.

Gear:

~ modest rack of small to medium cams, nuts, and hexes

~ 6 - 24" sewn, 4 - 24" tied, and 2 - 36" tied runners

~ 8.5mm half ropes

~ 4 screws, 5 pickets

Should have brought:

~ bivy sack

~ better maps of bail out routes (Park map worked but lacked essential details in topo)

Didn’t need:

~ hmmm...... cell phone

 

 

 

[nkane]

Wow. Amazing pictures.

 

I want to DO that this summer!

[denalidave]

Wow. Amazing pictures.

Ditto

[Ryan Canfield]

wow this is incredible - nice pictures!

[curtveld]

Cool - who needs summits, with all that amazing terrain?

[t_rutl]

stellar slideshow

[mike1]

Thanks!

 

trivia: find the CAG and Routes & Rocks quotes in the TR.

[Wastral]

"pig of a glacier" "minerals on Challenger Shoulder, much better than anything my bro and I saw when we were in there!

 

Now you have to go back and tag Luna peak! Walked right past one of THE primo peaks in our state.

 

Have time next summer after I get back from Waddington for a trip into the Pickets, if anyone else wants to go.

 

Always wanted to do Elephant Butte High Route, just never undertaken it. Something about 5k vertical just to hit the begining of said route.

 

Ouch to heading down into mcmillian cirque instead of bouncing along the Pickett pass ridge to the mustard glacier. Oh well, next time you will know better =-)

[mike1]

There are like 5 or 6 good quotes in there, but that was the best one. From CAG, Will Thompson called the dead ice beyond the immense terminal moraine "a very pig of a glacier, rooting in boulders, stagnant and buried deep in its own debris"

 

We passed a lot of primo peaks, but it became apparent - just to complete the traverse in the time we had was challenging enough.

 

I don't think any of us regret dropping in to McMillan that way. I call it an intended variation with an interesting bivy! Looking back at Picket Pass from below... that looked like an interesting undertaking.

 

I will definitely be heading back in there. Immediate goals are Challenger, Fury, Terror, and Inspiration I think...

[Off_White]

Nice TR, great looking trip. Thanks!

[jon]

Now that is a great first TR! Thanks Mikester!

[Wastral]

Well, if you ever go back there... I sure hope I get back there someday!!!

 

The traverse along picket pass and up the ridge to the mustard glacier is an easy scenic stroll with one little section of class 3 to get up the last section. Getting down to the mustard glacier on the other hand requires a repel. At least it did last time I was there a couple of years ago. Of course there could have been a dead easy way too since we were doing it in lowering clouds.

 

Brian

Enjoy!