Merchant Peak by Baring Mountain perches atop Barclay Lake Trail. To the east lies the massive Townsend Mountain. Meanwhile, Gunn Peak and Gunnshy Peak on Jumpoff Ridge loom to the northwest.
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See Mount Townsend in the Olympic Mountains.
Merchant Peak at a Glance
Access: Barclay Lake Trailhead
Round Trip: TBD
Elevation Range: 2280′-6113′
Gear: helmet
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: on the trail
Merchant Peak South Gully Route
The pup and I visited Merchant Peak this weekend after attempting Cascade Mountain the week before. Five cars were in the lot when we arrived at the trailhead. Before leaving, I briefly talked to a group of three going to Merchant Peak.
The south gully route was straightforward overall. We bypassed the first waterfall from the far right on the trail. But going above the subsequent falls, I looked for a feasible way for the pup. Then we ended up going over the left of the chockstones.
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Through the Overhang
At 3950′, we went toward the rock tower at the gully fork. The joining ravine from the right made it tempting to go that way. But we continued through the main route for another 50′ before passing the tower on the left.
Soon, we were at the overhang and hugged the rock wall to go onto the trail next to it. At first, I was suspicious of the route and thought it wouldn’t go. But the sudden view of a nearby cairn confirmed we were still on track.
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The Final Stretch
Pup and I met four Everett Mountaineers folks by the meadow with more snow. But thanks to them, we used their tracks and went up to the ridge. Then we worked through the rocky ridgeline to the bottom of the summit block.
While en route, I saw week-old tracks in the snowfield below, presumably from last week’s party. It looked like a much better option to bypass the ridge altogether. So we followed the trail on the way down to save time.
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Merchant Peak Summit
The weather improved as the day went on. The summit was less windy than expected but stopped soon after we reached the top. The familiar nearby peaks included Gunn Peak, Baring Mountain, Iron Mountain, and Townsend Mountain.
The stunning views included Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, and Mount Adams. The three people we met down in the parking lot never showed up. But I hoped that they ended up someplace even more lovely.
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Outro
We left the summit after a one-hour stay. Then we bypassed the ridgeline by going straight down into the snowfield. Afterward, we went through the chockstone crux and made it back to the parking lot.