Mount Stuart on Stuart Range above Cascadian Couloir is the second-tallest non-volcanic peak in Washington State. Together with its satellite, Sherpa Peak, they are among the ten Bulger List high points in The Enchantments. Moreover, Ingalls Creek via Longs Pass goes straight to this famous massif.
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Mount Stuart at a Glance
Access: Lake Ingalls Trailhead
Round Trip: 14 miles
Elevation Range: 4280′-9415′
Gear: helmet, ice ax
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: on the trail
The Preface
I’ve seen Mount Stuart from various places in Teanaway. I thought it was a technical climb for a long time until I discovered the Cascadian Couloir route. Sweet, the wait was finally over!
My friend Piotr agreed to climb the mountain with me even though he’d much prefer climbing Washington volcanoes. I was grateful for his company despite walking faster when I hike with tall people.
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En Route to Ingalls Creek
We drove up to the trailhead around 9 AM on a beautiful Saturday. Shortly, we made our way up toward Longs Pass on Lake Ingalls Trail. Before long, the impressive Mount Stuart was in full display.
It took only half an hour to reach Ingalls Creek from the pass. We soon found the trail that led us to the Cascadian Couloir. Right then, we scratched the idea of climbing Sherpa Peak and left behind the rock gear.
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Mount Stuart Cascadian Couloir
Along the couloir were boulders, talus, and scree. Meanwhile, we kept turning around to marvel at the beauty of Teanaway peaks. Before long, we were up by the snowfield below the false summit.
We chatted with several climbers as they made their way down. Above the snowfield, we went through more boulders to reach the actual summit. I especially enjoyed climbing around the big rocks.
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Mount Stuart Summit Views
Wow, just wow! I didn’t think I’d make it up here, let alone see the breathtaking views atop the famous mountain. So grateful to be up here on a gorgeous day like today.
Apart from Teanaway, we also saw inside The Enchantments. I hoped to come back and explore more of the area before the season ends. We stayed long enough for photos and some food before leaving the top.
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Leaving Mount Stuart
On the way down, we ran into the two climbers we met earlier. As it turned out, one of them had slipped down the snowfield. Fortunately, the boulders at the bottom had stopped him from sliding farther.
The man had on a helmet and didn’t look to be bleeding externally but was unable to walk. We took his emergency contact info and called for help. Piotr offered them extra food and clothing until the rescue team arrived.
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A Rescue Mission
There was no cell reception higher on the mountain, and so we dropped 1300′ before Piotr could connect to 911. We waited until the Chelan County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to have dispatched a helicopter for airlifting.
We continued down to Ingalls Creek as help arrived. Then the rescue team located the men with coordinates provided.
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‘Twas a Long Day
Amid the chaos, we offered a solo climber new to the area join us on the way out. He had moved from Las Vegas recently and picked Mount Stuart as his first peak of choice. We suggested for us all return to the trailhead together.
All in all, we arrived back at the trailhead at 1 AM. That was after the four-hour wait time for the rescue team. It was a long day, indeed!
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