Mount Ross by Davis Peak looms over Newhalem and the Skagit River. It sits inside North Cascades National Park above the North Cascades Highway. Moreover, the long ridgeline raises the average altitude gain to 1300′ per mile.
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Mount Ross at a Glance
Access: Newhelem, Washington
Round Trip: 8.5 miles
Elevation Range: 500′-6052′
Gear: helmet, microspikes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
The Preface
The pups and I tried climbing the peak four years earlier but turned around in bad weather. Visibility beyond the microflectors was too weak to route-find safely. Back then, I wasn’t fully aware of the effort it would involve in reaching the obscure summit.
Fast forward to four years later. This time, we armed ourselves with more daylight and less snow. But talk about the timing. Little did I know, Mr. Cooper’s right cruciate ligament would tear in another month.
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The Microflectors
The steep climb went from the car to the radio repeaters at 3300′, gaining 2800′ in two miles. The aftermath of the 2015 Goodell Fire was evident, and every tree I touched had been through the burn. En route were many granite rocks in the gully until the terrain eased at 3800′.
During our first visit in 2012, the snow started below the microflectors, and we could move efficiently in snowshoes. But today, we didn’t see any of it until past 4700′ above the granite slabs. So I decided to stash the snowshoes at 3800′ to save weight.
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Through Slide Alder and Talus Field
It’s been bone dry along the ridge until a game trail led us into the trees with a tiny pond. I let the pups soak in the water before moving along the ridge’s east to bypass an alder swath. Then we hugged the buttresses above the cliffs while seeing Newhalem.
Soon, more alder stretched across the top of a talus field, where I thought we’d be in for a nasty brush fight. But not before an opening in the thin brush 100′ up the rocks that caught my eye. We went into a small gully to the 500′-tall granite wall.
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Mount Ross South Ridge Granite Wall
Ledges and steps helped to continue up the steep slope. Despite the sustaining, exposed slabs, it was a fun class 3 scramble. Soon, a faint trail took us out of the gully and onto the ridge. We traversed in continuous snow to Point 4880, followed by Point 5400.
I put on crampons at 5200′ for traction and mixed climbing over some slabs. Then, past Point 5400, we took a slight dip on the ridge to finish the last 700′. Postholing wasn’t an issue in soft snow, but snowshoes would’ve made the final bit more relaxing.
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Viewing from Mount Ross Summit
Despite the excellent views, the peak hasn’t seen many visitors. I could see the entire route of Davis Peak, plus an intimate look at the Picket Range. Paul Bunyans Stump‘s unique shape stood out from the Snowfield Group. The flat top had enough room for an army.
All but Primus Peak of the Eldorado Group (Inspiration Traverse) was visible. We could also clearly see Jack Mountain, Crater Mountain, and Ruby Mountain. To the west were the impressive Mount Triumph, Mount Despair, Mount Baker, and Mount Shuksan.
The pups and I headed down after an extended visit. I was glad we had returned to the flat ridgeline at 3800′ while it was still light. Before long, we scrambled 3000′ down the steep terrain and returned to Newhalem in the dark.
See more trip photos here.