Devils Peak by Helena Peak via Mountain Loop Highway / 魔鬼峯

  • Reading time:8 mins read

Devils Peak by Helena Peak is the 7th tallest peak in Inner Mountain Loop after Stillaguamish Peak. It lies near Mountain Loop Highway, accessible via Coal Creek. Like the nearby peaks, it offers stunning views of the area.

Devils Peak poking out on the left
Devils Peak’s summit towers

See more trip photos here.

For Devils Peak in the Pasayten Wilderness, check out this post.

Devils Peak at a Glance

Access: NF-4052
Round Trip: 7.3 miles
Elevation Range: 2000‘ -5456′
Gear: snowshoes, ice ax, rock
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no

Road 4054 by Coal Creek

I first saw Devils Peak from Helena Peak four years ago. The north face looked pretty gnarly, so I never considered climbing it. But I’ve since discovered the least challenging east route and went to tackle the peak alone.

In the late morning, I arrived at the Road 4054 fork adorned with many beer cans. Soon after I started, snow showed up at the first switchback. So I made a beeline northwest and stayed south of the creek off Devils Lake basin.

Valley view of Hall Peak and Big Four Mountain
Valley view of Hall Peak and Big Four Mountain

See more trip photos here.

Through Devils Lake Basin

Snow had been in direct sunlight all morning, becoming rather wet. So it was all slush when I finally put on snowshoes at 3000′. Soon, I entered the basin at 3800′ and got the first view of Devils Peak.

Then I continued northwest up to 4400′ before going west and up the steep eastern slopes. Meanwhile, marshmallow snow was weighing down my snowshoes with every step.

Devils Peak poking out from behind the ridgeline
Devils Peak poking out from behind the ridgeline

See more trip photos here.

The Final Stretch

Soon, I reached the south notch below the top and stashed snow gear by a boulder. Then I moved up the south side through 20 feet of exposed class 4 area using decent holds. That, in turn, put me on the narrow ledge.

From there, I carefully walked up to the end of the ramp while staying close to the wall. Then I made a left by the set of rappel bolts. Shortly, I finished the final stretch on class 2 terrain.

The final rock scramble
The final rock scramble

See more trip photos here.

Devils Peak Summit Views

The views stretched for miles and were simply stunning. But, of course, I’d say that to just about any place when the weather is decent. From here, many notable peaks around Mountain Loop Highway were all visible.

Seeing places the dogs and I had visited together in the area felt incredible. The closer ones are Helena Peak, Independence Peak, and Bald Mountain. Then the farther ones were Marble Peak and Mount Forgotten.

Liberty Mountain from Devils Peak
Liberty Mountain from Devils Peak

See more trip photos here.

Leaving Coal Creek Valley

Back on the ledge, I rappelled off a live tree adorned with webbing and backed it up to be safe. My 60-meter rope was enough to reach the snow 200′ below. But I made a side trip en route to the notch to retrieve my snow gear.

I plunge-stepped before putting on snowshoes in the trees. Then I kept tripping now that snow conditions had worsened in the afternoon. Back at the car, I collected the nine empty beer cans before driving home.

Picking up beer cans by Road 4054
Picking up beer cans by Road 4054

See more trip photos here.

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