Northern Picket Traverse to Mount Challenger took us through Eiley Wiley Ridge. The classic route went over rugged terrain inside North Cascades National Park. We included Phantom Peak and Crooked Thumb Peak on this trip as well.
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Northern Picket Traverse at a Glance
Northern Picket Traverse = Mount Challenger + Phantom Peak + Crooked Thumb Peak
橫貫北尖樁=挑戰者山+幻象峯+歪拇指峯
Access: Ross Dam Trailhead
Round Trip: 61.6 miles
Elevation Range: 1600′-8207′
Gear: rock and snow
Route Info: Noah, Steph Abegg, Trailcat
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no pets
July 29 – August 6, 2017
Day 1 – Saturday, July 29
Water taxi + Beaver Pass Campground
Night 1 – Beaver Pass Campground
Day 2 – Sunday, July 30
Eiley Wiley Ridge high traverse
Night 2 – Challenger Arm
Day 3 – Monday, July 31
Mount Challenger
Night 3 – Lower Crooked Thumb Glacier
Day 4 – Tuesday, August 1
Night 4 – Point 6148
Day 5 – Wednesday, August 2
Phantom Peak
Night 5 – Upper Crooked Thumb Glacier
Day 6 – Thursday, August 3
Crooked Thumb Peak Climb
Night 6 – Land of the Rats and Colossal Boulders
Day 7 – Friday, August 4
Crooked Thumb Peak Summit
Night 7 – Upper Crooked Thumb Glacier
Day 8 – Saturday, August 5
Eiley Wiley Ridge low traverse
Night 8 – Beaver Pass Campground
Day 9 – Sunday, August 6
Big Beaver Trail + Water taxi + Highway 20
Day 1
Water taxi + Beaver Pass Campground
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6 > Day 7 > Day 8 > Day 9
Northern Picket Traverse: The Preface
Last year, I enjoyed two short visits to Luna Peak and West McMillan Spire in the Picket Range. So this time, I rallied two partners and picked a few peaks for a Northern Picket Traverse. We also added more time to have a relaxing outing.
This classic traverse was my most extended trip to go off the grid. It also tested my willpower in many ways. Moreover, I’ve since added “nine days without a proper shower” to my list of new experiences.
See more trip photos here.
The Journey of a Lifetime
Constant craving for regular food, more scrapes, and bruises was among the many things memorable. Above all, the question of “How much longer?!” continued to linger inside my head as we made the traverse.
Of course, the trip wouldn’t be complete without the periodic debates or bickers over trivial things. But we all tried our best to laugh things off in the end. Moreover, I was grateful for my partners to keep me going.
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Ross Lake Resort Water Taxi
The first leg of the trip included a short and enjoyable boat ride to Big Beaver Campground. Then it was a 13-mile-long trek to Beaver Pass Campground. I was happy to have worn approach shoes on the Big Braver trail.
Two groups were the last people we saw on the trail on their way out. Then it wasn’t until the final day of our trip that we met more folks on the beaten path. We later reached the empty camp in the early evening.
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Day 2
Eiley Wiley Ridge high traverse
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Northern Picket Traverse: Eiley Wiley Ridge
Scrambling up the steep southeast ridge from the get-go with nine days of supplies was brutal. So I mainly rest-stepped my way up the hillside to save my calves. Then it flattened as the terrain expanded after 2000′ of climbing.
Soon, the breathtaking landscape took our minds off the heavy loads. Then Mount Prophet, Luna Peak, and the Chilliwack peaks came into view at the 5700′ overlook. But I couldn’t wait to see what else was in store.
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Eiley Wiley Ridge High Traverse
Below 6200′ was a climber trail, which we used until it faded at 6600′. Soon, we bypassed Little Beaver Peak from the south to its southwest pass at 6520′. It was smooth sailing until the broken ridge over Eiley Lake forced us to reroute.
Shortly, we exited the ridge via a south-facing gully. Then we went around the lake from the south shore adorned with moraine deposits. Meanwhile, we had vast views of the Northern Pickets and the Chilliwack peaks.
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Northern Picket Traverse: Challenger Arm
We continued at 6800′ under Point 7049 and went around Wiley Lake from the south. Then we moved up steep snow to Big Beaver Peak’s east shoulder. Despite the smooth contour lines, cliffs had covered the entire south face.
So instead, we bypassed on the north via a steep rock field onto Challenger Arm at 6700′. It was the first of many stops on the Northern Picket Traverse. Soon, Luna Peak, Mount Baker, and Whatcom Peak filled the evening view.
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Day 3
Mount Challenger
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Northern Picket Traverse: Mount Challenger
The following day, we roped up and went south on Challenger Arm. Some groups had noted the difficult bergschrund before the 8000′ col, but we easily bypassed it from the west. Soon, we were on the pass north of the summit.
After stashing the overnight gear nearby, we checked out the steep ice to the east. I tried to lead out, but I thought it was pretty sketchy. So Anne graciously led the pitch up to the next crux–the snow arête.
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The Final Stretch on Mount Challenger
We stayed tied in and then belayed through the sketchy knife edge. Shortly, we hopped on the rocks and crossed over to the base of the summit block. Rock shoes came in handy for leading out the 50′ pitch to the rappel station.
We spotted the two old pitons noted in a few reports en route. They were still intact and solid to use for protection. Then a brief, exposed scramble took us to the top after everyone went through the second pitch.
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Northern Picket Traverse: Mount Challenger Summit Views
Soon, we saw wildfire smoke creeping in from the Ross Lake area. Little did we know, the haze had come from Canada, the onset of the season’s wildfires. Then we went back to the col after a quick visit.
Crevasses had us drop to 7200′ before traversing west to Mount Challenger Middle Peak. We rappelled off the west of the two gullies. But we barely stepped onto the snowfield because of a receding snow ramp.
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Challenger Glacier to Crooked Thumb Glacier
After a half-mile walk south over Crooked Thumb Glacier, we made our home at 6800′. The spot had an excellent view of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan. But it would be the last time we saw a clear sky before we knew it.
The overnight wind gusts drowned out my clock’s buzzing. I had set it for 1 AM to take photos, but I looked outside and saw no stars above. Then I knew the smoke we saw on Mount Challenger had arrived, and I went back to sleep.
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Day 4
Point 6148 Camp
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A Windy Night Came a Smoky Morning
Wind gusts continued into the dawn. During this, Anne and Dave flattened their tent to reduce friction. My solo tent lay on its own without me doing anything. But when the wind stopped, we had lost much daylight.
Shortly, we moved our camp 500′ higher and knew we wouldn’t have time for Crooked Thumb Peak. Instead of waiting around, we decided to continue to Point 6148. So we could start early on Phantom Peak in the morning.
Day 5
Phantom Peak
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Northern Picket Traverse: Phantom Peak
For me, the crux was the snow before the broad gully. My skier partners quickly moved through it, but I was glad to have the ice tools! At 7200′, we came upon the steep snow ramp extending down the south gully and roped up.
We protected with pickets and moved onto the rocks by the bergschrund. Then I enjoyed scrambling through the exposed, sharp ridgeline. Soon, we put up a hand line by the false peak and prusiked a short way to the top.
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Ghostly Views on Phantom Peak
The top was only broad enough for one person to straddle somewhat comfortably. Then we took turns taking photos and seeing the hazy view before returning to the false peak. It’s a whole new level of adrenaline rush and airiness.
Views certainly would’ve been more spectacular sans the smoke. The curvature of ridgelines appeared ghostly under the thick haze. Then there was Mount Fury in the back, with Luna Peak looking like a castle in the sky.
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Back to Point 6148
Back at the snow ramp, we roped up again through the crux. Suddenly, a few loud thumps from below startled the group. So Dave quickly hopped off, “I’ll take my chances!” he yelled. Then we hurried down the gully and exited.
Back on Point 6148, Anne’s treated us to her concocted snow cones. Then we spent the afternoon going back to Crooked Thumb Glacier. We later prepared for the next day’s climb as Crooked Thumb Peak loomed above us.
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Day 6
Crooked Thumb Peak
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Northern Picket Traverse: Crooked Thumb Peak
Snow below the northwest gully was steeper than I had expected. It was perhaps the steepest traverse with significant exposure for me. Every step tested my willpower as I continued to be grateful for the ice tools.
I improvised with acrobatic moves through the exposed terrain. It was even trickier to attain the rocks from the snow ramp due to the steep incline. So I couldn’t wait to return to the rocky, if not solid, ground.
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Crooked Thumb Peak Northwest Gully
We spent the bulk of the morning in the northwest gully. The rocks came in all flavors: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It would’ve been a better choice to move up from the right. But we only realized that on the return.
It was noon when we reached the north col. But we could see the rest of the route at last. The steep north ridge was full of choss, with many boulders that looked like they could tumble. So we belayed through this part.
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Northern Picket Traverse: The Land of Rats and Colossal Boulders
We had aimed to sleep below the top had we not reached the summit too late. We didn’t. So we camped right above the vertical ledge crux in “The Land of Rats and Colossal Boulders,” we called it.
The days have gone by fast since we entered the area. We watched the hazy sunset as we enjoyed dinner among the boulders. Then we turned in after lots of chatter and laughter as the horizon dimmed.
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A Night Showdown with the Rats
As we settled into our sleep area under the moon, we got a surprise visit from the pesky mountain rats! It was my first time seeing these ruthless critters, and I was on edge all night. Oh, dear Lort, have mercy.
I couldn’t sleep to the shuffling noises around me. I did not sleep a wink, keeping the rats away from my belongings. On the other hand, Anne and Dave slept through most of the ordeal. Now that’s pure talent!
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Day 7
Crooked Thumb Peak Summit
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Northern Picket Traverse: Crooked Thumb Peak Climb
We started moving through the 10-foot vertical gap the following day at dawn. Beyond that point, we would’ve liked to have scrambled the rest of the way. But the scree and constant rockfalls had us think twice.
Soon, we belayed through to the ridge notch below the summit tower. By now, we were comfortable enough to scramble on the milder terrain. So we unroped and finished the final 30′ up to the top.
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Summit Views Plus Exit
Views here were much worse than at Phantom Peak. As the day progressed, more and more smoke spewed into the area with weak visibility. So it was a relatively quick visit taking our selfies before leaving the top.
We rappelled in the northwest gully using the good anchors as the rest had detached overtime; eek! Leaving the steep snow at the bottom took the longest. But we all made it back to the camp safely just after dark.
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Day 8
Beaver Pass Campground
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Northern Picket Traverse: The Grand Exit
We planned to move as far out on Eiley Wiley Ridge as possible with a long day ahead. After breakfast, we returned to Mount Challenger Middle Peak. Then we scouted out the east gully that looked manageable from below.
At the bottom was a narrow chimney, which looked like a feasible option. So David went through the tight space and lifted our backpacks with the rope. Then Anne and I followed through the narrow passage.
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Back to Challenger Arm
Soon, we scrambled to the pass and were glad to have come up that way. After crossing to Challenger Arm, we ate lunch by the small tarns. It looked to be the vantage point to view Whatcom Peak.
None of us liked our route off Big Beaver Peak on day two. So the group opted for the low traverse through the east end between 6200′ and 6400′. It worked out, but having more snow would’ve been more pleasant.
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Northern Picket Traverse: Leaving Eiley Wiley Ridge
We returned to the 5700′ meadow on the southeast ridge half an hour before sunset. Earlier, we talked about staying the night there. But then we decided to use the remaining daylight to drop the 2100′ to Beaver Pass.
It was just as steep going down, and we took time to bypass cliffs in the dark. We rolled into camp past 11 PM with one new tent nearby. Anne slept immediately, but Dave and I put food in our system before crashing.
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Day 9
Big Beaver Trail + Water taxi + Highway 20
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En Route Back to Ross Lake
The morning came too soon. But we were happy to have stayed the night by the trail for a head start. We briefly chatted with the tent owner hiking the Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) and left a short time later.
The 13 miles out to the dock went fast over many chats. Then we saw another PNT hiker who happened to be an Instagram follower. I recognized him by his long facial hair and oversized-frame glasses. Small world, indeed!
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Northern Picket Traverse: The Finishing Touch
We reached Big Beaver Campground two hours before our scheduled pickup and relaxed by Ross Lake. But we couldn’t escape the smoke even at the low altitude. It was hotter here, and visibility only went as far as the east shore.
We enjoyed a quick boat ride back to civilization on the other side. Then all we had left to do was walk a mile uphill back to Ross Dam Trailhead. It was the icing to end a long journey like the Luna Peak trip.
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