North Spectacle Butte rests above Ice Lakes next to the notable South Spectacle Butte. Because of its modest stature, the peak didn’t make it on Washington State’s first 100 highest peaks list. However, it had earned a spot on the second 100 highest.
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North Spectacle Butte at a Glance
Ice Slam = Chilly Peak + Ice Box + North Spectacle Butte
冰點滿貫=寒冷峯+冷藏庫+北奇觀孤峯
Access: Phelps Creek Trailhead
Round Trip: 22 miles
Elevation Range: 3520‘-8112′
Gear: helmet
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no
The Preface
We very much enjoyed our trip to the Entiat River Valley last weekend. Then Friday night, the pup and I drove up to Phelps Creek Trailhead. Hunting season has begun, so it was no surprise to see many big trucks here.
The road to Phelps Creek Trailhead was as rocky, if not rockier than I remembered. Half a mile before the end of the roadway, a section had disappeared into the dust. So it was almost impassable in my compact car.
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Carne Mountain Trail
We’ve also included Chilly Peak, Ice Box, and Freezer for this trip. As I anticipated an entire day moving through the long ridgeline, we started bright and early the following day.
I was in the area three years earlier. A short walk on Phelps Creek Trail, and we took the right fork onto Carne Mountain Trail. Before long, we were up in the 6100′ basin.
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Rock Creek Basin
We hiked past a corral in the meadow, with three grazing horses on full alert of our arrival. Then we reached Carne Mountain’s south saddle and took a long break. Chilly Peak, our first stop, was right across Rock Creek Basin.
Andy, the deer hunter, later came up to the pass. Then we chatted a while about his hunting trip. He had been in the basin and mentioned the lack of water. Seeing I didn’t bring enough, he offered the rest of it from his jug.
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North Spectacle Butte via Chilly Peak
Soon, we walked down to Box Creek and Rock Creek’s dividing ridge, then north into Rock Creek Basin at 7000′. Then we dropped 200′ to the tiny stream below the talus needing more water. It’d be our last until Box Creek Basin.
Later we went east on steep heather and scree to reach the west gully at 7200′. A strenuous traverse through choss put us up on the north saddle. Then another short climb through boulders put us at the top.
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Chilly Peak Summit Views
From the top, I scouted out our next goal–Ice Box, which still looked far away. To the north were Mount Maude and Spectacle Buttes, the main attractions. Meanwhile, Buck Mountain held up the west end in the haze.
We went back to the gully after a restful half an hour. Then we made a rising traverse northwest, aiming for Point 7919’s east saddle. Later we bypassed the high point from the north and down to the 7500′ pass.
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North Spectacle Butte via Ice Box
While on a break, I noticed a bear cub on the snowfield north of the pass. It slowly moved away when it heard the pup’s bear bells. So I grabbed the dog and quickly left the scene before mama bear showed up.
To bypass Point 7800, we first dropped 100′ on the south slopes. Then we rounded the ridge up to the north saddle. Later we moved north and stayed on and west of the crest. Soon, the rock bands and buttresses forced us to bypass via the rocky west.
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Ice Box Summit Views
Soon, we reached Ice Box’s south saddle at 7600′ and finished the final 500′ up to the top. Views slowly improved as we moved closer to the top of Ice Creek Basin. The haze persisted, but it wasn’t as bad as our recent trip to Pasayten Wilderness.
I had planned to reach Upper Ice Lake before nightfall, which was only two hours away. But the ridge to Freezer didn’t look suitable for traversing, so we dropped onto the steep west slopes. Soon, we joined Carne High Traverse Trail in Box Creek Basin at 6900′.
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A Night at Upper Ice Lake
We passed Chipmunk Creek Basin and left the trail at 6800′. Then we went north up to Freezer’s west rib two hundred feet below Maude-Freezer saddle. Soon, a steep path took us to the pass with an excellent view into Ice Lakes Basin.
The area looked empty. But then we saw a tent just before we crossed the lake’s outlet. Later we reached our old campsite and turned in shortly after dinner as it grew windy. But it turned out warmer than the forecast.
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North Spectacle Butte Climb
There was a 40% chance of rain and snow after 11 AM. So to avoid the bad weather, we left early for our final goal–North Spectacle Butte. We dropped 350′ to Lower Ice Lake from camp and crossed the water by the outlet.
Later we made it up to the east-trending gully at the northeast end of the basin. The route gave direct access to the west saddle as well. Soon, we were on the steep, rocky west hill to finish the final 600′ of the climb.
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North Spectacle Butte Summit Views
The top was flat and broad, just like how it looked from other places. The view of South Spectacle Butte on the other side of the saddle was quite impressive. Buckskin Mountain to the north looked much farther in person.
Then Mount Maude, Seven Fingered Jack, Mount Fernow, and Copper Peak were to the west. They looked stunning despite the haze. Meanwhile, the wind persisted before we reached the top.
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The Bonus: Freezer
Earlier I saw a trail on Lower Ice Lake’s north shore, so we tried it en route back to camp. It turned out more direct than the other route. After packing, we left the basin at 11 AM and were glad that the rain never came.
Later we dropped our gear on the Maude-Freezer saddle and walked up to Freezer. The top offered great views into the Ice Lake Basin. We saw Chilly Peak and Ice Box to the south as well. Many of Washington’s highest peaks were also visible.
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Outro
After a short break, we went back to the pass. Then we hiked out via Leroy Basin for a loop trip. Right below the basin, we met two campers, then two hunters. So I chatted with them about their adventures for a bit.
It later rained past 3 PM before we reached Phelps Creek Trail. So we quickly walked the last four miles back to the car.
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