Sherman Peak 8204 and Sunrise Peak 8144 sit right by Pasayten Wilderness. Meanwhile, they are a stone’s throw from the notable Big Craggy Peak and West Craggy Peak. Moreover, the two are close together to climb in a day if time allows.
See more trip photos here.
Check out this post for Sunrise Peak in Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. Check out this post for Sherman Peak in Mount Baker Wilderness.
Sherman Peak and Sunrise Peak at a Glance
Goat Slam = Sunrise Peak 8144 + Sherman Peak 8204
山羊滿貫=日出峯8144 +雪曼峯8204
Access: Road 5200-300
Round Trip: 11,.9 miles
Elevation Range: 4600′-8204′
Gear: helmet
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: on the trail
The Preface
The initial plan was to spend the night on Sunrise Peak. But the warm weekend made it unlikely to find water along the ridgeline. It also wasn’t worth carrying loads of water uphill in the heat.
Then at the last minute, I decided to climb the two peaks in a day with a lighter pack. That way, we’d also save ourselves from the extreme heat. Also, not having shade on the ridge wouldn’t be very pleasant.
See more trip photos here.
The Starting Point
NF-52 hasn’t changed much since our visit over Memorial Day weekend. Road 300 was in great shape, with new gravel leveling the washed-out sections. The long drive to the trailhead was nearly smooth sailing.
There were no issues in a compact car besides removing a few big rocks from the roadway. Before the empty parking area, we received a warm welcome from the curious roaming cattle.
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Panther Creek
The trail was in great shape despite being remote. Soon, we enjoyed a leisurely one-mile hike to the hidden trail fork at 5000′. But not before we missed it by a quarter of a mile.
We returned to find the old trail and walked down to the shallow Goat Creek. Then it went straight up on the other side over the steep hillside. Soon, we were up in Panther Creek Basin.
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Sunrise Peak Climb
The trail stayed east of the creek until it faded up higher. We stayed on track using cut trees until we were in the 6400′ meadow. From there was our first look at Bullhorn Peak.
Later we went up to the top of the basin. Soon, we reached Sunrise Peak south-east ridge saddle at 7360′ west of Point 7392. Then we had our first look at both peaks plus The Craggies.
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Sunrise Peak Summit Views
We took the rocky crest west and gained a few hundred vertical feet. Before long, we were on Sunrise Peak’s south ridge at 7760′ with vast south views. Shortly, we went through the gentle slope to the broad summit.
The north side of McLeod Mountain looked quite intense compared with the mild south ridge. But my favorite view was Silver Star Mountain‘s north side, with Silver Moon and Vasiliki Ridge.
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Next Stop, Sherman Peak
Thanks to the breeze, the 80-degree weather felt mildly warm. So we visited for an hour as the pup took a nap. Then we made our way into Goat Creek Basin toward Sherman Peak.
We stayed at 6200′ in the open terrain before going through ravines in the trees. Then we went east over Sherman Peak’s southwest ridge. Soon, we entered the northeast-facing scree gully at 7000′.
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Sherman Peak Climb
The open views were now behind us. Then we slowly moved through the steep part of the gully from 7200′ to 7400′. Later, a dirt path took us below a slab wall. We quickly left the steep terrain via the exposed ramp in the slabs.
The terrain was mild from 7400′ onward. So we enjoyed a leisurely walk through heather and small taluses for the final 800′ elevation. This summit was also a vantage point with impressive views up and down the Isabella Ridge.
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Sherman Peak Summit Views
Most peaks to the west were now in the shadow of the afternoon clouds. But the views were gorgeous. We could still see Robinson Mountain, Beauty Peak, and Jack Mountain to the west. Then there was also Many Trails Peak to the north.
Big Craggy Peak certainly lived up to its name, enormous and craggy. The pups and I shared many memorable moments climbing The Craggies. It was the first backpacking trip for the three of us. Good times!
Outro
After savoring the views, the pup and I made our way down Isabella Ridge. We went through several high points to Sweetgrass Ridge, where it had also undergone wildfires. So it took a while to go through the down trees.
Later we turned west on the 5800′ saddle south of Sweetgrass Ridge high point. Then we went along the drainage and dropped 1200′ to reach Road 300. It was lovely to see the car right as we broke out into the clearing.
See more trip photos here.