Tricouni Peak by Primus Peak via Borealis Glacier + Lucky Pass / 崔宼妮峯

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Tricouni Peak by Primus Peak overlooks Borealis Glacier and Lucky Pass. It marks the end of Inspiration Traverse from Cascade River Road. Meanwhile, Thunder Creek Trail on the north directly accesses the peak.

Tricouni Peak in the clouds
Tricouni Peak in the clouds

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Tricouni Peak at a Glance

Access: Thunder Creek Trailhead
Round Trip: 24 miles
Elevation Range: 1240′-8102′
Gear: helmet, ice ax, crampons
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: on the trail

The Preface

Tricouni Peak would’ve been our season opener over Memorial Day weekend. But the washed-out bridge over Thunder Creek had put a damper on the plan. Later we turned around after trying for hours to cross.

I started planning my next trip after Mount Olympus. As I was researching, a friend forwarded a recent report of the Inspiration Traverse. But what caught my eye immediately was the group’s route via Thunder Creek. Yaaas!

Amphitheater by Thunder Creek Trailhead
Amphitheater by Thunder Creek Trailhead

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Back on Thunder Creek Trail

The 6.5-mile quiet walk to McAllister camp went by quickly over a few chats with Mr. Cody. It would’ve taken longer with many photo stops. But this time, I vowed not to stop every five minutes so we could keep going.

The bridge under construction back in May was now in operation. The trail crew had put in much time and done an excellent job building it. Shortly, two women caught up as I marveled at first sight of Tricouni Peak.

New bridge over Thunder Creek Trail
New bridge over Thunder Creek Trail

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Crossing Thunder Creek to Tricouni Peak

We passed the washed-out bridge and went another quarter of a mile since we didn’t go far enough last time. We soon left the trail through the light brush to Thunder Creek. Seeing the log jam and the crossing in full view was exciting.

We weaved through massive down trees before hopping onto a sandbar midway. Then we stepped through shallow water to the big log, which made crossing the raging river possible. On the other side, we hopped off the down tree via the root ball.

Log jam over Thunder Creek
Log jam over Thunder Creek

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Tricouni Peak North Ridge

From the west shore, we went north on a faint path to the old bridge. We took a short break while checking out the remains. Then we found the climber’s trail at the first fork and walked up to the north ridge.

The mild terrain didn’t last long before the trail shot straight up the hillside. Down trees had inundated the lower path and were very annoying to bypass. But we ended up stepping over or skirting around most of them.

Snowfield Peak from the 4600' viewpoint
Snowfield Peak from the 4600′ viewpoint

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En Route to Borealis Lake

Views were spotty in the dense forest until the incline slowly reduced by the 4600′ viewpoint. Immediately, I caught sight of Primus Peak looming above. Meanwhile, Snowfield Peak sat across the McAllister Creek Valley.

We were soon back in the trees and continued toward Borealis Lake. The faint path beyond the viewpoint was hard to follow at first. But we stumbled across a defined trail at one point as the terrain steepened again.

The view from below Borealis Lake
The view from below Borealis Lake

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Camping by Borealis Lake Below Tricouni Peak

Below the lake, I bumped into Eric for the second time this summer with his sister-in-law and son. I also saw him the day before while getting a permit. I rarely see people on an obscure climb, let alone seeing the same person twice in one season.

Like many lakes formed at the bottom of a glacier, Borealis Lake didn’t exist until recent decades. There were many loose rocks and sloping slabs along the shoreline. So it took a while to find a suitable spot to set up camp.

Tricouni Peak and Primus Peak above Borealis Lake
Tricouni Peak and Primus Peak above Borealis Lake

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Change in Plans

I had initially planned to climb Tricouni Peak on day two, not knowing how much daylight we’d still have. But since we arrived early, I thought we’d go up today instead. Besides, the forecast for Sunday didn’t look too favorable.

I set up the tent and organized the gear before leaving. Soon, we walked west along the shore until it ended abruptly by the rocks. Then we turned and walked up to the ridgeline over countless slabs and heather.

Going around Borealis Lake
Going around Borealis Lake

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Borealis Glacier to Lucky Pass

Due to global warming, much of the snow has retreated. So the glacier has since split into upper and lower parts, separated by slabs and cliffs. Then I put on crampons on the west end of the vast glacier before continuing.

We went southeast on Eric’s tracks and bypassed a few crevasses en route to Lucky Pass. It seemed to have taken a long time to cross the glacier. Alas, we reached the pass and viewed Forbidden Peak to the south.

Forbidden Peak south of Lucky Pass
Forbidden Peak south of Lucky Pass

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The Final Stretch

I quickly spotted the snow finger above the pass, thinking it was somewhat discreet. So we followed the boot tracks up the snow for 200′ before I was ready to leave it. Then I found a decent spot to move onto the rocks.

Having solid ramps and ledges made the climb much more efficient. But the dark stones under the thin layer of scree were very stable. So we slowly went up the ridge before reaching the narrow, bouldered summit.

Taking the steep snow ramp
Taking the steep snow ramp

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Tricouni Peak Summit Views

Today’s weather pattern was similar to our climb on Primus Peak. Clouds had crept in from the west while we were still on the glacier. But soon, they filled the west horizon, and we never saw Snowfield Peak again.

Primus Peak sat on the other side of Lucky Pass. We stayed for an hour to enjoy the sights of Jack Mountain, Mount Logan, and Forbidden Peak. Views of Hozomeen Mountain and Goode Mountain were pretty sweet.

South-to-west panorama from the summit
South-to-west panorama from the summit

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Back to Borealis Lake

On the way down, I needed to face in through the steep parts of the snow. Once at the pass, we retraced our route to the other side of the snow. Soon, we went back on the grassy slopes toward the campsite.

But now that we’re going the other way, the slabs were quite the pain to downclimb. Soon, we reached our camp as the sky dimmed. Backpacker’s Pantry Phad Thai with Chicken has never tasted so good after a long day!

Leaving Tricouni Peak above Lucky Pass
Leaving Tricouni Peak above Lucky Pass

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A Night Below Tricouni Peak

After dinner, I spent time looking through the maps inside the tent. The south wind continued throughout the night while I listened to the shuffling sounds. Meanwhile, I kept thinking how great it was to have climbed today.

In turn, we avoided Sunday’s possibly iffy weather, which offered a leisurely exit. The pup and I both had a restful night and slept like babies.

The moon above Borealis Glacier after the climb
The moon above Borealis Glacier after the climb

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Leaving Borealis Lake on Day Two

We woke up early this morning to a cloudy and dark sky. Then to my dismay, it rained before 6 AM and lasted what felt like a long hour. So we stayed inside the tent and listened to the raindrops to pass the time.

After the rain stopped, we hung around and silently enjoyed the views. Though, the stubborn clouds wouldn’t leave Snowfield Peak alone. It dawned that we didn’t encounter wildlife during this trip, which was odd.

En route back to Thunder Creek
En route back to Thunder Creek

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Back on Thunder Creek Trail

We stumbled across a different trail on the north ridge and took it until it eventually faded. Then we joined our old track and retraced steps down the steep terrain. Most places were too steep to keep us from plunge-stepping.

We finally made it back onto the trail safely after crossing Thunder Creek. On the way out, we met two summer camp groups as they came in. Then we enjoyed a quiet hike out through the lush forest.

Thunder Creek at high noon
Thunder Creek at high noon

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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Jefferson

    Another fun looking trip! Love this.

  2. onehikeaweek

    Thanks Jefferson! Hope you’re having a great summer.

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