American Border Peak by Mount Larrabee rests south of the border across Canadian Border Peak. It’s the highest point in the Border Ranges that harbors immense views. The closeness to Twin Lakes makes the peak doable in one long day.
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American Border Peak at a Glance
Access: Twin Lakes Trailhead
Round Trip: 9.7 miles
Elevation Range: 5200′-7994′
Gear: helmet, rock & rope
Route Info: Klenke on SummitPost
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no
The Preface
One of my goals last fall was American Border Peak. But I needed to delay the trip because of the terrible weather outlook. I found two reports plus the detailed write-up on SummitPost.org for this outing.
My only real issue was the frequent bathroom breaks as I recovered from the stomach flu. TMI? The terrain wasn’t suitable for the dog. So he stayed behind after going up Wildcat Mountain and Big Kangaroo last week.
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Road 3065
I thought a popular area like this one would have a better roadway. I’d driven on many eroded roads to a climb in the past. But this road deserved to be on the “Washington’s Worst Service Roads” list.
The four miles from Mount Baker Highway turnoff to Yellow Aster Butte Trailhead was bumpy. But the conditions quickly worsened past that point. So the last two miles to the lakes had me on edge in a compact car.
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Twin Lakes Trailhead
It didn’t help that I drove up to the lakes late at night. So I took extra caution to go through many places with ruts. The worst dip happened before the final switchback through a steeper incline.
Soon, the terrain flattened past the worst part, returning to being bumpy. Perhaps it’d be a more “pleasant” drive in broad daylight. But the mountain views would’ve indeed helped to calm the nerves!
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Twin Lakes to Low Pass
I knew Twin Lakes was a popular area. However, I had mentally prepared myself for the flocks of lakeshore campers. Since I started early, only a few early risers were outside their tents.
After going through the Winchester Mountain trail fork, I had my early dose of Mount Larrabee. What an impressive massif it was, wow! Skagit Range’s high points to the east looked just as stunning.
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From Low Pass to High Pass
I finally saw Tomyhoi Peak from Low Pass. A trail there went down the west of the saddle, which some people had mistakenly followed. But the actual path to High Pass continued north along the ridgeline.
The view of Mount Baker slowly surfaced higher on the ridge. Then I took a break before dropping west of High Pass at 5960′. There I heard the distant murmur of two campers from somewhere above me.
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Gargett Mine to 5400′ Shoulder
After dropping 300′ through a few switchbacks, I crossed the creek by the old Gargett Mine. It was also my last water source until the snow below the summit. But of course, I didn’t pack enough!
I left the trail and slowly went down to the 5400′ shoulder. It was hard not to keep from sliding on the wet vegetation. But in hindsight, I should’ve dropped to 5400′ before traversing.
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En Route to 6300′ Notch
I rounded the crest through the forest and broke out into the clearing. Soon, my next goal, the 6300′ notch, came into view. Then I saw the tip of American Border Peak and Canadian Border Peak. How exciting!
Tomyhoi Lake down on the west rested peacefully below Tomyhoi Peak. The peaks were closer than they appeared. But the steep and rugged terrain had made everything feel much farther.
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6300′ Notch and Red Basin
One thing I should’ve packed for this trip was microspikes. They would’ve worked out great on the slick vegetation as I moved sideways. Soon, I made a rising traverse through lots of blueberry bushes.
Going uphill first before finishing the rest of the traverse was more pleasant, so I did that. Then I only dealt with some scree below the notch. From there, American Border Peak looked majestic!
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Through the Red Basin
A steep ramp on the other side gave access to the basin of beautiful red talus. I hugged the wall on the way down to avoid sliding. The big rocks were stable to walk down but wobbly on the way up.
The only other likely water source was the snow patch below the talus. Soon, I reached the north end of the field and climbed above the tree line. One report advised avoiding the slabs by going up in the forest.
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The Grunt Work on American Border Peak
Later I went through a few more heather slopes and rock gullies. Then I climbed up directly to the 6850′ saddle. Moving through mostly slabs plus scree, I eventually reached the start of the grunt work.
I saw Mount Larrabee’s stunning north face and the north basin from the pass. I was also now gazing at the heart of American Border Peak draped in red rocks. So let the real climbing begin!
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De Gaulle’s Nose of American Border Peak
I compared photos with the route before moving again. Gravel sprinkled over the red slopes, so I carefully made a rising traverse to the rock nose at 7300′. Climbers also refer to the feature as “de Gaulle’s Nose.”.
The crumbly-looking terrain had me pay close attention and tested all seemingly solid ledges en route. Many visibly unstable rocks could quickly send one down the east face with lousy footing.
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Rock Nose to the Snow Gully
The webbing by the rock nose suggested the option of going over it. But I went up a narrow gully left of the feature on mostly class 3 with one class 4 step. Then I went up the sandy ground to the shoulder and saw my next move.
I dropped onto the other side and walked up a dirt ramp while hugging the wall. Then I bypassed snow patches by going down farther on the scree slopes. Soon, the trickling snowmelt gave me my first water since the mine!
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The 5.4 Chimney Crux
Crampons could be helpful with traction, but I didn’t use them on solid rocks. I stemmed up the shoulder-width gap left of the snow, which would be broader in the late season. Soon, I saw the chimney from the top of the gully.
Klenke mentioned belaying from here to the chimney. After going past this part, I knew it’d be helpful. Soon, I walked a few yards past the chimney on a sandy path. Then I bypassed the 5.4 section from the class 4 route behind the dent in the wall.
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The Chimney on American Border Peak
Shortly, I moved up the vertical gap above the first chockstone. Then I went to the anchor with ragged webbing above the second stone. It was harder to move past it as I needed to position my body awkwardly. Then I stemmed atop the rock.
The third and final chockstone sat above the keyhole. I wasn’t sure how claustrophobia would play out in the tight space! But I pushed my pack up through the hole and off to the side before squeezing through. Soon, I went up scree and wet slabs to the south saddle.
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The Final Stretch on American Border Peak
The saddle was broad to house an army of tents! Someone even built a fort here. I took a few seconds to enjoy the south view, then continued on the ridge. Below the summit tower, I bypassed a few pinnacles from the west and was on the summit block shortly.
Reaching the top required me to mantle through the growing exposure. I saw the steep drop-off out of the corner of my right eye but focused on my movement instead. Holy cow, this climb was physically draining. Or it could be my stomach problem that added to the fatigue.
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American Border Peak Summit Views
The views were as impressive as anywhere in the North Cascades. But it was even more special to see into Canada by the border. Meanwhile, the south view of the North Cascades reminded me of Hozomeen Mountain.
The shorter Canadian Border Peak was right on the other side of the boundary. The only places I knew around here were Barometer Mountain and Keep Kool Butte. The list kept growing, but I’d like to tackle Ruth Mountain and Icy Peak eventually.
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Outro
I retraced my steps down to a tee going down. Shortcuts weren’t an option because of the terrain type and generally poor rocks. Soon, I rappelled twice from the top of the keyhole to reach the bottom.
Yet another beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest! I planned to stay overnight, but the lack of water changed my mind at the last minute. The arid climate was also more suitable for a long day’s outing.
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Looks like another sweet trip. That scramble looks fun!
Thanks!