Sloan Peak, the Matterhorn of the Cascades, is the tallest massif in the Monte Cristo area by Bedal Peak. Its near-4000′ prominence puts the closest higher peak ten miles away on Sitkum Spire of Glacier Peak. Of the various routes, Corkscrew via Sloan Glacier is the most common.
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Sloan Peak at a Glance
Access: Bedal Creek Trailhead (Road 4096)
Round Trip: 10 miles
Elevation Range: 2800′-7835′
Gear: helmet, microspikes, crampons, ice ax
GPS Track: available
Route Info: Mickie Centrone, Brian Doolittle, Relic
Dog-Friendly: no
The Preface on Sloan Peak
At last, the trip was 11 years in the making. After our first attempt in 2010, I thought I’d be back the following year. But at the time, my other goals had kept me busy. I didn’t know I’d come back now, let alone take a less-traveled route.
Holy isht, to this day, I still remember how green I was back then. It was my first time walking on a glacier, and it kept me on my toes. But with the two skilled folks I met during my early hiking years, I knew I was in good hands.
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Road 4096 by Bedal Peak
I last drove here in an SUV, so it didn’t feel quite as bumpy. But in a compact car, past the third road bend became increasingly rough. It was hard to focus on driving with the shrubs in the middle brushing the underside.
I didn’t think it’d be any worse until the most significant dip showed up before the last switchback. Glad that no one came up behind me as I moved at turtle speed. But that was the worst of it, whew!
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Bedal Creek Trailhead Rendezvous
I later pulled up near the end of the road with a few parked cars. Then I met four people preparing for their next day’s climb. One of them turned out to be a blog follower Mark Hadland. What do you know?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen people at a trailhead while car camping. But meeting folks from social media in real life was exciting. A few other cars arrived later, then I parked farther down the road and slept.
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Bedal Creek Trail
The following day, I hiked the lower trail with last night’s group through the old-growth forest. At mile 1.5, the standard route went straight uphill. Then I said goodbye to the gang and went south on the old trail.
The defined trail soon crossed Bedal Creek and stayed another half a mile in the trees. Later I went out into the creekbed and followed cairns upstream for a bit. Then the flagging took me through slide alder south of the gully.
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Sloan Peak WEST Basin
The markers faded by the edge of the dense forest. Then I walked up the water gully below Sloan Peak’s west face. After going through snow, I turned south at 5000′ with the misty Bedal Creek Valley behind me.
Soon, I made a rising traverse through a broad rock field below the west face. Then I moved up through the steep terrain over slick duff to the west saddle at 5640′. A quick drop through the trees put me out in the open shortly.
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SOUTHWEST Basin
So far, morning clouds have obscured my views. But as I went up the southwest basin, I could see the blue sky above me. Going through here felt the longest as I alternated between snow, scree, cliffs, and talus.
The final 200′ was a pleasant walk-up through lupines to Sloan Peak’s 6560′ south saddle. Clouds over the peak had started to shift to see the summit tower. Heck, yaaaaaas, as I turned around and saw the inversion below me.
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Sloan Peak SOUTHEAST Face
I soon went down the misty southeast basin toward the start of the climb. Meanwhile, I stayed at 6600′ on the snowfield to the north end. Glad that the upper glacier had extended higher so I could move onto the rocks.
The ramp above the ice chucks had running water that complicated things. I checked out other ways to go above the slabs but didn’t see anything useful. In the end, I inched my way up with friction and help from the overhang.
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Traversing the Lower Shelf
The higher I went, the more manageable the traverse. But the tilted shelf had made the walk-up very awkward. Whenever possible, I hugged the rock wall while avoiding steep sand-covered slabs. And there were many!
En route, I glanced for places to set up a rappel on the way back. But nowhere I looked felt safe enough to do so, nor did I see any old anchors. Higher up, my footing felt more secure as I stepped through grass slopes.
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Mid-Fifth Class (Class 5) Crux
The nook with a giant ice chunk noted on SummitPost.org sat at the top of the shelf. Directly behind it was the vertical step that led to the upper route, aka the Corkscrew route. I studied the rocks a bit before making my moves.
Glad the rocks over the crux were dry! But it would’ve gone much smoother had I been taller. I slowly moved through the tough spot before reaching the easier ground. A bit of class 3 scrambling then put me on the upper shelf.
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Final Stretch on Sloan Peak
Things began to look familiar the minute I stepped onto the defined trail. Eleven years ago seemed like it was only yesterday. My heart started racing as I rounded the sharp corner where my friend took a photo of me.
Next came the gully, where we decided to turn around. I remembered this place well because back then, it looked pretty intimidating under fresh snow. Before long, I snaked my way up the west and reached the summit in 300′.
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Sloan Peak Summit Views
I was beyond ecstatic! Words couldn’t convey the feeling of being here 11 years after the first trip. But I only had the damn list to blame, of course! I’ve admired the peak over the years, but it hasn’t been a goal to want to stand on it.
Views were phenomenal, even under a hazy sky. I remember seeing Mount Pugh, Bedal Peak, and Sloan Peak sitting in a row only weeks before the first trip. And now I could finally say hello back! Oh, you know, it’s the small things.
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Leaving Sloan Peak
The group of eight came up from the glacier later, and I hung out with them for a while. After 80 minutes of an extended visit, I bid farewell to the lovely folks. It felt great to have only one unfinished business.
After downclimbing the crux, I took my time through the lower shelf. But I still couldn’t find a decent rappel spot and retraced my steps instead. Two more basins and I was on the beaten path for the rest two miles out to the car.
Earlier in the west basin, I chatted with two people on their way to climb Fire on the Mountain. Talk about that epic trip!
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