Huckleberry Mountain by Mount Thomson and Alaska Mountain perches over Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Its closest higher neighbor Chikamin Peak lies under a mile east. Snoqualmie Pass offers the most direct way to the peak.
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Huckleberry Mountain at a Glance
Access: Pacific Crest Trailhead
Round Trip: 20 miles
Elevation Range: 3000′-5851′
Gear: helmet, rope
Route Info: awilsondc on SummitPost.org
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no
The Preface
Seven peaks in Washington State share the name Huckleberry Mountain. But this one sees the most traffic because of PCT. Next comes the one in the state’s remote northeast, notable for its near 4k prominence.
The mountain has been on the laundry list since I started hiking in 2008. But I haven’t been rushing to climb it because other places have kept me busy. Then I began running out of new spots in the area to visit.
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PCT to Kendall Katwalk
It’s always a good idea to hike this span of the PCT early in the day. Starting late in decent weather means a crowded trail. But one can cut a good chunk of the busy route by taking the Commonwealth Trail.
My plan to start sooner than 6:30 AM didn’t happen. But despite seeing half a dozen cars in the lot, it was a clear trail to Kendall Katwalk. Then I took a short break by the narrow passage and continued.
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Ridge Lake to Joe Lake
The bulk of the elevation gain took place before Kendall Katwalk. Beyond that point, the altitude ranged from 5200′ to 5600′ as the excellent views continued to expand. Before long, I walked past Ridge Lake.
Most views were now on the east, including Alta Mountain, Alaska Lake, and Rampart Ridge. Later the trail rounded Alaska Mountain‘s east ridge, dropping 400’ through the west end of Joe Lake.
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Huckleberry Mountain South Gully
All reports pointed to the gentle northeast ridge. But after checking the map, I knew I could go up via the south gully to the east shoulder. It’s rocky, but I stayed to the west end and used ledges from the minor ridge for relief.
From 6000′, I entered the area on a grassy path. I started looking for the route through slabs and boulders as the trail dwindled. Then a few class 4 moves put me above the east cleft across from the summit.
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The Final Stretch
I dropped into the deep notch using narrow ledges on the side of the short cliffs. There I got a view of Joe Lake on the south and Big Snow Mountain to the north. Then I looked up and checked out the class 5 crack.
According to Aaron, bypassing the crack from the south is possible. It would put me on exposed 3-4 class terrain instead. But the overhead gap looked readily available, so I went up using some stem and friction moves.
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Huckleberry Mountain Summit Views
At one point, my SD card decided to reformat itself. So I lost the footage of me grunting my way up, damn. But what a roomy summit it was! Glad that I came out today because heavy rain was in the forecast the next day.
I haven’t been this close to Mount Thomson. But it’s surreal to see the east route I took in full view–it looked steep! Then I turned around to see another goal I’ve put off for years–Chikamin Peak. Such an elegant ridgeline.
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Leaving the Summit
I brought a 60m rope for the rappel into the notch, which was more than enough. I returned to the top of the short cliffs to the east ridge. Then I retraced my steps through the rocky ridgeline to the grassy area.
I had thought about going down the northeast ridge. But I figured I’d return the way I came, even though it didn’t save much time. I slid down the scree at one point but caught myself as my tailbone hit a granite ledge. Ouch!
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Exiting on PCT
I stood up and instantly felt a sharp pain in my tailbone and knew I had bruised it. So I had to move very slowly, trying not to trigger any discomfort. Later some backpackers showed up as I took baby steps across the top of Alaska Lake.
Back at the Katwalk, I met a father and son camping at Ridge Lake. I tried returning to the car before nightfall and the drizzles but couldn’t. In the end, what should’ve been a quick exit took four extra hours. But I made it!
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