Hoof Peak by Tenpeak Mountain sits atop Napeequa River Valley near Glacier Peak. Below the north spans the vast Suiattle River. Meanwhile, White Chuck Glacier and Honeycomb Glacier offer one of the ways to this obscure high point.
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Hoof Peak and Kopeetah Divide at a Glance
Access: North Fork Sauk Trailhead
Round Trip: 43 miles
Elevation Range: 2080′-7850′
Gear: helmet, crampons, ice ax
Route Info: Adam Walker
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
Playlist: Hopeful
Saturday, May 27
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3
North Fork Sauk Trail + White Chuck Glacier + Suiattle Glacier Camp
The Preface on Hoof Peak
It was my third time on this well-known trail to the popular area. The yellow pup and I were here in 2019, climbing Kololo Peaks south of Glacier Peak. The more I walked the beaten path, the more everything went by like a breeze.
The back lab and I arrived at a packed lot at 6 AM. Rather than looking for available space, I opted for the one-car pullout parking right before the trailhead. We left after a brief chat with a three-person group climbing Glacier Peak.
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North Fork Sauk Trail
Other than the few groups of down trees, it was otherwise a great trail. After crossing the Red Creek Bridge, we reached the old Mackinaw Shelter in another mile. I briefly chatted with the three skiers who started before us.
The steep part came after the shelter, where we shot up the hill through two dozen switchbacks. We passed the skiers and soon saw snow at 4500′ by the avalanche chute. Then we were in continuous snow until the last bend at 5300′.
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Pacific Crest Trail to White Pass
The mainly dry trail took us through the mild incline above the trees. I stashed my runners, and we went through several snow patches in the gullies. Meanwhile, I was glad to see the old boot tracks paving the way for us.
Three patches before the first view of White Pass were pretty airy. Places slick with slush would benefit from the ice ax. The Pacific Crest Trail fork at 6000′ was still under the snow, still early for the first thru-hikers.
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White Chuck Glacier Basin and Beyond
Summer trail would bypass Point 6770 from the east before dropping into the basin. Instead, we took the west saddle in the snow and descended steeply. Then we moved toward White Chuck Glacier below the cliffs with running water.
As we made a beeline for the upper basin past 6600′, skiers appeared behind us. They’d been on skis from White Pass and were now moving much faster. Then we took the off-shoot gully toward Kololo Peaks after a long break.
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Suiattle Glacier Camp by Gorgeous Day Peak
The clouds had overtaken the area when we reached the notch below 8000′. But I wanted to be near our two goals by staying off Honeycomb Glacier. So we waited a while until the mists dissipated to reveal the route.
Staying above 7800′, we traversed to the south notch of Gorgeous Day Peak. Seeing the view of Glacier Peak, I decided against dropping 600′ to camp off Honeycomb Glacier. It also meant not carrying everything back up on day three.
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Sunday, May 28
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3
Hoof Peak + Kopeetah Divide + Suiattle Glacier Camp
Hoof Peak Climb via Honeycomb Glacier
It was a gorgeous evening and a moonlit night after the clouds dispersed. We welcomed another day of sunshine past 5 AM and savored the views. But it was almost too warm when we finally dragged our tired bodies onto the glacier.
Seeing the slowly rising clouds over the lower Honeycomb Glacier, I began having doubts. But we steered through a dozen paper-thin crevasses before stopping at 7600′. Then we waited about 10 minutes until everything faded.
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6000′ Ramp Below Tenpeak Mountain
At 6200′, we hugged the east fringes of the glacier below Tenpeak Mountain. There was still enough snow to avoid most of the scree above a tucked-away moraine lake. We aimed for the access ramp and soon exited the shade.
By the time we rounded the mountain’s north ridge, we had lost 1800′ from camp. So that meant a slow-going uphill battle on the way back through the glacier. But not before paying a visit to our other goal: Kopeetah Divide.
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Hoof Peak via Moth Lake
Soon, Hoof Peak came into view and was the main feature on this side. Because of the massive Tenpeak Mountain, I couldn’t pinpoint it from camp. Meanwhile, the rolling terrain kept us between 6000′ and 6200′ through several gullies.
We took the gully, the outlet, up to Moth Lake for water and a break from the heat. Then we made a beeline for the top through the upper basin. From west of the ridgetop, it was a short traverse over the rocky crest to the summit.
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Hoof Peak Summit Views
The summit had limited seating but plenty on the south side. I knew we’d be right by Napeequa Peak, but I didn’t expect to see it so close up in person. Meanwhile, the flattish west view of Buck Mountain looked underwhelming.
Besides the road closure, Suiattle River Road wouldn’t have made a feasible route. I further confirmed it’d be a bad idea after witnessing the massive windfalls by the headwaters. I took one last look at Clark Mountain before leaving.
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En Route to Kopeetah Divide
We took a break at Moth Lake before retracing our steps to the access ramp. But this time, we stayed 200′ lower through several stretches of rocks. Meanwhile, I glanced at the massive down trees below us and thought, “Eek!”.
After returning to Honeycomb Glacier, we pressed on slowly without stopping. Despite the day’s heat, our tracks stayed intact to follow through to 7000′. Then we aimed for Kopeetah Peak’s foothills and took a breather at 7100′.
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Summit Views on Kopeetah Divide
The 600′ climb felt like it took forever as I slowly ran out of steam. Shortly from the rocks, we reached the broad summit, making an excellent camp spot. Before long, clouds had risen and obscured most nearby peaks.
Glacier Peak looked even more enormous from this vantage point. Meanwhile, the only thing visible around us was the vast Suiattle River Valley to the north. We only had time for selfies before hurrying down to the glacier.
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Back to Suiattle Glacier Camp
Clouds had overtaken the glacier earlier but cleared while we were on top. We cut south across the flat area to join our tracks from this morning at 7200′. Glad for the path; otherwise, I’d stare at the GPS the entire time.
What a massive glacier it was! As we slowly walked up to the notch, I realized the camp sat at the same altitude as Hoof Peak. But I was happy to have camped here and not to climb 600′ on day three before leaving the area.
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Monday, May 29
Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3
Exit
Exiting Suiattle Glacier
It felt so good to sleep in this morning, and the pup couldn’t agree more. If it weren’t for the warm weather, I could use a few more hours of rest. But of course, the minute I went outside the camp, the tired dog quickly followed.
When we finished packing and started walking, it was 9:30 AM! I unwillingly waved goodbye to the familiar peaks. But dang, it was warm, and we took several snow and water breaks even before reaching White Chuck Glacier.
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The End of a Long Trip to Hoof Peak
I wouldn’t have visited the obscure peak if it weren’t for a list. The route looked super exhausting, even when mapping it out on paper. But having been in the area twice before made the mileage somewhat digestible.
It looked like everyone had left White Chuck Glacier while it was still cool. Before White Pass, we met the only two on-foot climbers returning from Glacier Peak. Then it was ten more miles from the pass to where it all began.
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