Bear Mountain by Mount Redoubt via Depot Creek in Chilliwacks / 熊山

Home > Trips > Bear Mountain by Mount Redoubt via Depot Creek in Chilliwacks / 熊山

Bear Mountain by Mount Redoubt overlooks Indian Creek in North Cascades National Park. One can reach this obscure peak by Chilliwack River via Depot Creek Trail. Moreover, the notable Picket Range spans near the south.

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Bear Mountain et al. at a Glance

Environs = Tombstone Peak + Solitude Peak + Tradition Peak + Goliah Peak
周圍地區=墓碑峯+冷僻峯+傳統峯+歌來亞峯

Access: Depot Creek Road
Round Trip: 43.6 miles
Elevation Range: 2200′-8406′
Essential Gear: helmet, rope, multi-night
Route Info: Brett Dyson, Cascade Alpine Guide, Eric Eames
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no pets
Playlist: Epic, Ethereal

Friday, July 21

Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6

Ouzel Lake Camp + Tombstone Peak + Solitude Peak

The Preface on Bear Mountain

I initially planned a five-day trip but added an extra day as a cushion. The late start and long way to camp on day two led to a freebie day. Then, on day five, I stayed an extra night because of a badly bruised knee before leaving the area.

Of all five peaks on the itinerary, Tradition Peak (Rustic Peak) was the most vague regarding the route. Fred Beckey’s notes in Cascade Alpine Guide weren’t helpful as he never climbed it. Plus, other info I found skipped over crucial details.

The road condition was still as bad as it was on my last visit in 2019 and showed no signs of improvement. After all these years, it’s baffling why the Canadian government won’t grade it. Perhaps it attempts to minimize traffic outside the campground.

Past the mile 6.5 fork were continuous new dips in the road. I could still drive past the third one before parking at the same spot as the last time. Super high-clearance vehicles would have no problem going over them, though some were pretty deep.

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A Drastic Change in the Landscape

After only a few hours of sleep, I began walking at 4 AM, anticipating a long day ahead. My goal was to climb Tombstone Peak and Solitude Peak on day one. But I needed to play it by ear, depending on when I got to camp.

However, something felt different after reaching the fork at mile 1.5. Holy isht, the area had been through logging! No Doubt Peak now looked naked without trees overhead. Meanwhile, I wondered where the new logging was leading.

I followed my previous track into the forest, thinking it would get me back on the route. But the old trail was no longer there, with brush and logging debris now in its place. Soon, I went uphill through the messy old tree stumps onto a road.

Walking toward the boundary, I realized I was on the same roadway from the fork below. But to my surprise, the unmistakable sight of Solitude Peak soon appeared. Well, the clearing had certainly robbed the mystery of this place.

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Depot Creek Falls in North Cascades National Park

En route, I startled a bear on the slope above before it ran up after seeing me. While looking for the hidden trail, I missed the turnoff and continued uphill. But I soon backtracked to the trailhead and reached the border within minutes.

Seeing new markers on the US side along the newly logged area was rather odd. But they only lasted about half a mile until the tree litter appeared. I referenced my old track as parts of the trail were still under the debris.

The path mainly hugged Depot Creek, and piecing the visible parts was still manageable. But there were several places with windfalls to navigate rather painfully. Soon, the sound of Depot Creek Falls was within earshot.

The trail ducked under the slide alder up to the rope, which I swore was the one from before. Lots of water tumbled down the waterfall as I went through slippery rocks. But it was nothing like the downpour I got in 2015.

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Ouzel Lake Camp to Tombstone Peak

Above the falls, I followed cairns and the footpath through the talus. Before long, the trail shot straight to the upper basin in the final 400′. It soon took to the left of the dense trees between the shallow creek and the talus fields.

After what sounded like a bear tumbling in the water repeatedly, I quickly got up from my break. Then, I followed my old track while bypassing the vegetation through the rocks. Soon, I stashed everything at Ouzel Lake and left with a day pack.

Halfway up the gully to Silver Lake Pass, I veered right into Mount Spickard’s southwest Basin. From there, it was more rocks until above the small waterfalls. Beyond that was the steep snow as I hugged the cliffs higher up.

I’d somehow mistaken the rightmost snow ramp for the standard route. It took me through steeper terrain to the notch; it was completely unnecessary! Afterward, I went east down the snow through more crevasses than I cared to see.

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Tombstone Peak by Mount Spickard

But reaching the Mount Spickark-Tombstone Peak saddle wasn’t as direct as I had anticipated. During this, I weaved through the gaps and dropped 1000′. The traverse involved alternating between rocks, cliffs, and snow before the pass.

I hugged the cliffs to the 7400′ notch and soon made a beeline around the false summit. Then came the gap south of the two summit high points. It took several class 4 moves and some rerouting to make it work.

From the notch, I dropped 10′ to go around the southwest peak. But I couldn’t find a better way to the summit ridge without dropping steeply into the broad south gully. So, I went straight and weaved through the cliffs over high exposure.

After a few minutes on the southwest peak, I traversed the milder terrain over sloping slabs to the northeast. A short, narrow gully then put me at the top of the summit. The two peaks were only about 200′ apart.

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Tombstone Peak to Solitude Peak

Mount Spickard was the main feature from here. Meanwhile, the sight of the two Mox Peaks was also quite impressive. Peering down at the Perry Creek drainage, I was so glad not to have come from Ross Lake.

The increased water taxi fare was also a factor to consider. Besides, Eric’s trips assured me I could tackle all five peaks using the same approach. That saved me from making multiple trips to the area via different drainages.

After retracing my steps to the 7000′ notch, I came to the part I dreaded. I now needed to regain the 1000′ I had lost on the way here. I traversed south of the glacier near Solitude Peak and hoped to summit it before dark.

It’d been a long day, and I could crash anytime now. Looking at the various reports, I needed to determine the standard route. One said to go up the northwest ridge, but technically, there wasn’t one. It was the north ridge.

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Sunset Climb on Solitude Peak

Someone else claimed to have gone from the southeast, where the snow looked incredibly steep to get on the rocks. Ultimately, I went around several crevasses to the north ridge, which was the most feasible way.

The route hugged the ridge but sometimes inched through some shaky rocks. Despite seeing only one cairn en route, I knew I was still on track. Before long, I finished the last bit from the crest up to the top.

The sky was dimming when I stood on the summit; at least I made it, woot. I didn’t have time for all the photos but a few nearby peaks and a selfie. Soon, I descended the ridge and was back in the snow 400′ below.

Back at the 8000′ notch, I took the standard gully back to the basin below Mount Spickard. But the part I dreaded was descending steep snow in the dark. Of course, half of the slope was now under a sheet of ice.

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I slowly made steps while looking for places with less ice. A long time later, I joined my track at the bottom of the snow and soon reached the broad gully. During this, the headlamps I saw probably wondered which crazy person it was.

Saturday, July 22

Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6

Bear-Redoubt Saddle Camp @ 6720′

Bear Mountain via Redoubt Glacier

The morning came too soon after a short night of sleep. I asked the two climbers down from my bivy about my friends who would’ve arrived the afternoon before. But it sounded like they had left for Mount Custer at the first light.

I was excited to continue to Redoubt Glacier, but crossing Depot Creek took me half an hour. Ultimately, crossing the outlet of the places I tested was most feasible. But that was only after wasting time poking around downstream.

With more ice and crevasses this time, I stayed farther west above the massive slabs. As the terrain flattened, more moulins appeared throughout the ice. Though narrow, I tried my best to avoid walking across them.

It was surprising to find a small lake below the old camp from 2015. It showed how fast snow had melted even though it was only the third week in July. But there was no need to worry about water as it was plentiful.

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Mount Redoubt-Bear Mountain Saddle

After a short break atop the glacier, I dropped onto the south at 7200′ into Redoubt Creek Basin. The mile-long talus traverse passed rather quickly. Soon, I was overlooking Bear Lake below Mount Redoubt.

I marveled at the blue water before continuing down the saddle at 6700′. Then, I realized I might not have enough time to climb Tradition Peak today. I had dillydallied much of the morning to be productive the rest of the day.

I dumped everything on the pass between Mount Redoubt and Bear Mountain and then napped. But since it was still early, I wanted to scope out the area. So I went through steep scree over Cave Mountain’s northwest notch to the south.

Holy isht, the basins above Indian Creek and Pass Creek were under a sea of taluses. I decided to continue since I didn’t have other things to do. I also wanted to see if I could, at the least, pinpoint the route on Tradition Peak.

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An Afternoon by the Picket Range

Traversing below the massive Cave Mountain and Rusted Ridge took much time. The former peak harbored scree and talus in the west basin. But the latter mainly held talus over the top of Pass Creek and was more enjoyable.

As I moved across the top of Pass Creek, the stunning Cave Lake slowly appeared. It was even grander when the breathtaking Picket Range made up the backdrop! One certainly doesn’t get this view every day!

From Rusted Ridge’s south basin, I dropped 200′ over scree and some grass. Soon, the terrain gave way to hard dirt, followed by red talus. I couldn’t pinpoint the route in the later afternoon light, so I retraced my steps back to camp.

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Sunday, July 23

Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6

Tradition Peak + Bear Creek Basin Camp @ 6400′

Tradition Peak by Bear Mountain

On day three, I followed my track from the evening before. Since I was familiar with the way, passing through the first two basins took less time. But back in Rusted Ridge’s south basin soon came the even more tedious mile-long traverse.

It was my least favorite of the three in getting to the west of Tradition Peak. At first, I didn’t see the southwest gully noted in the Cascade Alpine Guide. So I knew it had to be somewhere past the red rocks below the ridge towers.

It took a while to go through the avalanche chutes, still covered in snow. I didn’t want to deal with crampons, so I walked down the edges until it was safe to cross. Soon, I went around the corner and finally saw the hidden gully.

I wasn’t sure which way was the most viable, but I knew I needed to contend with class 4 terrain at the very least. After surveying, the large leftover snow patch below the cliffs appeared to be the most reasonable option.

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Southwest Basin Route

Luckily, the snow ramp led straight to the rocks without any gap. Then I climbed up the narrow gully through tall, class 4 rock steps. Meanwhile, I avoided grabbing onto any sketchy-looking chokstones.

The higher I went, the steeper the terrain and the more hard dirt I found. I built several cairns after losing sight of the gully in fear of missing a turn on the way down. Despite the short distance, the tight turns were easy to forget coming down.

I reached the southwest ridge at 7200′ and thought I could hug the crest past that point. But in person, the jagged ridgeline wasn’t feasible for traversing. Mostly, I stayed west of the ridgeline up through poor rocks.

Finally, the only white rock bench was where I eventually hugged the crest. Despite the airiness, it was the most solid spot throughout the traverse! Soon, I finished the final stretch back thorugh the loose red rocks.

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Tradition Peak Summit Views Plus Exit

What a great vantage point the peak was. Like on Tombstone Peak, thoughts ran through my head as I glanced down at Little Beaver Creek Valley. It further confirmed my decision to come from Depot Creek instead of Ross Lake.

How gullible of me to think it’d be a quick jaunt up from Little Beaver Creek. I’d even fantasized about tackling these peaks one at a time from the bottom of the valley. But gaining 5000′ from the valley floor seemed ridiculous.

Despite the long way through massive talus and scree, the altitude change was much more gradual. Alas, it was another vantage point to view the Picket Range. Meanwhile, another highlight was seeing Beaver Pass and Eiley Wiley Ridge straight ahead.

After a long break, I returned to the ridge and followed my cairns to the gully. But I decided to go lower in the basin to bypass the snow chutes. Then, below Rusted Ridge, I kept the altitude between 6800′ and 7000′ the rest of the way.

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I grabbed everything back at camp and moved 300′ lower to a knoll. I wanted to be near Bear Mountain for the next day’s climb, not too far from Bear Lake. But in hindsight, I could’ve dropped to 5800′ to save the extra walk on the way back.

Monday, July 24

Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6

Bear Mountain + Bear Creek Basin Camp @ 6400′

Bear Mountain Above Bear Creek Basin

Despite waking up to a beautiful, colorful sky on day four, rain was in the forecast. I left for Bear Mountain before sunrise, hoping to beat the post-11 AM rain. But the first order was to find a way into the lower basin.

Cliffs and waterfalls had lined the upper basin. So, I poked around the trees before finding the water gully to go into the lower basin. Just west of it was another gully that looked doable from afar but less direct.

I stopped above 5000′ before making a rising traverse over Bear Mountain’s northeast basin. It took time through the moraine to reach the 6750′ notch atop the steep, broad gully. Everything looked as if it’d tumble at any time.

It started dripping earlier while I was still in the gully, “Oh no, the rain’s coming!” I groaned. When I finally reached the gap, drizzles soon turned into light rain. Then, I took a half-hour nap among the krummholz, hoping to stay dry.

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Chimney to Northwest Ridge Plus the Gap

After my nap, I went south toward the summit through more talus. Then I started looking for the said “chimney” in the Cascade Alpine Guide but had difficulty finding it. Eventually, I went into an opening that looked like the spot.

The lower gully involved class 4 moves from the left to be above the rocks. Since it’d been raining, I tried to stay off the grass as it grew slick. The slabs weren’t all that stable either, but they worked. I topped out on the northwest ridge at 7200′.

In the mists, I moved south toward the 7400′ gap cited in the book. Then I dropped about 50′ onto the notch before rising again to the talus below the summit. But with low visibility at the west face, I wasn’t sure where to start.

I waited a few, hoping the clouds would subside, but it didn’t happen. But I needed to get moving and went on the northwest ridge. With many unstable rocks en route, I tested every single one before putting my weight on it.

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Bear Mountain Summit in the Mists

Finally, an anchor let me know I was on the right track. Then, the unexpected sight of a chasm below the summit took me by surprise. It was not the place to lose footing as I went up the left of it, ignoring the exposure.

The final bit took several class 4 moves onto a lonely peak without views. As I surveyed the area around, the other end of the ridgeline looked higher. So, I carefully crossed the thin crest to that side, which was the actual summit.

I picked up the register on the platform below and signed it before leaving after about 10 minutes. Then, I downclimbed to the top anchor and backed it up before rappelling to the lower one. I also backed it up and rappelled again with my 30m rope.

What an exhausting climb; Bear Mountain was a beast like its name! From the 6750′ northwest notch, it was a slow descent back through the massive talus. Soon, it rained again as I retraced steps through the moraine below the clouds.

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Back to camp through the water gully was a long trudge, a 1400′ uphill battle. It continued to pour when I reached my bivy and quickly stashed everything underneath. It was the one time when I wished I had brought a tent for this weather.

Tuesday, July 25

Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6

Goliah Peak + Canuck-Goliah Saddle Camp @ 6960′

Bear Lake to Goliah Peak

The rain and wind gusts persisted well into the early morning as I stayed inside the bivy sack. Then it was time to leave for Goliah Peak when it was only drizzles. I had set my clothes and shoes out to dry, but they were beyond wet.

After breakfast, I walked to Bear Lake and rested by the misty water. I traversed north and stayed above 6000′ over Mount Redoubt’s southwest ridge. As the terrain steepened, I dropped below 6000′ around the cliffs.

Crossing the steep, tough dirt gully under the headwall took time. I waited out the rain in the trees before moving again above 5800′. Then, through the steep outcrops, I went through the old burn on Maddie Eagle Peak’s southwest ridge.

At one point, the sun tried piercing the clouds but quickly retreated. Oh well! From 6400′ on the southwest ridge, it was a 400′ rising traverse to the west of Goliath Peak. Then, I was back in a whiteout and continued uphill.

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Peak 7478 West Ridge to Goliah Peak

The plan was to exit the area via Lake Fork Basin tonight. So, I left my backpack on the west slope at 7100′ and added a waypoint to retrieve it later. After organizing the pack, I was off to Peak 7478, several hundred feet above.

As I neared the peak, my phone suddenly shut off due to the low temperature. “Oh, crap! How would I find my pack now?” I thought as I ran several scenarios in my head. But I’d finish climbing for now and worry about it later.

I dropped onto the east saddle from the top before continuing on the west ridge. Reaching Goliath Peak would’ve been more straightforward if it weren’t for the weather. Soon, I was on another lonely summit, staring at the mists.

Without views, I took the needed photos before returning through Peak 7478. At one point, the clouds lifted to reveal the lower valleys to see something. But the mists continued to loom over the nearby mountains.

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A Night on Canuck-Goliah Col

Back on the west slope, I frantically started looking for my backpack. Despite still having much daylight, my fear was not finding my gear at all. But in the worst-case scenario, I’d tuck myself between the rocks to get through the night.

I wasn’t sure how cold it’d get tonight, but exiting today was no longer an option. Soon, I swept through the talus field back and forth while moving up a few feet. But I tripped and bruised my left knee on a boulder during all this.

Great, now I was even slower in finding the gear as I limped. As the clouds faded, the red color on the pack suddenly popped out after an hour of scraping through the rocks. With a bruised knee, I had to stay put until the morning.

A curious Ptarmigan and its chick were roaming around as I looked for a spot to crash. I’d hear the sounds of picas throughout the trip but never saw any. Adding insult to injury, the lighter for my stove also decided to quit. No hot dinner tonight!

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Wednesday, July 26

Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6

Lake Fork + Exit

Leaving Bear Mountain et al.

After two days of rain, it was once again another sunny day ahead. I woke up with an incredibly sore knee and couldn’t bend it much. Perhaps I should’ve put snow on it, which didn’t occur to me right after the ordeal.

But knock on wood for not breaking any body parts, which could’ve ended worse. I walked a short way to the Canuck-Goliah saddle and scoped out Lake Fork. Oh boy, I’d never reach Depot Creek Trail as I led each step with my left foot.

Awkwardly, I moved down the hard dirt and the glacier with the view of Custer Ridge. It took twice the time to reach the pristine lake through massive boulders. Then, I savored the vista from our old camp east of the water and left.

I needed to deal with more boulders below the lake basin and the steep scree above the trail. But on the upside, I could still walk myself out, albeit very slowly. It took time to cross Depot Creek, as the old log wasn’t there anymore.

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I texted the dogsitter at the border to let Connor stay an extra night. But I was glad it was still light out when I arrived back at the car. Overall, it took 12 hours to finish the final eight miles of this trip.

Ultimately, I was happy to have climbed everything I wanted. I did the same with the Bulger peaks the first time around. After briefly enjoying the view of Chilliwack Lake, it was a long drive back to the border crossing and home.

Overview > Day 1 > Day 2 > Day 3 > Day 4 > Day 5 > Day 6