Church Mountain West Peak, viewable from the lookout site, perches over Nooksack River. It sits just under one mile from the impressive main summit. Meanwhile, West Church Ridge is under half a mile above Church Saddle.
See more trip photos here.
Church Mountain West Peak at a Glance
Access: NF-3120 via Canyon Creek Road (NF-31)
Round Trip: 6 miles
Elevation Range: 3039′-5610′
Essential Gear: microspikes, snowshoes
Route Info: Eric Willhite
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Alex Kehm
Exploring More of Church Mountain
After yesterday’s outing, we stuck around the area to make the long drive worthwhile. Having nothing planned, we went to Warnick, WA, for cell coverage and researched. As it turned out, Church Mountain had a west peak above Glacier, WA, accessible from the highway.
The direct route starts from Church Saddle via Canyon Creek Road, six miles from the highway. But a long, winding road often signals potential debris and deep ruts en route. Looking at Eric’s trip, he started near the road’s end below the west ridge. But we shall see!
See more trip photos here.
Canyon Creek Road to Church Saddle
It was a smooth 2.5-mile drive on Canyon Creek Road before turning onto NF-3120. The service road was surprisingly good for nearly three miles to the fork with NF-3124. Shortly, I broke off several branches on a big tree that dipped over the roadway and continued.
Soon after, numerous dips appeared, but I was glad they were all passable. The narrowing path had one slightly rocky stretch. Meanwhile, it took many instances to remove debris and break branches. Otherwise, it would’ve been a complete paint scratcher to the pass.
See more trip photos here.
Road to Church Mountain West Peak
The road didn’t improve, so we parked on the pass despite the 2.5-mile walk. Without a saw, half a mile ahead was a downed tree, which would’ve stopped us anyway. Then, below the last switchback were snow and deep ruts from truck tires. Eric must’ve driven a monster Jeep!
Soon past Jim Creek in the open area was the start of the scramble. Somehow, there was pink flagging lower down, which we’d missed until the return. The steady incline persisted with typical tree litter but not overly brushy. It averaged 2200′ per mile to the ridgetop.
See more trip photos here.
West Route Above Nooksack River
The direct climb to the west summit went through an open, snowy slope, dense trees, and some krummholtz. En route, the North Fork Nooksack River boasted broad west views to Puget Sound. From the top, our destination next door looked equally tall and pointy.
Soon, we traversed to Church Mountain West Peak, 1000 feet away. Snow on the south had melted as a grassy path brought us to the top. Vistas were similar to yesterday but with Church Mountain in the east. The old lookout was also visible, poking out from behind it.
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Church Mountain West Peak to West Church Ridge
On the descent, we saw West Church Ridge from the open slope. Since there was time, we visited it after returning to the saddle. Before long, we’d lost the hard-earned altitude back to the road. Then, we cut to the lower path via Jim Creek and shaved off 1.2 miles!
From the firepit by the car, it was a direct, half-mile scramble over tree litter to the logged summit. Views would’ve been grand if it weren’t for the drizzles and the low clouds in the valleys. Meanwhile, loud music continued to play below us from Glacier. Party time!
See more trip photos here.