Peak 6077 by Bulls Tooth and The Hydrant stands quietly within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The wilderness, first established in 1976, covers over 414,000 acres of rugged terrain, offering recreational opportunities. Meanwhile, Icicle Creek, a feature of the peak’s forested foothills, flows from the secluded Josephine Lake below Nasikelt Peak.
See more trip photos here.
Peak 6077 at a Glance
Access: Icicle Creek Trailhead
Round Trip: 17.6 miles
Elevation Range: 2840′-6077′
Essential Gear: microspikes, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Beats
An Unexpected Adventure to Peak 6077
When the updated list first appeared before the New Year, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Ugh! As if!“. This recent change was surprising, since the list had stayed static for as long as I could remember. Besides Peak 6077, the other newly recognized peaks were Snowgrass, DeRoux, Little Spark Plug, and Teanaway Ridge. In turn, Bearjack Ridge West, Horse Lake, Red Top, Serpentine Hill (in draft), and Cairn Hill were taken away. Nevertheless, we needed an excuse to explore more of the Wenatchee Mountains.
After a 17.5-mile drive through the long Icicle Creek Road, we stopped one mile before the trailhead. Along the way, I cleared a couple of skinny fallen trees from the roadway, occasionally filled with potholes. Although only a few inches of snow were visible from our stopping point, it quickly deepened within several hundred feet of walking. An off-road vehicle could easily manage another half-mile or so, but it wasn’t the day to test my luck.
Crossing Two Damaged Bridges
A leisurely walk through the dense forest brought us to the river junction, nearly three miles from the car. As noted on the Washington Trails Association website, both key bridge crossings en route had suffered significant damage. Thankfully, the first one spanning French Creek had one sturdy, albeit narrow log. Without it, we likely would have turned around to find something else to occupy us. Due to the exposed view of the creek below, Connor decided to wade through the cold water instead. But on the return, he felt more confident, following closely behind to cross.
The second bridge over Icicle Creek was still under a few feet of snow. The once-sturdy footbridge had partially dipped into the water, with the submerged area closer to the far end. However, the portion above the water that provided direct access to the other side turned out to be more manageable and much less exposed. These types of bridgeless passages were pretty similar to the typical obstacles climbers occasionally encountered during a climb.
Snowy Ascent Toward Peak 6077
While the trip was overall straightforward, the crux was snowshoeing through massive “popcorn” snow in the forest. It extended past the French Ridge Trail fork, all the way toward the bottom of Peak 6077. Since the snow over the trail was too weak to support our weight, it frequently collapsed underneath as we continued to posthole. So, we’d oftentimes resort to treading along the firmer snow on the adjacent bank. Although still time-consuming, at least it wasn’t the constant stopping and going.
Instead of going straight up toward the peak, I decided to make a rising traverse via an undefined rib. But it ended up involving more effort than initially anticipated due to the steep terrain across minor gullies. Besides, the inconsistent snow, combined with areas of deep slush, slowed our progress significantly as we inched upward toward the peak. Despite the minor struggles, the ascent through the south ribs and southeast ridge was direct, even with the steep incline.
Summit Views Plus Efficient Descent
Once on the summit ridge of Peak 6077, the higher end was somewhat hard to discern. We first touched down on the corniced, bouldered east end before hugging the crest to the west, which was likely taller. The west edge also offered open views of the surrounding landscape in the wilderness. The Stuart Range wasn’t entirely visible due to tree cover at a slightly awkward angle. However, most notable places, including Mount Daniel, the tip of Mount Rainier, and Glacier Peak, were visible.
For the descent, we plunged-stepped from the top of the prominent gully, while hugging its west until snow faded. Then we crossed the stream around 3400 feet and saved considerable time compared to reversing our annoying rising traverse. However, we still contended with numerous windfalls on the flat forest floor before returning to the snow-covered path. Soon, it was an unexciting 6.5-mile trek back to the car. En route, we crossed fingers (and paws) as we carefully reversed both creek crossings, which felt more manageable.
