Hozomeen Mountain by Ross Lake via Skyline II Trail / 霍佐民山

Home > Trips > Hozomeen Mountain by Ross Lake via Skyline II Trail / 霍佐民山

Hozomeen Mountain by Ross Lake ranks #4 in South Hozameen Range after Crater Mountain. It also places #166 on Washington State’s Top 200 Peaks list. Of all feasible routes, the closest one comes from the north via Canada.

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Hozomeen Mountain at a Glance

Access: Skyline II Trailhead
Round Trip: 24.7 miles
Elevation Range: 1800′-8066′
Gear: helmet, crampons, ice ax, ice tool
Route Info: Matt Burton, Paul M, mountainflamingo.com
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: on the trail

Hozomeen Mountain

I first saw Hozomeen Mountain from the top of Ruby Mountain with a zoom lens. Back then, the double-summited, awe-inspiring structure atop Ross Lake looked out of reach. In turn, it stayed on the back burner.

This weekend, we visited the impressive mountain up by Canada with a few reports in hand. Apart from being relaxing, it was a lovely change of scenery from last week. It has since become one of my favorite outings.

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Skyline II Trailhead

Friday evening traffic added an extra hour to the long drive. Like many service roads, the 34-mile stretch on Silver Skagit Road wasn’t too exciting. But at least the road was in decent shape, with only a handful of potholes.

I’d expected more traffic toward Ross Lake but only saw two cars en route. Most pullouts were small, and not all places came with assigned parking. But one thing that stood out to me was the vague recreation signs.

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Skyline II Trail to Hozameen Ridge

The following day, we left the mosquito-infested trailhead under an overcast sky. The trail was overall decent but brushy in several places, yet manageable. We soon enjoyed a sunny sky when the late morning came.

The lower trail had many large down trees to bypass, making the walk feel longer. At mile 2.2, the sign on the tree showed that we were now in E. C. Manning Park. Then we’d be in the park for the rest of the trip until our exit the next day.

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Hozameen Ridge to Hozomeen Mountain

Shortly after entering the park was the impressive sight of Hozomeen Mountain. Soon, the terrain opened as we went above 3500′. Three streams in the forest offered water en route, enough to hold us over until camp.

The trail rose 4000′ in eight miles before taking us to Hozameen Ridge (Canadian spelling). Other than a few snow patches, the ridge was bone dry. Then there was no more running water until south of the border.

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Monument 74 Peak Camp at 6345′

From the fork, we continued south over the rolling terrain. Then at mile 10.5, we reached Monument 74 Peak with the US border .1 mile to the south. But dang, Hozomeen Mountain’s north side looked vertical from there.

I decided against climbing today since the snow would’ve turned slush by now. From camp, views of Chilliwack peaks and the Picket Range were excellent. Then there was the unmistakable sight of the mighty Castle Peak to the east.

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The Evening Flow

The forecast called for light wind through the night with zero chance of rain. So I set up camp by the big snow patch for the views and to melt snow for cooking. But I wish I’d brought something to read to pass the time.

When evening came, the increasing clouds quickly obscured the colorful sky. I couldn’t fall asleep right away since it was still light out. Then the pup was on edge all night for some reason and wanted to go outside the tent.

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Hozomeen Mountain Climb

We woke up before dawn after a moonlit night and started walking by 6 AM. The cloud inversion began to form before sunrise and stayed low. But since we dropped to the 5800′ saddle en route, we were in the mists for a while.

The sight of the obelisk (Monument 74) continued to fascinate me. Still, I couldn’t help but ponder how much labor went into carving out the international crop line. Soon, cairns led us into the trees on a faint path from the saddle.

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North Basin to Middle Snowfield

Before long, we were in the broad and hazy north basin. But of course, a climb this time of the year wouldn’t be complete without the echoing of screaming marmots! Sorry for intruding on your space and quiet, folks.

Soon, we emerged from the clouds after climbing several hundred feet. I put on crampons at the flat area by the lower snowfield. Meanwhile, the middle snowfield to the start of the rocks looked incredibly steep from here.

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Onward to the Middle Snowfield

I noticed days-old boot tracks and followed them until they faded halfway up the field. Then we stopped on a dirt ramp above the snow to check the terrain. I knew there was a way feasible for both of us, at least until the crux.

I soon remembered yesterday’s photo that showed a broken snow ramp linking the two fields. So I followed the rocks to the bottom of the steeper middle snowfield. But not before I asked the pup to stay put briefly.

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The Crux on Hozomeen Mountain

Of course, the “stay” command didn’t last long. The pup wasn’t happy about waiting and came up only minutes later. “Alright, stay by the rocks before things get spicy!”. Soon, I moved up with both the ice tool and ice ax.

I stashed my gear atop the middle snowfield. But the pup sneaked past me while I gazed at the inversion over the valley floor. “Um, excuse me, mister?” I looked on in disbelief. I guess the guy had done one scramble too many.

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Hozomeen Mountain Summit Views

We played leapfrog on loose rocks for the next 100′ over the exposed class 3 terrain. Then we stayed on the crest and avoided the upper snowfield from the west. Soon, from the broad summit, I directed my attention to the south peak.

Yep, the impressive south peak looked gnarly as it looked from camp. Views were beyond incredible from this vantage point by the border. Not every day I get to see the North Cascades from the north, that’s for sure!

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Savoring the Views

Nohokomeen Glacier was stunning; too bad I only saw it briefly on Jack Mountain in a whiteout. Picket Range and the Chilliwack high points towered over the west as Castle Peak remained the main feature to the east.

There were also views of the Snowfield Group, Inspiration Traverse, and many other high points. It was incredible seeing Ruby Mountain from the north end of the lake eight years later! Man, I wish we could stay here all day.

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Back to Monument 74 Peak Camp

Cody didn’t need my guidance as he swiftly retraced his steps; show off! On the other hand, I tested every rock through the crux as he watched intensely below. I faced in with the ice tool on the snow until I could plunge-step.

We rested by the border and napped at camp as the warm weather brought out the army of mosquitos. I sometimes glanced over at Hozomeen Mountain as I packed our things. “Great teamwork, pup!”

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Hiking Back to Skyline II Trailhead

It grew even warmer when we started moving, which made the 2.5-mile walk to Skyline II Trail feel like forever. Though, most mosquitoes had vanished when we reached back at the fork. But they’d soon reappear in the forest.

After a brief pause, we continued without stopping to donate more blood to the pesky insects. After fighting more mosquitoes back at the trailhead, we spent the next 4.5 hours on the road home.

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