TR: Peak Bagging in the North Cascades

Before you read this let it be known this TR is way too long with way to many pictures

Enjoy

The North Cascades are some of the most rugged terrain in the lower 48.
Everything seemed to line up perfectly with the highway opening Friday at 8:00 am to a forecast of blue skies. Well it wasn’t 8:00 am it was 8:00pm and even worse the forecast for Saturday was calling for rain but Sunday and Monday were looking to promising. With the hopes of sunny skies plans changed to head into the North Cascades Saturday night and bag Black Peak on Sunday and Silverstar on Monday.

Friday April 24th

To take advantage of the forecast on Friday I met up with Amar, Christy and Jason to tackle some lower elevated peaks in the Snoqualmie area. Our agenda was Red mountains west face.

Jason doing a teleturn off the summit of Red with Snoqualmie Mountain in the background

Amar skiing down into the Commonwealth Basin

Christy skiing with The Tooth and Cave ridge in the background

It was still early in the day so we climbed over to Lundin Peak
Jason skinning with our lines off red in the background

It turned out to be a great day to take advantage of Blue sky and Corn skiing

Sunday April 26th

Our first objective in the North Cascades was Black Peaks southern face which had a skiable line from near the Summit (8970).

Black Peaks South Face
http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/41761986
photo by John Scurlock

Our starting point was at the Rainy pass parking lot were we skinned up to Heather Pass.

Joe skinning up to Lake Ann

Looking at our Objective in the middle from Heather Pass

It’s going to be a long traverse

Sick lines to be had on the Lewis Glacier

Looking North deeper into the Range

After a long traverse finally skinning up the base of Black Peak

We had to skin up to the Col to gain access to the South side

Traversing the ridge to gain the south side

Damn rotten snow (notice the landing spot for North Cascades Heli in the background)

Switching over to Crampons and Ice axe to climb up the South Side

Joe hiking up with Last Chance peak in the Background

The last stretch before the summit.

Joe standing on top of Black Peak minus 30 ft of Rock scramble

Looking down the NW face

Looking back at the ascent with Heather Pass in the distance and Corneo to the right

Mt Goode to the SW

Looking down our ski line

I dropped in first

Then Joe

After dropping the chute we hiked back to the Col and dropped back into the east facing basin



Instead of traversing all the way back we decided to drop all the way down to the road

After speaking with a local about the crappy conditions at Silverstar we decided to tackle another peak within the Rainy Pass area the next day.
Monday April 27th
Looking towards Frisco Mountain and the Lyall Glacier

Looking south at our objective a peak of Frisco Mountains south Ridge from Maple pass

Joe skinning the ridge with Corteo to the left and Black Peak to the right

Frisco Mountain

Dropping the first run to access the Lyall Glacier

Back to skinning to access Friscos Col with Whistler Mountain and Cutthroat peak in the background

Nearing the top with a massive headwall in the background

We skinned to the Col on the left and decided we would ski the peak on our decent back to the car

Looking back at the headwall from the Col

Looking down into Maple creek with Mt Benzarino in the foreground and Goode in the distance

Our objective was the peak to the left and ski the fall line in the middle of the ridge

We got a quick 1000 vert run to access the next col

Then switched over to Crampons and Ice axes to access the peak

Looking East towards Mcgregor Mountain on the Right and Bowen to the Left

Boot packing with Stilleto Peak in the distance

Gaining the summit with Corteo in the background

Looking south Deep into Glacier Peak wilderness from the summit

From the summit we rode the ridge north back into the Maple creek basin


Getting ready to drop off the ridge



After a sick 1000 vert line we had to skin back up to the East col
Joe skinning with our ski line in the background

Once we got up to the col we decided to hike up to the sub peak we had seen earlier (back to crampons and Ice axe)



One last look before our 3,000 vert lines back to the road with Frisco proper in the background

Our line down to Rainy Lake


Right before Rainy Lake there is a cliffed out cirque so we had to do a nasty traverse


Looking back from Rainy Lake at the Cirque and Frisco Peak

Frisco Mountain

I love the North Cascades