[gb]

[DIYSteve]

In the mid-1990s we climbed Frostbite Ridge via the Vista and Ermine glaciers. Super cool route.

[glenoid]

Used to go up Kennedy Ridge trail to access Glacier Peak. In July 1975 did the entire Kennedy Glacier route. Heavily crevassed at that time but it was a go, after a few crevasse go arounds two thirds the way. (Where the PCT crossed Glacier creek it was perhaps a ten minute walk to the start of the Kennedy Glacier route.) Never did go up Sitkum as it was busier and looked boring. Never saw a soul on the ridge trail, but there was usually a crowd at the springs. Do miss the springs though. Long night soaks with a monkey 🐒 candle burning and jumps into the river.....getting back in made the 94 degree springs seem hot. Don't miss though kids diving to the bottom of the springs, stirring up the farckles, the mice everywhere, the guy in a construction hard hat reading as he hiked, nor the loud kid who told his dad it was time to get out of the springs...to which his dad responded, "there is no time in the hot springs! 👍

[gb]

The Sitkum itself is none too interesting. I skied the Gerdine as part of a ski traverse in 1982. Have a funny story about the Sitkum, however. I was guiding for Eric Sanford in the early 1980's and on one gig three guides hiked in via Kennedy Hot springs and met, in Boulder Basin, a group of young folks that were out on a guided PCT trip with a Colorado Guide Service. They had carried ropes and ice axes and crampons on the PCT. With three guides, each rope team was four-five people with youth leaders leading a rope between the guided groups; and in late season snow conditions were hard. I called my group the Zero's as we were one ice axe short (found a hollow snow stake) and I also had the least athletic youth, who walked extremely duck-footed. I did have the strongest of the youth leaders on my team, but the name Zero's referred to the fact that the rope team seemed a bit like kamikazi's. At that late time of year we had to climb a 75' pitch of glacier ice between the upper and lower Sitkum. The upper snowfield steepens and was rock hard, and with 18 students/youth we decided to set fixed ropes on the steepest part of the snowfield approaching the summit. Time with this group was obviously the limiter and I believe we had enough time to get about 14 to the summit. I had brought not an expedition pack, but something like a 3-4 day soft pack. What none of us guides realized was at the end of the climb the three of us were expected to carry out all of the climbing gear as the youth group continued on the PCT. My pack consisted of my gear and three ropes and seven sets of ice axes and crampons. I estimated my pack with relatively thin shoulder straps weighed about 105 pounds for the eight mile walk back to the TH. I did make $40, though.