[Mentalfloss]

Dan and I are planning a trip into the Picketts this September. We've been in the North Cascades many times, usually in the rain of course. I have Beckey's book and we've been looking for the better ways into the range. Seems that the Easy - Perfect Pass route is decent. Then there's the trip along the Whatcom arm to Perfect pass. There are all the brushy routes off of Big Beaver, including Eiley and Wiley lakes (which sounds interesting but tough.) I've not looked into approaches from the south yet. Then I remembered NWhikers.net. Maybe some of you have suggestions about how you've entered the Picketts. Dan and I are not big time climbers but we have decades of experience and aren't stupid. We know our limits. Any information would be most appreciated.

[Larry]

I've been in the Picket Range several times, once in the mid-70s and twice in the early 80s. Although not the easiest route, the Big Beaver/Wiley Lake route into the edge of the Challenger Glacier is the most esoteric, and a true classic from lowland riparian forest to high alpine biomes. When I say "not the easiest"...it isn't all that hard. The slopes out of Big Beaver are steep, but surprisingly straightforward. Some brush, but nothing that is going to hold you up too much. The bees were the biggest problem for us, although September should be late enough to tone them down. Then, the benchlands out from Wiley/Eiley are just superb, all the way to Challenger. That puts you in a wonderful position to climb Challenger and/or head for the first southerly curl through the North Pickets. Having said that, the Sourdough Ridge entry is probably the easiest, especially in light of having a trail that climbs high to get you into position for the ridge run. This puts you into the McMillan Cirque to be in position for a northerly curl through the Southern Pickets, in a day-and-a-half or so. Stay as high as possible from Elephant Butte on, and you can avoid the slices of gullies that come off the ridge as obstacles. Of course, the curls through the cirques are the toughest part, and also the creme de la creme. I've attached a shot of three of us in 1978, after the Pickets, in the Newhalem Parking Lot. Don't laugh...ten days of sweat turns you into a zombie, and don't forget we hadn't combed our hair or put on fresh makeup yet. It also tends to make you drop weight, obviously! The guy on the left was "older" than us, but he was one of those quiet types who is just an animal, and very strong. It was good to climb and hike with him, and I have good memories of those days, "sort of" long ago...times flies in this life.

After Pickets 1978

[Mentalfloss]

When I read about Eiley/Wiley it sounded wonderful. I've not read about Sourdough but will as soon as I can get back to the Beckey book. (That guy is incredible!) Thank you very much.

[Malachai Constant]

I have been there several times also. One important thing about the Sourdough Ridge Route you should know it it only Accesses the Southern Pickets. It is quite difficult to get to the Northern Range from there. I have usually from in from Easy Ridge which has two cruxes the first is finding the trail and crossing the Chillewak. It is usually easy in Sept but earlier the river is treacherous and the rangers keep destroying the cairn. Do not attempt to go up stream from the cable car unless you really really like brush. The other crux is the "impass" which requires a major descent and scramble. Although not difficult you will be carrying a lot of weight as you need glacier gear to cross to challenger Arm. The glacier itself is quite easy except that a schrund establishes itself in late season near Challenger Arm. Eiley/Wiley is a little easier but requires a substantial hike to the start either from Ross Dam or over whatcom Pass. Some people get hung up on brush there and there is still a glacier crossing to Challenger. Access Creek is a good descent route but I cannot recommend it for an entrance as the brush then points the wrong way. There is a steep gully and it takes you to Luna Pass which is a beautiful place with Luna an easy scramble over broken rock. the descent into Luna Cirque is an steep loose rock on either side but well worth it. This is where all the pictures of Fury are taken from. In my opinion the easiest way is from whatcom pass on the front of the peak to Perfect pass. That way you avoid the impass and can also travel cross country to the Chillewac rang if you wish. As Becky says there is no easy way. I would recommend a GPS here as you can get lost in brush easily here. unfortunately sometime a platoon of marines with machetes would be more useful. Enjoy! Understand that these are not really hikes but rather climbing approaches.

[Larry]

Fred Beckey: Yup, he is certainly incredible. I saw him last year at some function...I think he's about 80 now. He put on a slide show of a recent foray into northern British Columbia...of COURSE on some unclimbed peak. He looks like old leather. Also, saw him when he actually "popped out" of some brush along the highway....I kid you not! Man, it's weird to be traveling along, and some Brush Freak like that materializes... You'll be in heaven, any way you go in to the Pickets. A truly awesome place for sure.

[Larry]

Great instructions, MalCon! You are correct, it's not as easy to get into the Northern Pickets from the Southern Pickets. I don't remember the details, but we had to utilize a fair amount of rope work getting over to the northern curl. When were you in there, MalCon?

[Mentalfloss]

When you describe the Whatcom approach and the "front of the peak" are you speaking of the north face of Whatcom just below the crest? I guess I really wouldn't complain about being in the southern Picketts. It's just been a long-time goal to get into the Picketts, see and feel the beauty and awe, take some photos, and scramble around some. I do understand that these are climbing approaches. Thank you!

[Stefan]

I know you guys may not like this, but there is a lot of information regarding Pickets access and routes on Cascadeclimbers.com

[Mal Con]

The two ends of the range are quite different. The Southern is a series of spires over a single cirque and the northern several peaks over multiple cirques and a much larger glacier. For pictures my opinion is northern is better but southern has more climbing oppertunites and has somewhat easier access, I first was there in about 76 when we tried to bushwack up from the present site of the cable crossing then ended up on the Whatcom pass route. There I meant the traverse above the glacier to perfect bass which involved some steep snow sidehilling but no rock. We did a 10 day trip in the late 80's over easy ridge and out Elephant. Pretty much the Routes and Rocks route. In the 90's Access creek and Eiley/Wiley was done by a friend who was with us on the other trips. I have been back to easy Ridge several times since and was caught up there in a T-storm with lightning seeming to strike within feet from our Al tent poles.

[Larry]

[Tom]

Hey Lare, great shot! Is that you in the middle with the John Stockton shorts and the wooden ice axe again?

[Mike Collins]

Stefan...Most of us realize that cc.com has some helpful information available. But it is like sitting at a table full of uncouthed men to glean what they might have to offer. Now and then some words of helpful advice happen to form from their double-clicking fingers but you have to wade through a lot of sloppy banter on several levels of disgust to get there. They should change their address to cascadeclimbers.slobs so visitors have an upfront caveat before entering their lair of lewdness.

[Larry]

[#19]

Pickets? Did someone say Pickets? Yesterday, a hiking buddy said he thought this view of the S Pickets looked better than the view from Terror Cr basin last fall. I disagreed and reminded him that any Picket view was a good one.

[Lare]