[Prosit]

Pocket Peak (7056') Pocket Peak is perhaps best known as the strikingly steep rock pyramid lying to the east across the Silesia valley when viewed from Winchester Lookout or Mt Larrabee. Along with Rapid Peak and Middle Peak, it occupies an area less renown and seldom visited, but it is also an area of spectacular views, beautifully exposed rock, and the kind of “no boot path”, pristine landscape that inspires the sense of truly exceptional wilderness that I felt there.

Pocket Peak above Silesia valley from the approach to Mt Larrabee

I approached from the Slesse Memorial Trail out of the Nesakwatch Valley. The Nesakwatch road suffered several small slides and a major washout over the winter, but heavy equipment was actively repairing the road during my visit. I parked about an hour’s walk from the trailhead, but very shortly it may be possible to drive the entire way.

Nesakwatch Road washout as I entered

Nesakwatch Road washout as I exited

I got a late start out of Seattle and didn’t leave my car until about 1:30 in the afternoon, so I spent my first night near the propeller cairn at the top of the trail. It has always surprised me that the Nesakwatch valley isn’t a park of some kind, Provincial or otherwise. A portion of the area directly around Mt Slesse is preserved though, in memoriam for those who died in the plane crash there in 1956. The valley is heavily logged, which seems a shame given its exceptional beauty.

Mt Slesse from the propeller cairn

Labour Day Summit and Station D - the slopes below are traversed to the shaded ridge at distant left

The route south traverses snow and talus fields under Slesse’s southeast peaks to a shallow saddle at the top of a rock ridge that separates this basin from the next one south. Here there is a somewhat hidden, class 3 gully/ramp system that allows passage through the ridge. The route down is short and it is a good idea to drop your pack and investigate before proceeding. When looking down into the small gully, look to your left and go around the larger tree you see there. You will see obscured under the scrub hemlock a small path that provides an easier way that circles around into the gully. From here the route is obvious; it descends through more hemlock to a short ledge about a foot and a half wide with a vertical drop on the left and a vertical wall on the right. After the ledge there is another area of lower angle rock. It is not too difficult but extra care needs to be taken when carrying a pack as there is some exposure.

Looking down into the gully/cleft

Looking up at the ramp

Once down the ramp, traverse the next basin, contouring to the saddle on the Slesse ridge crest. This entire ridgeline is a tremendously appealing place full of heather meadows, wildflowers and wide open views. Continue south up to a knoll, and then to a higher point just beyond. The views here are spectacular.

Mt Rexford and the Illusion Peaks

Monument 56, the Pleiades, Mt Larrabee, and the Border Peaks

Heading down, you’ll shortly run into monument 56 marking the international boundary. Continue down to the saddle below. The ridgeline beyond this saddle looks concerning from here as it is blocky, brushy and looks like it may have a few harder moves, but go ahead and continue up just to the crest of this ridge. Once here you can see some of the basin that drains west from the north side of Pocket Peak. The slope below is steep trees, and the best route is to drop slightly and traverse this slope into the basin rather than continuing up the ridge. It goes very well with little elevation loss and soon you’re looking up at that impressively carved north face and hiking up toward the remnant glacier. The snowfield is gentle and brings you to Pocket Peak’s East Ridge. This ridge had been my targeted destination for the night and turns out to be an extraordinary place to camp.

Camp on the East Ridge of Pocket Peak

The next morning I set out to see if I could climb the peak as a day hike. The only information I had on this mountain was Beckey’s description of Doug McKeever and Rowland Tabors’ first ascent in 1967. It states simply to follow the south rib that ascends from the saddle with the Rapid Peak ridge. I’d looked at this rib from the summit of Rapid Peak in 1995 (my traverse on that trip included the section from Copper Mtn heading north over Middle Peak) and it looked quite steep to me. Beckey states it is class 4, which I rarely choose to climb solo. With this information, I considered that my chances of summiting were 50/50 and I just headed out to have a fun day and explore some new country. From the East Ridge, I descended slightly and then traversed to the scrub covered rib that blocks the view of the south side of the lower mountain. Here I could see the small basin southeast of the summit and that I would have to descend to avoid cliffs. Then I looked at the saddle between Pocket Peak and the Rapid Peak ridge. The cliffs down toward Pocket Lake from the saddle and around the Rapid Peak ridge are remarkably sheer. The saddle itself is wide and flat, an enchanted subalpine refuge in a classically sculpted setting. On the saddle, 4 goats were ambling forward at a leisurely rate, two adults and two kids. Every so often one of the kids would jump or kick in a frolicking gesture and a few times an adult would respond and they would skip along with effortless prowess. It was playful and wonderful to watch. The goats continued into the southeast basin and then disappeared from view toward the base of the rib I was on. It seemed to me that they were traveling exactly the path I would need to travel to get to the climbing route and so I began to descend diagonally off the rib toward heather slopes just to the east so I could more easily descend. By the time I was clear of the scrub of the rib, I could see these same four goats several hundred feet below me traversing across the heather. They had gone from one location to the other in what seemed a very short time, which was encouraging.

Always nice to have a view of the Bosoms in the morning

Pocket Lake and the slopes to descend on the south side of the East Ridge

I made it down and traversed back toward the rib looking for the goats’ passage. At this location, the topography is no longer a barrier, but it is covered in scrub trees. I didn’t find a continuous way through here, but there are shorter breaks you can piece together with a little up and down to emerge shortly in the small southeast basin. Looking up at Pocket Peak from here is impressive. For a small peak it has marvelous architecture. This view however didn’t inspire confidence for my ascent as the south rib just looks too steep for an un-belayed climb.

Looking up at Pocket Peak and the South Rib from the southeast basin

Approaching the South Rib

I continued to the saddle area and then up toward the rib. Higher up the scrub trees get pretty thick and you have to negotiate some of them. Eventually you get to the first cliffs, the nose of the rib. It doesn’t look too bad, but is definitely class 4. I looked around a bit, seeing a narrow heather-filled slot on the left that looked easier but then blanked into rock above and a couple steeper slots on the right. I paused, had a snack, took some photos and relaxed. I wouldn’t have enjoyed trying to climb this section and knew that my climb was over. I was having a great day and didn’t feel disappointed. After my snack and soaking in the views, I looked over once again at the gully system that cuts down through the area west of the south rib and separates it from the nice buttress that climbs to the far west end of the summit crest. There is a steep heather portion in a higher part of that main gully I’d been watching, but it is guarded by cliffs both above and below. Then I stepped just a foot or two closer to the edge than I’d been before, and suddenly noticed a ledge that started immediately below me. It was covered with scrub trees but it then ascended to the right, turned to heather and turning away from the main gully, walled up into its own gully and disappeared behind the rock wall of the south rib as I looked up. “Wow!” I thought. “What’s this?” I dropped down to the ledge and then up into the gully. I could see that it steepened a bit but was quite reasonable. It continued up at an angle to the south rib that looked like it would intersect the rib higher up. It looked like it might go, but I couldn’t see the whole route from there, and the large blocks guarding the summit ridge that I could see, were still there. I went back and grabbed my pack and then returned to continue the climb.

Looking up toward the western end of the mountain - the gully system is just beyond the foreground rock at lower right

As it turns out, this hidden gully climbs to a broader slope on the side of the south rib that continues up the mountain. This gully is steep enough to make an ice axe useful. Soon you reach a point where you can go left or right. Going right takes you right up to the crest of the south rib just below the summit. Here you cross over the rib to a short slot that avoids the cliffs guarding the summit crest. (If you climb this, be careful in this slot as there is rock that appears solid that is actually quite loose. The final, small move you make to reach the crest is mostly loose; not difficult, but you could easily pull something off.)

Looking down from the summit crest at the hidden heather gully, and the broader slope it leads to higher up. The South Rib is on the left and the main gulley system is well to the right of the heather on the other side of the scrub trees and is bordered by the steep rock face at upper right

The summit area is a very nice place and much larger than I would have thought. There are very large areas of flat, level rock just waiting to be lounged on. The small summit block rises just a little higher than these slabs and is right at the edge of an airy cliff face. It has a small cairn perched on top. The views are outstanding with Mt Slesse close and well deserving of its fang-like moniker, the Rexford Group has south faces steeper than north faces almost anywhere else, Lindeman, Rapid, the Pickets, Shuksan, Baker, the Border Peaks… just spectacular. The rock here is a well fractured quartz pluton of the Chilliwack Batholith. Just looking down at the cliffs on this mountain is beautiful.

Mt Slesse

Rapid Peak

The summit crest looking west from the true summit

I was curious to see how many people had come here and looked for a register in the summit cairn, but found none. I also looked all around the base of the summit block because this block isn’t level and anything not secured there could easily fall off. I returned to the cairn and took it completely apart (only about five or six rocks) and there underneath one rock was the stub of an old pencil, but nothing more. Encouraged, I looked down below the block once more, peering into the fractures that abound there. On the east side I found an old plastic 35mm film canister without a cap on it and was able to reach it. The plastic of the canister was broken and nothing was inside. I looked more in the same area but found no cap and no paper.

Pencil stub and empty film canister found on summit

It occurred to me that I had a pencil and small pad of paper in my pack that I often carry to jot down thoughts when I’m hiking and I decided to split apart some of this pad along with my pencil to create a new register. The only weatherproof container I had was a used ziplock bag, so I put them in there along with the old pencil stub and broken film canister. I built another small cairn on the level slabs just below the summit to mark and protect this new register. A ziplock won’t protect it for long, but maybe it will survive until someone else places a more durable container. There are those who don’t like summit registers, but I find them to be fun reads, and they can be footnotes to an interesting history, especially the really old ones like I had hoped to find here. I spent a couple more days in this fine area between Mt Slesse and Rapid Peak. It was a great trip and I heartily recommend it.

Pocket Peak in evening light

[Dayhike Mike]

Awesome adventure! Truly excellent write-up of the route on an oft-viewed, but rarely visited peak. Thanks for all of the great details. I will definitely have to visit this one myself someday.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

This area is on my radar. Thanks for the report. When I go, I will remember to bring a summit register with me.

[Nietzsche's Horse]

I really enjoyed this report, from a neglected area. It was respectful, curious, informative, and thoughtful--some of the same qualities which helped you reach the summit safely after encountering your initial impasse. It was also quite the coincidence that you posted it just as I was reviewing this older report from cross-valley Silesia Ridge. I am glad you had such a great time. Thanks for sharing some of your experience with this write-up.

[Gimpilator]

An eloquent write-up. This is a very interesting area that is rarely visited. I really enjoy hearing about it when someone goes out, determined to climb an obscure and remote peak. Nice job!

Beau's shot of Pocket during our Larrabee climb.

[Magellan]

Going into the relatively unknown is harder to do than it used to be. Good for you persevering and reaching the summit.

[dicey]

Wow, and super cool. Very surprised to see a TR for this peak.

[puzzlr]

Your report was very fun to read, with enough details to let me follow along on Google Earth. Congrats for making the summit. I'm glad there are remote areas like this.

[beaudaddy]

Your report felt refreshing to me... Thank you for taking the time in providing all the detail. It's such a beautiful peak!!!

[iron]

awesome report and great story telling. any thoughts of what kind of climb this would be in early summer with snow still lingering?

[BirdDog]

Very nice write up, interesting read. Great to see TR's on seldom visited places. Congrats on sumitting!

[Yana]

Thanks for the wonderful report! I have had Pocket Peak on the brain for many months now.

[Stefan]

awesome! I so enjoy people reporting on very very seldom areas! thanks! So you went to Rapid Peak too? How was the traverse? Did you continue on to Middle Peak?

[Prosit]

Thanks for your comments everyone. Fun to share this one.

[anyludes]

Excellent report. Thanks.