[John Morrow]

The Beckey Guide is remarkably accurate on this one... Sept 8: The Stiletto traverse Switchblade Peak 7805' West Face/Gully Class 3/4 Jackknife Peak 7680+ Up South Ridge Class 3, down West Ridge Cl. 2 Stiletto Peak 7660' Up East Ridge Class 2, down Southwest Ridge Cl 2/3 Stiletto Lookout 7223' Met an old friend in Twisp for a trip up the Twisp River. About 5 miles up the Twisp Pass Trail brought us to a nice camp just outside the North Cascade National Park Boundary in time for a fine sunset and following sunrise.

Motherlode Pk sunset Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest

Goode Sunrise

Stiletto Meadows

A casual start took us first up to beautiful Stiletto Lake before going around the east shore of the lake to the base of the West slope/face of Switchblade Peak. A fun route up the gully left of center of the peak, curving rightward to the summit, got us on top of Swtichblade Pk. 7805'. This route is mostly solid rock, but as usual with seldom visited peaks, there is a good deal of loose rubble on top of the solid stuff. Being in a gully it is not really exposed, but is steep in places so the Beckey class 3/4 rating is warranted. I recommend HELMETS, which we didn't have, but no other gear.

Stiletto Lake and Switchblade

Hock Mtn and lake

Class 3/4 west gully

Curving toward the summit

Next two to come

The descent required care to not knock off stuff but was fun.

West Face/Gully of Switchblade

Off the summit

Gully Descending

A bit of class 4 perhaps

The connecting ridge to Jackknife looked more airy than we were comfortable with, so we thought we'd circle around the north side of the lake and head for the prominent notch in the south ridge. Fun, fun, fun class 3 solid rock took us up to the top of Jackknife Peak 7680+

Over to S. Ridge Jackknife

Steven Mather Wilderness North Cascades National Park, WA

South ridge of Jackknife

Class 3 South ridge fun

Topping out on Jackknife

Route: center left gully

Roper/Burroughs register

Next stop Stiletto, beginning with an easy descent of the west ridge of Jackknife, class 2. Stiletto's east ridge sure looked steep from directly across. Once beneath it, it was pleasant class 2 scrambling with a touch of class three if you wanted to seek out solid stuff on the margins to avoid looser gully rock. Quickly we were on Stiletto Peak 7660'!

East ridge Stiletto next

Class 2/3 east ridge

Keith on east ridge

To reach the old lookout site we descended Stiletto's SW ridge (fun solid class 2/3) to the large scree field across it's west slope. This scree we traversed down into the meadows and on up to the Stiletto Lookout Site 7223'.

SW Ridge Stiletto descent

Class 2/3 SW ridge

McGregor/Bowan group

SW Ridge skyline

North Cascades National Park, WA

Copper Creek; Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, WA

Afterward, a fine sublapine scamper, on barely distinguishable tread, through picturesque meadows and larches brought us back to camp.

Meadows

Headed home to camp

That night all hell broke loose! First came some heat lightning to the east, then spectacular stars, then cloudcover, and finally lots of thunder and nearby lightning! All cleared the next morning. Sept 9: Hock Mountain-Lincoln Butte Hock Mountain 7750' Northwest Ridge Class 2 Lincoln Butte West ridge Class 2/3 We descended to Dagger Lake and then contoured into the giant north scree basin of Hock Mtn. Big solid scree took us to the saddle in the northwest ridge of Hock which we took to the summit on heather and solid rock. The easy option includes a very brief loose traverse out onto the west slope to avoid a steep gully. Otherwise, staying on the ridge is a solid class 3 exposed move or two that we opted not to descend.

Morning at Dagger Lake

Yesterday's traverse

NW Ridge Hock Mountain

Keith near summit

Twisp Lake and purple mtns.

Hock's NW Ridge

Fun hiking brought us back to camp. It was time for Keith to hike out to be at work Monday morning. I stayed and napped briefly, before ascending the west ridge of Lincoln Butte 7065'.

North Cascades National Park on one side and Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness on the other

IMG_0375

Fresh!

Once at the broad saddle on the west ridge above camp, I briefly traversed right to avoid a serrate portion of ridge. I regained it through and up a gully. Fun open ridge walking on the north side avoids krummholz easily to the top.

Top of Lincoln Butte

Little did I know that the incoming lightning storm would begin the largest wildfire in Kittitas County history: Table Mountain Complex. The drive home was rife with fires on the slopes.

West Ridge of Lincoln

Touch of class 3 gully

Packing up under Twisp Peak Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest

Sunday night it got COLD and frost appeared on the inside of the tent after nighttime rains. Time, simply, to pack out and head home with fond memories and some fun pics! It was great to spend time with my long time mountain partner friend, Keith.

[iron]

good stuff. looks like the colors are starting to come out on your lincoln pics.

[Dayhike Mike]

Very nice! Brings back good memories... Thanks for posting...

[ree]

[John Morrow]

Hey Mike, Colors are looking great in the huckleberry, ash, and azalea. My photo limitations just couldn't do it justice. Fall is here!!! J

[wildernessed]

Nice !

[Magellan]

Sounds like a really nice tour. You are talking about fall colors but the dates are early August.

[John Morrow]

Holy s___t!!!! Good catch M, I'll change to Sept. Guess my mind is still on summer. thanks, John

[Randy]

Cool. Was just up there first time recently and really enjoyed it.