[cartman]

THE INSPIRATION TRAVERSE: Highway 20 to Cascade River Road Peaks summitted: Tricouni 8102', Primus 8508', Austera 8334', Klawatti 8485', Eldorado 8868' Glaciers traversed: Borealis, North Klawatti, Klawatti, McAllister, Inspiration, Eldorado The Inspiration Traverse spans the McAllister Icecap, the largest icecap in the North Cascades, thus the largest continuous span of ice in the lower 48. I've had this trip on my mind for several years to do as a true traverse and finally had the opportunity with iron and hotpantz. I've done Eldorado a couple of times and spent four days several years ago to do Dorado Needle and Primus with a basecamp at Eldorado Camp, but this was all new terrain for Mike and Carrie. Day 0: Colonial Creek CG to Neve Camp We left Seattle Wednesday afternoon, got permits at Marblemount, left a car at the Eldorado TH and drove up to Colonial Creek CG. Started up the Thunder Creek Trail about 7pm and hiked 2.5 miles to Neve Camp. Nice camp near good water. Day 1: Neve Camp to Lucky Pass Left camp at 6am and continued another four miles up easy trail

Early start

Nice trail

to the great bridge over Thunder Creek.

Crossing

The creek is really running high with the recent great weather and fast melt.

Thunder Creek

On the way we had the first views of our initial destinations:

First look

Peaks

The climber's trail begins immediately after crossing the bridge; instead of taking the main trail to McAllister Camp, take the path that immediately starts up the ridge. It will fade out quickly, but just continue up the forested ridge and you'll find it again. For the first 2000' it's easy travel, no problem staying on the trail, one or two places where it goes through minor cliff bands. Above this having read a couple of reports mentioning "tight trees", we found this to be overrated and simple to get through. At the flat spot at 4800' the terrain becomes a bit more open with occasional views.

Tricouni and Primus

It also became quite buggy, with plenty of annoying mosquitos. Path stays on or near the top of the ridge up to treeline and boulder fields below the snout of the Borealis Glacier.

Below Tricouni

Global warming has dramatically affected the Borealis, creating a substantial glacial lake at the base of the glacier.

Glacial Lake below Lucky Pass

Tricouni and Glacial Lake

We traversed around the right side of the lake,

Below Primus

Lake and views

and discussed our options up to Lucky Pass. Initially we thought the direct route to the left might be too steep and so were favoring the long, circuitous route that goes far to the right before traversing high above cliffs over to the pass. As we got closer to the head of the basin, the route left didn't look that steep and the snow was in excellent shape, so we roped up and headed left.

Heading for the direct route to Lucky Pass

As we hoped, the route went great up a good traversing slope,

Good route

with a fantastic view of the lake.

High above the lake

Unroping at Lucky Pass, we headed up class 2/3 rock on Tricouni's West Ridge, moving a bit right when necessary but staying out of the major gully a bit farther right. Numerous minor variations up to the summit.

Nearing Tricouni summit

Tricouni summit

No register. In fact, there were no registers on any of the summits. Someone needs to spank the Park Service again... On top we saw marine clouds sweeping over Primus.

Primus shroud

These marine clouds would become a theme for the next day or so. Reached camp just before sunset. Moderately windy at camp overnight. Day 2: Lucky Pass to Austera High Camp Slept in after a hard first day and woke to whiteout conditions. After giving it a little time to clear, which it didn't, we decided to pack up and head up the easy east slope of Primus.

Starting up Primus

Initially rock, then up a snow slope which went right around a buttress. Iron predicted we'd climb above the clouds and he was correct.

Starting to clear

At the summit we ran into a threesome who'd come over from near Austera. Jennifer, Steve and Martin were doing an in and out route from the Eldorado TH and were good company, more than happy to share beta. On the summit the clouds cleared off the nearby peaks to fine views.

Eldorado to Marble Needle

Dorado and Marble Needles

After a while we booted down the easy SW slope of Primus

Descending Primus

down to the North Klawatti Glacier and roped up. A good traverse route under Austera Towers kept us above the more crevassed glacier bottom; in August 2006, we had to traverse the glacier proper due to ice and rock higher, and back then the North Klawatti was the most crevassed of the glaciers we traveled, with a lot of winding around crevasses. Now it was easy travel,

Traversing the North Klawatti Glacier

Mike & Carrie enjoy the views

with more great views.

Primus and Icefall

Forbidden to Torment

Rounding the base of Austera Ridge more views opened up,

Klawatti and its glacier

Nunatak

including a good one down to Klawatti Lake.

Klawatti Lake

Continuing up the other side of the Towers,

Around Austera Towers

we dropped packs at a swale under a notch at ~7800'--Austera High Camp. The marine layer had by now swelled over the crest and looked quite thick; we debated whether we'd be able to find the route up Austera in the fog. Over the next hour the clouds seemed to wax and wane; Carrie figured this would keep happening, so eventually we decided to go for it. Climbing into the clouds the visibility was better than expected and we quickly reached the base of Austera.

Austera in the mists

The chockstone gully was snow free and looked awful. We dropped to the saddle which is to the right of the gully entrance to check out the alternate backside route. Here Mike set up an anchor with Carrie belaying and working counterclockwise and up, encountered mostly solid class 3/4 climbing around the false summit leading to class 4 climbing directly up to the true summit. I followed on prusik and Carrie on belay to the airy summit.

Mike & Carrie on Austera

As the climbing was easier than expected, we downclimbed the route unroped back to the base of the peak, and walked down the snow in and out of the fog to camp.

Back to Austera high camp

Cold when the sun went down, as was true each evening of the trip. Day 3: Austera High Camp to Inspiration Camp We woke to sunny skies and clear of the local marine layer which had been hovering over the crest the past couple of days.

Morning on Logan

Klawatti morning

Easy traversing on the Klawatti Glacier,

Klawatti and Eldorado peeking above

brought us quickly to the base of the rock wall separating the Klawatti and McAllister Glaciers.

Approaching the wall

Iron heads up

An interesting class 3+ step and short climb on the rock and we were on the McAllister and new vistas.

Dorado and Marble closeup

Towers

One beautiful mountain

Jennifer and co. had advised us that the moat on Klawatti's south slope was already impassable, so we had decided to try the SW Ridge route. Rounding the SW Ridge of Klawatti we saw two fellows moving quickly across the McAllister; turned out it was two rangers checking permits. We'd encounter them a few more times later in the day. Moving up the lower rock iron scrambled up a ways and decided to set up a belay for us. Climbing solid class 4/5 for a half pitch iron led up again another short similar pitch. At this point the terrain eased to class 3 but more broken. We scrambled up a ways and found a broad white granite gully to the right. Here we split up three different routes to minimize rockfall, one climber on each ridge next to the gully and one in the gully. Above the gully was more broken rock which eased back into a broad slope up to the spacious summit.

Klawatti summit

Scrambling down to the harder climbing we made a single long rappel to the snow and continued toward our camp at the major col separating the Tepeh Towers.

Traversing the Inspiration Glacier

Inspiration Camp

Here we decided on a plan for the rest of the trip; Mike and Carrie would climb Eldorado today and attempt Dorado Needle tomorrow, while I decided to hang out the rest of the day and solo Eldorado in the morning. Enjoying the respite, I watched the clouds play over the peaks and the progress of the others up Eldorado.

Clouds approaching Klawatti

Jetting the Towers

Eldorado

Carrie and Mike summit Eldorado

Topping out

Heading down

Finally the Tireless Twosome returned,

Looking good

Happy climbers

Eldo glow

Sunset

with time to spare for a leisurely camp in the evening light. Day 4: Inspiration Camp to Eldorado TH We packed up camp and separated, they for Dorado Needle and I for Eldorado. Following the low route over to Eldo's East Ridge so as to avoid crevasses higher, I dropped the pack and headed up the ridge.

Starting up the ridge

Tepeh Towers and Klawatti

I'd last visited Eldorado eight years ago, and climbing up one of the most classic ridges in the Cascades was like visiting an old friend.

Classic

Eldo summit

This ridge and summit is always memorable and fun, with an amazing look back along the entire traverse.

The Inspiration Traverse

Returning to my pack I continued down the ridge

Looking back at Eldorado

to the obvious route through the rock down to the lower Inspiration Glacier. Here I saw a familiar pair of rascals making their way up Peak 7733.

Continuing down with a few views back,

7733

Last look at Eldorado

we dropped onto the eastern lobe of the Eldorado Glacier, up over the usual notch in the ridge and down the still snow-covered meadows above the boulder fields. Water is running through here fast and high with numerous waterfalls.

Upper trail

Falls

The route down to the boulder fields and the climber's trail went without incident. The logs across the Cascade River are in good shape. This is one of the finest routes in the range, spanning six glaciers, several of the highest summits in the North Cascades, numerous crags, and expansive views in every direction. What an amazing place! Many, many thanks to Carrie and Mike for the fine company, teamwork and driving to make one of my dream trips come true. Eric J. Johnson

[RichP]

I recall you talking about this trip last year and how it was high on your list. Congratulations on getting it done.

[BirdDog]

Beautiful. That's an awesome area up there.

[chiwakum]

Wow!!! Cool trip. Great work. Awesome pics.

[Roald]

Beautiful. Congrats, and thanks for the pics and report. You are hitting it hard this summer!

[hikerbiker]

Thanks for the photo dump! That's a great traverse; I've done it on skis in May. BTW I believe the photo of "elusive Moraine Lake" is actually Klawatti Lake.

[wildernessed]

Beautiful !

[DIYSteve]

Luv that route! It deserves classic status. Nice that conditions allowed you to do the direct route up the Borealis Glacier. FWIW, the longer route that sweeps right then left over cliffs is a lovely walk. (You might want to check the date range in your post title)

[Jetlag]

Terrific pictures and route description! When I moved to Washington in the late sixties I saw a cover photo of Willi and Jolene Unsoeld on this route with, I think, two of their kids. At that time I had no idea such an icecap existed in the lower 48. Decades later I took my own kids up Eldorado. It would have so neat to have spent a couple more days on the icecap so they could have seen those views back to Eldorado flanked by Marble and Dorado needles. Your shots in that direction are wonderful.

[iron]

[cartman]

[Stefan]

a most excellent traverse. I am happy you all did it!

[coho]

Hells bells! Gorgeous terrain, sumptuous adventure. Nice work.

[Snowdog]

[Magellan]

Thanks for taking time to write it up, Eric. That is one sexy traverse.