Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mystery Traverse; Baker River to Ross Lake, July 23-29.
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trent
Suffering fool



Joined: 02 Oct 2006
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Location: Stanwood
trent
Suffering fool
PostMon Jul 31, 2017 5:21 pm 
Traversed Mystery Ridge starting at the Baker River TH and ending up at Big Beaver on Ross Lake last week. It was a physically demanding traverse that rewards with some of the best scenery in the North Cascades. Climbed Mystery Peak, N. Despair, Pioneer Peak, Crowder Peak, Swiss Peak, Spectre Peak, the ridge high point between Spectre and Swiss, Middle and Main Challenger. A quick synopsis: Day 1: Did the car shuttle and started hiking from Baker River about noon. As expected, the Blum Lakes route with eight day packs destroyed us. Spent the night at Blum Lakes.
Day 2: Hiked up and over a col by Hagen Peak, dropped down near Berdeen Lake, then climbed up on the shoulder of Mystery Ridge. Climbed Mystery Peak, (cl. 3), then dropped off the shoulder and made a long traverse on scree around Mystery Peak. Regained Mystery Ridge under the North Ridge of Mt. Despair.
Day 3: Climbed the N. Ridge on N. Despair. A cool and aesthetic climb to a rarely reached summit. Retraced our steps back to camp, and dropped to Jasper Pass and traversed around the west side of Pioneer Peak. This traverse involved steep heather and rock. Climbed Pioneer Peak, (cl. 3), descended col between Pioneer and Crowder and camped on the West Ridge of Crowder.
Day 4: Climbed Crowder (cl. 2), descended back to camp, and traversed around the north side of Crowder. This involved descending a 40-50 degree snow gully on the west ridge of the peak at about 5680 that let us down to a traverse around the north side of the peak. Traversed over two snow gullies, then descended a forested rib until we were able to descend to the north at 5200 to the snowfield north of the peak. The traverse and descent were steep but manageable. We got our beta from Crowder and Tabor's book "Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle", and by looking at GE and pictures. We side-hilled to Pickell Pass, sometimes referred to as Pickett Pass, and camped there.
Day 5: Climbed Swiss Peak, Spectre Peak, and the high point on the ridge between the two that we called Schrundy Peak after the trip’s mascot. Swiss was an enjoyable 3rd class scramble on mostly good rock, Spectre was one 30M low fifth class pitch, and Schrundy was 4th class with one 5th class move. Returned to camp at Pickell Pass.
Day 6: Traversed around the west side of the North Pickets to Challenger Col and climbed Middle and Main Challenger. Fifth class to get up to the col, Middle Challenger was a fun climb on a steep snow arête, and Main Challenger was fun fifth class and steep snow. No pro needed. Descended Challenger Arm, climbed up to Eiley-Wiley Ridge and camped above the frozen Eiley Lake.
Day 7: Up early, continued down the ridge occasionally traversing steep heather and rock. Descended down toward Big Beaver Pass initially on a climber’s trail, then down through brush to the pass. Hiked the Big Beaver Trail to Ross Lake and jumped in! Caught our water taxi back to the dam, and drove to Annie’s Pizza in Concrete for chow.
Overall: A highly demanding, physical traverse that rewards with great scenery and isolation. All of our camps were highly scenic and comfortable. Expect to employ the entire gamut of alpine trickery, and ensure that good weather will prevail.

It's all downhill from here!
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Stefan
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Stefan
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PostMon Jul 31, 2017 5:55 pm 
That is great! That traverse around the north side of Crowder you did: Extremely rare.

Art is an adventure.
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geyer
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geyer
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PostMon Jul 31, 2017 6:27 pm 
Holy crap I did not know this was a thing and now I have a new obsession haha

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Distel32
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Distel32
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PostMon Jul 31, 2017 7:18 pm 
up.gif up.gif up.gif

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Gimpilator
infinity/21M



Joined: 12 Oct 2006
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Location: Edmonds, WA
Gimpilator
infinity/21M
PostMon Jul 31, 2017 8:14 pm 
That's an amazing trip. I had planned to go as far as Mystery Ridge this year, but changing weather turned us around in the Berdeen Lake area.

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RichP
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RichP
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PostMon Jul 31, 2017 9:13 pm 
Stunning trip guys. It's good to know that there are such wild places like this around here.

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DIYSteve
seeking hygge



Joined: 06 Mar 2007
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Location: here now
DIYSteve
seeking hygge
PostMon Jul 31, 2017 9:19 pm 
Cool route. Well done. up.gif Your bud looks just like our old ultra bud Tim H wink.gif

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mbravenboer
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PostMon Jul 31, 2017 11:30 pm 
Wow, amazing! I wish I could do this stuff, but first would have to somehow overcome my fear of heights!

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HermitThrush
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HermitThrush
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PostTue Aug 01, 2017 5:13 am 
Those are some incredible pictures!

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Jim Dockery
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Jim Dockery
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PostTue Aug 01, 2017 6:28 am 
Most excellent! up.gif up.gif

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pula58
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PostTue Aug 01, 2017 8:33 am 
Man, that's the trip of a lifetime. Awesome, awesome, awesome! smile.gif

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Bright River
goslowgofar



Joined: 21 Aug 2007
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Bright River
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PostTue Aug 01, 2017 10:09 am 
Really interesting, I have done virtually all of your route but as pieces of 3 separate climbing traverses. we did some long rappels on the east side of pioneer ridge ( below and south of Mt fury) to get to Picket Pass, But chose to Exit down from Luna ridge on one occasion, and to traverse the north side of the Southern Pickets and out Elephant Butte and Sourdough ridge on another traverse which began at Oakes Peak and Mt Triumph. The Wiley lakes from Beaver Creek was an entrance for the climbing in the North Pickets and Luna Cirque. Really an interesting combination - although the 5,000 dry ascent up to Blum must have been memorable. Also , there is a westerly dike coming down from Despair that took some negotiating on the Triumph to Terror Traverse. This same dike turned out to be a 5th class climb in another year when the snow was lower. ( we climbed Despair from the east side , but traversed on the west side Through the dike)

..-and rest thee by many brooks and hearthsides without misgiving. Rise free from care before the dawn and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home. HDT
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jboealps
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PostTue Aug 01, 2017 11:59 am 
Great Trip. Thanks for the report and pics. It reminded me of a trip in 1990 where we went from Triumph Pass to S. Despair, then N. Despair, Jasper Pass, Wild Lake (elev 4880), Crowder, Pickell Pass, Picket Pass, Otto-Himellhorn Col, Chopping Block and output via Goodell Creek. I really like your approach from Baker Lake. Again, great trip!!! Jerry

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Jetlag
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Jetlag
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PostTue Aug 01, 2017 1:12 pm 
What a wonderful trip. Great photos! Though I have traversed the first two days of your trip and much of the last two, I have never enjoyed that beautiful remote middle section. Congratulations on a terrific use of this long weather window!

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Tom_Sjolseth
Born Yesterday



Joined: 30 May 2007
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Tom_Sjolseth
Born Yesterday
PostTue Aug 01, 2017 1:16 pm 
Amazing trip into one of my favorite areas. Sounds like you used the same gully Sean and I did in 2008 to descend Crowder. Good choice on not descending to Pickell Pass straight from Crowder's summit - that's a real cluster. Was there an existing rap anchor? We encountered wet heather on the traverse and actually used crampons!

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Forum Index > Trip Reports > Mystery Traverse; Baker River to Ross Lake, July 23-29.
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