[cartman]

I had no idea I was going to do this trip.

Blazing

Blueberries

Thimbleberry & ferns

On Sunday afternoon I saw the fantastic forecast for the week and on the off chance he would be available I gave Nick (neek) a call and sure enough, he was heading up in the morning to do a big 3 day loop of Buck, Berge etc via Trinity, and was willing to pick me up and give me a ride over. Thanks Nick!! Climbing Helmet Butte would continue my ongoing quest this summer to summit relatively obscure 7000' peaks in the Cascades. Many of us have passed near or even on the slopes of this mountain, as the Buck Creek Trail crosses its south flank just before reaching Buck Creek Pass. However, there are very few trip reports of people actually climbing it, as most hikers are passing through often on a loop from Spider Gap or from the Napeequa River, and most climbers have larger objectives in mind such as Fortress or Buck. I'd been one of those people, having been in the area twice previously and had been up all of the peaks nearby, but had never done Helmet Butte. Day 1: Trinity to camp below Pass No Pass We arrived at the half empty parking lot for the Buck Creek Trail near Trinity where we saw no likely hunter's rigs, which was a surprise since High Hunt was still ongoing. As it turned out, neither of us saw a hunter or heard a gunshot the entire three days we were in the area. Nick was off to start his trip on the direct route for Buck, while I was looking forward--not so much--to repeating the 9 miles of trail toward Buck Creek Pass that I had done just as recently as last year. Having done this trail twice before in early-mid September, once before and once after the forest fire about 3 miles in, I hadn't been particularly enamored with it either time. However, this time I was in for some very pleasant surprises. Quickly hiking the good trail past Trinity the 1.4 miles to the split with the Chiwawa River Trail,

Trinity

Junction

I soon encountered the first of the many wonderful surprises which awaited: beautiful and vibrant fall colors.

Ferrrnnnsss...

The many ferns along the trail had turned a pale gold. I'd never seen so many golden ferns anywhere. Continuing along the trail, I kept an eye out for where Gregor and I had dropped to Buck Creek on our day trip of Buck eleven years ago. Sure enough, there was the spot a little over 2 miles in where we descended easily to the creek, and I looked up and thought

Somewhere up there is a neek

Wishing Nick luck, I soon encountered a different sort of gold.

Gold

I'm not sure what plant this is, but there are patches of it along this trail which had turned the most brilliant golden hue. About 2.5 miles in I encountered the first sporadic burn as well as mtn views,

Entering the burn

at 2.8 miles reaching the collapsed bridge over Buck Creek.

Someone broke da bridge

That wuz a big bear

Wandering at a easy pace along the trail, I passed through forest, burn, and avalanche swaths with a variety of riotous colors to be entertained by.

More gold

Colorful trail

First avy swath

I found that by moving at my own pace with no more agenda this day than to reach camp, I could take pictures and breaks at my leisure, and look around and notice more than I had on previous trips here. About 8 miles in I had the first good look at tomorrow's objective,

Approaching Helmet Butte

and set up my tent at the first good campsite just above the trail.

Color and Cleator

Chatted with a nice couple who were trail running and they mentioned a couple of good campsites a few hundred feet up closer to Pass No Pass, but I was tired of lugging my pack and decided to stick with the site below the cliffs of Fortress. This camp spot was the site of a bit of an epic for me and my partner the first time I had hiked into the area nine years ago. Yumi and I hiked to here at the beginning of a 4 day adventure, reaching this spot at around 2pm. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to tackle Fortress right away--not by going up the easy route via Pass No Pass, but by inventing a new direct route straight up the cliffs above camp after stashing our overnight packs. With only early September daylight remaining.

Fortress cliffs

Well, nobody's perfect. The route up the cliffs actually went surprisingly well once we teased it out, but we ran into acres of choss to the SW of the summit area and called it off 500' below the summit. Then we had a semi-epic descent in the dark, on a moonless night, to try to find the climber's route to Pass No Pass as there was no way we were going to find the route down the cliffs in the dark. I learned several things on this descent: even on a moonless night one can faintly make out features such as ridges against the starlit sky; and descending above cliffs isn't scary in the dark, as one cannot see the exposure. We just descended down and right in trees and brush toward the pass until the headlamps showed void below, figured that was where a cliff was, and move to the side till the terrain enabled us to continue the descent, and made our way down the climber's route to Pass No Pass. Where we found the trail to the main trail but couldn't find our packs in the dark. So we had our first ever Unplanned Emergency Bivy on a cool, somewhat uncomfortable night in September. But we easily found our stuff the next day, took a good nap, and had a fun and successful romp to Berge, High Pass, Liberty Cap, Flower Dome, and even topped it off with a summit of Fortress on our way out. Via the proper route. After setting up camp, I had time to watch the shadows and clouds play on the ridges above.

Alpenglow

Misty

Mists clearing

Dusk

Alpenglow and clouds

Despite the sun and good weather, the day had been rather cold and so was the night. Winds were virtually nil, not the best thing when camped in a single wall tent in a humid basin... Day 2: Helmet Butte and amazing fall colors at Pass No Pass Sleeping fitfully and waking to a very damp tent due to condensation, I got a reasonably early start up the Buck Creek Trail a few hundred yards to the turnoff for Pass No Pass. This turnoff is just a tilted post with the word "TRAIL" and an arrow pointing toward Buck Creek Pass to keep the unwary from straying up the wrong path. The rising sun was already shining on the upper reaches of the nearby peaks on what looked to be another spectacular day.

Morning on Liberty Cap

Morning sun on Helmet Butte

The trails below Pass No Pass cross and wander the basin, so I just walked wherever they trended up, passing the "hidden" camp in the trees (occupied), and another tent in the open in the flats.

Basin below Pass No Pass

Glad I camped where I did, as the two best sites in the basin were already occupied. As I approached Pass No Pass,

Started up from below the pass

I looked up at the lower eastern slopes of Helmet Butte and decided to start ascending before the pass.

The route up

These slopes looked easy and they were, but I found something I had not expected to find on this route: a trail. Crossing the slope on an easy ascending traverse to the left was a good path.

Ascending

As it turns out, there are multiple paths on the slopes on both sides of the basin. These trails are not made by hikers or climbers. These are paths made by hundreds of generations of marmots. There are dozens of marmot holes dotting the slopes up Helmet Butte, and these marmot runs make for easier access and faster escape routes to their dens. Marmot runs are usually faint and short thin tracks, but marmots have been here for so long in such numbers that their tracks have been worn to good paths. Taking this track to a miniscule escarpment,

Traverse to left

I walked along this and noticed another bunch of local denizens: a dozen or more ravens cawing and circling above the summit.

Ravens circling

Something about the upper reaches had them interested. Never found out what, but their calls accompanied my ascent all the way to the ridge, where they dispersed for other haunts. Along the edge of the "escarpment" was another track for a hundred feet or so which ended in a slope of long grass. From here I went more or less directly uphill, moving slowly due to a pretty sore lower back, perhaps from sleeping on a new pad. As it turned out it the slope angle and terrain would have been easier if I'd traversed up and right toward an easy rock field, then back up and left to this notch in the rib I needed to cross.

Looking back at notch and Fortress

From here I had a choice of continuing more directly up with the rock wall on my right, or crossing shortly to a loose dirt gully/slope and then up. I chose the former to avoid the choss. Working my way up small dirt and grass benches along the wall and accompanied by the continuing calls of ravens,

Ravens

Brilliant day on Fortress

Continuing the ascent

I finally made it up to the top of Helmet Butte's South Ridge.

On the South Ridge

Glacier Peak

I'd read about the fire on Flower Dome a month ago, and was very pleasantly surprised to see the peak was mostly unscathed, with only a small section of burnt trees far away from the hiking route.

Flower Dome

Only slightly singed

Once on the ridge it was a short hike to the base of the rocky but mostly solid summit block.

Summit block

No real need to drop,

Don't drop

as there are ledges and holds for the class 3 scramble here.

Start of scramble route

I ended up going a little farther left than I needed to,

A little higher

Looking up

as the key summit gully can be accessed more directly, which is how I descended on the way down. The description on Summit Post says the route to the summit is on the north side of the summit block; actually, the route and summit gully are on the west side. The gully is a short and solid 20' of class 3,

Summit gully

gaining the top to an easy horizontal 50' of class 2 to the summit of Helmet Butte, 7400'.

And to the top

Here there were vast 360º views of many major and minor peaks near and far.

Expansive Fortress

Cleator, Berge, Clark and Luahna; Rally Cap in front

Fresh snow on Napeequa

Tenpeak and West Peak

Kololo and the Honeycomb Glacier

Glacier Peak

Bonanza

Fuzzy digital zoom on Baker

A high view of Liberty Cap

Trails on Liberty Cap

And of course, the photo I had to take:

Helmet on Helmet Butte

I know this peak doesn't seem to be climbed much, but I can't believe I've never seen a pic of this before. I also had a good look at the Massie High Route.

The Massie High Route

A closer look

I had seriously considered a quick summit of Helmet Butte today and returning to camp, packing up, and doing the high route to Massie Lake, with a climb in the morning of Massie Peak and descent of the steep climber's trail from the lake to an exit via the Chiwawa River Trail back to Trinity. But with my slow ascent and sore back I knew this wasn't going to happen this trip. So I hung out, had snacks, and just gazed at the incredible views from the summit. By the time I decided to leave it was only shortly after noon, so I took my time, easily downclimbing the summit block and then had a look down at the west side ascent route.

A look down the west side route

Turns out this was the route Nick took up the next day, saying it was steep but mostly straightforward till it got even steeper near the top. He carried over and descended my route though a bit farther to skier's left. I decided to descend the dirt gully, as it looked like I could boot the dirt. Turned out the dirt was a combination of stepping, sliding, and heel plunging depending on its consistency. Crossing the gully directly to the notch on the left,

Notch Rock

I then did a traversing descent to the left on yet another marmot path, then down and left to the rocky slope.

Better to traverse down and left

Taking a break here, I saw one small hawk or falcon, then a few minutes later a larger hawk cruising below me. From the rocky slope I continued to descend down and now right to the mini escarpment--avoiding the steeper slope of long grass on my ascent--and down the marmot path along the escarpment and into the dirt, then onto another marmot path descending toward Pass No Pass.

Nice marmot path, Pass No Pass below

As I dropped toward the pass, I encountered the first fields of fall blueberries.

Blueberries

Blueberries

The early afternoon sun was now lighting everything up, just the beginning of an amazing day of fall colors. Easily reaching Pass No Pass,

Pass No Pass

I crossed over to get a good look at the other side to the north.

At the pass, looking to Middle Ridge

North Ridge of Fortress

No idea how this pass got its name, as the pass can be easily descended on the other side. On the Green Trails map of this area, there is an unmaintained trail that crosses the south slope of Middle Ridge and simply ends. Not at a lake or any other particular destination. Turns out I encountered someone last year at Buck Creek Pass who said this trail goes to excellent camp sites below the North Peak of Fortress. Seems a curious place to find good camp sites. With plenty of time to chill out, and not feeling particularly motivated to add a repeat of Flower Dome or Liberty Cap to my day, I decided to simply hang out and enjoy the fall colors here at the pass and the marmots sunning themselves on the rocks below. First things I noticed were the still blooming Western anemone,

Western anemone

and a good look at the marmot runs on the lower slope of Helmet Butte.

Marmot runs on Helmet Butte

Then I marveled at and photographed the wonderful colors of autumn on the nearby slopes.

The easy lower slopes of Fortress

Purple

Basin and Buck

After another wistful look at the Massie High Route,

A look toward the Massie High Route

I curled up on a comfortable bed of blueberries and took a nap. The day was much warmer than the approach day, with a light breeze it was very pleasant and relaxing sunning on this welcoming hillside below the pass. After the nap I got up and wandered around a bit, taking another look at the north side of the pass,

The back side of Pass No Pass

before settling down for another break to look at the colors and clouds some more.

Color fields

Wisps and Buck

On the descent of Helmet Butte I had seen a long marmot track crossing above the basin on the lower slope of Fortress. So around mid-afternoon I decided to begin the descent to camp on this track and see where it went.

Marmot track

Surrounded by amazing fall foliage, this track just keeps going and going.

Track looking back to Pass No Pass

Another look back

Descending shadows

Layers of purple

I could have walked on the track even longer as it stayed on the eastern slopes above the basin, but the wonderful purple fields of blueberries enticed me down.

Many blueberries

A riot of violet

Finally returning to the basin, more vibrant colors awaited.

Descending to the basin

Basin brook

Color in the basin

Now back on paths,

Buck

I decided to see if the "hidden camp" 250' above the Buck Creek Trail was still occupied, as I knew the Massie High Route started from there.

The "hidden" camp

It was empty, so I checked it out then began to walk the trail at the start of the High Route. There are two trails leading east from the camp; the lower one ends at the nearby brook. The higher one leaving the trees just above the firepit is the beginning of the Massie High Route.

The beginning of the Massie High Route

Walked this a hundred feet or so, then decided to keep going to confirm it continues.

Good trail

It does. I went as far as where it entered trees and turned back. Colors here were amazing too.

The trail continues

Blessed camp

I continued down to my camp with one last look at the spectacular peaks here.

Boulder, Buck and Cleator

Boulder and Buck

The evening was much warmer than the day before, and no condensation formed in my tent overnight. Day 3: Exit via the Buck Creek Trail and more amazing fall foliage Since I had not seen Nick and knew Helmet Butte via Pass No Pass was part of his plan, I figured he'd likely be summitting it today and exiting after so figured I had plenty of time to make my way back at a leisurely pace with time for photography, so that's what I did.

Morning on Helmet Butte

Liberty Cap

Rally Cap

Liberty Cap, another angle

Looking back I could see the trail crossing the south flank of Helmet Butte.

The Buck Creek Trail crossing Helmet Butte

At the edge of one meadow is one of the best sitting boulders I've ever seen, so I took a short break here.

Chair Rock

Farther along I had great views of Cleator and the amazingly lush fields of vegetation on its lower slopes.

Cleator

Verdant fields

Sunlit

Then more golden ferns as I neared the first avalanche swath.

Ferns and swath

Golden ferns

I hadn't paid much attention on the way in, but on the way back I made sure to get a good photo of Berge.

Barren Berge

Due to a quirk in the geography along this ridge, Berge isn't visible from most of the trail along Buck Creek despite being the second highest of the five peaks on the ridge from Buck all the way to Liberty Cap. Only from the burn does one get a good look at it. Cleator is the most visible and outstanding peak visible from the trail. Entering the forest,

Contrast

I was greeted by a chattering Douglas squirrel, who pause long enough for me to get a pic of him in his tree.

Douglas squirrel

I encountered another opening,

A view in the burn

then past most of the burn into the woods I returned to the brilliant land of gold.

Brilliant

Blazing

Follow the Yellow...

Now entering a field of thimbleberry, this was more of a greenish gold hue through here.

Thimbleberries

Thimbleberry

Thimbleberry & ferns

Finally, one last stand of true gold before leaving the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Pot o' gold

Goodbye GPW

Once I returned to the trailhead I had a few hours to relax before Nick returned. Here I was entertained by the resident ground squirrel, who was quite bold in approaching my post at the picnic table, even scampering around my feet and once climbing onto my bench looking to snag a snack.

Ground squirrel

Left unrequited, he did manage to sneak a few nibbles of a Hershey bar when I went over to the truck for something. Later on I saw several butterflies flying around and settling in the sun in the parking lot, so retrieved my camera for some pics.

Green comma butterflies

Closeup of green comma

They let me approach very close, seemingly undisturbed by my presence. Turns out that despite their red/orange colors, these are green commas, Polygonia faunus. There were up to a dozen of these sunning themselves at this one spot, flitting about then landing to gently wave their wings back and forth before darting about and landing again. This was a great trip. Helmet Butte was interesting, but it was the vibrant and spectacular colors on the approach and at Pass No Pass that were the highlight. I had no idea the fall colors here would be so rich. I must have seen most variations from gold to yellow, from red to purple the Cascades have to offer. Normally I wouldn't return to an area with a longer approach so soon, but I was really glad I did. Many, many thanks to Nick for affording me the opportunity to see this area in fall. A few notes: The Buck Creek Trail is in excellent condition. Tread is good, and there are no blowdowns nor much encroaching brush. I did the entire trail in and out in sneakers, felt great. The collapsed bridge over Buck Creek is in the same condition as it was a year ago, so it weathered its first winter without any apparent further deterioration. Numerous water sources to the bridge, then a couple before and after the burn. Several farther along, then only one or two until approaching the curve around the flank of Helmet Butte, where there are several more. There are good campsites on the first spur trail about nine miles in (room for one tent), in the flats in the lower basin below Pass No Pass, and in the trees on the right side of the basin (the "hidden camp", room for several tents). Helmet Butte is not particularly difficult, though it would be harder if the vegetation on the slopes was wet and slippery. I did the climb in light hiking boots, no difficulties. Found no register. Everything taken together, late mid to late September is likely the best time to be in this area. The vibrant colors, mild temps, lack of bugs and spectacular scenery were ideal. 21 miles, 5300' gain Eric J. Johnson

[Bernardo]

Nice picture of the elusive Douglas squirrel! One of my favorite foredt animals.

[Matt]

Looks great, Eric. I like your helmet on Helmet, plus your chair rock.

[wildernessed]

Great colors !

[wolffie]

Another nice way to get in there is Middle Ridge direct from PCT near Suiattle R. From the Middle RIdge sheep camp, you can easily scramble and bivvy way up high on the NW buttress of Fortress, higher than Helmet Butte. And go on south to High Pass area. I think it's a shorter drive from Seattle. Approach might be longer, but flat and fast for the first 9 miles.

[Nancyann]

What a wonderful trip report! I like the way you weave your pictures in amongst the narrative. I looked at your gorgeous fall color photos before I fell asleep last night and actually dreamed about them all night!

[Matt Lemke]

Excellent color! That area is gorgeous this time of year. I'm surprised glacier peak lost all the fresh snow it had from a couple weeks ago

[Neet]

Thanks for the lovely photos, and the reminders of my birthday trip to High Pass with my son, Neek! I would love to explore that area more. -- I am wondering about the "maples," though. Neither vine maples nor big leaf maples tend to start out their lives in low, dense patches, and the leaves don't seem like maples to me. Any botanists out there? Are these "maples" actually thimble berries, or something else?

[RichP]

This might go down as the best fall for colors in recent memory. I don't recall a better one in the 20+ years I've been hiking in the area.

[cartman]

Neet, I think you're correct. Likely a berry, and thimbleberry seems to be the closest I can find when searching. Corrected above.

[Brushwork]

Yes, the shrub with maple like leaves is thimble berry.