First Ascents in the Washington Cascades On the way up these North Cascades peaks and pinnacles, we wondered if anyone had ever climbed them. Atop these summits, there was no evidence of previous ascent. Many thanks to my friends named below who came along, delighting and suffering. These peaks are presented in chronologic order of our climbs. This a work in progress, starting with scanning and posting photos. Stories will follow. It's a lot quicker to climb them than write about them. Come on back. Thumbnails link to a page about that peak or the quad. Click 'Back' (not X) to return to this summary page. John Roper ' indicates the peak name applied by our party " indicates other unofficial name Elevations listed are generally those that were on the map at the time of the climb. So elevations that may seem peculiar now are likely those shown on the 15-minute USGS quads rather than the newer 7.5-minute quads. First Ascent Cell Map of the North Cascades (Big version) Thanks to Eric Noel _____________________________________________ 1944-1970 peaks are on this page. FAs (first ascents) start in 1966. 1986-90 1944
Newhalem, WA Viewed from Trappers Peak
Born in 1944, I was lucky to grow up in the middle of the mountains before they were civilized, when Newhalem was the very end of the road, and from there, a train only ran to Diablo Dam. You could take a boat up Diablo and Ross Lakes, but otherwise travel was on foot. This was before the North Cascades National Park (1968) and its popularity, before the North Cross-State Highway (1972), before detailed guidebooks and guided mountain tours, before flagged routes up pristine wilderness mountainsides and bootpaths through the bush, before raft trips down the Skagit, even before contour maps to the land east of Newhalem, before the internet, and websites. It's not the same now as it was then. I was lucky enough to find these nuggets still laying in the bottom of the pan. My heartfelt thanks to my parents, Virginia Roper and Jack Roper,and my sister, Maurine.
1953
Little Si at the base of Mount Si USGS North Bend My first "mountain." Not a first ascent (FA), of course Age 9 July 1953
1963
Trappers Peak USGS Mount Triumph My first wilderness peak No evidence of previous ascent, but not a first ascent Viewed from Newhalem. Camp Nurse Mountain on right. June 15, 1963 Thanks to Tex and Monte Steere
1966-1970 5 Years 15 FA Peaks On 5 Quads
1966 * 12Jul The Roost' (6705) USGS Mount Triumph * 28Jul X Mountain' (5965) USGS Mount Triumph * 28Jul Arc de Triumph' (6080+) USGS Mount Triumph
1967 * 23Jul Damnation Peak (5635) USGS Damnation Peak * 26Aug The Bat' (6475) USGS Eldorado Peak * 27Aug The Coccyx' (7280+) USGS Eldorado Peak * 27Aug Perdition Peak' (7675) USGS Eldorado Peak 1968 * 12Jun Honeymoon Hump' (7690) USGS Mount Arriva * 22Aug Mt Holyoke'/Katsuk (8680+) USGS Mount Logan * 23Aug Little J-Berg'/Arches' (7945) USGS Mount Arriva * 24Aug Cub Peak' (7985) USGS Mount Arriva * 24Aug Kitling Peak (8003) USGS Mount Arriva
1969 * 14Jun Baby Cheek' (7360+) USGS Mount Arriva
1970 * 6Jun Ragged End'/Cosho (8332) USGS Mount Logan * 7Jun Gendarmes Pk'/Kimtah (8600+) USGS Mount Logan___________________________________________ 1966
The Roost' USGS Mount Triumph My First First Ascent (FA) July 12,1966 Thanks to Taffy Roper
X Mtn' The shark fin right of center Trappers Peak on left USGS Mount Triumph July 28, 1966 Thanks to Bill Chase and Taffy
Arc de Triumph' USGS Mount Triumph Thornton Lake in foreground, Mount Triumph through left notch July 28, 1966 Thanks to Bill Chase and Taffy
_____________________________________________ 1967
Damnation Peak (per map ) USGS Damnation Peak July 23, 1967 Solo
The Bat' USGS Eldorado Peak August 26,1967 Thanks to Phil Dahl
The Coccyx' USGS Eldorado Peak August 27, 1967 Thanks to Phil Dahl
Backbone Ridge' (L) to (R) Perdition Peak', In Spirit Peak', Cervical Peak', Thoracic Peak', Lumbar Peak' USGS Eldorado Peak August 27, 1967, July 30-31, 1972, August 15, 1981 Thanks to Phil Dahl, Steve Shelton, Theresa Smith, Silas Wild, and Russ Kroeker Photo by Monte Steere
Backbone Ridge' (L) to (R) Perdition', In Spirit', Cervical', The Osteophyte', Thoracic', Lumbar', Herniated Disc', and The Sacrum'
Perdition Peak' USGS Eldorado Peak August 27, 1967 Solo _____________________________________________
1968
Honeymoon Hump' center, Kitling Peak right, Mesahchie Peak left USGS Mount Arriva June 12, 1968 Thanks to Chris Roper
Ragged Ridge (L) to (R): Ragged End' (Cosho), Gendarmes Peak' (Kimtah), Mount Holyoke' (Katsuk), Panther Peak' (Mesahchie). Little J-Berg in foreground. USGS Mount Logan and Mount Arriva August 22-24, 1968 and June 6-7, 1970 Thanks to Chris Roper and Jerry Swanson Photo by John Meulemans
Mount Holyoke' (Katsuk Peak) on right, Panther Peak' (Mesahchie Peak) left Little J-Berg ' to right of Katsuk USGS Mount Arriva August 22, 1968 Thanks to Chris Roper (our ascent was the second on Mesahchie) See Top 100 page
Little J-Berg' (Arches') USGS Mount Arriva August 23, 1968 Thanks to Chris Roper
Cub Peak' USGS Mount Arriva August 24, 1968 Thanks to Chris Roper
Kitling (Don't') Peak on right. Honeymoon Hump' in front of Mesahchie Peak left center USGS Mount Arriva August 24, 1968 Thanks to Chris Roper _________________________________________
1969
Baby Cheek' landform Right of Graybeard Peak' (done June 17, 1969 on its 2nd Ascent) Easy Pass just off the photo to right USGS Mount Arriva June 16, 1969 Thanks to Tex and Monte Steere
_________________________________________________ 1970
Ragged End' (aka Cosho Peak) on left, Thieves Peak', right USGS Mount Logan June 6, 1970 Thanks to Jerry Swanson See #92 of Top 100 Peaks in WA
Gendarmes Peak' (Kimtah Peak) and Ragged End' (Cosho Peak) USGS Mount Logan June 7, 1970 Thanks to Jerry Swanson See #46 of Top 100 Peaks in WA _________________________________________________________ 1971-76 page 6 Years 11 FA Peaks On 4 Quads
1971 * 18Sep Newhalem Peaks' (6920+) USGS Eldorado Peak
1972 * 2Jul Thunder Peak' (8800+) USGS Eldorado Peak * 30Jul Lumbar Peak' (7040+) USGS Eldorado Peak * 30Jul Thoracic Peak' (7170) USGS Eldorado Peak * 30Jul Cervical Peak' (7360) USGS Eldorado Peak * 31Jul In Spirit Peak' (7480) USGS Eldorado Peak
1973 * 7Jul The Blip' (7400) USGS Mt. Challenger * 11Aug The Tack'(7400+) USGS Mount Arriva * 12Aug New Morning Peak'(7230) USGS Mount Arriva
1974-75 No FAs
1976 * 8May The Haystack (7139) USGS Diablo Dam * 25Jul Mt Benzarino (7720+) USGS McGregor Mountain__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
1977-78 page 2 Years 14 FA Peaks On 6 Quads 1977 *? 5Aug Interloper'/Berdeen' Peak (6400+) USGS Damnation Peak 1978 * 6May Logger Butte' (6080+) USGS Damnation Peak * 4Jun The Trap' (6960+) USGS Cascade Pass * 17Jun Highest Hellion' (6324) USGS Big Devil Peak * 17Jun Hellion II' (6240+) USGS Big Devil Peak * 4Jul Gendharma' (7740+) USGS Mount Spickard * 4Jul Traquility Gendarme'(7374) USGS Mount Spickard * 29Jul The Saint' (7185) USGS Mount Prophet * 30Jul The Sinner' (7035) USGS Mount Prophet * 30Jul The Apostle' (6910) USGS Mount Spickard * 30Jul The Epistle' (6782) USGS Mount Spickard * 30Jul Revelations Peak' USGS Mount Spickard * 26Sep Monument Peak (8592) USGS Mount Lago See #48 of Top 100 Peaks in WA * 15Oct Borborygmi'/Rhino Butte'(6914) USGS Mount Prophet _________________________________________________________________
1979-80 page 2 Years 19 FA Peaks On 8 Quads 1979 * 2Aug Jagged I' (7882) USGS Mount Shuksan * 11Aug Mad Eagle Peak' (8111) USGS Mount Redoubt * 12Aug Moving Mtn' (8080+) USGS Mount Redoubt *?13Aug Cave Mountain' (7456) USGS Mount Redoubt *?13Aug Old Rust' (7523) USGS Mount Redoubt * 14Aug Taps Mountain' (7087) USGS Mount Redoubt
1980 * 1Jun ExSpire' (5999-) USGS Eldorado Peak * 5Jul Tombstone' (7895) USGS Mount Spickard * 5Jul Solitude' (8405) USGS Mount Spickard * 27Jul Squatter' (6719/6680+) USGS Mount Blum * 27Jul Panner' (6800+/6944) USGS Mount Blum * 29Jul Iota' (7680+/7800+) USGS Mount Challenger * 29Jul Thayers Nightmare' (7997-) USGS Mount Challenger * 29Jul Apparition' (7998-) USGS Mount Challenger * 29Jul Spectre' (7999-) USGS Mount Challenger * 31Jul Fury Finger' (8080+) USGS Mount Challenger * 31Jul N Dog Ear' (7840+) USGS Mount Challenger * 24Sep W Helen Butte (5499-) USGS Marblemount * 10Oct Three Wives' (7450) USGS McAlester Mountain _______________________________________________________________ * 26Apr The Supervisor' * 26Apr Wireman' * 26Apr Senior Operator' * 26Apr Machinist' * 31May Styloid Peak' (6972) * 31May Distal Phalanx' (7615) * 3Jul Tara Pk' (6723) * 11Jul Dirk Peak' (7640+) * 27Jul Devils Toothpick' (7720+) * 28Jul W by NW Mox' (8080+) * 15Aug The Sacrum' (7148) * 15Aug Pancake Pinnacle' (7080+) * 23Aug S Hoot Owl' (7960+) * 23Aug N Hoot Owl' (7920+) * 14Sep Derci Spire' (8000+) * 14Sep Obsession Spire' (7360+) * 17Sep Zebra Spire' (8000+) * 17Sep V Peak' (8000+) * 25Oct Ezekiel' (7521) __________________________________________________________ * 30May Blink Mtn (6766) * 30May Rapid Peak (7259) * 19Jun Fallen Angel' (6840) * 19Jun Hellion III' * 19Jun Hellion VI' * 20Jun Hunich Pipe' (~6700) * 17Jul The Horseman (~8100) * 7Aug W Nail' (~8000) * 7Aug E Nail' (~8000) * 7Aug W Horseshoe Pk' (~8000) * 22Aug Gramps Peak' (6680+) * 24Aug Goose Step Pinnacle' (7400+) * 25Aug Goat Hoof' (7100) * 25Aug Primrose Peak' (7160+) * 25Aug Rim Rock Peak' (7240+) * 25Aug Flat Peak' (7100) * 26Aug Sister Sarah' (7000+) * 26Aug Sister Habiba' (7160+) * 26Aug Sister Sue' (6809) * 26Aug Little Sister' (6785) * 5Sep Beheaded Dog Burying Bone' (7035) *19Sep Pachyderm Peak' (7310) ___________________________________________________ *24Jul Surveyors Knoll' (6253) USGS Damnation Peak * 24Jul Le Grand Sein/Mamook' (6456) USGS Damnation Peak * 7Aug The Adolescent'/Black Beard" (7241) * 13Aug The One-Eyed Bull' (8120+) *?14Aug The Cheshire Cat' * 25Aug Ozymandias Peak' (7647) * 26Sep Pato Peak' (6800) * 26Sep Alrac Peak' (6720+) * 29Sep Whale Peak' (6559) * 29Sep Razors Edge' (6000+) ___________________________________________________
1984 * 2Jun Majestic Mtn (7520+) * 2Jun Majestic 3' (7440+) * 16Jun The Addict' (~7300) * 16Jun North Benzarino (7720+) * 22Jul The Turret' (~7600) * 23Jul Dumbo Pk' (7520+) * 28Jul Daemon Peak' (7514) * 28Jul Silhouette Pk' (7274) * 28Jul S Silly Pk' (7040+) * 28Jul N Silly Pk' (6977) * 12Aug Obscure Peak' (6980) * 19Aug Native Knoll' * 20Aug Lonely Peak' (6800+) * 20Aug Crackrap Pk' (6720+) * 25Aug N Cheval de Frise' (~6300) * 3Sep Yellow Tower' (8080+) * 28Sep North Big Bosom' (6384) ______________________________________________________ 1985 * 19May Kaiwhat Peak' (7145) * 26May Louie Louie' (7782) * 3Jul Eagles Beak' (8000+) * 4Jul N Redoubt Pinnacle' (~8750) * 4Jul S Redoubt Pinnacle' (~8700) * 12Aug Spirea Spire' (~7100) * 12Aug Yes Pk' (7109) * 12Aug Oui! Oui!' (~7150) * 12Aug Wish Mtn' (7200+) * 13Aug Alastor Mtn' (7326) * 13Aug Xor' (~7300) * 13Aug Cassiope Pk' (7800+) * 13Aug Heather Pk (7928) * 14Aug Id Pk' (7520+) * 14Aug Conglomerate Pk' (~7700) * 14Aug Lyall Ridge Pk (~7777) _______________________________________________ 1986 * 21Jun Starlet Pk' (8040+) * 21Jun Seance Peak' (7982) NR Ghost * 23Jul W Casper' (7760+) * 9Aug Glissader Peak' (7680+) * 13Aug W Tits on a Bull' (8000+) * 13Aug Cocoon' (8151) * 14Aug Neyah Point" (8100+) * 14Aug 9 Peak' (8100+) * 31Aug Dark Fin Tower' (7400+) * 31Aug Anonymity Peak' (8000+) * 2Sep Tragedy Peaks' (7800+) ______________________________________________________ 1987 * 27Jun Baekos Peak' (7529) * 28Jun Brown Mtn' (6800+) * 28Jun Greenback Mtn' (6803) * 29Jun Skalabats Pk' (6400+) * 15Jul Little Shull' (7440+) * 8Aug The Log' (7120+) * 8Aug Snowflake' (7760+) * 8Aug Snowball Peak' (7920+) __________________________________________________ 1988 * 21Jun Teddy Bear Peak' (5351) * 25Jun Spock's Ear' (6200+) * 6Aug Clean Peak' (6818) * 6Aug Bath Peak' (6900+) * 7Aug Quiet Ridge I' (7080+) * 7Aug Quiet II' (7080+) * 7Aug Quiet III' (6960+) * 7Aug Quiet IV' (6960+) * 7Aug Quiet V' (6840+) * 7Aug Quiet VI' (6868) * 7Aug Stone VIII' W Pinn (7200) * 7Aug Stone VIII' E Pinn (7200) * 7Aug Stonehenge VIII' (7346) * 7Aug Stonehenge VI' (7382) * 7Aug Stonehenge IV' (7300+) * 7Aug Stonehenge III' (7300+) * 7Aug Stonehenge II' (7200+) * 8Aug 8/8/88 Peak' (7509) * 13Aug Lykit Spire' (7800+)* * 13Aug Leavit Spire' (7800-) * 13Aug Hammerhead Peak' (7900+)* * 13Aug Stinger Spire' (7800+) * 13Aug The Bishop' (7300+) * 13Aug Honeycomb Mtn' (7600+) * 14Aug 8 Peak' (8000+) * 14Aug 7 Peak' (8100+) * 14Aug Pumice Peak' (7400+) * 14Aug Bolt Peak' (6613) * 18Aug Sumallo Peak (7700+)
Stonehenge Ridge The elevations listed above are from the 15-minute Glacier Peak map. This photo from NE shows the entire SHR, numbered east to west with current map elevations: SHR 1 (7018) left, behind tree, above Totem Pass, SH 2 (7260T), blocky SH 3 (7280+) in front of Glacier, SH 4 (7280+), good-looking SH 5 ('7320+') the actual high point of Stonehenge Ridge, SH 6 (7362) which the map shows as the HP, SH 7 (7240+) several little blocks, to SH 8 (7346) on right. The Stone Pinnacles are the two little crags right of SH 8. August 7, 1988 Thanks to Mark Allaback
1989 * 4May McKay Ridge Peak (7000+39) * 12Aug Butterfly Wing' (7700+99) * 7Oct Dough $ Mtn' (7840+)
Butterfly Wing' Luahna on right. August 12, 1989 Thanks to Rose Lochmann 1990 * 8Jul Steer Horn' (7640+) * 13Aug SE Memaloose' (7265) * 13Aug M Memaloose Pk' (7360+) * 14Aug Goode Ridge (7680+) * 15Aug Fractured Wyeth' (8040+) * 15Aug Wyeth Not Peak' (8080+) * 15Aug Hyeth Wyeth' (8120+) * 15Aug Golden Peak' (7880+)
Memaloose Ridge August 13-14, 1990 Thanks to Mark Allaback 1991 *w 24Feb Little Chief Peak (5416) * 21Apr Bold Peak' (5040+) * 19Jun Straight Ridge * 30Aug Peak 7422-6680 = 742 * 30Aug Flagg Mtn' (7360+) * 2Sep Cool Mtn' (7738) 1992 *25May Ugly Stepsister' (6136) *25May Middle Sister Karen' (6280+) * 7Jun Buk-Buk Spires (5500) * 21Jun Phantom Pass Peak' (4754) * 21Jun Blister Mountain' (5447) * 1Aug Hyrax Peak' (8120+) * 2Aug Big Snail' (7360+) * 3Aug Whiteout Peak' (7649+) * 4Aug Far Side Peak' (6840+) * 6Aug Bearcat Peak (8035) * 14Aug Cousins Peak' (6720+) * 29Aug Kok-shut Peak'(5080+) * 30Aug Snowslide Peak'(5000+) * 30Aug Headwall Peak' (4988) * 30Aug Anticlimax Point' (5080+) 1993-94 No FAs 1995 * 23Jul Sasha Peak' (6604) * 22Aug Nap Knoll'(5423) * 22Aug Mt Morpheus'(5432) * 15Oct Pugsley Peak' (4960+) * 15Oct Mile High Mtn' (5280+) 1996 * 15Aug Pasture Peak' (5240) 1997 * 12Jul Rover Peak' (6505) 1998 * 4May Beefhide Butte'(8030) *13Jun Nameless Mtn'(6616) * 13Jun Unspeakable'(6482) * 13Jun Montana Sin Nombre'(6688) * 13Jun Unnamed Mtn'(6438) * 14Jun Little Sky'(5951) * 28Jun Sam Hill'(4846) 1999 *10Jun Ulalach(Onion)Mtn'(5040+)4 *10Jun Aho Mtn'(5080+)2 *10Jun Cedar Basin Butte'(5400+)2 * 31Jul Panther Tail'(6865) * 16Sep Out Box'(5600+)
2000 *10Apr Choker Mtn”(4672)400P *10Apr Lumbermill Mtn”(4750)1100P * 12May Dead Duck Mtn'(4642) 2001 No FAs 2002 * 20Jun Cadastral Point'(4811)291P * 20Jun Mystic Ridge Peak'(5941)421P *^20Jun Mystic Mountain' (6574)534P *16Oct Elementary Peak'(5960+)440P2003 No FAs 2004 One FA 2005 *6Mar Nine Lives' More Coming Copyright 2004, John W. Roper. All Rights Reserved. |
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