First Ascents in the North Cascades

FA July 31, 1980

Solo

Not in LoJ, PB, or CAG.

Couldn’t talk Reed, Stuart, or Peter into scrambling this with me.

Just south of Fury Finger. Looks like the perky upright ears of a basenji dog.

**South Ridge of East Fury** above Goodell Creek. Enlarge.

Helen Buttes, SW

5400+ / P320mn. Lidar: 5427′ / P355.

Nepa September 24, 1980

Solo

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

This peak was surely climbed before this late date, but the top was undisturbed. The higher NE summit had a small cairn, but no register. Curiously the higher 5560+ summit is not well-labeled on the 7.5’ USGS Marblemount quad. Approach was via the Cow Heaven trail with exit via Olson Lake and ridge north of Olson Creek.

**Helen Buttes from N. Higher NE peak** on left, double-summited SW peak on right. Enlarge

‘THREE WIVES PEAK’

7450’ map / P730. Lidar: 7473′ / P762.

Nepa October 10, 1980

Solo

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

Still in search of my third and final wife at the time of my 1980 climb, while giving a nod to the previous two good ladies on this peak with three summits. Luckily found Karen in 1985 who still puts up with me. The north peak of this triple summit looks great from HW 20 between Rainy and Washington Passes.

The summit appeared undisturbed on October 10, 1980, but there was surveyor evidence marking the southern border of the North Cascades National Park just south of the high point, probably left via helicopter. Dan Sjolseth (who called it “Escape”) and Cliff Lawson likely made the legit FA in October 1974.

“REPULSE PEAK”

New Route October 18, 1980

Thanks to Russ Kroeker and Silas Wild

Maps on LoJ and PB. CAG+

This was the first climb done by a trio assembled by Russ Kroeker that would spend many days exploring the mountains together over the next decade. Two weeks before this Repulse trip, Russ had just become the first person to finish the Bulger Top 100 Peaks atop Sinister Peak on October 4, 1980 with the strong support of Silas Wild. Earlier that year (June 1980) Russ had talked me into repeating Snowfield Peak so he could tick off that Big Boy. Now done with his Bulger obsession, he was ready to branch out to lesser known peaks, and agreed to climb a peak that looked mighty fine from the North Cascades Highway which opened in 1972. The Fireys had climbed the peak in 1971 from Silent Lakes (after running Ragged Ridge from Diablo Lake) and their son Alan had applied the name “Repulse” for the British war ship and the difficulty of their route.

Our route was from the highway through decent woods, eventually angling left of the impressive face, doing pull-ups on trees to surmount the cliff band on mid-left in above photo. We continued up to the south saddle, finishing up the hands-on south ridge.

1981

‘The Supervisor’

6280+ / P120mn

USGS Damnation Peak

FA April 26, 1981

Thanks to Silas Wild

Summit at crosshair. Not on LoJ, PB, or CAG.

‘Electric Butte’ and ‘Logger Butte’ pay tribute to the main industries in the Upper Skagit. The names around Electric Butte honor the City Light powerhouse journeymen.

‘Wireman’

6080+

April 26, 1981

Thanks to Silas Wild

Summit at crosshairs. Not on LoJ, PB, or CAG.

‘Senior Operator’

6040+

FA April 26, 1981

Thanks to Silas Wild

‘The Machinist’

5960+

FA April 26, 1981

Thanks to Silas Wild

Crosshairs on summit

‘Styloid Peak’

6972’ map / P432mean. Lidar: 6995′ / P477.

FA May 31, 1981

Thanks to Charlie Janeway, Ted Hegg, Dave Stonington, Ron Aronoff, Don Avriett

Members of the Group Health Alpine Society (GHAS).

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+.

Reminiscent of the boney ulnar styloid process, resembling the stylus of a pen.

‘DISTAL PHALANX’

7645’ by Lidar / Lidar P587

FA May 31, 1981

Thanks to Dave Stonington, Charlie Janeway, Ted Hegg

Map at LoJ and PB. CAG+.

This looks like the tip/last bone of a finger. It is W of and higher than Mantis 7614’, so the map is in error as it shows Distal Phalanx as the 7560+ contour. Not to overestimate the elevation by much, a foot was originally added to make 7615’ the estimated elevation. Lidar beats that.

The full arête was completed on September 6, 2008 by John Frieh and Craig Gyselinck 5.10, A0 Grade IV. See here. “Mantis Peak” climbed by Stan and Marilyn Jensen on Aug 16,1973 is the lower twin summit, just left (east) in this photo.The map labels this eastern, lower, left summit as 7614′ and mistakes Distal Phalanx as only 7560+.

‘Hook of the Hamate’

FA May 31, 1981

JR solo

Map here

‘**Hook of the Hamate’** is the sharp point just right/W of. **‘Distal Phalanx’s’** North Arete, the long clean sun-shadow line in center, about 2500-vertical feet of entertainment. Styloid Peak is the rocky peak on left. Tricouni and Primus behind left. Mantis is the lower point, left of Distal Phalanx. ‘Calcaneus’ is the flat bulk right of ‘Hook of the Hamate’ above the twin Neve Waterfalls. Enlarge

The hardest part on Styloid and Distal Phalanx was getting across Thunder Creek from the trail, then through a nasty section, ‘The Burn’ just beyond. The traverse was set up by rapping down to the log stuck in the canyon shown in this photo, crawling across, then climbing the class 4 right wall, and tying off for the shuttle.

‘TARA PEAK’

6723’ map / P643clean. Lidar: 6719′ / P663

FA July 3, 1981

Thanks to Gary Mellom

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+.

Every 4^th of July holiday from 1966 on for 40 years, my Newhalem climbing buddy, Gary Mellom and I headed to the mountains. In 1981 on our 16^th annual outing, we climbed this peak on a Green Mountain/Buckindy to Snowking traverse. As we stood atop this previously untouched summit in the heart of the North Cascades, we had happy thoughts about Gary being a new father of a daughter, born January 13, 1981. Gary’s wife Corky related that she thought Tara was a great name for the daughter of a dad that loved mountains as much as Gary did, since in Celtic “Tara” meant “mountain crag.” Tara is also a powerful female deity in the Buddhist pantheon. Her name means “star” in Sanskrit and she is believed to possess the ability to guide followers, like a star on their path to enlightenment.

‘Dirk Peak’

7680+ map / P280mn. Lidar: 7698′ / P 264.

FA July 11, 1981

Thanks to John Burroughs

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+ small print.

So named for its location between Stiletto Peak and Dagger Lake in the knife theme. CAG records our ‘Dirk’ as “Jackknife” and ‘Big Stiletto’ as “Switchblade.” The alternates may have been Dallas Kloke’s names. Beckey miscredits us with FA on 7805 (Big Stiletto/Switchblade) which was climbed with Gwendy Stuart on June 21, 1980.

John Scurlock photo of Dirk and Big Stiletto on Dec 15, 2005.

‘Devils Toothpick’

7720+ / P160mn

FA July 27, 1981

Thanks to Jim Lucke and Silas Wild

Map on LoJ and PB. In CAG in small print under Devils Tongue.

Devils Toothpick is right of the deep V-notch viewed from Silver Lake. Devils Tongue right (once called ‘Parabola Peak). ‘Rahms Horn’/”McNaught Peak” left. Enlarge.

Devils Toothpick was first attempted in 1970 with Chris Roper and Tom King, rowing across Ross Lake from Hozomeen campground, then thrashing up Silver Creek and its imposing nearly 3000-foot headwall to Silver Lake. We got to the V-notch in the photo below at the base of the rock climb of the tower, but ran out of time.

Reed Tindall, Greg Rice and I walked by the Toothpick in 1971 using the same Silver Creek approach into (and out of) bigger prizes in the Chilliwacks.

In 1981, Jim Lucke and I motored up Ross Lake on the water taxi, ran the ridge north of Silver Creek, climbed Devils Tongue, then dropped beneath cliffs to Silver Lake. Here we met Silas Wild who had come in via Depot Creek. Our route from the lake ascended to the notch (‘Almost Canada Col’) reached in 1970, then took the path of least resistance, a rightward slant up that west face. Three pitches, the first two easy 5, then a final class 4 pitch.

‘Small Mox’

8280+

FA July 28, 1981

Thanks to Silas Wild

Summit at crosshair WNW of NW/Easy Mox

Not on LoJ, PB, CAG.

Class 3+ from north.

***Crazy Crushed Contours Wall*** **on ‘Small Mox’** at map crosshairs. Take a look at the wild contours on the map here. Immediately WSW of NW Mox. ‘Col of the Wild’ center, SE Mox right center. Enlarge. John Scurlock photo

‘The Sacrum’

7148’ map / P248mn. Lidar: 7156′ / P266.

FA August 15, 1981

Thanks to Russ Kroeker, Silas Wild

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Short class 4-5 climb from west saddle with ‘The Coccyx.’

**‘The Sacrum’** just left of Russ, with the rest of ‘Backbone Ridge.’ Eldorado on center skyline. Enlarge.

‘Pancake Pinnacle’

7080+ P120mn

Nepa August 15, 1981

With Silas Wild, Russ Kroeker

Flat as my mother’s blueberry pancakes. Silas, Russ, and I found no evidence of previous ascent atop, but Matt Perkins, a trustworthy mountain man alerted me that he was in a party that “accidentally” beat us to this one in 1977. So be it.

‘Hoot Owl’ South Peak

7960+

FA August 23, 1981

Solo

Via slightly sketchy traverse around NW side of Peak 8395 “Black Stacks” from its saddle with Black.

‘Hoot Owl’ North Peak

7020+ Minimal prominence

FA August 23, 1981

Solo

The route was around the right side of the rounded ‘Black Stacks’ in this photo (where the rock looked like thin layers of black vinyl 78-records stacked atop each other). The traverse on hard snow to the U-saddle was a little sketchy without crampons. Hoot Owl, North from Black

West Twin Needle, New Route

7936’ on map. Lidar 7927′ / P560

NR August 31, 1981

Thanks to Russ Kroeker

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

**Twin Needles and Blip/Blob Routes** from south. Enlarge. Annotated John Scurlock photo
HGH: Himmelgeisterhorn, WTN: West Twin Needle, ETN: East Twin Needle. Eye Col. Red line was our 1981 NR over a chockstone problem. 1932 was the original FA line by Herb Strandberg, Bill Degenhardt, James Martin. Silas, Russ, and I repeated their route on Sep 8, 1981 to WTN then on to ‘Eye Col’ and ETN. Green route was 1973 FA of ‘The Blip’ with Gary Mellom and Jim Lucke. Orange route was possible NR/new route and 2A/second ascent of “The Blob” via its W ridge on Sep 7, 1981 with Russ and Silas after doing the 2nd Ascent of ‘The Blip.’

‘THE WILD HAIR CRACK’

“Himmelgeisterhorn” New Route

NR September 6, 1981

Thanks to Silas Wild and Russ Kroeker with FA of ‘Himmel Point’

FA of HGH was on Sep 8, 1961 by Joe and Joan Firey, Glen Denny, Ed Cooper.

Map on LoJ and PB.

Himmelgeisterhorn is one of 20 or so major and minor pinnacles on the west end of the Southern Pickets, a picket fence of 8000-foot rocky gneiss spikes in the North Cascades. This is mighty fine, mighty tough country, probably the best the lower US has to offer.

In August 1976, four years before I met him, my fanatic friend to be, Silas Wild was in the Southern Pickets, 7 miles north of Newhalem where I grew up, in the heart of the North Cascades National Park. From the top of Ottohorn, the westernmost high peak on the picket fence, Silas spotted a beautiful line up the west face of neighboring Himmelgeisterhorn.

It was a classic crack in the North Cascades, probably the best crack climb in the Pickets, a vertical gash that split this side of “Himmel” in two. Silas was anxious to try the route the first day he saw it, but Barbara, his wife and partner then knew they didn’t have enough hardware or time. And he reluctantly agreed. So Silas photographed it, and went home to dream.

When “Red Fred,” the Cascade Alpine Guide to this area came out in 1981, the route was clearly exposed in a crisp photograph on page 92 by fellow Picket lover, David Knudson. Silas panicked that someone else would spot his route and beat him to it. He enlisted support from Russ Kroeker and myself even before the ’81 summer began.

Russ and I agreed that this was a great-looking climb, and we wanted to take a first-hand look at it, but it struck me that this was a technical project that was probably out of our league by such a leap that I felt that Silas had a wild hair up an unsunny spot if he thought we could succeed on it. So we came to call his route “The Wild Hair Crack.”

***

During a spell of bad weather in early July 1981, Silas snuck off for an attempt on the route with Lee Gibbon, a tightly-coiled, powerfully-built rock jock. I forget what Russ and I were up to then, but we were not invited. Silas and Lee went after the “Wild Hair” without us, holing up on the way in at a small fir grove in what Joan Firey called “Stump Hollow,” under “The Stump” (shown as Pinnacle Peak on USGS Mount Challenger), waiting out the rain with only a small plastic tarp for protection.

Through the clouds, they wandered out of Stump Hollow into the Crescent Creek Cirque the following day. It’s hard to lose the way, even in stormy weather. Simply keep the big rock wall on your right. The problem is that when you can’t see the tops of the peaks, it’s hard to know where you are along that wall. Which of the many steep gullies should you go up? Silas and Lee went one gully past the proper chute up Himmel-Otto Couloir and thus chanced on a new, still unreported route up Ottohorn, via one of its south gullies over some steep heather. “Not so hard,” Silas said afterwards. That doesn’t always mean it isn’t.

The Otto-Himmel Col was socked-in city when they descended from Ottohorn to start their try on the Wild Hair Crack. Silas chose the left of two parallel fracture lines cutting the lower third of the face. He led the 150-foot pitch with some 5.2 moves (he says). Lee came up and tackled the next vertical section that looked to be the crux. The crack swirled away into the clouds up a narrow chimney that Lee judged to be very difficult, “probably 5.9.” They wisely opted to abort, rapped off, and beat a wet retreat home.

Silas’ stories soared. But Russ and I were a little sore too, since it was openly known that we wanted to be included on this climb.

***

The next attempt on the Wild Hair Crack was to begin August 30, 1981. This time all four of us would go, Silas, Lee, Russ, and myself. I had August 29th off as well and decided to use the day clawing my way into the Pickets alone at a casual pace. A race up The Barrier with these guys was not something I’d enjoy. And the last time I’d been out with this gang on Bowan, it was definitely race time.

So I lazed my lonely way up The Barrier in what felt like good time to me, recording the legs on my old, well-worn 15-minute Mount Challenger map:

8/29/81
1:15 to Over and Up Creek, 1600′
:40 to Terror Creek, 1800′
1:20 to Barrier Crest, 3550′
1:30 to 5340, where I camped, under The Stump.

It started to rain that night and I woke up the next morning to lousy visibility. This was the day the others would make their approach. To make a long story short, Russ made it in, but Silas and Lee, who’d had enough of the Wild Hair in bad weather, bet with the weathermen that it was going to stay bad and went back home after driving to the Goodell Creek trailhead.

Russ and I connected in Crescent Creek Cirque where I’d moved camp to pitch my tent on a giant, flattish, but tilted boulder. We had one partially “good” day in the Pickets, doing the West Twin Needle by a new route up the couloir that threaded the East and West Twin Needles to “Eye Col.”

On the rappel down, the rain began in earnest and continued heavy for 17 non-stop hours after we crawled into my green Gore-Tex Early Winters tent. I awoke in the dark to wet feet and shined my headlamp to the foot of the tent to see a pool of water in the downhill corner. Taking out my Camp-King knife, I stabbed a hole in the floor at the lowest point, releasing a liter of liquid.

***

Since Silas had not invited us along on his last attempt on The Wild Hair Crack, we decided to play a little joke on him when we got home. It was agreed that whoever talked to Silas first would tell him we had done the Wild Hair on our one good weather day and, just as he’d said, the lower section was 5.2, but the upper crack was a little easier than predicted, 5.7, and quite nice, really–thanks for the idea.

The second of us would then call (or be called by) Silas and would get to hear him lament his decision not to go, then break it to him that we really hadn’t done his route, and for crying out loud, don’t leave us behind the next time.

Well, as it turned out, Silas got hold of me at work first, catching me between patients. I broke the fanciful “story” of our Wild Hair climb detailing every handhold, and you could almost hear his heart break. Here was the best climb he’d ever seen, or discovered, anyway. He’d fantasized about it for years. He’d given it a solid shot and had failed. And then suddenly it was “done,” just the way he knew it could go, but by someone else.

He told me later that the way he felt when I told him this news was the way he felt when Barbara told him she was leaving him. These were the two worst moments in his life.

Silas then tried to call Russ, but he was at a long meeting and unavailable. So sadly, Silas spent the rest of the day not knowing the truth and feeling quite bad. So sad did he sound when he called me back in the middle of the afternoon and told me he hadn’t reached Russ yet, I had to break down and tell him the truth. A ton lifted from his heart. The boy giggled and bubbled with jubilation and we planned our next try.

September 5, 1981. So it was with plenty of enthusiasm that the three of us trekked up Goodell Creek on the way to the Wild Hair on a great-looking Labor Day Weekend. Silas dreaded the Barrier route in, but when I rattled off my Barrier time numbers, “One hour 15 minutes to Over and Up Creek, 40 minutes to Terror Creek, then only 1 hour 20 minutes to the top of Barrier Flat…and less than 7 hours to Stump Col,” his face lit up.

As it turned out, these were the exact times recorded for our trip in this day as well, except that the usually brisk Silas burned out under the weight of a heavy pack in Stump Hollow and came straggling over the gneiss meadow up to Stump Col, the pass into Crescent Creek, about a half hour behind us. 6 hours 45 minutes to here. Clouds gripped the upper reaches of the Crescent Creek Spires in not unusual fashion.

We dropped into the Crescent Creek Cirque then angled for Rock Camp at 6150 where Russ and I had slept the week before. Russ dug up some food he’d buried here. From Rock Camp we contoured towards Himmel Camp with Silas and me in a full-pack, dead-run race across the talus. The sight was so startlingly amusing to Russ, he later told us, that he burst out laughing and lost large sphincter control. He then lost several minutes on us as he cleaned up.

Himmel Camp was reached in a total of 9 hours 45 minutes from the car, counting 2 hours plus of rests on the way in. So less than 8 hours of moving. It took a little over one hour from Stump Col to Himmel Camp, a flat spot at the 6000-foot level under the south wall of Himmelgeisterhorn.

Silas and I kicked out a platform in the snow for my green Light Dimensions tent. Russ did some minor excavation work for his yellow one-man Pocket Hotel. We retired in anticipation of the next day, which dawned cloudless.

September 6, 1981. The Himmel-Otto Couloir certainly was more difficult at the end of the season than it had been coming down on August 1, 1980, even though I’d taken a tumble in it then, requiring a self-arrest to stop. The snow was quite hard and step kicking was a chore. We had to swing into the moat between the rock and snow to get around a couple of breaks. Russ couldn’t believe it when I told him we’d descended this facing out the last time down.

Today we were carrying a ton of hardware, two 150-foot, 9-mm ropes, and bivy gear with the idea we would lay a siege on the Wild Hair Crack. My old Penberthy aluminum-frame pack banged on the rock as we bypassed the upper chockstones on the left over some broken gneiss. It was still shady at the Himmel-Otto Col when we arrived, adding to the scary air.

Russ mounted up the gear, trying to look strong under the weight. Silas laughed that, “He looks like the 6-Million Dollar Man.” And he did indeed, draped as he was with two nearly full sets of ten “Friends” (two each of Numbers 1, 2, 2 1/2, 3, and 4) as well as a good assortment of chocks. Silas put him on belay while I clambered up Ottohorn a ways to get a head on shot of his lead.

We had decided to go up the right of the twin lower cracks, primarily because it was the crack that connects all the way up the face. Even though the left crack at first glance suggests a straighter line, it has a blank spot and doesn’t connect to the upper crack. Besides, Silas had already done the left crack and we were into doing a “totally new route.”

The happy sounds from Russ were even more exuberant than usual as he led his pitch.

“God, what a great jug (large handhold)!”

“You’re going to love this Silas, and the Doc’s going love this exposure.” (“The Doc”-me-hates exposure.)

“Oh, fantastic bucket over here. This stuff is bombproof. It’s all here. Wait ’til you see this placement. What a great route! I’m going into a cave to belay you. You’ll never get me out of here.”

I fired away with my Olympus camera, recording his progress up the crack.

Silas flashed up the crack with his own style of enthusiasm. They both had on their “EB” rock-dancing shoes, and I wondered if my clumsy big leather climbing boots would keep me from doing this thing. Silas moved by Russ, then Russ set a top belay for my ascent.

My mouth was a dry even after a half pint of Wyler’s and it was not with a lot of joy that I grabbed for my first handhold. The start of this pitch was the worst. “Keep it tight!” I yelled up.

“Gotcha!” Russ yelled back. I was just a few feet off the ground when my Vibram sole slipped off its puny toehold perch, as I was reaching for a higher handhold. I skidded down three feet just from the stretch in the rope. No damage, except to my confidence.

“That you, Doc?” inquired Russ. “I think I had a bite there, Silas.”

Trying not to think about it, I promptly gathered myself up and moved along quite well over the rest of the pitch. It had several spots where the crack was deep enough, and had good enough platforms, that I could hide from the exposure. I reached Russ to find him lowered chest-deep into the crack just before the vertical upper section. This route had character!

Silas was just finishing getting all the gear on as I pulled up. Russ took me off belay and turned his grip to the rope connecting him with Silas while I swung my daypack around to grab my camera. (I take my camera off my chest for rock climbs because it pushes me away from the rock, disturbing balance on thin moves.)

Frenzelspitz looked fantastic from here. The morning light on the brown rock of Fury made that mountain look warm and friendly, especially compared to the vertical shade of this crack on Himmel.

The sound of a series of deep breaths, followed by the sound of nervous exhalation through pursed lips took my gaze off the scenery and fixed it on Silas as he pumped himself up for the next lead.

“Sounds like this is definitely whistle-worthy,” I chuckled.

Silas’ trademark was to make these whistle-wooshing sounds when his comfort level edged in on his anxiety limit. He entered the vertical crack facing in, with his left leg and thigh wedged in the crack as his right leg carefully pawed for the next boosting foothold. Once the foothold was located, he would slowly, cautiously, raise his body and jam his left knee into a higher portion of the crack.

“Put in some pro, for Christ’s sake,” shouted Russ. “You’re 30 feet out. I’m going to have trouble holding you if you go!”

“I’m aware of that. There’s just nothing here. Just keep quiet, I’m working the problem,” Silas replied.

“There, finally, there’s a little crack here. Whew! I’m putting a stopper in. It’s not much, but it’s something. Ah, and here’s a spot for a number 2 Friend. Boy, that was great! Child’s play. No problem.”

“It didn’t look like ‘no problem’ to me,” I remarked.

Silas then moved smoothly and steadily over the rest of his lead to a belay point. “This next pitch looks easy enough for the doctor to lead. I’ll tie in and bring you up to me.”

The crux of The Wild Hair Crack, which Silas had just led, was a pure delight with a taut top rope. The wall on the left (north) side of the crack was offset out from the right side by about 9-12 inches. The crack itself was about a foot wide and close enough to vertical for me. It was just big enough to get my left butt cheek and thigh into, and squeezed me so tightly that I could hold my entire weight on friction by contracting these muscles.

In Santa Claus fashion, I wiggled my way up the chimney, impressed that Silas would extend himself to doing it with no initial protection. I climbed by Silas as the sun came onto the face and threw a sling around a good horn and clipped in. Russ was happy to be moving again, having waited in his hole for four pitches, two by each of us, and made many more excited noises as he went through his moves to join us.

“Great lead, Silage,” he commended.

My lead was half a rope length and not so hard, class 4, at the most, though I put in a Friend or two just for the practice. The crack led me to the left side of the face, from where I could see a decent route into the gully the Fireys had climbed on the NW side of the mountain on the first ascent of the peak in 1961. I knew we could make it and shouted back my discovery.

When Silas scampered up to my position and surveyed the situation, he pointed out that we would be bailing off the classic route if we went into the gully. The clean line laid back out on the face for another easy-5 rock pitch to the western tip on Himmel, which Silas accomplished in his usual smooth fashion. (Unfortunately, when Fred Beckey re-did his red book, he had us bailing off the classic line (on page 110), instead of going out on the face to the Himmel “subpoint,” which we did.

This done, we knew success was at hand. We grabbed rope coils and walked over to the last short lead up the summit cone. We had done the Wild Hair. We were pretty high. It was the third ascent of the peak, the first being in 1961, then repeated by Joan and Carla Firey with Dave Knudson and Peter Renz in 1970, up the original route. This was a good feather in our hardhats.

Summit register. Jason Schilling photo 2015

Trying to decifer the word, “Himmelgeisterhorn,” before we did the climb, I went to my Cassell’s German-English dictionary. A decent translation would be: “The Horn of the Sky Spirit.”

Among the other German words that started with “himmel-” was “himmelfahrtskommando,” which means “Going-for-the-Sky Squad,” or more somberly, “the death or glory squad.”

For this route on this peak, we felt this word was the perfect name for our threesome. On this climb we became the Himmelfahrtskommando, or HFK for short. We decided that this would be our three-person club with no dues, and no indoor meetings. There would be no new members unless one of the members dropped off the roster.

Beckey tried to change Firey’s original terminology by shortening the name to Himmelhorn in his red book, which takes the “spirit” (geister) out of the original name.

We surveyed the route down to Dusseldorferspitz on the east ridge of Himmel, and decided this spectacular hook was not necessary to do. It appears to be a clean exercise over solid rock, but somehow failed to inspire.

We did three 150-foot rappels off the west face, setting the anchors at the tops of the pitches. It was two raps down to the top of the high point reached by Silas and Lee in July, and we used their sling for the last anchor.

We scrambled up Ottohorn next. From here, The Wild Hair Crack, in the afternoon sun, cut a mighty pretty line up the face of Himmel. This is the best climb I’ve done in the North Cascades, or anywhere.

‘Derci Spire’

8038′ Lidar / P230 Lidar

FA September 14, 1981

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+.

Just NW of Arriva. Arrivederci is Italian for “goodbye,” “until we meet again.” We summited after circling around the SW side of Arriva.

Derci Spire from NE Enlarge. Grant Myers photo Aug 8, 2025

‘Obsession Spire’

7360+ / P200mean

FA September 14, 1981

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Summit at crosshair. Not on LoJ, PB, CAG. This is a subsummit just north of “Meulfire.”

We were obsessed, as was Roger Jung who later told me he found our register atop. We finished on the SW slope.

‘NATAL PEAK’

7843 Lidar/ P864 Lidar

FRA First Recorded Ascent September 15, 1981

Thanks to Mark Allaback (on his 20th birthday)

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Climbed via NW ridge with some class 5 moves, likely a new route on a peak that had a probable cairn with no register.

**Natal Peak** and Mark Allaback from west above Fisher Pass. Enlarge photo

‘Zebra Spire’

FA September 17, 1981

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Not on LoJ or PB. CAG gives a faint hint.

Named for its striped-rock formation. Climbed via SE face by a class 5 pitch from Wyeth Glacier.

**Zebra Spire** the sharp central spire above Wyeth Glacier. Viewed from NE. ‘Wyeth Crags’ center and left, ridge to ‘V Peak’ on right. Enlarge photo

‘Butter Stick’

Yellow, cubic tower that looks like a butter stick. NBC as of 2025.

Noted Sep 17, 1981.

Above Wyeth Glacier

‘V Peak’

8000+ map / P200mn. Lidar: 7990′ / P194.

FA September 17, 1981

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Named for the “V” notch on the east ridge which reminded me of the way my mother Virginia signed her name in cursive. Approached from Wyeth Glacier from SE via an exposed ledge east of 7945 after climbing Zebra Spire. We descended west to Thunder Creek.

V Peak from north. Goode, Storm Throne, and Wyeth Glacier left. Enlarge.

Carla Firey and Jim McCarthy climbed the lower east summit of V Peak in the 70’s up the good-looking left buttress, returning to camp after accomplishing their goal.

**‘V Peak’** V-notched peak on left. ‘Golden Peak’ 7880+’ on right. ‘Zebra Spire’ is the sharp spike on left. Viewed from camp SE at the saddle between Logan and “Pincer Peak” which we had just climbed finding a register recording this name and names of FA climbers which unfortunately I did not record. Enlarge.

‘Ezekiel’

7521′ map/ P401clean. Lidar: 7523′ / P392.

FA/Nepa October 25, 1981

Solo with no evidence of previous ascent.

Map on LoJ and PB. Not in CAG.

East-most summit on Elija Ridge. This name was in keeping with earlier names now on the maps placed by religious fanatic Tommy Rowland following his Prophet, Gabriel, and Elija theme.

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet.

Climbed via a walk up the SE slope on the way to the 7739-foot high point of Elija Ridge.

**Ezekiel, the e**ast peak of Elija Ridge.

1982

‘Blink Mountain’

6766’ map / P406clean on map. Lidar: 6775′ / P387.

FA May 30, 1982

Solo with uninterested support from Rapid Peak gang.

Map on LoJ and PB. Not in CAG.

“RAPID PEAK”

7270′ Lidar / Big P1454 Lidar

FFA May 30, 1982. First foot ascent.

Thanks to Russ Kroeker, David Stonington, Ron Aronoff, Reed Tindall

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Geologist Rowland Tabor named this peak above Rapid Creek on his helicopter-assisted ascent in August 1967. Ours was the first full hiking climb from the car at Chilliwack Lake to Copper Mountain trail to the ridge above Little Chilliwack River, when the trails were maintained.

**“Rapid Peak”**from NW from near Pocket Peak

‘Fallen Angel’

6888′ Lidar / P176 Lidar

The highest contour on the 7.5’ USGS Big Devil map is missing.

FA June 19, 1982

Thanks to Russ Kroeker and Silas Wild

Maps and links at LoJ and PB. CAG+

John Scurlock’s exquisite photo shows the ‘Grim Reaper Arete’ on Fallen Angel’s N side.
Eric Wehrly and Chris Mutzel climbed this in 2016, “Acting like they were having fun” (1,000’, III 5.10+).

This summit lies between Big Devil Peak and Little Devil Peak, so this name plays off those devil names and was also a joking reference to climbing friends Suzanne S and Sue B. The “Fallen” reference also relates to an event on our FA climb in 1982. As I was leading up the snow finger (lower right in photo below), it broke in half and collapsed with me surfing down on the lower half. As I was tumbling I was able to kick out and land safely on the snowfield below with my ice ax going into a moat between the snow and rock but could be seen and retrieved with a rappel. Afterwards, I sent my rock-jock buddies ahead to place protection and give a safe belay to the top.

**‘Fallen Angel’** from south. The blocky central summit is the highest point. “Go to the Devil” is the sharp left spire, which was climbed with John Burroughs (lower left) June 17, 1978 on its second ascent. The snow finger lower right is the one that broke in 1982 causing my fall. Enlarge.

‘Hellion 4’ and ‘Hellion 5’

6160+/6154 on map

FA June 19, 1982

Solo (with Russ and Silas thinking, why bother?)

See Six Hellions (1978) for photo.

‘Hunich Pipe’

~6700’ / P~150

FA June 20, 1982

Thanks to Silas Wild and Russ Kroeker

Not on LoJ or PB. CAG small print.

**‘Hunich Pipe’** is the higher summit. Russ and Silas also made FA and are standing on “Pipe Cleaner.”

150-foot spire just NW of “The Trapezoid” named in honor of Skagit mountaineer Ken Hunich who reported going through a 10-foot notch here on his climb to Big Devil in 1964.

Growing up on the Skagit (1944-61), we admired Ken as the one and only true climber of all the City Light employees that ran the power projects and lived in Newhalem and Diablo. Ken was in the party that made the First Ascent of North Despair in 1963 (South Despair was Beckey’s very first, first ascent in 1939).

Ken was the second supervisor of Ross Dam and Powerhouse, succeeding my dad in 1954. When our families were both living in Diablo in 1953, Ken, my dad, and I (age 9 then) made a try for Pyramid Peak above town before a lightning storm chased us off the mountain. 15 years later in 1968, Ken and I made it to the top of our first successful peak together on a day-trip of Johannesburg Mtn (returning in the dark via the Gunsight Notch route).

Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Ken smoked a pipe and always teethed it at a jaunty angle under his moustache. In 1963, Jay Haggerty and I rowed Jay’s one-man duck boat across the Skagit River at Sky Creek and climbed Big Devil left of the waterfall you see from the road (launching in the morning, returning in the dark). In 1964, Ken and his brother Dick Hunich climbed Big Devil via its NE ridge from the Newhalem Creek intake. Ken talked of going through a “10-foot notch” below the Trapezoid to get to Big Devil.

When Russ, Silas, and I got to this spot in 1982 and admired the pinnacles north of this notch, we misinterpreted Ken’s reference to the “notch” and thought Ken referred to the height of the crags to the north rather than the width of the notch. We mistakenly laughed at the 10-foot estimate of these impressive towers, Hunich Pipe and Pipe Cleaner. 6-foot tall Russ gives scale to the actual height in above photo.

The Horseman

8112′ on PB / ~P100.

FA July 17, 1982

Thanks to Silas Wild and Russ Kroeker

LoJ. PB. CAG+.

USGS Diablo Dam quad mislabels ‘Horsemans Pack’ as “The Needle.” The Horseman is immediately NW of this map label. The Horseman label was misplaced on the map at what has been called “Snowflake.’

This tower was previously given the appropriate Horseman name for its silhouette from Neve Glacier by Herb Strandberg and Bill Degenhardt on their 1931 FA climb of Snowfield Peak. Getting to the top was a problem, but was finally done in clunker mountain boots of the day after I had backed off of it twice (1966 and 1980) before rock technicians Silas and Russ got me to the top.

**‘Horsemans Pack’** left, **The Horseman**, ‘**The Horse** (and ears)’, ‘**Team of 4 Horses’**, snowy ‘**Rein Ridge’** above Neve Glacier. Enlarge

**The Horseman** and **‘The Horse’** with ‘The Saddlebag,’ ‘Reins,’ and ‘Ear’ Enlarge

**The Horseman** and ‘The Horses Ear’ with the 1^st of the ‘Team of 4 Horses” right. Baker left. Enlarge. Eric Eames photo

In 1966, I thought I might have touched, but for sure had not stood on the top of the ‘Horses Ear’. Steph Abegg’s report and 2012 photo of her sister Jenny just below made me later wonder if I made it to the light-colored ledge before the summit block then reached up. FA still waiting for a photo of a climber standing on top.

**The Horseman. Enlarge photo**. Brett Dyson photo

The Horseman N face and NW ridge. Silas Wild is in the second alcove with yellow pants. From there, the route went left onto the class 5 N face. Enlarge

‘The Nails’ West

‘The Nails’ East

8200+ / P~40-50

FA August 7, 1982

Thanks to Silas Wild, Russ Kroeker

West of the original Horseshoe Peak, named for their horseshoe-nail shape.

Maps on LoJ. PB. CAG+ vaguely mentions our route without ascent credit.

**‘The Nails’** on left. ‘**Old Horseshoe Peaks W&E’** on either side of central V-notch. Enlarge

We approached ‘West Nail’ first via a gully from the SW with some class 4-5 moves.

‘Old Horseshoe Peak’ West

8220+ / P~100.

Nepa/FA August 7, 1982

Thanks to Silas Wild, Russ Kroeker

The East Old Horseshoe Peak (8280+ on map) is the highest point in this group. It had a cairn. The others did not. Greg Slayden found a Lidar elevation of 8313’ and a Lidar prominence of 160’ in this central area of Ripsaw Ridge.

The horseshoe-shaped summit in the middle of Ripsaw Ridge above Horseshoe Basin was centrally labeled on Forest Service maps. When the 7.5’ USGS Cascade Pass came out, a confused cartographer had moved the “Horseshoe Peak” label E to a minor landform, an act Beckey initially called “fatuous.”

‘Lick of Flame’

Lidar: 8473’ / P150

FA August 8, 1982 by Silas Wild and Russ Kroeker with JR in support.

Maps on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Too good to leave out.

Silas Wild high on east face of Lick of Flame. Russ belaying. I tapped out in my heavy clunker mountain boots at the first bulge one-third the way up. They rated it 5.8. I should have taken a shot of them on top.

Lick of Flame SW side. Eric Gilbertson, Steven Song, and Talon put a zig-zag route up this sunny side here in 2022. Class 5.8. Matt Burton photo

‘Gramps Peak’

6680+ / P200mn. Lidar: 6759′ / P266.

FA August 22, 1982

Thanks to Joe Medlicott, Steve Allaback, Mark Allaback, Russ Kroeker

Map. LoJ. PB. CAG+.

Joe Medlicott had recently become a grandfather.

**‘Tara Peak’, ‘Gramps Peak’, ‘Engles Peak’, “Mount Bruseth”** left to right above Goat Creek, from south. Enlarge.

‘Goose Step Pinnacle’

7400+ / P120mean.

Nepa August 24, 1982

Thanks to Russ Kroeker and Mark Allaback

Map Not in LoJ, PB, or CAG.

Looks better than the prominence number indicates. Russ came up with name as it is immediately north of “German Helmet” 7510’. Alas, Harry Majors sent me a 1936? photo by Dwight Watson that looks like it was taken from this same summit.

‘Goat Hoof’

~7100′ / Pminor

FA August 25, 1982

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Russ Kroeker

No contour shown on map. Summit at crosshairs. Not on LoJ, PB, CAG.

Small cleft pinnacle which looked like goat hoof near the top of ‘Primrose Peak.’

’Primrose Peak’

7160+ map / Big P1080 clean. Lidar: 7179′ / P1118.

FA August 25, 1982

Thanks to Russ Kroeker, Mark Allaback

LoJ. PB. Map. CAG-.

Russ Kroeker came up with this name, reasoning that it was the first (prime) peak we climbed on Rimrock Ridge, and it had a rosy tint as we approached it. Plus, it incorporates many of the same letters as RIMROck.

‘RIMROCK MOUNTAIN’ (High Point)

7240+ per USGS map. Online versions do not show highest contour. Lidar: 7254′ / Big P1325.

Nepa/FA August 25, 1982

Thanks to Russ Kroeker, Mark Allaback (while Steve and Joe took a N shortcut around it)

Map at LoJ and PB.

This is the highest summit on the map-labeled Rimrock Ridge, a name that appears splayed out on three different quadrangles. The original USGS Goode Mtn paper quad shows the highest summit contour here at 7240+, not 7200+. CAG+ mentions Rimrock Ridge, but is light on details. Beckey’s background information is helpful though, writing, “it is known Dwight Watson in summer 1936, hiked along the ridge nearly to Le Conte Lake, but made no ascents.”

We climbed the south ridge and went down the steepish north ridge.

‘Flat Peak’/”Edgestone Peak”

7180+ / P480cl-520mn. Lidar: 7114′ / P532.

Nepa/FA? August 25, 1982

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Russ Kroeker, Joe Medlicott

Map. LoJ. PB.

Sort of a flattish summit at the head of Flat Creek along Rimrock Ridge. Greg Koenig’s “Edgestone Peak” name is better, playing off “Rimrock.” The maps label the ridge SE of Flat Creek as “Rimrock Ridge,” a name that appears on the USGS Dome Peak, USGS Agnes Mountain, and USGS Goode Mtn quads with no individual peak named.

**“Edgestone” (pink) & ‘Rimrock Mtn’** center above Flat Ck. ‘Sisters Kate & Sarah’ left, Bonanza right from NW. Enlarge.

Seven Sisters

‘Sister Sarah’

7080+ map / P440mean. Lidar: 7073″ / P400.

Nepa August 26, 1982

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Russ Kroeker, Joe Medlicott

LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Southernmost peak on Seven Sisters ridge on map. Applying the names of sisters familiar to us, but please call them what you wish. Sarah was the older sister of Mark, daughter of Steve. We found no evidence of previous ascent, but there was a lookout station nearby on Junction Mountain, so it’s very likely it was previously ascended.

‘Sister Kate’

7000+ / P200mn

Nepa August 26, 1982

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Russ Kroeker, Joe Medlicott

Map. Not on LoJ, PB, CAG.

Just NE of Sarah. Kate was the younger daughter of Steve, sister of Mark.

‘Sister Reenie’

7203’ map and Lidar / P887 Lidar

August 26, 1982

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Russ Kroeker, Joe Medlicott

LoJ. PB. CAG+

Highest point on Seven Sisters. Family nickname. Found small cairn without register. Rare instance where map and Lidar agree on the elevation.

‘Sister Habiba’

7160+ / P180mean

Nepa Aug 26, 1982

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Russ Kroeker, Joe Medlicott

Map. LoJ-. PB-. CalTopo is missing a contour shown on USGS quad.

Name bestowed by Russ for his wife in 1982.

‘Sister Sue’

6809’ map label, but 6880+ by contours / P280mn

Nepa August 26, 1982

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Russ Kroeker, Joe Medlicott

Joe’s wife and daughter share this name.

‘Little Sister Marina’

6785’ / P205mn

FA August 26, 1982

Thanks to Russ Kroeker, Mark Allaback

Map. Not on LoJ, PB, or CAG.

Just N of “Big Sister.” Named by Russ for his youngest daughter.

‘Beheaded Dog Burying Bone’

7049′ map. Lidar 7031′ / P336

FA September 5, 1982

Solo (with Silas and Russ in support)

Map on LoJ and PB. Not in CAG.

**‘Beheaded Dog Burying Bone’** on Eiley-Wiley Ridge, from north. Strange moniker, but this peak is named for its shape. You’d have to see it to believe it. The dog’s decapitated head (with nose in ground burying the bone) and digging paws on right. Shoulder of dog is the high point. The notch in the haunch stops an easy traverse over the back. Tail swoops around on left. East Fury directly behind. Enlarge. Beheaded Dog at Flickr.

‘Pachyderm Peak’

7310’ map. Lidar: 7321′ / P280.

USGS Mount Logan

FA September 19, 1982

Thanks to Michael ‘Mick’ Newhouse

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

This peak looks both like the head-on face of an elephant, and also a side-view body of an elephant. Approached from HW 20 over ‘Panther Pass’ at the head of Panther Creek, then up south ridge.

**‘Pachyderm Peak’** center above ‘Panther Pass.’ Note the head, ears, trunk of the elephant facing viewer. ‘Ragged End’/Cosho left. Enlarge..

1983

‘Surveyors Knoll’

6253’ / P413. Lidar: 6254′ / 445.

FFA July 24, 1983

Thanks to Silas Wild

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

We ran the ridge N to S from Despair, right to left in the following photo. Presumed FFA (first ascent by foot). USGS surveyors had landed here previously in a helicopter in 1953 and left their typical wood and wire remains atop as they were mapping the 15-minute quad.

‘Mamook Mountain’

6474′ map / P674. Lidar: 6455′ / P686.

FA July 24, 1983

Thanks to Silas Wild

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

Silas called this “Le Grande Boob” on our approach to Triumph Pass but the name has subsequently been politically corrected to ‘Mamook’, an active Chinook word meaning “to do, to work, to put into action,” which one needs “to do” to climb this peak. The ‘Mam and the ook’ may evoke thoughts of Silas’ original concept. No problems up the NW ridge.

“Black Beard Peak”

7241’ / P381mn. Lidar: 7252′ / P399 (so close).

FA August 7, 1983

Thanks to Ron Aronoff

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Ron was not impressed with this peak’s stature in the presence of its towering neighbors, Black Peak and Fisher Peak and commented that this looked more like an ‘Adolescent Peak’ which is what we initially called it. Luckily, Dallas Kloke applied the more appropriate “Black Beard” name in 1989 as it is between Black Peak and “Graybeard Peak.” Three-hour hike up the east slope from HW 20.

**“Black Beard Peak”** from NE on HW 20. Enlarge.

Black Beard from SE.

‘The One-Eyed Bull’

8120+ / P360mean. Lidar: 8157′ / P363.

FA August 13, 1983

Thanks to Russ Kroeker, and Dick Kegel

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

This unique landform lies between Dome Peak and Spire Point. Named for its white snow face and missing right eye. Our route was up the north face on hard snow. The left/east Horn of the Bull is higher.

One-Eyed Bull (L), The Beasts, Cheshire Cat (R) from SW on Whiteout Peak. Enlarge.

‘The Cheshire Cat’

8120+ map / P160mn. Lidar: 8131′ / P150,

Nepa/FA? August 14, 1983

Thanks to Dick Kegel, Russ Kroeker

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Named for its shape. Junky class 5 rock from SE. Looks like the central “ear” is highest.

**‘Cheshire Cat’** right, Spire Point left. Note the rounded cat’s back and two sharp ears which are distinctive from SE. Enlarge. John Scurlock photo

‘**The Cheshire Cat’** on left. Just NE of Spire Point on right. Two sharp ears and rounded cat’s back from NW. John Scurlock photo

‘Ozymandias Peak’

7647’ (USGS map), 7641’ (on CalTopo). Lidar: 7661′ / P304.

FA August 25, 1983

Thanks to Mary Quinn, Steve Allaback, Joe (Alexander) Medlicott, Jr.

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

**‘Ozymandias Peak’** center sharp peak. Left center is Castle Peak, right is Freezeout Mountain, and Three Aunts. Viewed from the west. That snow patch was the only water source on ‘Parched Ridge” from Freezeout cabin (at crosshairs). Enlarge photo

Ozymandias photo by John Porter. View from Freezeout. Ozy on right with ‘Full Moon Rising’ behind it. We came in via left ridge above Freezeout Creek climbing ‘Outback Peak’ and ‘Buck Heaven’ before Full Moon then dropping into Freezeout Creek and up to a camp at ‘Allethaire Pond‘ (lower left by snow patches).

This peak was named by Mary Quinn who was an English professor at UC San Diego and a Keats/Shelley scholar. She proposed the Shelley poem Ozymandias (referring to Ramasses the Great) which explores the fate of history on men and empires and the ravages of time. https://blog.prepscholar.com/ozymandias

“I met a traveler from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter’d visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp’d on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock’d them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

‘Pato Peak’

6800+ P280mn, vies with ‘Lonely’ for Prominence.

Nepa September 26, 1983

Thanks to Carla Patopea

See: http://www.skagitriverjournal.com/RR/NP/Linsley/Linsley02-CivilEngineering193205.html

Map at LoJ. Not on PB or CAG

Minor summit south of Mount Blum. But Harry Majors did a tape-recorded interview (in UW Archives) on August 25, 1973 with Ernest Kobelt who related that he and two companions climbed several minor peaks S of Blum, but not Blum or Hagan about 1923. So this peaklet might have been one of them.

‘Alrac Peak’

6760+ / P80mn.

Nepa September 26, 1983

Thanks to Carla Patopea

Crosshairs on peak. Minor form.

Cliff Lawson and Mike Swayne climbed a “6700 ft knob” after planting fish in Blum Lakes on September 17, 1960 which may well have been this summit’s FA. Not in LoJ, PB, CAG.

**‘Alrac Peak’** on left, then ‘ToDo Tower, ‘Crackrap Peak’, and ‘Lonely Peak’ from south. Enlarge.

‘WHALE PEAK’

6559’ map / Big P1079. Lidar: 6547′ / P1090.

Nepa September 29, 1983

Solo

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Borrowed this name from Whale Lake to south, plus from some angles it looks like the cartoon drawing of a whale. FA by geologist Bruce Bryant July 21, 1953 (letter from Bryant to Harry Majors).

‘Razors Edge’

6000+ / P120mn.

FA September 29, 1983

Solo

Razors Edge map. Not on LoJ, PB or CAG.

Sharp little spire out the NE shoulder of Razorback Mountain. Class 4ish.

1984

Majestic Mountain

Majestic 3

Numbering from north

Majestic 1 (N) is 7510′ on map, but Lidar says 7507′ making it the highest on this ridge with P662.

Majestic 3 on map 7440+/ P360mn. Lidar: 7505′ / P431.

Majestic Mountain (4) is highest on map, once 7520+/ P720. But Lidar says it is 7503′ / P386.

Nepa on once highest Majestic and Majestic 3 June 2, 1984

Thanks to Russ Kroeker

Majestic Mountain 4 (previous map highest) on LoJ & PB. CAG+

Majestic 3 Map on LoJ & PB.

We found uncairned tops with no registers on Majestic 3 and 4, but surely miners in the area visited these peaks. Numbering from the N Pk as 1 (7510′ on map) Majestic 5 7450′ had a cairn but no register. We day-tripped the Majestic Mountain ridge via the East Creek trail and climbed the southern three summits here before dropping to the Boulder Creek trail to Canyon Creek trail, back to HW 20 and hitching back to car. Truth be told, this landform is not particularly “majestic” friom the west.

Majestic Mountain above East Creek. McKay Ridge left. From SW. Enlarge.

This Matt Burton photo from above Boulder Creek on June 7, 2011 tells the Majestic west side story best. Numbering from North Majestic (1), then 2, 3, 4, 5. See above for Lidar elevation changes.

Majestic Mtn clearly got its name from this east side above Mill Creek. Enlarge.

‘The Addict’

7240+ / P120mn

‘North Benzarino’

Lidar 7741′ / P281

Nepa/?FA June 16, 1984

Thanks to Russ Kroeker

Addict map

North Benzarino map on LoJ. PB-, CAG-

Russ came up with this ‘Addict’ name for a small flat-topped point just N of Benzarino, musing that the Benzarino name sounded like the illegal amphetamine, Benzedrine—“bennies,” and that ‘The Addict’ was passing on his Last Chance to come clean at Last Chance Pass just north. Benzarino was a sheep herder in this area, as was his Basque friend, Corteo, and there’s a good chance they wandered up here. Not in LoJ, PB, CAG. See Mount Benzarino 1976.

The Addict is the small flat-topped peaklet on right. Main Benzarino left. North Benzarino center-right. Enlarge.

North Benzarino (L), The Addict (R), Last Chance Pass (far R). Enlarge.

OSCEOLA PEAK ‘Oscy Couloir’

New route July 5, 1984 on Bulger Top 100 peak

Thanks to Silas Wild and Russ Kroeker

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Oscy Couloir on Osceola Peak in center of this face, from NE. Enlarge.

We did this north side snowfield and couloir approaching over the saddle on left, down past the cliffs, then up the snow. This is a preferred route over the chossy south side.

‘The Turret’ aka E ‘Tine’

7640+

FA July 22, 1984

Thanks to Silas Wild and Russ Kroeker

Crosshair on map

East peaklet of “The Blob” (aka Beckey’s ”Rake”) standing between “The Blob” and Mount Terror. From Latin: turris, tower. The ‘Tine’ name is a play off “The Rake” name. Sort of junky class 4 climb out of the notch with Terror.

**‘The Turret’/’Tine’** and friends from Trappers Peak January 23, 1977. Enlarge.

Tines of the Rake, north face. **Turret/ East Tine** on left. This shot makes a good case for Beckey’s name. Enlarge. Matt Lemke photo

The rest of The Rake from East Tine/Turret. Enlarge.

‘Dumbo Peak’

7520+ / P160mn

FA July 23, 1984

Solo

Crosshair on map

Photo.

After our Frenzel Camp just N of Frenzelspitz, Russ and Silas went off to do W and E Fury. I had already climbed both Furys so opted for an easier day dropping into Picket Pass then up 7757’ South Fury (Firey’s name)/aka Outrigger (Beckey’s name) then down the NW side to a saddle connecting to Fury, finishing up a rotten-rock peak that looked a little like an elephant ear (Dumbo) and was trickier than it looked requiring a dumb move. I descended the snow couloir left of Dumbo in above photo link to return to camp.

‘DAEMON PEAK’

7514’ / Huge P2194clean. Lidar: 7531′ / P2243.

FRA July 28, 1984

Solo

Map at LoJ and PB. CAG+

There was no evidence of previous ascent here on July 28, 1984 for an unlikely but recorded first ascent. As I stood atop casting a Brocken spectre below, the valleys all around were filled with clouds but the skies above were clear and the higher peaks floated like ships on a foggy sea.

**Daemon Peak** from ‘Silhouette’ looking south. Crater Mtn right. Enlarge.

Before computer-speak, “daemon” was defined as “a supernatural being of Greek mythology intermediate between gods and man.”

As I levitated there above the clouds between God and Man amongst the Devils, this seemed like the perfect name. Devils Dome and Devils Park below have a possible negative connotation. Daemon is good, or trying to be.

This is one of the 144 peaks in Washington that has over 2000-feet of prominence.

Harry Majors in his epic 1975 treatise, “Exploring Washington” (p. 42) opines that Henry Custer of the 1859 Northwest Boundary Survey party was in this Devils Dome area on September 1-3, 1859 (125 years before my visit), climbing Devils Dome which Harry says the Indians called “Kakoit.” He says Custer climbed Daemon on Sep 2, and Shull on Sep 3, 1859. However one of Custer’s quoted passages about three beautiful little limpid lakes and fine mountain meadows makes this observation suspect as there is no cluster of three lakes in this region. Beckey copied Majors’ FA thought and copied the unimaginative “Cinnamon Creek Peak” name applied by Steve Fry when Steve was calculating Washington’s Top 100 x P2000 peaks in the early 1980s. A peak is not a creek.

It was a straightforward hike up the south slope from Devils Pass camping on a 7203′ southern bump.

‘Silhouette Peak’

7274’ / P414mean. Lidar: 7301′ / P418.

Solo

FA July 28, 1984

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Just N of Daemon Peak. Name derived as this peak complex appeared as a mysterious dark backlit silhouette the first time I saw it from the north on the Pacific Crest Trail near Three Fools Peak. There was a bit of a tricky move down from Daemon around its NW flank.

**Backlit Daemon, Silhouette, ‘S & N Shadow Points’** from Powder Mtn. Jack looming behind. Enlarge. John Porter’s photo. Check out John’s exquisitely organized website http://www.onehikeaweek.com for hundreds of mountain stories and photos.

‘South Shadow’ and ‘North Shadow Points’

7040+ /P120mn (Map) and 6977′ / P197 (Map)

FA July 28, 1984

Solo. See photo above.

Two minor protuberances north of ‘Silhouette.’

‘Obscure Mountain’

6980′ map. Lidar: 6993′ / P538

FA Aug 12, 1984

Thanks to Carla Patopea

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-

So named, because it is. No problems up the south ridge from McGregor Mtn.

**‘Obscure Mountain’** from north on Black Peak. Waddell Lake off photo to right. Enlarge.

Obscure Mountain from Deadman Creek. Enlarge.

‘Native Knoll’

6439’ map. Lidar: 6449′ / P842.

Epa/First Full Foot Ascent August 19, 1984

Thanks to Alex Medlicott III (with Joe Medlicott and Steve Allaback in support)

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG–

Referring to Native Americans and Skagit Natives. Also the name plays off of Interloper Peak 6484′ (see 1977) which we repeated in 1984 approaching up ‘Pork Belly Ridge’ (between the two forks of Bacon Creek). Wood and wire were found on ‘Native Knoll” in 1984 left by the 1953 helicoptering USGS surveyors. Geologists Rowland Tabor and Doug McKeever had scrambled it from the NE after landing on “Mystery Ridge” in a helicopter in 1967. We walked up the south ridge.

**‘Native Knoll’** from NE. Hagan Mountain on right. Enlarge.

‘Lonely Peak’

6800+ / P240mn. Lidar: 6804′ / P248.

FA August 20, 1984

Thanks to Alex G. Medlicott III, Alexander (Joe) Medlicott, Jr., and Steve Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. Minor unnamed reference in CAG.

For its position above Lonesome Creek. Easier than it looks from the south (in following photo).

**‘Lonely Peak’** center, **‘Schizo Peak’** left from NE. Enlarge.

‘Crackrap Peak’

6720+ P160mn

FA August 20, 1984

Thanks to Alex G. Medlicott III, Joe Medlicott, and Steve Allaback

Crosshairs on peak.

Just west/right of ‘Lonely Peak’ in photo below.

Not in LoJ, PB, or CAG.

There was a short steep crack up the east side, encouraging a rappel to descend.

**Lonely Peak** left, Crackrap Peak right, Glacier Peak on horizon. Enlarge. Need photo credit

‘Cheval de Frise’ NW Peak

6280+

FA of the NW-most summit on this ridge August 25, 1984

Solo

Crosshairs on Map

NW of Cheval de Frise 6356′ high point with Lidar P252 on PB.

Green CAG credits FA of 6356 to Bruce Bryant on Sep16, 1954 on traverse from Chaval. Harry Majors documented that Bruce Bryant and A.R. Grant made this FA on July 7, 1953 from the W.

The name of this bumpy ridge NW of Mount Chaval plays off “cheval” as this ridge looks fancifully somewhat like a cheval de frise, a barrier row of spikes, sword blades, broken glass, set as an obstacle on top of a wall used to obstruct the passage of soldiers on horseback.

This ridge can be seen from HW 20 from a point between Rockport and Marblemount, near Corkindale Creek.

‘Petit Chaval’

Lidar 6429′ / P502.

Epa/ ?3A August 26, 1984 (small cairn, no register)

Solo

LoJ. PB.

CAG credits FA to Tom Menzel & J. Wilson 6/30/74, but geologists Bruce Bryant and A.R. Grant likely did FA on 7/7/53 per Bryant’s notes to Harry Majors. From Mount Chaval, Petit Chaval is a good-looking spire which has also been called ‘The Steeple.’ Steepish climb from east.

‘Faux Chaval’

6364’ map and Lidar/ P189 Lidar

Epa/?3A August 26, 1984

Solo

LoJ-. PB. CAG states, ‘’No data. Most attractive of group.’’

This peak was climbed in a whiteout by a Mountaineer party via the W ridge, who upon arriving atop mistakenly thought they had summited Mount Chaval (though they were 1.5 miles W of and 763’ vertical short of their goal). I discovered their orange match-case register holding their summit notes after I soloed up the E ridge on August 26, 1984. This group was delighted atop to think they had completed the Mountaineers Everett Branch Silver Peak Award here and recorded that in their summit entry.

Back home, I contacted their party leader by phone and told him I had some good news and some bad news for him. The good news was that they made what I thought then was the first ascent of a cute little peak that can be seen from the highway just west of Darrington. The bad news of course was they had not climbed Chaval. He didn’t buy it.

In July 2020, Harry Majors sent me notes from geologist Bruce Bryant who recorded a traverse from ‘Mortons Neuroma’ 5955 E along the ridge to a 6200’ col W of Mount Chaval with A.R. Bob Grant on July 7, 1953.

**‘Cheval de Frise’** left, ‘Petit Chaval’ center, ‘Faux Chaval’ right from west. Tristen Osborn photo

‘Yellow Tower’

8080+

Nepa September 3, 1984

Thanks to Russ Kroeker

Map

This was a minor consolation summit on a failed attempt on Wy’East Mountain’s SE ridge via an unrecommended route to that summit from Fourth of July Basin.

Copper Peak, NR up SW gully

8964’ on map (and a Bulger Top 100 peak). Lidar: 8965’ / P502

New route September 16, 1984

Thanks to Silas Wild and Bob Tillotson

Maps on LoJ and PB. CAG+

**Copper Peak, SW Face. Up route in red. Descent in green. Enlarge**. John Scurlock photo

Our ascent route was class 4/easy 5 around a couple of chockstones. Going up our descent route would be easier.

“North BIG BOSOM BUTTE”

6384’ on map. Lidar 6384′ / P846

FA by foot September 28, 1984

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

This descriptive anatomical name was applied by geologist Rowland Tabor.

From Twin Lakes we dropped into and up out of West Fork Silesia Creek leaving our overnight camp packs at the 5520+ ‘Cleavage Col’ between the “Bosoms” then tried a gully on North Bosom just this side of right skyline in photo below. This turned out to be more complex than expected. Moving left onto easier terrain we finished on the west ridge. Wood and wire left by helicoptering USGS surveyors on their field check from 1953 was found at the summit.

‘Accessory Nipple’ 5922’ / P182mn. Bump just N of North Big Bosom. Noted, but not climbed Sep 28, 1984. Minor, but still waits in 2025.

**“North Big Bosom Butte”** left, “South Big Bosom” right, ‘Cleavage Col’ in between. **‘Accessory Nipple’** far left, from near Twin Lakes. That might be ‘Blink” between them (see 1982) Enlarge.

North Big Bosom Butte looking north from Cleavage Col. Enlarge.

“South BIG BOSOM BUTTE”

6521’ map and Lidar / Lidar P467.

FA by foot/NR September 29, 1984

Thanks to Mark Allaback

LoJ and PB. CAG+

Geologists Rowland Tabor and Doug McKeever were deposited by helicopter at ‘Cleavage Col’ and scaled the north ridge of this peak on Aug 2, 1967. Mark and I circled the west slope from our camp at Cleavage Col and finished on the south ridge the day after climbing the North Bosom.

North Big Bosom left, South Big Bosom right with Cleavage Col between them. Traversing the scree under the cliffs of South Big Bosom was sketchy. Enlarge.

**“South Big Bosom Butte”** showing our FA finish route up the south slope. Enlarge.

1985

Jordan Peak/BM

6397′ map. Lidar: 6403′ / P 1034.

First Winter Ascent March 17, 1985

Thanks to Mike Bialos

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Up north ridge from Boulder Creek.

Jordan Peak, from north. Enlarge. Zak Griffith photo

‘Kaiwhat Peak’

7100+ (15’ quad), 7120+ (7.5’ quad). Lidar 7135′ / P434.

Nepa May 19, 1985 with Reed Tindall.

Maps on LoJ (where Kaiwhat steals the prominence from Sho-ghud-ope) and PB. Green CAG-.

Lidar puts Kaiwhat at 7135’ and Sho-ghud-ope at 7142′.

On the 1988 7.5’ USGS Gamma Peak quad ‘Sho-ghud-ope’ and ‘Kaiwhat’ show as the same 7120+ elevation.

Kaiwhat was the Suiattle Indian name for Sulphur Creek.

Beckey proposed the Kaiwhat name for the slightly lower pass one-mile north of Ross Pass.

‘SHO-GHUD-OPE’

7145’ (15’ quad), 7120+ (7.5’ quad). Lidar: 7142′ / Big P1295.

Nepa/?FA May 19, 1985 with Reed Tindall.

Maps on LoJ (yielding Pmean to Kaiwhat Mtn) and PB.

Green CAG records as 7145 elevation only, under “Sulphur Mtn Trail.”

Sho-ghud-ope was the Suiattle Indian name for this peak or the surrounding area which meant “gray earth” (credit Steve Fry, Harry Majors for reference). Recorded as a FA (nepa anyway) but probably not since it is the highest peak next to Sulphur Mountain Lookout whose attendant possibly wandered over here, via Kaiwhat.

**‘Sho-ghud-ope’** left, ‘**Kaiwhat Peak’** right, from NW above Sulphur Creek. Enlarge.

‘Louie Louie’

7782’ map. Lidar: 7786′ / P279.

FA May 26, 1985

Thanks to John “Lizard” Lixvar and Russ “Koala” Kroeker

Map and LoJ. PB-. CAG-.

Named for its position above Louis Creek and Louis Lake, plus it’s the Unofficial Washington State Song.

See following photo. We crossed over this summit on the way from Reynolds to…

‘BA PEAK’

8142’ map. Lidar: 8145′ / Big P1285.

Epa/2A? May 26, 1985

With Russ Kroeker and John Lixvar

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG+.

This was originally called “Bugger Mtn” by John Lixvar on his 1976 list of the WA Top 194 Bulger/P400’ peaks, borrowing the map name from Bugger Lake just north. Beckey suggested the commemorative name “Mount Gibbs” in his CAG for George Gibbs (1815–1873) an American ethnologist, naturalist and geologist. However some think that name refers to Bruce Gibbs, the second person to finish the Bulger List. Steve Fry called it “Grandfather Mtn” when he developed his list of the Top 100 peaks in Washington with 1000-feet of prominence in the mid-1980s. Sticking with the grandfather theme, when Aaron was learning to talk, he called his grandfather “Ba.” Google Maps previously had the “Ba Peak” label here.

**‘Louie Louie’** left, ‘**Ba Peak’** center. Enlarge. Eric Eames photo

ROBINSON MOUNTAIN ‘Crusoe Couloir‘

8726′ map. Lidar: 8729 / P 1700

New Route June 16, 1985 (not FA of peak)

Thanks to Reed Tindall

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Up via 1000 foot steep snow couloir on north side

Twenty years later this was skied by Sky Sjue, Kam Leang, and Phil Fortier on June 15, 2005.

Robinson with Crusoe Couloir from NW. Enlarge.

We descended from a pass off to the right in above photo, down across the snowy basin to the base of the snow couloir that shoots up to just right of the summit. I wrote then that “it’s just a matter of time before the skiers find it.” They did.

Robinson’s Crusoe Couloir is the continuous skinny couloir right-mid photo. Enlarge. John Scurlock photo February 3, 2005.

‘Eagles Beak’

8107’ / P167mean

FA July 3, 1985

Thanks to Russ Kroeker

Summit at crosshairs. CAG+

Note that map elevation is recorded as 8107Tx. (T is temporary benchmark, and If the “x” appears alone, it is often an “unmonumented” point. In many cases these were determined through photogrammetry–analyzing aerial photographs–rather than direct field measurement.)

This is the lower pointy beak summit of Mad Eagle 8111’ (see 1979 above). We approached up this NE ridge from Depot Creek, finishing on the final class 4 west ridge.

Eagles Beak is sharp central point with Mad Eagle’s wings on ether side flying upward. Legs down. Enlarge.

‘Redoubt Pinnacles’

North ~8750’ & South ~8700’

FAs July 4, 1985

Solo

Map Not in LoJ, PB, or CAG.

SW of 8969’ Mount Redoubt summit.

Easier than they look. Dropped from the Redoubt summit while Russ Kroeker made contact with his ham-radio friends.

**Redoubt Pinnacles.** Mount Redoubt just off photo to right. Enlarge.

‘Spirea Spire’ 7102’

FA August 12, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Mary Quinn, Joe Medlicott

Not really a spire, more of an elevation mark on the map for a minor point hardly worth mentioning just NW of Sisi Ridge 7444’. It’s got an unheralded 800-foot steep N buttress above Sun Creek though. Named for its abundance of mountain spirea, Mark’s favorite mountain flower.

‘Yes Yes Peak’

7109’ map. Lidar 7114′ / P301

FA August 12, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Mary Quinn, Joe Medlicott

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Running Sisi Ridge SSW from its 7444-foot northern high point, this was a play on “Si Si” amigo.

‘Oui Oui’

7120+ map. Lidar: 7153′ / P551.

Nepa/?FA August 12, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Mary Quinn, Joe Medlicott

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Running Sisi Ridge south from its 7444-foot northern high point, this was a play on “Si Si” amigo.

Their were hints of a fire line in places along this ridge though.

‘Wish Mountain’

7200+ map. Lidar: 7212′ / P500

FA August 12, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback, Mary Quinn, Joe Medlicott

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+ in small print under Lyall Ridge.

Named for the wishbone-shaped lake at its west base which looks more like a wishbone on the map than in real life.

**‘Wish Mountain’** right above ‘Wishbone Lake’, **‘Yes Yes Mtn’** and **‘Oui Oui Mtn’** left. Enlarge.

‘Alastor’

7326′ map. Lidar: 7341′ / P368.

FA August 13, 1985

Thanks to Mary Quinn, Joe Medlicott, Mark Allaback, Steve Allaback

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG+ in small print under Lyall Ridge.

Name given by Mary Quinn, Ph.D. a Keats/Shelley scholar for the poem Alastor; or, The Spirit of Solitude. by Percy Bysshe Shelley. We enjoyed the “Spirit of Solitude” as there was no one around for miles on our visit (or since as of 2025, 40 years later). See also Xor.

‘**Alastor’** left. ‘**Xor’** was the name given to the combination. Enlarge.

‘Xor Peaks’

7280+ & 7326′ map / P346mn

FA August 13, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback (as Steve, Mary, and Joe headed for camp at Emilia Lake)

LoJ 7326 as Alastor. PB-. CAG-.

Good-looking busty symmetrical twin summits. ‘Alastor’ name was applied to S summit here.

‘Heath Point’

7280+ map. Lidar: 7314’-7315’ / P299-P300 Lidar

FA Aug 13, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map at LoJ and PB.

Southernmost point on Heather Ridge

‘Cassiope Peak’

7800+ map. Lidar: 7849′ / P398 (so close)

FA August 13, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback (as Steve, Mary, and Joe headed for camp at ‘Lake Emilia’)

LoJ. PB. CAG mentions in small type under Heather Ridge without credit.

This is a slightly lower southern summit on Heather Ridge. Cassiope is the genus name for heather.

HEATHER RIDGE

7928’ map. Lidar: 7951′ / Big P1175.

FA August 13, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Heather Ridge name appears on USGS Mount Lyall map. Beckey says it’s “easy” without giving ascenders credit. The scramble left to right (south to north) along this ridge was not entirely easy. This summit popped onto the radar of climbers going for the WA Top 300 by P400, and successfully accomplished by Eric Eames and John Porter.

‘**Cassiope’, ‘Baton’, Heather Ridge** High Point from NE above Cabin Creek. Enlarge.

‘Baton Peak’

7680+. P160mn.

FA August 13, 1985 by Mark Allaback

Mark soloed this as I watched at the base of its rotten steep W face of this middle summit of Heather Ridge. I happily passed the Baton to Mark here when he was 23 and I was 41. Not on LoJ, PB, or CAG.

‘Mount Metamorphosis’

7745’ / P245mean on map.

Epa? August 14, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map link

Not on LoJ, PB, CAG.

Named for its rock type. Looks better from the north than prominence gives it credit for.

‘ID Peak’

7520+ / P280mn.

FA August 14, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback

ID Peak map. Not on LoJ, PB, or CAG.

The letters “ID” (of Lyall r ID ge) overlie the summit on the USGS Mount Lyall map. See photo above.

‘Conglomerate Peak’

7680+ map. Lidar: 7729′ / P412.

FA August 14, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback

LoJ. PB. CAG-.

For its rock type. SE of the highest point of Lyall Ridge, so 49 feet lower than the high point. See photo with Lyall Ridge.

LYALL RIDGE

7760+ map. Lidar: 7778′ / P799.

FA August 14, 1985

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+.

Ridge name is labeled on map. This is the highest point.

We ran the ridge from the SE. Beckey writes that this ridge and nearby Mount Lyall were named for British geologist Sir Charles Lyall (a Scotsman who spelled his name “Lyell”). More likely named for the species of larch trees.

**Conglomerate Peak left-center. Lyall Ridge** high point right-center with ‘Lake Emilia‘ at head of Pass Creek. Enlarge.

**Lyall Ridge** from NW on Seven Sisters, Pass Creek on left, Swamp Creek right. Enlarge.

’Cube Rock’

5800’

FA September 28, 1985

Thanks to Monte Steere, Grady Steere (12), Nigel Steere (9)

Map. Satellite.

We camped at the lakelet shown on satellite view which featured rock climbs the kids named “Splashdown” and “Almost Impossible” after our climb of Tommy Thompson.

1986

‘Starlet Peak’

8040+ map / P320mn. Lidar: 8064′ / P333.

FA/Nepa June 21, 1986

Solo

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

Just SE of Star on a traverse from Oval to Star to Séance

**‘Starlet Peak’** above Bernice Lake. Enlarge. rubywrangler photo on nwhikers.

‘Séance Peak’

8067’ map / P467clean. Lidar: 8070′ / P486.

FA/nepa June 21, 1986

Solo

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Highest peak at the south end of Spirit Mountain. A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits or the dead. WA Top 200 by P400 peak. Approached along ridge from Star Peak.

“Ghost Peak”

8000+ / P200mean. Lidar: 7993′ / P237.

New route and 2A (second ascent) July 21, 1986

Thanks to Russ Kroeker and Silas Wild

LoJ and PB. CAG+

Joan and Carla Firey, Dave Knudson, Peter Renz did the classic sun-shadow arête in 1970. Our NR and second ascent of this peak was farther left on the class 4-5 sunny face and gullies.

**“Ghost Peak”** far right, then Crooked Thumb and Challengers. Enlarge. Jon Parker photo

‘Glissader Peak’

7680+ / P160mn.

Thanks to Dusty Steere (13-years old), Grady Steere (12), Toby Steere (11), Nigel Steere (10)

FA/nepa August 9, 1986

Map, at crosshairs

Dusty named this for the climbing skill the young cousins and brothers were perfecting as we descended.

**‘Glissader Peak’** right, above Wing Lake below. Corteo left. Enlarge.

‘T’s on a Bull’ W Pk

8000+ (15’ USGS Holden), 7920+ (7.5’ USGS Clark Mtn)

FA August 13, 1986

Solo

Crosshair on map

Twin summits, when viewed from the south were regarded “worthless as…” by my companions. Just east of “Luahna Peak,” it is easily done from there. They look pretty good from the north. The name was politically corrected to ‘Butterfly Wings’ (see 1989).

‘**W T’s on a Bull’** on right. These twin summits were more appropriately renamed ‘**Butterfly Wings’** above Butterfly Butte. Luahna Peak out of view right, Clark out of view left from north. Enlarge

‘Cocoon’

Summit at crosshairs, shown as 8151′ on old map below.

“Neyah Point”

8201′ / P401 Lidar

No evidence of previous ascent August 14, 1986

Thanks to Steve Allaback and Joe Medlicott

Maps on LoJ and PB. CAG+.

Neyah likely had a previous ascent. It is a new Lidar addition to the WA Top 200 by P400. In his guidebook, Beckey states this name “means ‘good spirit’ in Algonquin Chinook.” But Chinook is a Pacific NW trade jargon, and Algonquin is an entirely different, Indigenous-language family spoken in Eastern Canada and the Great Lakes region. In CAG, he surmises routes from S, E, N, and NW but (“details not available”) for this peak. Per AI, similar-sounding words in related Algonquian languages (Ojibwe/Cree) have the following meanings: “Niya/Niyâ” (Cree): An interjection that can mean “go ahead!”, “go on!” “Niyaa” (Ojibwe): An interjection with translations like “ah!”, “alas!”, “oh my!”, “oh goodness!”

‘9 Peak’

8100+. Summit at crosshairs.

Nepa (no evidence of previous ascent) found on Cocoon, Neyah Point, or 9 Peak August 13-14, 1986.

Thanks to Joe Medlicott, Steve Allaback

‘Cocoon’ is above Butterfly Glacier. ‘9 Peak’ is SW of Tenpeak Mtn (see ‘8 Peak’ for photo).

‘Dark Fin Tower’

7400+ map / P120mn. Lidar: 7487′ / P136.

FA August 31, 1986

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Maps on LoJ and PB. CAG+ in small text under Dark Peak.

Named for its shape, its proximity to Dark Peak, and that Joe Vance who made the FA of Shark Fin Tower in 1949 was with us this day to climb Dark. Looks hard, but no technical problems.

‘Anonymity Tower’

8000+ map / P200mn. Lidar 8009′ / P209.

FA August 31, 1986

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Maps on LoJ and PB. CAG+ in small text under Dark Peak.

Photo above.

Dark Peak was nearly unknown before coming out on the Bulger List. In 1986 on our ascent, no one knew what Mark Allaback had been climbing in the North Cascades. Between 1977 and 1993, Mark climbed 210 WA Peaks. 87 of them were First Ascents. 26 were Second Ascents. Other Anonymity Towers to the SE are higher and still hiding as of 2025.

‘Mount Tragedy’

Lidar 7841′ / P611 Lidar

FA September 2, 1986

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Maps on LoJ and PB. CAG+ as Sable Ridge with no ascent credit.

This is the highest point and the southernmost peak on map-labeled Sable Ridge. Approach was from Holden Pass after climbing Bonanza.It has four nearly equal summit tops.

Master horse packer Ray Courtney from Stehekin died near Hilgard Pass at the base of this peak as he and his horse tumbled off the trail in 1982, when he was 62. Ray on right. Courtney Peak is named in his honor. Mountaineer Annual 1983-90, see pp. 84-86.

Mount Tragedy and rest of Sable Ridge from south. Note four summit tops. Enlarge.

**‘Tragedy’** Register (left on Sep 2, 1986). John Porter photo

1987

‘Cloudcaplets’

6062′ & 6019′ on map/ P162mn.

FA June 18, 1987

Thanks to Reed Tindall

Map at crosshairs

Approached these twin bumps up SE ridge of Cloudcap/Seahpo from Baker River on failed attempt on new route up Cloudcap. Camped on top.

**Cloudcaplets** are the two minor bumps below center horizon. Cloudcap (L), Icy (R). Enlarge Matt Burton photo

Almost to Cloudcaplet with Cloudcap behind. Enlarge.

‘Baekos Peak’

7529′ map. Lidar 7533′ / P486

FA June 27, 1987

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

Moved this unusual creek name uphill. Unknown meaning, but a now dead link once said Baeko means “Explorer, Great Companion, Trustworthy,” all qualities which describe Mark. Lots of white water in this creek shows up on the satellite view.

Baekos Peak from south approach. The left summit is higher. Enlarge.

‘Tzum Mtn’

6803′ on 1950 15′ USGS Glacier Peak. 6824′ on 7.5′ map / P204mn.

Nepa June 28, 1987

Thanks to Mark Allaback and Carla Patopea

Tzum Map. Map on PB for ‘Brown’. Not on LoJ or CAG.

Tzum and Brown are unnamed summits on either side of Black Mountain. Other peaks along this ridge had cairns without registers in 1987. Hardly worth mentioning, but Tzum is a good Chinook Jargon name meaning “mixed colors” midway on the ‘Painted Traverse.’ It had also been called ‘Greenback Mtn.’

These colors reflect the “Painted Traverse,” a high route along the ridge north of the N Fk Sauk River from Red/”Painted Mtn,” continuing over Skalabats, Magenta, Tzum, Black, Brown, Purple, White Mtns, or going the other way from the E to W, as we did. This 15-minute 1950 USGS Glacier Peak map snip has added names below. The 7.5’ map shows different elevations.

15-minute *USGS Glacier Peak* with labels added. We did an east to west high traverse from Glacier Peak. Enlarge.

**‘Brown Mtn’** register, Black Mtn in back. Fred Beavon preceded us in 1978. Mike Lewis photo

‘Magenta Mountain’

6735’ 7.5’map. Lidar 6738’/ P496.

Epa/2A? June 29, 1987 (small cairn, no register)

Thanks to Mark Allaback and Carla Patopea.

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-

Along the Painted Traverse. E of Painted/Red Mtn, W of Tzum. Has sort of a faint magenta color to it.

**Magenta, Black, Tzum, Brown** on Painted Traverse from Red Mountain, Glacier Peak above. Enlarge. Kitya photo

‘Skalabats Peak’

6697’ 7.5’ map. Lidar: 6658′ / P548

Epa/?2A June 29, 1987 with Mark Allaback, Carla Patopea.

We found a rusted geologist’s rock hammer near the top. No register.

LoJ and PB. Not in CAG.

This is the Sauk-Suiattle word for “Painted.” Named for the creek to south.

**“Skalabats Peak”** left, ‘**Little Skalabats Peak’** far right. Enlarge. Kitya photo

‘Tahlak Peak’ aka ‘Little Skalabats Peak’

6476’ / P216mean

FA/Nepa June 29, 1987 with Mark Allaback, Carla Patopea.

Map. Not on LoJ, PB or CAG.

Just S of Skalabats Peak (see) and N of Skalabats Creek.

Also N of Tahlak Creek, just to keep another Indigenous name alive.

Painted (Red) Mtn, Skalabats Peak, Tahlak/Little Skalabats (rocky one), Black Mtn. Enlarge. Kevin Thurner photo

‘Little Shull’

7440+ / P160mean

Nepa July 17, 1987, but likely previously climbed

3 Fingers, Knuckle Knob video by Long Bach Nguyen.

Passed over this NE subsummit of Shull Mountain on descent. Hardly worth mentioning.

Little Shull right, Shull Mountain center. Enlarge.

‘Knuckle Knob‘

6200+ on online map. I had written it down as 6300’.

FA/Nepa July 26, 1987

Thanks to Gary Mellom and Joel Mellom

Summit at crosshairs. CAG–

After visiting the Three Fingers Lookout, we circled south to pick off what appears from many angles as a rounded knuckle at the base of the lookout finger. Jim’s photo does it much more justice. Gary roped us up.

Knuckle Knob looking less daughting, left of Three Fingers from east at Squire Pass. Enlarge.

‘The Log’

7120+ / P280mean

FA August 8, 1987

Thanks to Charlie Janeway, Jeff Janeway, Roy Farrell, Marshall Eaton, Carla Patopea

Lying on the ground after Paul Bunyan fell his tree leaving Paul Bunyans Stump.

**The Log** above Colonial Glacier, Paul Bunyans Stump off to right. Enlarge. James Barlow photo

‘Snowflake’

7760+ / P80

Nepa August 8, 1987

Solo

Map (mislabeled as The Horseman)

Miniscule point likely climbed earlier by someone thinking they were doing The Horseman.

‘Snowball Peak’

7920+ / P200mn.

FA August 8, 1987

Thanks to Carla Patopea

Map at crosshairs

Snowfield Peak middle, **Snowball Peak** to its left above Neve Glacier, ‘Snowflake’ peeking above right horizon. Enlarge. Snowball is more rounded in other views.

1988

‘Teddy Bear Point’

5351’ Cute, but minimal P.

Nepa June 21, 1988

Solo

This frontal point looks like the head of a teddy bear with two ears from the Mountain Loop Highway. A mining drill was found at the base, so there’s a good chance that a miner went to this top. Going to this elevation-mark was an afterthought following a CCW loop from Stillaguamish Peak and ‘Pemmican Peak’ (previously unnamed). The bushwhack drop back to Perry Creek trail to complete the loop was unpleasant.

‘Spocks Ear’

6200+ P 60, maybe more.

Nepa/?FA June 25, 1988

Solo

This peak looks like the pointy ear of Spock, from Star Trek.

**‘Spocks Ear’** right of Hurricane Peak from Boulder Lake with Karen, wife-to-be next year. Enlarge.

‘Clean Peak’

6783’ map. Lidar: 6788′ / P370.

FA August 6, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ, PB. CAG-

Above Bath Lakes, plus we found this summit to be “clean,” with no cairn.

**‘Clean Peak’** with **‘Sho-ghud-ope’** just right. Enlarge.

Clean Peak from south. Angst, Spire Point, Cheshire Cat, One-Eyed Bull above. Enlarge.

‘Bath Peak’/’Shower Peak’

6956’ map. Lidar: 6963′ / P379.

Double summit

FA August 6, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-.

**Bath Lakes High Route peaks** above Sulphur Creek, with labels. from north. Enlarge. Bob Bolton photo

**“Great Wall Peak”** left, **‘Bath Peak’, ‘Shower Peak’** center-right looking SW. Enlarge.

‘Quiet Ridge I’ 7080+

‘Quiet II High Point‘ 7080+ P320mn

‘Quiet III’ 6960+

‘Quiet IV’ 6960+

‘Quiet V’ 6840+

‘Quiet VI’ 6868

FAs August 7, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ. Not on PB or CAG.

“STONEHENGE RIDGE”

**Stonehenge 8 and two Stone Pinnacles** at W end. View,from Quiet Ridge. Enlarge.

Nepa on all but Stonehenge 5 (7320+ on map) and possibly Stonehenge 7 August 7, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback

On a west to east summit ridge-run.

First ascents of some/all of these are unknown.

There was a 1930’s/CCC? lookout stationed on the W ridge of Bannock Mountain below its summit.

So the lookout ranger there may have wandered over to break the boredom.

‘Stonehenge 5‘ is the ridge high point and had a cairn, but no register. 7415’ Lidar/P815 Lidar. Online map is missing a contour line.

Stonehenge Ridge. Numbered with map elevations and prominences. Glacier Peak in back. Enlarge.

The peaks were numbered left/east to right/west from Totem Pass with current 7.5’ map elevations:

Stonehenge Ridge 1 7078 left, behind tree is above Totem Pass and on PB as “Totem Point.”

SH 2 7260T just left of Glacier Peak (we camped on its flat south ridge)

SH 3 7280+ the blocky summit in front of Glacier

SH 4 7280+ point on right edge of Glacier

SH 5 High point, but map is missing a contour since this peak is higher than spot elevation 7362 to W

SH 6 7362 which the map shows as the HP,

SH 7 7240+ several little bumps, to

SH 8 7346 on right.

The Stone Pinnacles are the two little 7200+ crags right/west of SH 8.

**“Stonehenge Ridge”** in 1979 from the NE showing the entire Stonehenge Ridge (unlabeled). Enlarge.

‘Little Big Horn’

7680+ map / P320mn. Lidar: 7695′ / P331.

2A? (second ascent) August 8, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback

LoJ and PB. CAG+ as “South Peak” of Sitting Bull.

Horn-shaped peak just SW of Sitting Bull Mountain. Little Bighorn was the site of Custer’s Last Stand where Cheyenne and Lakotas led by Sitting Bull were victorious. We found a piece of old, rotten 1-inch manila rope near the summit possibly left by a 1949 FA party.

Sitting Bull center, **‘Little Big Horn’** pointy peak on right. Enlarge. Adam Walker photo

‘8/8/88 Peak’

7509′ / P249mn. Lidar: 7508′ / P321.

FA August 8, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Named for the date of our climb, up the south ridge.

**‘8/8/88 Peak’** from SE near Cloudy Pass above Agnes Creek. Enlarge.

‘Like-It Spire’ ~7700+

‘Leave-It Spire’ 7700-

FA August 13, 1988

Thanks to Silas Wild and Mark Allaback

Minor pinnacles NE of E Kololo, Silas announced “I like it” as it looked sort-of good as we approached from the north. ‘Leave-It’ is just south and less impressive.

Peaks at crosshairs

Like-It Spire from below Kololo. Enlarge.

**‘Like-It Spire’** is the plug below East Kololo in Honeycomb Glacier. Enlarge.

‘Hammerhead Peak’

7900+

FA August 13, 1988

Thanks to Silas Wild and Mark Allaback

Interesting crag with a bulging top shaped like a hammerhead shark. Uphill from ‘The Stinger.’ Short roped move. Kodak lost my film so there’s a gap in my slide collection. You will recognize it when you’re there.

‘**Stinger’** and **‘Hammerhead’** are the left center points on ridge between Honeycomb Glacier left and Suiattle Glacier right. Salute to Jake. ‘Like-It’ and ‘Leave-It’ far left, multiple Kololo Peaks above glaciers, Mount David left horizon. Enlarge. Sam Bankhead photo

‘Stinger Spire’

7800+

FA August 13, 1988

Thanks to Silas Wild and Mark Allaback

Above Honeycomb Glacier. It looks like the stinger of a bee. Short roped move. Kodak lost my film in processing.

**Stinger Spire**. Enlarge. Matt Burton photo

‘The Hive’

7560+ map. Lidar 7707’ / P614.

FA August 13, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback and Silas Wild

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

Named for its location above the Honeycomb Glacier. ‘The Bishop’ is a small bishop’s-mitre shaped rock form on the east ridge of The Hive, also climbed.

**‘The Hive’** with ‘Bishop’ left above Honeycomb Glacier, E Kololo and ‘Like-It Spire’ right. Enlarge.

‘8 Peak’ 8000+

‘7 Peak’ 8100+

FA or nepa August 14, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback and Silas Wild

7 Peak Map at crosshair

Lesser SW summits of Tenpeak Mtn.

Tenpeak Mtn (named on map) is highest point. Seven (7) Peak on right with 8 Pk and 9 Pk between them. Enlarge. Adam Walker photo

**‘7 Peak’** left, then **‘8 Peak’, ‘9 Peak’**, **Tenpeak Mtn** is highest, and 4 others. Numbers don’t quite add up to 10 peaks. Enlarge.

‘Pumice Point’

7440+

Nepa August 14, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback and Silas Wild

Insignificant eminence SW of Tenpeak covered in Glacier Peak eruptive pumice.

‘Bolt Peak’

6613’ map. Lidar: 6620′ / P572.

FA August 14, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback and Silas Wild

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-

Name play on peak between Lightning Creek and Thunder Creek.

**‘Bolt Peak’** above Lightning (Bolt) Creek. Enlarge.

‘Sumallo Peak’

7700+ on map. Lidar: 7710’ / P492

FA August 18, 1988

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Maps on LoJ (at crosshairs) and PB (where Sumallo Peak is mislabeled as Mount Rideout). CAG +

John Scurlock’s photo

This is a British Columbia peak about 10 miles north of the US Border at the very head of Sumallo River, one of the main terminal forks of the Skagit River, between Mounts Rideout and Payne. Hydrating the night before with an adequate amount of Canadian Kokanee beer we hoofed it up the NW slope to the top of Silvertip Mountain then dropped west to the saddle with Mount Rideout where we left our overnight packs and continued to Rideout. There were some tricky spots descending west to the Sumallo saddle. We ran out of time to get Payne so contoured around the south slope of Rideout back to our camp.

1989

McKay Ridge

7000+ / P800mn.

Nepa May 4, 1989

Solo

Map on LoJ and PB.

But…The 1938 Skagit Ranger District trails map takes this one off the FA rack. There was a “F[oo]t Way” up “Kay Rdge.”

‘Butterfly Wing’

7700+99 (15’ map), 7720+ (7.5’ map) / P240mn (looks like more on photo)

FA August 12, 1989

Thanks to Rose Lochmann

Peak at crosshair Not on LoJ, PB, CAG.

SW of Butterfly Butte

Butterfly Wings from near Butterfly Butte. Luahna on right. Enlarge.

**‘Butterfly Wing’** summit with Rose Lochmann. Enlarge.

‘Doe Mtn’

7840+ / P200mn

FA October 7, 1989

Thanks to Dick Kegel

Peak at crosshair (highest contour was reached). Not on LoJ, PB, CAG.

Play on neighbor Buck Mtn name, plus financial discussion.

**‘Doe Mountain’** left, Buck Mountain right from Butterfly Meadows, Butterfly Butte in midground. Enlarge.

LUNA PEAK

First Winter Ascent

December 28-31, 1989

Thanks to Silas Wild, Russ Kroeker, Paul Michelson, Jim Burcroff

Map of Luna Peak and ‘Axes/Access Creek’

(written 1990)

Silas Wild started the ball rolling the day after Christmas 1989, calling Russ Kroeker and me, with an eye on the Pickets. Thoughts of Picket plums were always dancing somewhere in our heads back in the day. We all love the place. Silas’ first thought, and one he did not easily give up on, was to do Inspiration. This would be the first winter ascent (FWA) of Inspiration, and something that needed to be done quickly he thought, because “the skiing Skoogs” were after it.

Russ and I were skeptical of the conditions this 1989 year though, since a recent light storm had brought powdery sugar snow to the high elevations likely making the steep Inspiration route treacherous. Also, the finish there is on the north and lee side. Unwise. So we opted for Luna.

I called Ross Lake Resort via a direct line now from Seattle, and Carol, owner Tom Barnett’s girlfriend of the last two years, answered. She wasn’t sure he was running any boats up the lake on the off season. But Tom soon called back that he was. We arranged a Picket-up time.

Luna Peak. Big Beaver Creek lower right, Axes Creek mid-right between ridges, McMillan Creek left. From SE on Pumpkin Mtn December 5, 1982. Enlarge.

Thursday, December 28, 1989. Because a small storm blew in on Wednesday December 27th, we decided to get a slow start (7 AM) out of town. I drove Russ up and heard the story of the last and “best year of his life,” which started with Habiba leaving him for a number of reasons, one of which was that he was Godless. He became God-full in February, and quite remarkably turned his life around, and she came back, but there remained an ongoing disagreement between his God and her Jehovah’s Witness ideology. Two hours of that and we were in Marblemount at the National Park Ranger Station where we met Silas, along with Paul Michelson and Jim Burcroff, a couple of energetic-looking 29-year olds he had commandeered for youthful help with punching steps in the snow.

Merlene Buller, a Marblemount native who had been there since the Forest Service days, and a new face, Cheri Cook were in the main office to sign us out. A couple years before, Russ had left his Sherpa snowshoes in Stehekin and only had a pair of leather and wood bearpaws which were not as agile. He asked to borrow a pair of the Park Service’s snowshoes, something Bill Lester had let him do once in the past. Bill was off for the holidays though, but Marlene called him up, and he was kind enough to drive in while we registered.

He took us to one of the back buildings and into the storeroom where Russ picked out a pair of Sherpas. In this same building three men and a woman seemed intent on various rock collections before them. It turned out they were archeologists who were analyzing Indian artifacts they’d collected in the park, supported largely by Seattle City Light money. Their chief, Bob Mierendorf, was introduced and seemed curious about who we were, then showed us various samples of “arrowheads,” pounding-rocks, hatchet heads, even a half-inch specimen of sharp quartz that they postulated was possibly used for some kind of surgery. They felt that some of these dated to 6700 years ago. The Indians cooked in tightly woven pots that were placed in the ground, filled with water, and then heated with rocks from the fire. Some of their samples were quite convincing, but other round pounding-rocks looked pretty ordinary. He was appropriately secretive about their discovery sites, properly concerned that samples would be taken without scientific analysis.

So it was a late start. Tom Barnett picked us up at Ross Lake and zoomed us up the 6 miles to Big Beaver in no time. He’s 35 now, bearded and getting gray, turning into a legend of his own. He’s been on the lake 18 years now since 1972, when he worked summer jobs at 17. He owns the resort with four outside partners.

We stepped on the Big Beaver trail at 11:39 AM. 1½ hours to 39 Mile Creek (named for its distance from Marblemount), 5 miles up the trail. The older HFK [Himmelfahrtskommando, Russ, Silas, and John] were in our running shoes, the boys were wearing their plastic boots. I’m surprised they did as well as they did. It was another 2 hours to Luna Camp and another 15 minutes to the Axes (aka Access) Creek turnoff. 4 hours total to this creek, 9 miles up, 4:05 PM. Silas led us down to Big Beaver Creek, and by luck straight to a snow-covered log crossing. The snow was about 5 inches deep here at 2500 feet. It was dark by 4:30 as we finished setting up the tents. We cooked and ate by headlamp.

Friday, December 29, 1989. Russ woke us with an HFK-type poem about tuna, Rosemary Cluna, and Luna which was not memorable. Silas and I recited a couple of our old-time favorites about chocks and Venus.

We had breakfast and packed by flashlight and were on our way by 7:50 AM, angling right to trail-less Axes Creek proper, crossing it at a spot that required a step on a rock in the middle of the stream. Paul slipped on this icy boulder and landed in the water, soaking his right leg and boot, a disturbing situation in winter. The ground was snow free in the woods to about 4000 feet. By staying away from the valley floor, we went too high on the north bank of this creek and were forced to deal with several side avalanche swaths infested with slide alder and devils club with 6″ of snow underfoot. The boys were unhappy. Paul confessed to Silas that he was not physically or mentally prepared for this climb and that he wanted to bail out and go home. But he quietly persevered.

At 11:05, 3+ hours into the day we were at 4100 feet in the middle of a huge alder jungle. No leaves though, so we could look around the impressive upper canyon of Axes Creek. Luna Peak stood at the end of this box canyon, still 4000 feet above us, its summit in fog. We fought our way to the south bank and donned snowshoes to negotiate the snow-coated big boulder field here heading for a strip of evergreens on the left, a quarter mile up valley. Beyond this, the solution to exiting this steep-walled valley became apparent. It was a snow-filled left gully, skinned clean in the center, with old avalanche debris at its base. It was thought provoking, and a brief sentence or two was uttered about the wisdom of this route–the only route.

We stopped at the last running trickle for a bite and discussion, convincing ourselves that all was well enough. Up the gully we punched, with Russ, Silas, and myself trading leads. The way flattened a bit then forked into two higher gully choices to the ridge crest separating McMillan from our creek. We opted for the left couloir, the quickest route to the ridge, and near the top we were tired enough to exchange leads every switchback. The powder snow on the lee here was a foot deep on top of base.

It was only 3:19 PM when we gained the 5900-foot ridge, but we’d had enough after a 7½-hour day. Wet, cold, tired, discouraged by the light snowfall and minimal visibility, and with the boys way back, we trucked up a hundred feet east to a pleasant treed knoll. Jim, who had old-fashioned Michigan flatland snowshoes that were worthless in steep terrain, had taken them off way low and was post holing his way up behind us. We stomped out a couple of tent platforms in the snow and pitched camp.

Visibility was local only. We couldn’t see the summit of Luna, only a straight mile away. The Southern Pickets and Prophet were buried in clouds. But the NOAA weather radio station said the next day would be clear in the mountains, even though there was a 90% chance of rain in Bellingham. We were all skeptical of our chances. It was snowing lightly when we went to bed and we could hear the flakes land on the Goretex tent long into the night, over parts of Russ’ Pritikin lecture and the telltale snore in the tent next door. We wondered how the boys could possibly sleep with this noise. They later confided that another of his orifices was an auditory and olfactory nuisance as well, likely secondary to his Pritikin fare. They were amazed that he could be in the deepest of snoring sleeps and be so flatulent at the same time.

Saturday, December 30, 1989. Russ was up at 5 AM for a bladder break, and announced there was a half inch of new snow. I was startled to see it was already 7:30 when I woke up. If anyone else had awakened sooner, they kept quiet. We still couldn’t see Luna, and the entire perimeter of peaks were smeared with gray clouds, but the overhead sky was clear. Soon the McMillan Spires revealed themselves, then South Fury, stunningly white and Himalayan looking, then a pink Luna hazily focused its scary self.

Silas was stoked and first out of camp 10 minutes before the rest of us, snowshoes on. I left at 8:26. The south-facing slopes had more consolidated snow allowing us to shed the snowshoes within 10 minutes. Everyone put in a turn or two to cover the long mile-plus to 7200-foot Luna Col. The last quarter mile had upper shin-deep snow. We alternated leads every 150 steps or so. This took until 11.

The view at the col is smashing. But 300 feet above the col is the best view in the entire North Cascades. From here the north face of every Southern Picket peak and every Northern Picket peak comes into full flush view. Absolutely awe-inspiring. The late morning sun lit the nearly 2000-foot east face of the snow-plastered Crooked Thumb and Challenger, which on this day were the crowning-glory peaks.

Mount Challenger December 30, 1989. Enlarge.

View of Southern Pickets above Luna Col, December 30, 1989. Enlarge.

We spent enough time eating, clothing, and hydrating at the pass that 11:30 came quickly. We donned crampons at Luna Col since the prevailing winds had packed the SW slope beyond. The decision was made that 1 PM would be our turn-around time, no matter where we were. I’d suggested that we try the route Reed Tindall and I had descended on the west face of Luna in 1970, rather than risk the tricky teetery 500-foot traverse on rime-iced rock from the false to the true summit, the standard route. I had not liked that crest even in the summer on a dry, warm day, which is the reason Reed and I looked for an alternate way down 19 years before. But if the west face route failed we would have nothing, not even the false summit, which by now I was willing to call “Luna Point” so we would get credit for something after all this work. This point was what Silas was heading for as the strongest of the group, but when he saw how easy the west face bypass looked he agreed with that choice, and deviated left off the south ridge.

At about 8000 feet Russ was able to bring up his Seattle ham-radio buddies. It was well after 12 noon by now. A phone-patch call was put through to Paul’s wife, after there was no answer from Habiba, Russ’ wife. I led up diagonally out across a ‘you-don’t-want-to-fall-here’ steep couloir that reminded me a little of Lincoln Peak on snow that was less consolidated than I’d like. Making sure every step and ice ax plant was solid, I wore out, and Silas passed by. He continued the same angle clear across this final couloir to the airy view over the north face.

Russ and I discussed taking the pressure off ourselves by radioing out to Tom to cancel our 4 PM pick-up the next New Year’s Eve day (no cellphones back in those days). We thought we could make it to Ross Lake by 10 AM on New Year’s Day. Jim punched the last few steep steps to the final 30-foot iced rock pitch. There were a couple of routes possible, one a straight shot in a skinny depression with less exposure but also fewer holds, the other a short 3-step exposed ramp, a place for pro, then several more solid steps to the top.

John Scurlock photo of broad central W gully we went up.

Silas was hoping someone else would take the lead, but he got no volunteers. Coldness finally spurred him to rope up and lead out over the exposed ramp. He was quickly on the ridge a scant 20 feet from the summit. 1:05 PM. Russ followed on belay but neglected to bring Silas’ video camera which Silas wanted “now.” So Paul who had planned to do the rock pitch without pack took on Silas’s pack. Then I followed, then Jim.

We took turns walking the last rock ramp to the highest rock. Paul searched for the register, but didn’t find it amongst the snow-covered summit stones. Russ rustled up the phone patch again and we gave my dad a call from the summit (Karen was out of town) and asked him to tell all the wives we were safe and to rearrange the boat schedule for us, as Russ was worried about calling Tom directly since that might be construed as a “commercial call,” something that doesn’t cut the cheese with hams.

**Luna Peak**, our FWA West Face Route was on snow ending in left upper couloir. Enlarge. John Scurlock photo

There was a bomber flake on the summit ridge which we anchored to for the short rappel back to the packs. Silas belayed Paul down the upper section of the couloir, then the rest of us carefully followed unroped in the steps. Soon we were across the entire couloir which dropped dramatically below us for 1500-vertical feet. We pondered whether we could survive a fall here. We made a final call to the Marblemount Ranger Station to tell them of our delayed return. Somehow somewhere up there, I left behind my favorite well-worn yellow ice-ax snow basket.

It was a pleasant return back to our camp via our up tracks, the first time we could really relax on the entire trip. Home to camp at 3:40. Paul led the entire way back, anxious to pack up and descend into Axes valley to get in position to make a run out the next day. He did not want to spend New Year’s Eve sleeping with Russ.

It had been a great day. A window day. Russ praised the Lord. By bedtime though, ugliness was approaching Picket Pass. It stalled there a while though and at 9 PM the stars were infinite and crisp. There was an odd brightness over the ridge to the north, looking more like city lights where there was no city rather than the Northern Lights. Tonight Russ’ two-hour bedtime story featured some of his many favorite climbs.

Sunday, December 31, 1989. The winds blew in the start of real winter that night, whapping our tents in the process, and blowing away Russ’ cooking pot. At first light, Paul was headed to the barn and first to leave camp. Everyone else deserted too while I was still rolling up the tent. Silas had packed the stove and ran before breakfast. I scrambled my stuff together and chewed on half a Twix candy bar which had to last until lunch.

No one was in sight when I reached the top of the descent couloir. There was a deep sitting-glissade mark most of the 1500 feet to the valley floor with a set of footprints in it. I generally sit-glissade everything I can, but chose here to plunge-step down since the crotch of my polyester pants had torn out and I did not wish to frost my underlying parts. The other walker was Silas whom I eventually caught. We all gathered for a creek drink at a big slide, then Silas took off like a bat out of hell down the left bank, close to the stream. This is the way to go. We blew out of there, reaching Big Beaver Creek at 10 AM in a scant 2 hours 10 minutes from our ridge-top camp. The rain was wetting now, but not yet soaking. Somehow in the creek-side bush we walked past our initial crossing log, but soon arrived at a log jam that spanned the creek, slippery enough to require hands and knees to negotiate.

Paul definitely wanted to get out of there that night, and Silas was willing to do the 16 miles to Tom’s Ross Lake Resort to send the boat up for us if we would carry his heavy stuff 10 miles to the lake. None of us wanted to spend a wet New Year’s Eve at the Big Beaver Campground so we gladly divvied up Silas’ boots, snowshoes, rope, stove, pot, extra food, and ice ax as he headed out with a light pack and Jim’s radio. It was 10:41 by the time we’d crossed the creek, found the trail, changed into running shoes, and repacked. The plan was for Silas to make contact with us at 12:30, then every hour after that.

Jim was feeling strong at the trail and grabbed more than his fair share of Silas’ gear. It was 15 minutes to Luna Camp. Then another 1½ hours to 39-Mile. At 12:30 PM, I was lightheaded from hunger and stopped for lunch, waiting for the other three to catch up. At 12:50, Russ roared by, reporting that Silas didn’t answer the 12:30 call. We were at the Big Wash at 1:30 PM, and Russ gave him another radio call and connected. Silas was nearly to the lake, happy and confident of making it out in plenty of time.

At 2:30 Russ and I felt we were nearly to the lake, and felt pretty good ourselves, as another radio rendezvous was accomplished. Silas now reported that he “was shot to shit, and didn’t remember the trail gaining so much elevation,” but figured he still had enough left in the tank to make it out. Russ checked in with Silas again at 3 when we reached the lake just to spur Silas on. He was perking up again, and would soon be at Tom’s. We decided to walk on out to the point where the boat camp was, hoping for some sort of shelter since the rain was now coming down in earnest. We drew arrows in the muddy trail with our ice axes to direct Paul and Jim in the proper path. After the first couple of unprotected campsites, I thought we would have to set up my tent in order to get out of the rain until the boat came. When we stopped, the light wind blew cold to our bones through our soaked clothes.

Suddenly Russ shouted, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! He has given us shelter.” And indeed He had. There before us, no minor miracle, were two outhouses. Russ took the one labeled “Men” and I was happy to have the “Women’s,” as we darted inside to change to dry gear. This really was a blessing. A dry sanctuary, complete with a “throne” to sit upon.

Russ tuned in a happy Silas for the last time. The boat was in the water and the engine was running. Tom would soon be up.

Paul rolled in about 15 minutes behind us, picking up speed as we had relieved him of snowshoes and the rope above 39 Mile. He crowded into the woman’s outhouse with me, soaking wet, but looking happy. We took turns sitting on the throne. At 3:40 Tom zoomed into the Beaver Bay and spotted us. We loaded up and motored a few hundred feet closer to the creek, looking for Jim. No sight of him. We redocked and Russ lit out up the trail in search of Jim while Tom talked Ross lore. He’s still not made it up to the summit of Hozomeen. Pumpkin Mountain and Sourdough he’s done dozens of times. The ponds up Big Beaver are now open-fishing and hot for 18-inch cutthroat. He releases everything he catches. He’s burning out, but is happy to return to the lake after every trip to Seattle. The Park, Game Department, City Light are bugging him a bit. He may try a go at something similar in Alaska. No sign of Jim or Russ.

Tom had a 20 x 80-foot wood shop, he told us. He enjoyed making his own furniture, and in the past used to work on the cabins. He was figuring on expanding the resort by about four cabins, but was too busy to do this on his own and would be contracting this out. No sign of Russ or Jim.

Finally at 4:30 Russ appeared, and soon after, but slow, Jim, who collapsed ten feet from the boat. But he got up under his own power and climbed aboard, looking about as green and hypothermic as I’ve seen anyone look in a long time. But he had a smile on. It was a tired one, but an honest one. “Sorry, guys,” he said, “I’m just a little slow,” a sentence he must have said a half dozen times on this trip.

It was nearly dark when we arrived at the dock at the resort. Tom’s partner Carol was already dressed up in her outdoor gear and had it in mind to motor up the lake to see if anything had happened to us, as we were so late returning. Silas was inside in a yukking good mood. He was warm and happy and dry and fed and had been for about an hour and a half now. Carol and Tom’s receptionist and secretary, Abbie, had let Silas dry his clothes in the dryer.

Tom motored us over to the other side of Ross Lake to pick up the trail and the 500-foot elevation gain back to our cars. We made a final stop at Bill Lester’s Marblemount house to return the snowshoes Russ had borrowed and were treated here to a New Year’s Eve homemade pizza that Bill’s wife Kathy had prepared.

1990

‘Steer Horn’

7640+ / P50 or so

FA July 8, 1990

Thanks to Nigel Steere

Peak at crosshair at eastern end of Mount Daniel complex.

Class 4 via W ridge.

**‘Steer Horn’** right, Daniels BM 7899 left. Enlarge.

‘Memaloose Ridge SE’

7265’ map / P325mn

Map on LoJ and PB

Ridge is named on USGS McGregor Mtn quad

Memaloose Ridge SE Peak from Middle Memaloose. McGregor on right. Enlarge.

‘Memaloose Ridge Middle Peak’

7360+ (map) / P240mn

Peak at crosshair. 7360+ (missing contour on CalTopo)

SE end of ridge named on USGS Goode Mtn quad

FAs of both August 13, 1990

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Memaloose Ridge is named on two maps. In Chinook Jargon, Memaloose means “dead, or to die.” Deadman Creek drains the SW slopes of this ridge. There is a story of a trapper from the old days who broke his leg in the winter in this area and died before he could crawl to safety.

**NW Memaloose Ridge** 7520+ (missing a contour on CalTopo map) P400mn. Mark and I found a small cairn with no register atop August 14, 1990.

Goode Ridge

7680+ map / P440mn. Lidar: 7683′ / P423.

Nepa on north peak August 14, 1990

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB

Named on map. Surely a curious ranger came over here from the Goode Ridge Lookout back in the day. We came up the NW ridge.

Goode Ridge, North Peak from north. Enlarge.

‘Wyeth Crags’

Crags above the Wyeth Glacier

‘Fractured Wyeth’

8040+

Summit complex was broken up

‘Wyeth Not Peak’

8080+

Because it’s there.

‘Hyeth Wyeth’

8120+ map/ P240mn

Map and PB. CAG+

Highest of the group.

Nepa on all 3 August 15, 1990

Thanks to Mark Allaback

We found nepa/no evidence of previous ascent on all three, but later learned of previous ascents from Harry Majors: Hyeth Wyeth FA was probably July 26, 1933 by Art Winder and Forest Farr on their way to ‘Storm Throne’ 8515′. Also Hyeth was probably climbed in 1958 by Wy’East party of Don Comer, Stan Foss, others.

Wyeth Not left, and Hyeth Wyeth from SE. Enlarge.

**Wyeth Crags** above Wyeth Glacier. Enlarge.

‘Golden Peak’

7880+ / P280mn

FA August 15, 1990

Solo while Mark hung out

Map on LoJ. PB- CAG-

Named for the golden-colored rock which adorns the southernmost summit of Mount Logan, climbed shortly after my parents’ 50^th Golden Anniversary (on 8/9/1990).

1991

Little Chief Peak

5416′ map. Lidar: 5396′ / P234.

FWA? February 24, 1991 (probable First Winter Ascent)

Thanks to Bruce Gibbs, Dave Housley

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG+

Named on map. We came in from Spada Lake-Williamson Creek up SW ridge.

‘Bold Peak’

5040+ / P240mn

Nepa, ?FA April 21, 1991

Thanks to Kal Brauner, Amy Carlson, Bruce Gibbs, Bette Felton

Peak at crosshairs. Cute minor peaklet, not in LoJ, PB, CAG.

Above Boulder Lake.

**‘Bold Peak’** above frozen Boulder Lake. Enlarge.

**‘Bold Peak’** left, and “Frostbite Peak” from W on Fallacy Peak. Enlarge.

Straight Ridge

7685+ / P805. Lidar: 7697′ / P825.

FA June 19, 1991

Solo

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

Named on map.

Very top involves an athletic class 4+ move. Left register under a cairn below.

‘Grand Old Flagg’

7422’ map. Lidar: 7430′ / P763.

Nepa August 30, 1991

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB. CAG-

South of, and higher than map-named Flagg Mtn. No cairn found on Flagg Mtn either. Walk-up from HW 20 and south ridge. It had probably been climbed before. There’s a Delancy Benchmark one-mile south.

Flagg Mtn

7360+ / P280mn. Lidar: 7373′ /287.

Nepa August 30, 1991

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map on LoJ and PB

Named on map

‘COOL MTN’

7738’ map. Lidar 7739′ / Big P1043.

FA?/Nepa September 2, 1991

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map at LoJ and PB. CAG-.

Named in honor of Adelbert Lorenzo Cool who lived at Domke Lake for years just down the NE ridge of this peak. He died there at age 83 trying to save his cabin when the area burned in 1941. Claude Ewing Rusk and A.L. Cool explored the east side of Glacier Peak in 1906 on horseback from Lake Chelan. Rusk applied Cool’s name to the glacier flowing E from between Glacier Peak and Disappointment Peak to Suiattle River.

We took a float plane from Chelan to Domke Lake then approached via the Emerald Park Creek trail.

**‘Cool Mountain’** center, Bearcat Ridge left, ‘Mirror Mountain’ right, above Lake Chelan. The long left to right wooded ridge leads to Lucerne Mountain and Riddle Peak. The valley behind that is Railroad Creek where a road runs from Lucerne to Holden Village. Enlarge. Need to find credit for this calendar photo.

**‘Cool Mountain’** from SW above Tumble Creek. Enlarge Flickr.

**‘Cool Mtn’** register Eric Eames photo

1992

‘Ugly Stepsister’

6136’

Nepa May 25, 1992

Thanks to Gene Mickle

Minor point SW of “Little Sister” on Twin Sisters range.

‘Middle Sister’

6280+ / P200mn

Nepa May 25, 1992

Thanks to Gene Mickle

Minor point NW of “Little Sister” on Twin Sisters range.

‘Buk-Buk Spire’ 5500

Nepa June 7, 1992

Thanks to Steve Fry and David Singleton

Play on nearby Bird Mountain and chickening out.

‘Phantom Pass Point‘

4754 on 1953 USGS Mt Shuksan

Nepa June 21, 1992

Thanks to Bruce Gibbs and Dick Kegel

More of a place-holder name than a peak.

‘Blister Mountain‘

5447′ / P767clean. Lidar: 5453′ / P795.

FA on foot June 21, 1992

Thanks to Bruce Gibbs and Dick Kegel

LoJ. PB. CAG-

Rounded blister-shaped summit and boot nemesis of climbers.

After an approach from Cloudcap, we found wood and wire of 1953? helicoptering survey party.

We descended the SE Ridge to Baker River.

**Blister Mountain** above Crystal Creek, Southern Pickets left, Despair center. Enlarge.

‘Pika Peak’/’Hyrax Peak’

8120+ map. Lidar: 8126′ / P295.

FA August 1, 1992

Thanks to Mark Allaback

LoJ. PB. CAG-

Newer maps don’t show the USGS Mount Formidable 8120+ contour on the county line.

Named for its pika-shape with back and head with two ears. The African hyrax has a similar shape. Climbed from SW. Map makes it look like the east ear is high point.

Pika Peak left, ‘Ome Dome’ center, Mount Formidable right, above Middle Cascade Glacier in 1979. Enlarge.

‘Hitchhiker’

~7420′ / P70+

FA August 2, 1992

Solo by Mark Allaback (with JR belay)

Peak at crosshair SE of ‘The Fist’ 7456′ (which had been cairned).

Not on LoJ, PB, CAG.

70+ foot tower that looks like a thumb coming out of a 7456’ clenched ‘Fist of a Hitchhiker.’ SE of Le Conte. Easily recognized when dropping to Yang Yang Lakes from the Spider-Formidable col. Upper 5^th class.

**‘Hitchhiker’** from Le Conte Glacier with Mark. Enlarge.

‘Snail’

7360+

FA August 2, 1992

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Point at crosshair

Minor point SE of ‘The Fist’ and ‘Hitchhiker’, NW of “The Donjon”.

It has a snail shape from some angles.

**‘The Fist’, ‘Hitchhiker’, ‘Snail’**, “The Donjon” from SW. Enlarge.

‘Whiteout Peak’

7640+ / P320mean. Lidar: 7663′ / P311.

FA August 3, 1992

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Common foul-weather experience in the North Cascades. Named for zero visibility during our August 23, 1974 crossing of the 7320+ ‘Confusion Col’ just south of this peak from where we descended down to Spire Glacier in a whiteout, mistaking it for Spire Col.

**‘Whiteout Peak’** left, ‘Confusion Col’ way left, “German Helmet”, ‘Goosestep Pinnacle’ right. Enlarge.

**Whiteout Peak** center from SW. ‘Goosestep Pinnacle’ and German Helmet left, ‘Confusion Col’ right. Route was class 4 from east. Enlarge.

German Helmet, The Beast, Whiteout, Cheshire Cat, Spire Point, Spire Glacier from north. Enlarge.

‘Far Side Peak‘

6840+ / P400clean. Lidar: 6862′ / P407.

FA August 4, 1992

Thanks to Mark Allaback

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG mentions elevation under Kindy-Goat Ridge.

This peak is the “far-side”/NW neighbor of “Long Gone Peak,” nicely named by the Trail Blazers. Hilarious “Far Side” cartoons were drawn by Gary Larson from 1980 to 1995.

**‘Far Side Peak’** right, Sonny Boy Peaks left from SW with Eldorado between them. Enlarge.

BEARCAT RIDGE Highest Point

8035’ (on 15’ map) / P635cl, reduced to 7960+ (on 7.5’ map) / P640clean.

Lidar gets it as 8033’ with P718 per John Kirk.

FKA/Nepa August 6, 1992

Thanks to Mark Allaback

LoJ. PB. CAG+.

Name is applied to the highest peak on the map-named Bearcat Ridge. This is one of the WA Top 200 by P400′ peaks.

We first tried but failed on Bearcat in 1991 from Domke Lake/Emerald Park Creek trail (time/route problems). But we did climb ‘Cool Mtn’ 7738’ then (see 1991). We returned in 1992, this time up N Fk Entiat trail to Saska-Emerald-Cardinal basin, over pass between Cardinal and Emerald, contouring the upper Bear Creek basin finishing on a counter-clockwise corkscrew to the top.

‘Cousins Peak’

6720+ map / P200mean. Lidar not calculated.

FA August 14, 1992

Thanks to Tex, Monte, Grady, Toby, Nigel Steere

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-

Eastern sub-summit of Colonial Peak, NE of spot elevation 6705’ (same as Ropers Roost on map). Named for all the cousins that made FA and slept on top.

**Cousins** at Diablo Lake overlook. Peak is center-left, left of Colonial in center. Pyramid Peak on right. We went up the sun-shadow ridge on left. Enlarge.

‘**Cousins Peak’** Colonial Peak right. Enlarge.

Cousins from HW 20.

‘**Cousins Peak’** register 2018 Kevin Thurner photo

‘Kokshut Peak’

5111’ Lidar/ P418 Lidar

FA/nepa August 29, 1992

Thanks to Dick Kegel

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-

Peak above Lake Isabel just a bit W of the Ragged Ridge crest. Looking for a Chinook Jargon word for “Ragged,” Kokshut came close to that, meaning “to break; broken; tear; torn; shatter; split.” A somewhat ragged name, not perfect, but nice try.

‘**Kokshut Peak’** right, from frozen Lake Isabel, Jan 17, 1993 with Chris Weber. Enlarge.

‘SNOWSLIDE PEAK’

5000+ map. Lidar: 5021′ / P841.

FA August 30, 1992

Thanks to Dick Kegel

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-

Best looking peak on Ragged Ridge above map-named Snowslide Lake. We ran the entire ridge from the south via Deer Creek road to Salmon Creek.

**‘Snowslide Peak’** from south. Snowslide Lake lower right. We camped there and hiked up the next day. Enlarge.

**‘Snowslide Peak’** from NW. ‘**Snowslab’** right. “Slahal” left. Enlarge.

‘Headwall Peak’

4988′ map. Lidar: 4969′ / P483.

FA August 30, 1992

Thanks to Dick Kegel

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-

This summit is at the “Head”waters of “Wall”ace River, thus Headwall. As Dick Kegel and I were bantering around names for this peak that was drained by Salmon Creek to the east, we reversed the spelling of salmon where upon Dick enjoyed saying, “This peak shall forever remain “Nomlas” (nameless).

‘Anticlimax Point’

5080+ P240mn

FA August 30, 1992

Thanks to Dick Kegel

Peak at crosshairs

After running the Ragged Ridge and climbing “Bushwhack Peak,” Dick thought this was an anticlimax to the finish of our traverse before we bailed down Salmon Creek back to the shuttled car.

1993 No FAs (son Aaron born)

1994 No FAs (while working on WA County High Points)

1995

‘Sasha Peak’

6604′ / P384mn. Lidar 6602′ / P379.

FA July 23, 1995

Thanks to Warren Guntheroth and Sasha

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-

Dr. Warren Guntheroth, pediatric cardiologist at UW wrote a book about climbing 300 peaks with his husky dog Sasha, and proposed this name for this peak above Chain Lakes in the Bulls Tooth region.

**‘Sasha Peak’**, Sasha, Dr. Warren Guntheroth at Chain Lakes. Enlarge.

‘Nap Knoll’

5423 / P123mn.

FKA August 22, 1995

Solo

Not on LoJ, PB, CAG

Given this place-holder name on the way to Morpheus, though no nap was taken here. This peak’s claim to fame is that it is a triple-watershed divide point that drains to Middle Fork Snoqualmie River (via Taylor River), North Fork Snoqualmie River (via Lennox Creek) and Skykomish River (via West Fork of Miller River).

‘MOUNT MORPHEUS’

5432’ / P552clean. Lidar: 5431′ / P539.

FA August 22, 1995

Solo

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-

Morpheus is the god of dreams and sleep, and stands above Dream Lake. Jeff Howbert’s Home Court list inspired this trip. Approached over Dog Mountain. Out down Lennox Creek, enduring a bit of a mess.

‘Toto Peak’

4960+ / P440cl. Lidar: 4945′ / P474.

FA October 15, 1995

Thanks to Jeff Howbert, Bruce Gibbs, Johnny Jeans, Dick Kegel, Eric Keeler.

LoJ. PB. CAG-

Above Lake Dorothy of “Wizard of Oz” fame, for her dog. Trip report 219.

‘MILE HIGH MTN’

5280+ / Big P1120clean. Lidar: 5310′ / P1184.

FA October 15, 1995

Thanks to Jeff Howbert, Bruce Gibbs, Johnny Jeans, Dick Kegel, Eric Keeler

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Named for the obvious reason that this peak is 5280-feet high on the USGS Snoqualmie Lake quad. Lists of John Kirk spoils the fun a bit by adding 20 feet to its height in his calculation by the mean method, bumping the elevation to 5300’. Lidar also messes with the fun. Jeff’s trip report.

Mile High Mtn with rounded ‘Toto” left above Dream Lake, from NW.. Enlarge.

In the mid-1990s, Jeff poured over hundreds of 7.5-minute USGS maps covering all of Washington state at the Bellevue Public Library for several years and cleverly honed in on his Home Court 100 List and Back Court 100 List which have delighted many a climber. Mile High is one of the Home Court peaks.

1996

‘Pasture Peak’

5240’ map. Lidar: 5245′ / P402.

Nepa August 15, 1996

Solo

Map on LoJ. PB. CAG-.

Summit with a huge meadow north of West Cady Ridge. After hiking the trail over West Cady, I went x-c to this summit then dropped through the woods as a shortcut back to the N Fk Skykomish trail and road.

**‘Pasture Peak’** from south. Glacier Peak on right. Enlarge.

1997

‘Rover Point’

6506’ / P206mn.

Nepa July 12, 1997

Solo

Map at crosshairs

A rover wanders to different places, which led to this name on a side trip to this minor point on the way to The Citadel.

1998

‘BEEFHIDE BUTTE’

8030’ map / P510. Lidar: 8035′ / P525.

FA May 4, 1998

Thanks to Don Goodman, Natala Goodman, Juan Lira

Maps at LoJ. PB. CAG- .

A Washington Top 200 peak by P400.

Honors John Norm “Beefhide” Burke (hailing from Beefhide, KY) a mountain man and fish-planting Trail Blazer who hauled cutthroat and rainbow fry into a huge number of Washington high mountain lakes for those that followed to enjoy, and an all-around good guy.

Don Goodman’s amusing story of the day before we climbed Beefhide Butte:

“John R and I linked up for a spring climb of Finney Peak in the late 90’s. Our party also included Norm Burke, Dan Sjolseth, Ed Liebert, Natala Goodman and Juan Esteban Lira. John suggested strongly that we bring snowshoes to facilitate getting around in the spring slush. I protested claiming advantage of a “secret weapon.” That secret weapon was Juan’s ability to kick steps in the snow all day long! John bought into it and off we went without snowshoes.

On the Finney climb, we encountered knee deep punching. Time for the secret weapon!!! Juan shot off like a rocket and the rest of us could not keep up with him. Unfortunately Juan had no clue where he was going punching wonderful holes in the wrong direction!!

After about 1/2 hour trying to catch him John turned to me exclaiming “The next time you bring a secret weapon figure out how to aim it!!!!”

We climbed Beefhide the next day up its SW slope.

**‘Beefhide Butte’** left above East Fork Buttermilk Creek. Enlarge.

‘NAMELESS MOUNTAIN’

6616’ map / P856. Lidar: 6624′ / P879

FA June 13, 1998

Thanks to Mitch Blanton

Map LoJ. PB. CAG-

We ran the ridge between No Name Creek and Arctic Creek scrambling up several summits after being dropped off at its NE base on Ross Lake.

**‘Nameless Mountain’** from NW. Enlarge.

‘Unspeakable’

6482’ map / P322mn. Lidar 6471′ / P317.

FA June 13, 1998

Thanks to Mitch Blanton

Map at LoJ and PB.. CAG-

Continuing up the Arctic Creek-No Name Creek ridge from Ross Lake.

‘MONTANA SIN NOMBRE’

6688’ map / P708mn. Lidar: 6688′ / P732.

FA June 13, 1998

Thanks to Mitch Blanton

LoJ. PB. CAG-

**‘Montana Sin Nombre’** above Arctic Creek. Enlarge.

‘Unnamed Mountain’

6438’ map / P298mn

FA June 13, 1998

Thanks to Mitch Blanton

Not on LoJ, PB, or CAG.

‘Little Sky’

5951’ / P251mn

Nepa June 14, 1998

Solo

FA of Skymo Mountain (6582 map, P1105 Lidar) was by Wesley Wallace and Dan Murphy, geologists in August 1974 (per Steve Fry interview) who very well could have crossed over 5951 along the way (as I did).

‘Sam Hill’

4846’ map / P446

Nepa June 28, 1998

Thanks to Mitch Blanton and Sam Houston

Map at LoJ. PB.

Where in the Sam Hill is Sam Hill?

1999

‘ULALACH MOUNTAIN’

5040+ feet map / P440. Lidar: 5078′ / P541.

and CEDAR BASIN PEAKS

Nepa June 10, 1999, but see following

Thanks to Dick Michelson

Map at LoJ. PB. CAG-

—Ulalach is the Chinook Jargon name for onion. This peak is easily recognized from HW 530 just west of Darrington, as a rounded (onion-on-its-side) form up Squire Creek with an impressive, dark north face, right of Jumbo, left of Whitehorse. On closer inspection, this wall turns out to be exfoliating granite, peeling off in typical onion-skin fashion. The other two peaks we did are NW to its left. It caught my eye a couple of weeks before from across the Squire Creek valley on the way in to Bullon, looking a little like a mini Luna Peak with its chopped off summit.

**‘Ulalach Mountain’ from NW**, **‘Ajo Mtn’ on left**. Enlarge.

Dick Michelson and I drove the Squire Creek Road 5.6 miles to its end from Darrington and parked at 1800′. We tip-toed across the healthy creek draining Cedar Basin, and followed the Squire Pass trail about 10 minutes through alders growing up in a old clearcut to the Boulder River Wilderness boundary sign. After about three more minutes on the trail, we struck off left, uphill, x-c through fairly open woods to hit a wide tongue of snow (talus later in the year) at 2800′ under the imposing north face of Ulalach, Peak 5040+.

This is a great early season route. We punched up the wide open snow slope, twisting our necks every so often to look up at a nearly vertical 800′ granite wall to our right. The ridge-top cornices were a little worrisome, but previous debris had stopped short of our intended path.

We gained the 4600- low point E of Ulalach, then followed the ridge W to the summit. 3 hr 20 min up. This is a significant peak with 440′ of clean prominence, draining into both the Sauk-Skagit and the Stilliguamish Rivers. We enjoyed the fact that this summit had no evidence of previous ascent, probably because the route from the alternate approach from Squire Creek Pass looks to be a little tricky.

The views of the magnificent east wall of Three Fingers and the mysterious Squire Creek Wall were worth the price of admission. With the day still young, we eyed, then footed the two summits north and south of where the words “Cedar Basin” appear on the map (Peaks 5080+ and 5400+). We thought of these as ‘Ajo Mountain’ and ‘Cedar Basin Butte.’

From both of these peaks, “Exfoliation Dome,” which has been called “the hardest point in Washington to climb by the easiest route,” was spot-lit by a sunray. Joe Vance’s “Voodoo” could be examined in its entirety, and no good route up it appeared obvious.

We looped out counter-clockwise on our exit down the ridge that led straight back to the car. Although it had some granddaddy old growth cedar and hemlock, it was messy enough to not recommend as a good up-route approach to this wonderful nook of North Cascades heaven.

***Updating history: On April 6, 2006, Harry Majors sent me irrefutable evidence that the real first ascent of Ulalach was made by Hermann F. Ulrichs probably about 1933 (possibly with Dan O’Brien). This was based on a photo in his collection by Ulrichs showing the ridge from Whitehorse to Salish peak that corresponds precisely with a modern photo from Ulalach.

Harry notes, “Hermann’s photo of Three Fingers is identical in vantage point from that taken by Paul [Klenke] from Ulalach. Ulrichs also took a photo depicting White Chuck Mtn through/above the notch of Cedar Basin, again identical to Paul’s photo.

Although it is not evident on the original print of Three Fingers, I also have the original negative of this photograph which Hermann gave me. Examining this negative under magnification (20x), a small blunt bump appears on the summit of South Three Fingers. I believe this to be the lookout house that was built there in 1932. (The original pre-blast summit would be sharper and narrower.) This would then date Hermann’s ascent of Ulalach Peak as having occurred in or subsequent to the year 1932.”

Harry also stated that Louis C. Fletcher may have possibly made and even earlier ascent of Ulalach after doing surveying work from the top of Jumbo in 1898.

‘Ajo Mtn’

5080+ / P322mean

Nepa June 10, 1999

Thanks to Dick Michelson

Map at LoJ and PB. CAG-

Spanish for garlic to go with Chinook Ulalach for onion.

‘Cedar Basin Butte’

5400+ / P240mean

Nepa June 10, 1999

Thanks to Dick Michelson