10. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports. Here too the long abandoned Bachelor Creek Trail heads straight uphill to the Ptarmigan Traverse. So I put the Ptarmigan Traverse on my to do list, a far off dream for years ahead if I still lived in Seattle. Ptarmigan Traverse ~ 5 days on Cascade Glaciers Eighty years ago, a group of four hardy souls from the Ptarmigan Climbing Club (Bill Cox, Calder Bressler, Ray W. Clough, and Tom Myers) set out to discover what lay south of Cascade Pass, and although they (and many subsequent explorers) found out, words can’t do such a place justice. The trail gently follows Downey Creek for 6.4 miles through dense forests before ending at the confluence with Bachelor Creek. Any you see in the high lonesome of the PT are probably truly wild, that is, not the garbage-raiding types that lurk around lowland campgrounds. Washington Trails Association is 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Rate this Hike ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ... Cub Lake via Ptarmigan Traverse. The National Park and Mount baker district of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF are so intertwined they share a headquarters building in Sedro Woolley and operate a joint website, besides those listed above. After a dayhike to Cascade Pass with Collin and a tedious vehicle shuttle, we camped at Marble Creek on the Cascade River (note if you reserve a spot during a weekend, you have to pay for two days). The Ptarmigan Traverse: A Sufferfest Pioneered in the late 1930s, the Ptarmigan is widely known as one of the most beautiful mountaineering routes in … The Ptarmigan Traverse stretches along a steep ridge which traverses through some of the most incredible terrain in the lower 48 states. Crest over a ridge then drop 200 feet (now lower than the parking lot), to pass below a rugged rock face, then reattain the ridge on the far side. Since it's a point-to-point hike we had to set up a vehicle shuttle, station a vehicle at the end as well as the beginning, in addition to driving to northern WA. No pictures, no written account, nothing. Ptarmigan Traverse, WA « Pacific Northwest « The Cascades « Ptarmigan Traverse . This page ought to be listed as a route. The road starts paved, then good gravel. It's probably a half-mile or less, but even going downhill with an almost-empty pack is hard work. The Ptarmigan Traverse is a challenging, off-trail route in the North Cascades of Washington State. Taking advantage of SummitPost's structure, I've divided the traverse into stages, each stage being a day's travel for the average party. Print. I like to also carry large-area, small-scale maps to help identify distant peaks or to facilitate an emergency exit down an alternate valley. The traverse is usually completed in about a week, most commonly in July or August, and usually done from north to south. 2011 Update: Camping in not allowed at or near Cascade Pass, and when you cross through Cache Col toward Kool-Aid Lake, you pass out of the National Park and into Glacier Peak Wilderness Area. The first one is interesting enough, the 2nd one no longer exists (404 error). We decide to wait out the weather until tomorrow. The Ptarmigan Traverse stretches along a steep ridge which traverses through some of the most incredible terrain in the lower 48 states. And hey - you just came back from one of the world's beautiful places - got any pics? For a broad view of where in Washington State we're looking, the entire Ptarmigan Traverse, including approach trails, is between the 'A' and 'B' markers on this map. How and when you accomplish it is entirely up to you and your partners. DIFFICULT 14.0 mi. I hope this will spur SP members to add more. All participants and leaders must agree to the COVID-19 Code of Conduct before participating in this Mountaineers event. Because you can't use the trailhead parking, the Forest Service does not require a parking permit at this time. In 2003, my family (dad, mom, sister, and I) did this beautiful 6-day hike. Lowell Skoog indicates that the Ptarmigan is about 30 miles long with roughly 11,000 feet of climbing. While the Ptarmigan Traverse is a wonderful hike, the peaks along the way are a large part of why people go in the first place. Icing my sore feet part way through the hike out. Soak your feet, watch for dippers and enjoy the surrounding wilderness. Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. All the applicable NF and NP maps can be purchased from this WNF page. Having a Ball on the Ptarmigan Traverse. Their name comes from the Ptarmigan, a small chicken-like bird that lives in the Alpine. Your party will need a Backcountry Permit to stay overnight along the traverse. From having an attempt on this route and climbing Dome Peak the previous year I knew both ends of the traverse quite well. Jump to DAY 2 It is on nearly every Washington mountaineer’s dream list. drive S up the Sauk Valley road about 10 miles to the Suiattle (pronounced like Seattle, but with an “ooh” sound between the S and the E) River road and turn left. Overview This is a difficult one way trail in Glacier Peak Wilderness. (Watch for the brown sign that directs you N one mile up Ranger Station Road. Eric: No problem, we valued your stages reports very much. Then it drops slightly over the next half mile, passing nondescript Camp Kiser along the way.You can glimpse The Portals, the prominent rock formations known to climbers of Mount Baker’s northeast side, and access for the Park Glacier climbing route. It was wet, cold, low-visibility. More details in the Stage 5 “route” section. (15), Comments We decide to wait out the weather until tomorrow. The large parking lot has room for about 160 vehicles, including RVs and buses. I met Kurt in Darrington and we drove around to the southern trail head to drop his vehicle and camp for the night. Fun on the Ptarmigan Traverse. 705 2nd Ave, Suite 300 Downey Creek . Once you cross Cache Col you leave the National Park. The Ptarmigan Traverse can be done as a four-day ski program, a five-day mountaineering program without any summits, or as a seven-day program with a couple of different climbing objectives on the route. Monday. This point forecast is near the center of the PT. This traverse was initially completed in 1938 by four members or the Ptarmigan Climbing Club, who took 13 days and actually went south to north, from Dome to Cascade Pass. We checked at Marblemount Ranger about the permit. It's discussed in Beckey and you can see it from below. (5), Images (The only officials you might meet on the traverse will be National Park climbing rangers. Peaks that may be climbed along the way include Mix-up Peak, Magic Mountain, "Hurry-up" (S Mountain), Mount Formidable, Spider Mountain, Le Conte Mountain, Sentinel Peak, Old Guard, The Lizard, German Helmet, Spire Point, Gunsight Peak, Dome Peak and Sinister Peak. Email Floris van Breugel | + larger view. Subscribe to our free email newsletter for hiking events, news, gear reviews and more. Thanks for the update. The route, from Cascade Pass to Dome Peak, is generally remote, unmarked, and challenging, traversing rugged terrain and several glaciers. ... notably the WTA … Jul 15, 2011 - This Pin was discovered by Jonathan Kalodimos. 9. Though the PT is obviously a route, calling it a mountain allowed me to attach routes to it. Day 3 – Sunday, July 5 Ptarmigan Traverse Northbound (10.1 miles + 2 miles of road walk) Day 1. The Ptarmigan is not for hikers, so much as for climbers, and experienced ones at that. 2. The Ptarmigan Traverse is perhaps unique in Washington: a week-long, off-trail high route weaving between the glaciated peaks of the North Cascades, never straying far from the crest. But the trail down (once melted out) is loose, gravelly, and treacherous for the first 500 feet.Should you go further? Ptarmigan Traverse from North End: Ptarmigan Traverse from South End: Jump to DAY 1 • DAY 1 (July 14): Hike 9 miles along Suiattle River Road (due to washout), and then 6 more miles along Downey Creek trail to camp at intersection of Downey Creek and Bachelor Creek. So why is it listed as a mountain/rock? Mid-July through Mid-September is the usual season. From here, the trail changes abruptly, both in direction and in character. Marmots, like deer, are strict vegetarians. OR, if you're coming up I-5 from the South, take the Arlington exit and drive SR 530 E to Darrington, then take the Sauk Valley road about 9 miles N to the same Suiattle River road. It was first done in 1938 by a group from the Ptarmigan Climbing Club and didn’t become popular with mountaineers until much later. We were lucky enough to see a mother Ptarmigan and her seven (!!!) DIFFICULT 2.0 mi. Near the end, we’ll climb 8900-foot Dome Peak, a magnificent fortress of rock and glacier. There are vault toilets and bearproof garbage cans but no water. Icing my sore feet part way through the hike out. It offers some entertaining reading if you're serious about the PT. It crosses 30 miles of rugged North Cascade terrain from Cascade Pass to the Suiattle River, across glaciers and above truly wild valleys. Day 3 – Sunday, July 5 Ptarmigan Traverse Northbound (10.1 miles + 2 miles of road walk) The traverse is almost entirely above treeline, and what plants you encounter are precious. The large plateau leading to the lake offers camping when water is available. Trip Report. They fill your entire browser window; 2. (241), Climber's Log Entries Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. Drive the Suiattle road 19.5 miles to the Downey Creek trailhead, 1,450 feet elev. After picking Olya up from the airport and verifying that the customs inspectors had left her dried quinoa and chicken unconfiscated, we grabbed some last minute fuel and jerky and… As of October 28, 2008, this page now links to maps on www.mapper.acme.com. For those interested in connecting these two features without losing the elevation via trail, an off-trail goat traverse is an attractive option. Saturday - hike out; Monday (To page top) Two days after returning from the awesome Bugaboo/Selkirks trip with Robert and Mark, I was driving behind Theron as we set up our car shuttle for the Ptarmigan Traverse. It sometimes washes out a mile short of the end. There are some camping restrictions here. After a two-and-a-half day journey to the foot of the LeConte Glacier we were greeted by an insurmountable ice cliff on the broken lower glacier blocking our passage to the second half of the route. Gary Paull, local champion of public lands, will share photos and stories from his adventures on the Ptarmigan. The Ptarmigan. Getting to Stehekin is in itself an adventure, requiring a boat ride up the 52-mile-long lake or a long hike over the mountains on any of several trails.). Your best option is drop down to the wide gravel bank on Downey Creek. We ended up descending and finding the "goat path" that ascends up the a rib that is southwest of the lakes. The iconic Ptarmigan Tunnel in Many Glacier is a popular day hike. My feet had been fine until then; in six miles of level road I got major blisters.]. © 2006-2020 SummitPost.org. Highest point is 7800ish (Col next to Spire Point). Daniel.They are similar in statistics and character, but very different in scenery and remoteness. DIFFICULT 29.4 mi. Ptarmigan Traverse Southbound (12.7 miles + 2 miles of road walk) Night 1 – Le Conte-Sentinel Col. Day 2 – Saturday, July 4 Sentinel Peak + Old Guard Peak (3 miles) Ptarmigan Traverse Northbound (2.8 miles) Night 2 – Yang Yang Lakes. USGS 7.5' Quads Cascade Pass, Dome Peak, and Downey Mtn. Ragu tells me that the original 1938 party also climbed Sahale, Buckner, and Johannesburg. This site is built by its members, and we welcome you to contribute: Home » Hike/Climb » Mountaineering in ... thinking how lucky I was to see a ptarmigan on the Ptarmigan Traverse, and not realizing the encounter would be the first of an extraordinarily animal-rich journey. Ptarmigan Traverse The classic and rugged 35+ mile, high alpine traverse from Cascade Pass to the Suiattle River. Ptarmigan Traverse is a 30.6 mile lightly trafficked point-to-point trail located near Marblemount, Washington that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Trail Conditions Obstacles on trail: Overgrown in places. The oldest and most famous high alpine traverse in the North Cascades and you get to make turns! Go straight to start on the Ptarmigan Ridge trail. The Ptarmigan Traverse (or “PT”) is a week-long, off-trail high route weaving between those glaciated peaks. We are concentrating on logging out the trail and doing any brushing and tread repair we find along the way. Parking: Every entrance or exit point where you might park a car is on either National Forest or National Park land. Weather permitting, Coleman Pinnacle and Mount Baker dominate the view to the west. The following itinerary was designed for the seven-day group program. (If you're driving up SR 20 from the west, you'll just go straight where the highway turns sharply left.) There's no rule against starting from the south, or exiting down a side valley. It leaves the highway 0.9 mi. The Ptarmigan Traverse peaks are those arrayed along the part of the Crest of Washington's North Cascades from Cascade Pass, south to Dome Peak. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from July until October. Mount Baker from the Ptarmigan Ridge trail. The Ptarmigan Traverse is perhaps unique in Washington: a week-long, off-trail high route weaving between the glaciated peaks of the North Cascades, never straying far from the crest. The Downey Creek trail is best known as the southern terminus of the the Ptarmigan Traverse. Contributions to WTA are tax deductible, and we are committed to making the best use of every donation to our mission. The classic and rugged 35+ mile, high alpine traverse from Cascade Pass to the Suiattle River. Length 30.6 mi Elevation gain 10,905 ft Route type Point to Point 1. Ptarmigan Traverse, WA « Pacific Northwest « The Cascades « Ptarmigan Traverse . Note #1: This route is often done from South to North. RSVP. The tunnel is also frequently used by backpackers descending and ascending into the Belly River drainage which is often paired with Redgap Pass to make a loop. Hiking trip report, map, and photos for North Schell Peak, Taft Peak, Ptarmigan Peak Loop, located in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada. Read About these trails in our Hiking Guide Downey Creek; Hmmm, part of this trip is in WTA's ""North Cascades"" … Be prepared to tell where you intend to camp each night. So, in July 2009, we set out on a 6-day trek on the Ptarmigan Traverse, planning to hike from south to north (as the original party had done). All campers must be at least 1 mile from junction with Chain Lakes Trail May 15- November 14. For more detailed information on this hike and many more in the region, pick up a copy of my … Day hike or backpack to get stunningly close to the east side of Mount Baker. There are no published trips for this hike. There are critters along the PT that want to eat your stuff. They offer two satellite views: the color one we're familiar with and "DOQ", a black-and-white image that in the Ptarmigan gives much higher resolution. The permit is free, but you must get it in person on the day you start or the day before. North Cascades. The Ptarmigan Traverse is perhaps the most famous mountaineering traverse in the lower 48. Along the way we climb Mount Formidable, Old Guard, Spire Point, Dome Peak and Dynaflow Tower. They understand you may have to bend your schedule around the weather or other conditions.) ACME maps work like the Google maps on which they are based, with some important differences: 1. But don't trust them around sweaty nylon. This is a 12.9 mile loop hike with 5700 cumulative feet of elevation gain that takes about 7-10 hours to complete. The route is named after the Ptarmigan Climbing Club, who pioneered the route in 1938. But they are also known by various names and compass directions, such as “West Portal” or “The Portals South” or “Portals East Peak”. The tunnel is also frequently used by backpackers descending and ascending into the Belly River drainage which is often paired with Redgap Pass to make a loop. This is not the Pacific Crest Trail; that's miles away to the East. At 4.5 miles and 5970 feet is a plateau suitable for camping, and what maps show as the end of the trail.Beyond the plateau, a primitive boot trail continues up the rocky hill: East Peak (also known as The Portals East). Home » Hike/Climb » Mountaineering in ... thinking how lucky I was to see a ptarmigan on the Ptarmigan Traverse, and not realizing the encounter would be the first of an extraordinarily animal-rich journey. I loved that the route offered the opportunity see miles of North Cascade wilderness from a high perch. The Ptarmigan Traverse is the crown jewel of glacial climes in Washington State, and in fact perhaps all of North America: a spectacular off-trail … Clicking a map link in the tables below now opens up a new window or tab, leaving this page open to refer back and forth. 13 map, Buy the Green Trails Mt. Public restrooms are available here, and the Glacier Public Service Center can provide current information on conditions. For those situations, bring a North Cascades National Park Backcountry map (their tourist brochure maps are here.) Continue another 24 miles to the end of SR 542 at Artist Point, elevation 5075 feet. As all PNW climbers do, Rich and I have always talked about skiing or climbing on the classic Washington mountaineering route, the Ptarmigan Traverse. Dense forests before ending at the route description in Stage 3 out of Yang Yang Lakes and it... 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Are critters along the way, named and unnamed starting from the Ptarmigan Traverse car is on nearly Washington!

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