the Pickets

Myself and 2 buddies traversed the Northern Pickets a couple weeks ago.. I'm about 2/3 thru my photos but figured I'd start posting some and then add as I get thru them..

Thankfully/luckily we had perfect weather.. even from the fire/s haze.. We went in via Wiley Ridge at Beaver Pass.. traversed Wiley to Challenger.. then dropped down into Luna cirque.. back up to Luna col and out via Access crk..

It pretty much kicked my butt.. but it was.. incredible

Even tho wt was at a premium.. I took my Olympus EM1ii with its 12-40 2.8.. UV and Polarizing filters... along with a Gorilla-pod, a remote release and 3 batteries...

Paul and Dave on a shoulder on Wiley ridge
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talus was unending
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We ended up a bit lower on the ridge than planned.. but it was all good as we found this amazing site..
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Luna and Fury
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We traversed the ridge up to Challenger
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Challenger and Whatcom Pk
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we traversed Challenger glacier down near its toe and then exited onto rock and found camp overlooking Luna cirque
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I really like the shots with people in them- gives scale to an otherwise enormous and vast landscape.

Agreed. Sweet photo report :yourock:

This photo is excellent

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All are good, and some great ones in there.

Great shots, so much work getting in and out of there.

great pics. big country

Wow!
Thx for sharing!

Nice work. Dying to get up there.

Awesome shots.

The topographic relief in that area is unreal.

Nice trip. Great shots. I think we oughta start photo forum TRs

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Originally Posted by splitter

Nice trip. Great shots. I think we oughta start photo forum TRs

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I'll eventually put together a TR in the Outdoors forum

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^Luna, Luna col, Luna lake, East and West Fury and Swiss^

This day we drop down to the bottom of Luna cirque.. there are basically 2 camp areas ahead.. one at the bottom of the cirque and the next about 5 hrs beyond at Luna lake.. a third of the way up to Luna col.. everything else is rock/talus
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By the time we got to Sandy camp.. a big dried out tarn near the bottom of Luna cirque surrounded by moraines.. we decided pushing on to Luna lake could wait till tomorrow.. We lazed around all afternoon listening to the near constant rock and ice fall...
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this is a 360* vid from Sandy camp bottom of Luna cirque.. it starts by looking down at the far end of Wiley ridge which was our entry point and pans up Wiley eventually to our camp area on Challenger arm and then basically follows our route down into the cirque.. then on to Fury, Luna col and Luna
Luna cirque vid

and this one catches a big boulder tumbling down off Fury

The next was a big day.. as we headed up to Luna col.. but first we had to head down to Lousy lake and then access the ramp up
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toe of the glacier beneath Fury at Lousy lake.. Phantom, Ghost and Crooked Thumb loom above
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leaving Lousy lake and the bottom of Luna cirque.. that moraine is frikkin huge and steep and is one of the options around Lousy and onto the ramp.. it is lose and over grown with slide alder and is quite possibly the worst section of the entire traverse.. so glad we could bypass it
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the ramp
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from the top of the ramp.. lower arrow Sandy camp.. other is prev nights camp
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beautiful Luna lake
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then it was time to head up... and we didn't just contour around swiching back and forth.. we just headed straight up.. which actually was a pleasant break from the unending talus of the prev 4 hrs.. but it entailed alot of climbing and short-rope belaying.. by the time we got to the col.. I was trashed..
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3500 ft up from Lousy lake..
Fury, the Northern Pickets and Challenger
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McMillan Spires South Pickets and Glacier Pk
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The views from Luna are incredible..
basically my first attempts at Live View
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Luna and the Okanagan fire
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sunrise
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the Southern Pickets
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time to head down.. go find the right gully cuz the other 2 are bad..
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the right gully.. into Access Crk.. the talus field is about half way down.. the bench is where we bivied cuz we were told (back at Luna col) the camp site on Access was taken.. and the next known site was a few miles down the actual Big Beaver trail.. so it was the bench which was just fine.. perched high above the valley..
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but first time to roll another fattie before dropping down the gully :fm:
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just kidding

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Luna and the BD
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We were lucky with the smoke.. in the pic of the bench above you can see the smoke erupting from the fire.. it got much bigger than that at times.. and the next morning the smoke was approaching from there..
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this is my buddies pic with his p&s.. it shows the upper Access Crk area pretty well.. Luna above right
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Down the lower gully.. thru the boulder fields.. side-hill thru some timber.. cross the log jam back on trail.. then day 8 is 11 miles out to a burger and brew

This was the most incredible, hardest thing I've ever done.. so thankful it finally came together
the bottoms of my big toes are still numb

Outstanding.

Rad!

Sweet TR!

Cool! I'm always delighted to see a TR of that area. Big ass price of admission.

We did that route in 1993: Beaver Pass > Eiley/Wiley Ridge > Challenger summit > Luna Cirque > Luna Lake > Luna Col > Access Creek. Damn, that was 24+ years ago! That's some rugged country. I especially hated the Pig Glacier and the suck ass loose shit above Lousy Lake.

Camps in the meadow on EW Ridge are on my list of top 10 all time camps.

I recommend following up someday with a N-to-S traverse of Easy Ridge > Imperfect Impasse > Perfect Pass > Challenger Glacier > EW Ridge. Anybody sincerely interested in that route can PM me for beta. It's one of the best 4-5 day high routes in the North Cascades.

Thanks for posting

Thanks guys.. It's such an amazing place.. on the shwack out down Access I was like.. well at least I did it once.. saw it in all its glory.. thank you God.. but I ain't coming back.. its just too hard for an old man.. but now.. a few weeks later.. those thoughts are waning my feet are healing and the stark beauty of the place is predominant..

Picket Pass.......

FWIW there's a dozen North Cascades high routes a notch or two easier than Luna Cirque traverse

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Originally Posted by DIYSteve

FWIW there's a dozen North Cascades high routes a notch or two easier than Luna Cirque traverse

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Yes sir.. but I had to see the Pickets with my own eyes.. to know I could complete the traverse.. after missing out on it in yrs past due to various circumstances including injury.. it thankfully came together..

We're looking at a Valhallas/Olympus/Bailey traverse for next yr.. all tho getting up into the Valhallas from the SF Hoh does not sound fun.. or perhaps the Inspiration..

One of my buddies on this trip is a Pickets vet.. he was doing the Whatcom/Challenger/Luna/Access earlier in the season when one in the party fell in Luna cirque.. about a 100'.. injured his ankle badly.. they discussed exit strategy.. back out Challenger? over Luna? not happening.. heli evac.. no insurance.. so they decided.. yep.. Luna Creek.. it took them almost 20 hrs to travel those 4 miles... I was dumbfounded when he told me.. and the guy actually had a fractured tibia.. got a plate and screws.. Yes I was very happy to get thru this with no mishapps.. everything else now is gravey..

Wow, that's rugged. Nice work and some great photos in there.

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Originally Posted by BaNosser

We're looking at a Valhallas/Olympus/Bailey traverse for next yr.. all tho getting up into the Valhallas from the SF Hoh does not sound fun.. or perhaps the Inspiration.

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I can give you beta re a traverse over Olympus massif > Hoh Glacier > Camp Pan > head of Queets > D-R Pass > BRT northward. Fantastic 7-9 day high route, some very remote.

or

Borealis>Lucky Pass>Primus>Klawatti glaciers>Inspiration> Eldo traverse (good 4-day traverse, more if you tag summits)

or

several others, e.g., Red/Ragged, Isolation, PT, Bacon/Hagan/Blum, ALHR and variations thereof

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Originally Posted by BaNosser

not happening.. heli evac.. no insurance.. so they decided.. yep.. Luna Creek.. it took them almost 20 hrs to travel those 4 miles...

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I've heard about that evac. Years ago my bud (a very accomplished alpinist) and his bud (world class mountaineer) took 2 full days to get down the Luna Creek jungle.

That place looks sick, the photos are awesome.

Probably a dumb question, but would a late spring ski traverse be any easier? Faster travel and no talus fields?

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Probably a dumb question, but would a late spring ski traverse be any easier?

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Some North Cascades high routes go fine on skis in May/June/July, but I wouldn't put Luna Cirque traverse on that list

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Originally Posted by DIYSteve

I can give you beta re a traverse over Olympus massif > Hoh Glacier > Camp Pan > head of Queets > D-R Pass > BRT northward. Fantastic 7-9 day high route, some very remote.

or

Borealis>Lucky Pass>Primus>Klawatti glaciers>Inspiration> Eldo traverse (good 4-day traverse, more if you tag summits)

or

several others, e.g., Red/Ragged, Isolation, PT, Bacon/Hagan/Blum, ALHR and variations thereof

I've heard about that evac. Years ago my bud (a very accomplished alpinist) and his bud (world class mountaineer) took 2 full days to get down the Luna Creek jungle.

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Did the Bailey Trav 9 yrs ago.. and it was a fantastic trip... my buddy and I have always wanted to connect an Oly trav with it..
What is the ALHR (HR=high route I assume) ?