What a spectacular peak in the North Cascades! The views were stunning! We climbed the winter route, not the summer one listed on WTA. Consider this mountaineering, not hiking. There are plenty of route-finding challenges in the lower half, bushwhacking through the forest with no discernible trail, then a long stretch of sketchy snow covered creeks where snow bridges are a real danger, then some avalanche debris deposit fields, then a long Camp Muir like slog through steep snowfields to achieve the ridge. But once you get there it will be all worth it! There are a ton of glissading opportunities. I don't know how much longer this route will be doable. You'll at least have to consider avoiding the snow lower down since there are significant snow bridges with lots of running water underneath that are getting more dangerous as melt out continues. We saw signs of some previous avalanches and cornice collapses in the distance, but the route seemed safe at this point. Snow was firm even on this very warm day. Snowshoes not required. Gear used: mountaineering boots, gaiters, poles, crampons, ice axe, glacier glasses, GaiaGPS for route finding. Stats were: 8 miles, 5120' ascent, 7408' elevation, 8:00 total time, 2:00 stop time. Stop time exaggerated by slow bushwhacking down low, though we did spend a good while on the summit. As we were leaving, two other climbers were just coming up the final ridge. We saw no others.
Road and TH Conditions: Parking right off of Hwy 20. You can start from the Happy Creek TH. But we parked at a pullout on the north side of Hwy 20 that cuts off 0.75 miles of Happy Creek trail. We crossed the road and joined up with that trail within 30'. Coordinates were 48.728214, -121.046298.
Trail Conditions: This is a route you'll need to be prepared for. Having a GPX track is important. The route, especially in the bottom half, is not obvious. The upper snowfields it was easier to see the previous boot tracks and the destination becomes obvious. The Happy Creek trail is well defined, but once you deviate from that, you'll need a GPX track to guide you. You'll see evidence of boots but it is very intermittent. There were many downed trees and a few boulder fields to navigate. It is slow going. Then the snow starts and there is a long stretch where you can see or hear running water underneath. This part is the most dangerous and needs to be navigated carefully. We punched through many times, but no snow bridge collapses. We avoided the most obvious ones as much as possible. This is followed by some steeper snow sections in the trees where we donned our crampons. This is the only part where we used ice axes but only the way down. Eventually it opens up into rolling snowfields. At this point it's just a long slog uphill with one false ridge after another. The final section is pretty steep, then a gentle ridge to the summit with 360 degree views of snow capped peaks. Enjoy!
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