Vesper Peak — Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

This is the perfect time to scramble Vesper Peak. You have the choice to avoid snow and ascend on rocks, or take the snow if you'd rather. Either way is fine. This group of students from the Everett Mountaineers scramble course had a great time playing around on the grippy granite slabs and looking for creative ways to try out rock skills. It was a very pleasant day with no bugs to speak of, moderate temperatures, and wonderful views. This is getting to be a rather crowded destination though, but all folks were friendly. The only real problem is a narrow, shaky "bridge" at the sometimes difficult crossing. It didn't seem very dependable to me and a fall would mean a broken ankle for sure. Previous reports that recommended crampons for the upper snow fields seemed like overkill to me. Maybe in the morning, and maybe if you're really wanting to take the snow route up, but certainly not necessary if you take the easy rock route.