Luna Peak — Thursday, Sep. 4, 2014

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20

The bullet-proof high pressure ridge assuring clear skies prompted Don B, Carla S, Brett D, and I to consider this remote area of North Cascade National Park as any worry of rainfall was gone. This tallest peak in the Picket Range receives ample precipitation and the summit views offered from this central location include dozens of glaciers that resounded with ice fall during our visit. We took the water taxi to the Big Beaver landing lessening our approach from SR-20 by some seven miles. Then we hiked on the well-maintained Big Beaver trail to ~1 1/2 miles past the established Luna Camp situated at 10 miles uptrail. There is a large rock cairn eight feet to the left of the trail where we made our exit toward Big Beaver. Generally following the line of gravity we zigged and zagged through mucky terrain with skunk cabbage patches and old-growth Devils club forests to eventually reach Big Beaver Creek. Where to cross the Big Beaver Creek is perhaps the crux of the climb. Any logs going over the creek are now gone. That necessitates a ford through swift and cold water. The route I reconned without a pack on did not play out. Brett was successful on his foray and we stripped to our undershorts to cross in mid-thigh level water. Once on the west side of Big Beaver we made a generally southwest traverse to the headwater of Access Creek. We only occasionally saw bootscars of previous climbers in the forest duff. Luna's second line of defense after Big Beaver Creek are the half-dozen slide alder thickets that need to be passed. We crossed Access Creek at ~3,900 ft and six hours after leaving the established trail we reached our campsite located in the meadow adjacent to the rippling headwater for Access Creek from a pocket glacier of Luna Peak at ~ 4,200 ft. The summit pyramid enticed us from 4,100 vertical feet above while we ate our supper shortly before sunset. Sometime during the twilight period the "snafflehounds" made their appearance. I was enjoying my tea when I felt something brushing against my leg. I looked down to see the furry rodent brazenly groping me. Neotoma cinerea is the scientific name of these bushy tailed rodents of the high country. They emerged from their burrows and were quite annoying ever going toward our packs hence their more common name of "pack rat". They, like many other animals, have an strong desire for salt and will eat the cork off of trekking poles and chew the inside of boots or the lining of backpacks to satisfy their craving. As a successful defense I made an island of stones in the middle of the stream and marooned by backpack there during the night. My boots were placed on the face of a large boulder where they would have needed to rappel to get to them. Don had a miserable night as he defended himself from his bivy sack. Previously I have had them lick the salt off of my hair while I tried to sleep in a bivy sack. The next morning we ascended the two-thousand feet to get to the col that grants access to the SW Ridge. At this late time in the climbing season the gully is a loose rock pile and our four member party made conscious effort to remain either close together or outside of each other's line of gravity to prevent party inflicted rockfall. We had helmets on for safety just in case. Once at the col the beauty of the Pickets revealed itself. McMillian Spires, Mt Terror, Mt Degenhart, and Challenger made a team effort to provide an inspiring sense of wonder. We made an ascending traverse to reach another col at the edge of Luna's SW Ridge. Leaving our crampons, ice axe, and other unneeded equipment we ascended the easy Class 3 rock to the false summit of Luna. Once at the false summit we discussed various options. Carla saw a line that connected the dots of the two summits. It involved losing ~20 feet to gain access to interconnected ramps and ledges on the SE face (right side) of Luna. From the false summit the prospects look daunting but once on the move we were on the true summit twenty minutes later. Having said that it should be underscored that this route is incredibly exposed. There little leeway for error. A misstep or errant handhold would be fatal. Our route was bone dry and you will want friction to be your ally on Luna. Like our party choose a summit date that is guaranteed to be without precipitation. The descent was along the same lines and after another night camping we returned to the Ross Lake water taxi pickup point. Our 6:00 PM rendezvous allowed time for a refreshing swim for some members. This adventure is a strenuous endeavor but worth every footfall as it provides supreme views into a pristine wilderness. Hiking distance travelled; 36 1/2 miles Elevation gain; 8,009' Camp-to-camp on summit day; 10 1/2 hrs