Naches Peak Loop — Friday, Sep. 26, 2003

Mount Rainier Area > SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon

this report is meant to correct the incompleteness and inaccuracies in the goldman scrambles book [a list that just grows longer the more scrambles that i try] on the naches peak-yakima peak scramble. from the parking lot at chinook pass, after leaving the big trail along the mather valley by going up naches peak, you will run into two forks. keep on the west side of the rising crest on the northwest side of naches. at the forks, bear left. avoid traversing right--you will end up with trails running out, and having to scramble up the meadows, hunting for the trail again. if you can see tipsoo lake, you have gone too far. once at the top, the book calls for going right along the base of the naches peak column. this requires a traverse on scree with a long exposure. alternatively, perhaps more direct and sure-footed, climb up the ridge from the northwest side--and if you can handle the exposure on this ridge--clamber along the solid rock to the south summit. it is best to do the summit with at least one other strong hiker/scrambler. the scramble to seymour peak--an optional one--takes off this west face traverse. you can see the path from there. it looks pretty straightforward, but there is very little attractiveness about it to warrant taking the extra time. for yakima peak, the path up the rock is on the south side, not the west. the west side is possible, but has quite a bit of exposure and needs some rock climbing, maybe class 3. i see no reason to do this. the north side has lots of scree. the east side looks like the most gentle slope, but i could not see a traverse along the north fact to get there. for approaches, there is probably a more direct route up the grass/meadow directly from the bridge at chinook pass. once above tree line, look for the semi-rock slide and head for an opening at the ridge. go thru that opening on to the west side, and follow the ridge to the top. alternatively, if you travel north along the pacific crest trail--as the book describes--take the first gully directly above the horse trail entrance, hug the edge of the evergreens and avoid losing 15 minutes by heading to the u-shaped ridge on the north side of yakima that is so obvious from the top of naches peak. on both scrambles, there are boot trails. so they are only nominally scrambles. an ice ax is not essential, but welcome with all the exposure on these two climbs. ps: you will find that all those hikers in all those cars in the parking lots don't do these scrambles. so up high, you will have few, if any, other hikers.