Began at 6:30am... large tree to get over, and an interesting stream crossing, but not difficult. Reached snow in the upper basin below Headlee Pass... it was soft and provided easy travel up the 35 degree gully to the pass. From there, a traverse on a scree slope brought us to an indistinct ridge which we followed up towards Vesper. Soon we were on fresh snowfields, sometimes postholing, but they provided a quick and easy method up to the final summit ridge. Amazing views. 4 hours up, 3 hours down. Saw two other parties as we were coming down. The crappy weather forecast ended up being incorrect... no precip, and a good amount of sunshine.

We started out at 11 am (way too late). Started out on the trail. Got to the headwaters of the Stillaguamish and the bridge or log was washed out. We had seen some people turn back because of this. Instead we crossed it by traversing some smaller in-the-water logs... kinda scary... Got across. A big log down the center where you could stop and take pictures. The trail up to the snow fields was steep and switchbacky, but no problems encountered. One section on it, you had to be careful where you stepped because the trail could slip out below you. The snow field was ok, about 8 feet of snow.. hidden crevasses (holes) if you got too near the edge or the trees. Got up to about the center of the cirque, rested at a huge rock that had slid down the hill. Then began to go up about a 45 degree chute. Went up the wrong chute. We named it ""Smedley Pass"" for fun. Got to the top of the chute and there we could see Vesper, 4:30 pm. Lots of snow on Vesper. Went and found actual Headlee pass, one chute to the south. Ended up going down. Pretty steep right at top. On both chutes, we used equipment -- ice axe, ropes, harness, etc. Know the self-arrest for going down, could turn hairy. Got back to the car at 9 pm.

What a fabulous trail on a gorgeous day! This trailis really a tough one, and taxes willpower to the utmost.Of course, that's my kind of trail! It starts off in2nd-growth, soon turning into old growth. A portion of this trailhas more roots per square meter than any I've seen. One tree'sroots provide a bridge across a creek! Fun! Soon after that,the fun is over and the trail tilts straight up arocky slope, sometimes more of a 3rd-class climb thana trail. There is no snow up to Headlee Pass. Climbing beyond, I made it to Vesper Peak on muchmore reasonable tread. There is a bit of snow onVesper, but no ax is required as you can stay onrock. It'll all be melted soon. Great views ofhundreds of peaks from Rainier to Baker. The hike down is almost as much work as going up,so save some energy... I sure with I had! Even on aMonday, there were 6-8 people on the trail. Expectcrowds on weekends.

7/17/98 Vesper Peak, Near Monte Cristo, Excellent Weather, but hot. 7 miles, 4200’ elev. gain. We started hiking at 7:20 am after a slight delay finding the Sunrise Mountain Road. (There was NO sign marking this turn off the Mountain Loop Highway.) Crossing the streams in the valley was easier than expected, as the South Fork Stillaguamish River was apparently lower than earlier in the season. The flow is not too high, and you cross on a 4"" dia. tree branch. The day warmed very rapidly as we worked our way up through lush brush which made the air very humid. Somebody had given the trail a once-over-lightly brushing. In this area (about 3000’ altitude) we heard the ""Quick, Three Beers"" call of the Olive-Sided Flycatcher. We then broke out of the brush to reach a talus filled basin. We lost the trail in a dry stream bed, and picked it again in about 1/8 mile to our right a couple hundred feet up the side of the basin. The talus rocks must be loose enough in this area for the trail to get obscured each winter. The trail is well defined from here on, and we proceed up the narrow snow-free couloir to Headlee Pass. The path that continues on west side of Headlee Pass drops a little then crosses a talus field, across a small stream, through heather, then over bedrock and snow to the summit at of Vesper 6214’. The actual summit consists of several large boulders, and Brian gets a picture of me straddling the highest one. The north face of Vesper is a massive planar face of bedrock, inclined at about 60 degrees, and a larger, lower part at about 55 degrees. Quite impressive. The view is primo. We can recognize over 20 mountains from the summit. After a leisurely lunch and enjoying the view, we decide to take a side trip along the ridge to the north west for about 1/3 of a mile. Out there, while I’m looking at the area near Little Chief Peak (northwest of Vesper), suddenly a large section of an icy snow finger breaks away. The area seems to be ten feet wide and maybe 20 feet long, and perhaps 8 feet deep.. I see this block silently cleave into about six blocks, each several feet thick, and the width and height of the area breaking away. A few second later the roar reaches us. Now slabs have broken into ice clods perhaps the size of washers and dryers, others smaller, tumbling down the mountainside, over a cliff and out of view. Sights like this are best viewed from above and a mile away. We almost return to the summit before making our descent. The snow field leading down twords Vesper creek is the perfect hardness, but a little too sun cupped for standing glissades, nevertheless, I use the opportunity to give my knees a break. Once we reach lower altitudes, I seek out one of the few huckleberry bush for a refreshing snack. All in all, we met 6 people on the hike, plus two more in the parking lot who are starting an overnight trip.