Complete Photo Gallery for Picket Traverse Posting
Day 1-4 Ross Lake to Picket Pass
Group on Boat ride up Ross Lake, ready for an adventure
Ross Lake from Little Beaver Trail
Having a break at Twin Rocks campground on Little Beaver Trail
Breaking out into the valley as we approach Whatcom Pass
First views of Whatcom Peak
Waterfalls coming off Wiley Ridge
Getting close to the switchbacks an the long climb out of the valley to Whatcom Pass
First view of the Traverse around Whatcom Peak. Snow conditions look perfect
View of Mt Challenger from the Trail. Very few crevasses
Starting the long Traverse around Whatcom Peak. Conditions are perfect
Break halfway around the Traverse. Great view of Mt Challenger
First views of Perfect Pass. Camp for the night
Heading down to Perfect Pass
Fay’s camp spot on Perfect Pass
Mt Challenger, today’s traverse route goes up the right arm and through the notch next to the middle peak
View of camp heading west away from the Pickets
Summit ridge of Whatcom Peak
Summit of Whatcom with Luna on the right skyline
Jim on summit of Whatcom with the Chilliwacks
Mt Challenger from the summit of Whatcom Peak
Leaving Perfect Pass with Whatcom Peak in the background
Jim leading out across the Challenger glacier
Looking down the Challenger Glacier toward Whatcom Pass and the Chilliwacks
Jim and Whatcom Peak
First view of Crooked Thumb and Phantom Peak from the West Challenger notch
Break on Phantom Arm with Pickell Pass and the Southern Pickets
Southern Pickets from Phantom Arm
Route up Phantom Peak on of my favorite climbs done in 2016
Camp at Pickell Pass. Only camp on snow. At least our kitchen was on dry ground.
Morning view out the side of the tent
Mt Triumph from Pickell Pass
Breakfast on Pickell Pass
Tents at Pickell Pass. Fay tied her tent to a tree and slept on dry ground next to the cliffs
Airing my feet out over breakfast
Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan
View of West Fury as we dropped off Pickell Pass
Kevin downclimbing steep snow as we drop off the Pickell Pass ridge
George and the Pickets
Heading down the cliffs of Pickell Pass
Swiss Peak (left) and West Fury (right)
Jim and George setting up a repel off the tree to get us down the final cliff band off Pickell Pass
Jim repelling to the snow field below
Waterfall coming off the cliffs above. Oh, so many waterfalls
Break spot on the valley floor between Pickell and Picket Pass
Starting up the magic gully that would take us up 2000 feet to the slopes below Picket Pass
Further up the magic gully between Pickell and Picket Pass
Still heading up the gully
Jim reaching Picket Pass. The official halfway point
Day 5-9 Picket Pass to Sourdough Trailhead
View of the Southern Pickets from Picket Pass … peaks left to right, McMillian Spires, Degenhardt, and Terror
Sunset on the Southern Pickets from camp at Picket Pass
Sunset on Picket Pass
Mt Terror out the front of the tent
Looking back at Pickell Pass from Picket Pass
Mt Terror
George and Jim scooting the route off Picket Pass
Jim leading off Picket Pass with the Twin Spires in the background
Jim walking through the collapsed cornice on Picket Pass
Mt Terror, The Rake, and The Twin Spires
The Rake and The Twin Spires
Jim belaying from the heather ledge below McMillian Spires
Hidden gully leading to McMillian Tarn and camp for the night
Fay, George, and Kevin traversing the heather ledge to the hidden gully
Unroping just above the McMillian Tarn
Jim celebrating camp at McMillian Tarn
Camp at McMillian Tarn
Waterfalls everywhere
Mt Terror, The Rake, and The Twin Spires from camp at McMillian Tarn
Morning from McMillian Tarn
Morning light on Mt Terror
Group discussion on the route under the McMillian Spires and ice falls
Traversing bolder field heading to the ice falls
George heading through the brush on the way to the ice falls
Crossing toward McMillian Spires
More route discussions on how to get under the ice falks
Fay and I waiting to repel into the waterfall gully
Crossing under the McMillian Spires ice falls
Looking back at the ice falls and the Southern Pickets
Jim crossing under the ice falls
Looking back at the ice falls
McMillian Spires and the ice falls
Long break after successfully navigating the valley floor and ice falls
Ice falls in McMillian Cirque
Heading up to the Pass between Elephant Butte and McMillian Pass
Climbing up to the Elephant Butte – McMillian Pass
Endless snow fields leading to the Pass between Elephant Butte and McMillian Spires
Corniced ridge line
Final climb to the McMillian / Elephant Butte pass
Jim at the Elephant Butte / McMillian Spire Pass after completing the Picket Traverse
Heading out to Rhino Butte for a summit camp
Further up a Rhino Butte
George and Jim assessing Stetattle Ridge which gave way to our exit point
Jim on the summit of Rhino Butte with Luna Peak
East Fury (left) and Luna Peak (right) peaks in the Northern Pickets
The Southern Pickets from Rhino Butte
Camp on Rhino Butte
Jack Mountain at sunset
Camp on Rhino Butte
Waking to a marine fog layer
East Fury in the fog
Southern Pickets from the summit of Elephant Butte
Fay repelling off Elephant Butte summit
Jim downclimbing slabs on Elephant Butte
Working our way down the summit ridge on Elephant Butte
Roped downclimbing of steep snow on the Elephant Butte Ridge line
Roped downclimbing of steep snow on the Elephant Butte Ridge line
Scrambling class 3 rock on the Elephant Butte ridge line
Heading back up a snow field on Elephant Butte after hitting a dead end
Kevin leading a downclimbing snow pitch leading to camp for the night
Camp on Elephant Butte. The tents are overlapping but no one is sleeping on snow
Luna Peak in the morning fog
Jim emerging the brush at Torrent Lake on Elephant Butte
Running the Stetattle ridge in the fog
Climbing one of many bumps on Stetattle Ridge
Looking back down Stetattle Ridge
Endless Stetattle Ridge with cliffs on the left and gentle terrain on the right
Stetattle Ridge
Rolling over the final bump on the Stetattle Ridge deeming the rock rib below camp for the night
Final camp with a view of Snowfeild and Colonial
Nice heather camp for our final night
Morning light
Looking down Stetattle Ridge towards SourDough Lookout
Heading out on our last day
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