Intro
THIS TRIP REPORT IS STILL MOSTLY IN THE EMBEDDED HTML FORMAT OF MY OLD WEBSITE.
The Plan
I was quite disappointed when the first attempt was not a success, so I soon began to make plans for a second attempt at a Pickets traverse before the summer was over. The plan now was to enter via Access Creek, traverse to Luna, and from there continue on to Fury, Picket Pass, Terror, and Goodell Creek. My friend Douglas was eager to join this second attempt.
We began the ambitious adventure on August 21. Unfortunately, yet again I found my partner and I doing all the arduous trail slogging and bushwhacking to get into the Pickets only to turn around and bushwhack and trail slog back out, with little more than tantalizing views of the Pickets dancing in our heads.
The following page details our adventure, including a description of a successful climb of Luna Peak (which has one of the best summit views in all of the North Cascades). Of course, there are several photos. At the bottom of the page I have compared some of my photos from this trip with some photos my parents took during their traverse of the Northern Pickets in 1981.
Trip Summary
We began at Big Beaver trailhead after paying $35 to take a water-taxi to cut off a few hours of hiking. After hiking about 10 miles to Luna Camp, we hiked along the trail for 1.5 miles and then turned off to cross Big Beaver Creek, as described in the Access Creek approach notes in the Beckey Guide. After crossing Big Beaver Creek, we started up the drainage ahead of us. Visibility was poor, but we assumed this was the Access Creek drainage. After a little longer and tougher bushwhack than expected (but nothing too heinous), we made it to the headwaters and set up camp the first night. The next morning we ascended to the ridge via a gully that vaguely resembled the gully described in the Beckey notes. Visibility was still poor, but improving. Soon enough, we noticed a giant peak at the end of the ridge extending to the southwest of us. After a few moments of confusion, we came to the conclusion that this was Luna Peak, and we had come up the wrong drainage, and were standing on the NE shoulder of Luna looking down into where we though we had been the night before: the headwaters of Access Creek!
So down a gully we went, hoping to cross over the headwaters and continue over to the next ridgeline to Luna Col (fortunately, we had planned a short second day, so it was possible to still end up where we wanted to be by that evening). As gullies usually are, it was a tedious few hours before we arrived in the drainage. I was up for continuing on, but Douglas was feeling pretty beat up by the gully and wanted to stop at the headwaters of Access Creek for the night. Admittedly, there was nice camping here, and we did have an extra day built into our trip.
However, when we woke up the next morning, Douglas had decided that he was still feeling the effects of the gully and he did not want to continue the planned traverse. Douglas felt bad about causing a second Pickets failure for me, and was considerate to suggest that we stay another night at the headwaters of Access Creek while I climbed Luna Peak.
So, I climbed Luna Peak via the SW ridge, which was a fun Class 3 route with great views of the Southern and Northern Pickets.
The next day, we headed out via Access Creek, which was a pretty mellow three hours of bushwhacking with the occasional bootpath. It was much easier than our approach via the unnamed drainage just north of Access Creek, and compared to Luna Creek it was an open meadow!
Overall, I was quite disappointed that the grand Pickets traverse I had planned did not work out as planned, for the second time. However, Douglas and I both came out in one piece with some more off trail experience, I still have my rope and tent, and I got some good photos and made a successful climb of Luna Peak.
Scroll down for some photos and more detailed commentary.
