Range Project

Kyes Peak and the Pride Glacier Headwall

Looking at Kyes Peak in the Monte Cristo Washington
Looking at Kyes Peak in the Monte Cristo Washington

Kyes Peak is a prominent and picturesque mountain near the abandoned mining town of Monte Cristo. In the late 1800s, the Rockafeller family helped to develop the area by funding the exploration of the area’s mining deposits. Situated in the Mountain Loop Highway Area of the North Cascades, the town of Monte Cristo was at the turn of the century the terminus for an Everett railroad built to ferry ores from the surrounding mountains to the then-bustling town.

Along with Monte Cristo and Columbia Peaks, Kyes and its surrounding ridges contain the Columbia Glacier basin. Kyes Peak is geologically significant in that it is the highest summit in the Monte Cristo group of peaks. Knowing that Scott McAlister and I decided to check out the area with a snowboard descent of the Pride Glacier Headwall.

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The Big Chiwaukum Couloir

Snowboarding the Big Chiwaukum couloir in the North Cascades

The Big Chiwaukum Couloir is one of those lines you can see on a clear day at Stevens Pass Ski resort. Being the high point of the Chiwaukum range the line can’t help but grab your attention. Scott McAlister and I put together a plan to in which we would make it out there via a traverse. We would go fast and light with an early morning approach so we could make the most out of the day before exiting around sunset. While the tour was going to be long it would be worth it for the views alone. Snowboarding down the Big Chiwaukum Couloir was going to be a nice bonus.

A view of the Big Chiwaukum Couloir from Stevens Pass ski resort
A view of the Big Chiwaukum Couloir from Stevens Pass ski resort

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Buckner Mountain Descent of North Face

Looking at the North face of Buckner Mountain in the North Cascades of Washington State
Looking at the North face of Buckner Mountain in the North Cascades of Washington State
Looking at the North Face of Buckner Mountain

Buckner Mountain and its North face is one of those areas in Washington that has reached legendary status. Being both steep and a bit isolated it is known but rarely seen by many people. With a summit of 9112 feet it is the 10th highest peak in Washington state. On the North side the slopes run down to the Boston Glacier before draining to Thunder Creek. The South side of Buckner Mountain drops almost over 4,000 feet to Park and Basin Creek. The main approach is via Cascade River Road before climbing over Sharkfin Col. With a solid weather window this was our plan on a 2 day trip into North Cascades National Park.




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CJ Couloir on Johannesburg Mountain

Looking at Johannesburg Mountain and the CJ Couloir
Looking at Johannesburg Mountain and the CJ Couloir

There is something really special about the North Cascades abundant steep, glaciated slopes. After spending too much time in the resort, I had to get out and take advantage of our endemic topography. To further tip the scales of persuasion, sunshine and stable avy conditions were predicted. Scott and I were off to North Cascades National Park and found ourselves at the base of the CJ Couloir!

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North Twin Sister in the Twin Sisters Range

Looking at the North Sister in the Twin Sisters Range
Looking at the North Sister in the Twin Sisters Range

The North Twin Sister is the northern most peak in the Twin Sister Range located just southwest of Mount Baker. With a summit elevation of 6,644 feet it is commonly seen from Highway 542. Being the first alpine peak on the Western North Cascades it sees little traffic. Being accessed from the Mosquito Lake Road you can access the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River. The final approach is via a logging road which is usually gated but offers direct access. Our interest was on the north facing slopes which is a wide open chute. With clear weather and a fresh dusting of snow finally it was time to check out the North Twin Sister.




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Partial Picket Range Ski Traverse and Mount Ruth

The idea to do a Picket Range Ski Traverse was the brain child of both Jason Hummel and Forrest Mcbrian. Basically I was a passenger and this is how a trip that would change my life came together.

February 17th 2010 presented a rare weather window indigenous to spring in the Cascades—6 days of clear skies and, most likely, stable, predictable maritime snowpack. The infrequent opportunity called for something long and arduous in the backcountry. Like most other mountaineers in the area, this was what I had waited for—a big weather window, and the opportunity to do something big with it.

As a splitboard mountaineer, finding touring partners often means looking beyond snowboarders toward the truly elite in sliding tool mountaineering (yeah, that often means skiers). Jason Hummel, though a skier, was a frequent traveling partner, good friend, and talented photographer. Traveling with him was a given for the upcoming window, but where we would go was yet to be determined. Jason had considered the Picket Range Ski Traverse many times before, and was knowledgeable about the area. He and I had talked for a while about doing a trip in the area.




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Mount Pugh on the Mountain Loop Highway

Snowboarding to the Straight Glacier

With the unusually warm winter and lack of snowfall, peaks and highways usually inaccessible until late spring were accessible much sooner in the season. Mount Pugh along the Mountain Loops Highway is one such otherwise dormant destination. It was an early start as Jason and I left Tacoma around 6 a.m. Our plan was to meet up with Conor at a Park and Ride before driving to the Mount Pugh Trailhead. We feared that the Forest Service road would be gated blocking us over 3 miles. We were quickly relieved to drive all the way to the parking lot. It felt like spring as we packed our gear onto our backs and climbed miles of dirt trail under a blazing hot sun. Soon enough the snow pack went from nonexistent to three feet deep as we entered Glacier Peak Wilderness.

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Chiwaukum Mountains Camping Trip

Looking at the Chiwaukums from Howard Mountain
Climbing up Little Chiwaukum near Stevens Pass

With a full moon and clear skies it was time to head out into the mountains and try something big. Jason and I kept throwing ideas back and forth until reaching a agreement that we should visit the remote Chiwaukum Mountains. It was our hope that we could find a scenic camping spot and get some turns. Since it was early January we knew it was going to be cold with short days.

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