Page Type:
|
Route |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
|
47.70310°N / 120.9349°W |
Route Type:
|
Hiking, Scrambling, Skiing |
Season:
|
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
|
Time Required:
|
One to two days |
|
Rock Difficulty:
|
Class 4 |
|
Overview
This is a somewhat more interesting and scenic route to the top of Big Chiwaukum. Getting to the mountain to be in position to climb it from the East involves considerably more distance, elevation gain, and off-trail travel than from the West. This approach and climb also exposes the traveler to more lakes, deeper valleys, and more scrambling terrain than exist on any western route.Coming from the East one can expect more snow lasting later in the year, and more complex route-finding negotiating the steeper terrain of this side of the peak.
Getting There
Getting above treeline to be in position to climb Big Chiwaukum from the East can be done reasonably in one of three ways.The first is to follow the description on the main page up the Chiwaukum Creek and North Fork Chiwuakum Creek Trails past Larch Lake, Cup Lake, and onto the broad bench below the summit ridge.
The second and third options both start with hiking the Chiwaukum Creek Trail to the North Fork Chiwaukum Creek Trail, and then following the Glacier Creek Trail to its end. The Glacier Creek Trail is unmaintained and easy to lose in a few spots of blowdown and alder growth. It is worth your while to stay with the trail to avoid any real bushwhacking however, careful travel in deteriorated sections should be enough to stay on track. The Glacier Creek Trail peters out in the first sizable meadow reached in roughly 2.5 miles from the junction with the North Fork Chiwaukum Creek Trail. From here there are two practical possibilities to get to the bench below the summit ridge.
From the meadow where the trail ends one can find moderate bushwhacking for 1/4 mile through a band of slide alder with some open forest, reaching another large meadow. From this meadow, crossing Glacier Creek to the Southeast bank allows for easy off-trail travel another quarter-mile along the creek to a large avy basin in the bottom of the cirque formed by Big Chiwaukum, Snowgrass, and their surrounding ridges. This basin connects to the upper slopes via several gullies, snow-filled until early Summer, the most likely one heading almost due South up to near the shores of Lake Charles.
The last option also involves the 1/4 mile bushwhack from the end of the trail to the further meadow, but then follows a prominent avy chute uphill North-Northwest from the western end of the clearing. Continue up heather slopes to treeline where talus and, before mid-summer, snow await. Traversing the open slope for a mile or so due West brings one to the base of the summit ridge.
Route Description
The East side of the summit ridge presents a short, but deceptively steep wall. There seems to be three scrambling routes to reach the summit spine from the East.The southernmost option is an easy slope heading Northwest from Lake Charles which gains the ridge just South of Point 7804. The West side of the ridge here offers class 2 scrambling all the way to the highest point. This would make most sense if coming from Lake Charles.
The next option follows an exposed class 2 South-trending ledge beginning less than a hundred yards South of the summit, and finishing to the ridge crest by a short section of 4th class. Again, class 2 terrain leads along the West side of the summit ridge to the true summit.
The northernmost option is another South-trending ledge system, this one 3rd class leading to a class 3 gully beginning 1/4 mile North of the summit, where the USGS topos show the northernmost extent of the glacier. The West side of the ridge here forces one to drop a hundred feet or so, then follow class 2 terrain South to the summit. This would be most sensible if coming from Larch Lake.
The East side glacier is no more, but expect snow until mid-summer on the upper bench below the summit.
Essential Gear and Other Notes
Ice Axe before mid summer.The Glacier Creek approaches are easiest when there is still substantial snow on the ground near treeline, but after Spring avalanche hazard subsides, May-June.
This is rattlesnake and tick country, be careful.
These trips are 20-25 miles round trip with 6300' of gain, expect two days to be standard.
Excellent campspots can be found near Chiwaukum, Larch, and Cup Lakes, as well as in the meadows at the end of the Glacier Creek Trail and at Lake Charles.