Saturday, June 10, 2017

Route: Sloan Peak - Corkscrew Route

Mountain Information:

Driving Directions:

  • Trailhead: 
  • Address: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Gold Bar, WA 98251
  • Elevation:  1840 ft
  • Pass:  Northwest Forest Pass
  • Directions
    • Mountaineers: "Drive north on I-5 and take exit to Granite Falls (SR 92 from Marysville or SR 9 from I-405). Drive through Granite Falls on Mountain Loop Highway towards Barlow Pass. Take Forest Road 4096 4 mi to Bedal Creek Trail (Trail No. 705), 2,800 ft.   (Alternate route via North Fork Saul (Forsest Road 49) is described in the notes below) has been more popular in 2012 and 2013.)"
    • SummitPost: "From Granite Falls take the Mountain Loop Highway to Barlow Pass (32 miles), then drive 7 miles to the North Fork Sauk River Road. Take this road 4.5 miles to a pullout (approx. 1900 feet). Follow flagging and trail for 1/2 mile to a crossing of the North Fork of the Sauk River. Be careful here in early season or late in the day."
    • WTA: "From Darrington, drive south on the Mountain Loop Highway (SR 503) for 16.3 miles. Turn east (right) on Sloan Creek Road (Road 49). Continue 4.5 miles to the trailhead on your right." 
    • WTA: "Take exit 208 off I-5 and drive four miles east on the Mountain Loop Highway (SR 530) to Arlington. Continue on 530 for 28 miles more to Darrington. At a three way stop turn right (south) onto Mountain Loop Highway, and continue 17.2 miles turning left on FR 4096 which is about a mile past Bedal campground. Continue on FR 4096 for two miles to the trailhead."
  • Highway 2 Road Condition:   
  • Weather forecast
  • Avalanche danger forecast:  

Route Information: Corkscrew Route

  • Approach and Ascent: 
    • Hike the trail to 3,560 ft (1.2 mi), just before a major side stream. Head up slope in the trees. At around 4,500 ft a minor flat area is reached. Follow it toward the 5,300 ft saddle between Bedal Peak and Sloan Peak. Just before reaching the open area (drainage), ascend in the trees to 4,800 ft. Then up to approximately 5,000 ft in brushy areas.
    • At around 5,000 ft traverse the open/bushy slope to the timber to the saddle (pass by the small lake). Head up to the base of the Glacier. Camp on the saddle at 5,330 ft or on ridge overlooking the glacier at 5,800 ft. Be prepared to camp on snow through June.
    • Descend to glacier. Head southwest for the obvious corner where the left skyline of the summit massif joins the east ridge. Keep high (right) on the glacier, then ascend left to within 100 ft of the east rock face. Watch for evidence of rock fall from the face and move to the left if necessary.
    • Later in the season, it may be necessary to drop down lower on the glacier to avoid major crevasses. From the corner, follow a rock and heather covered shelf on an obvious goat/climber trail, high across the entire south face, around the corner and partway to the west face, to a prominent gully. Ascend straight up gully to its top at the ridge crest. Move east (left) just below the ridge, go up a short steep step (class 4), and scramble 200-300 ft to summit. 

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