Icy Peak to Luna Peak
We originally intended to circumnavigate the Baker River but had to reroute with some unexpected weather. Not quite the adventure we hoped for but still glad to check out the Northern Pickets!
Some of the best camp views I’ve experienced maybe ever on day 3/4.
Day 1: Baker River Trailhead → Ruth Mountain Summit
And off we go from Baker Lake!
Clear turquoise waters of Baker River.
We had planned to jump in at the end of our trip but it didn’t end up happening for reasons below.
Blueberries galore!
Getting off the river and seeing first glimpses of mountains
Probably the worst continuous bushwhacking up to Icy Peak
Finally seeing where to go after hours of eating tree branches
Some views finally now that we’re above treeline; Blum
Hitting the snowline a little under 5000 feet
Glimpses of Shuksan amongst the rolling clouds
And the lower Nooksack Glacier
Wrapping around Icy Peak in a whiteout
We camped on the summit of Ruth and finally above the clouds, right at sunset
Slesse
Day 2: Ruth Mountain Summit → Perfect Pass
Sun rising over Redoubt
Sunrise glow
Shuksan and Baker
Blum behind and Icy Peak’s Spillway Glacier
Deeep valleys of the Baker River
Northern Pickets
Southern Pickets
Descending the eastern flanks of Ruth
Cool rock scars
Interesting scrambling getting up to the lower part of Mineral Mountain
Now it gets easy
Mineral Mountain
Northern Pickets
Southern Pickets
Descending Mineral and up to Easy Ridge next
Some cool walls and waterfalls
The 
Some unnamed lake below Easy Peak
Kyle promised rock walls and those we got
Alpine flowers!
Working our way towards Imperfect Impasse
We took the bypass option by descending lower into the drainage and back up
Camp, no views today
Day 3: Perfect Pass → Luna Peak Col
Working our way up the large Challenger Glacier the next day
We got no views to start the day, but the higher peaks began to reveal themselves
Baker and Shuksan
Whatcom Peak
Our original route was to go south of Challenger and hug the western side of the Northern Picket “fence”, but as you can see the clouds prevented us from doing so
And we did give an honest attempt at waiting but these clouds were persistent.
We decided here to go out to Luna and out to Ross Dam, which is not a bad bail option!
We got to summit Mount Challenger, might as well while we’re here
The one 5.7 move
Looking into the Luna Cirque
But the views quickly faded as the clouds rolled in just as we got to the summit
Getting off the Challenger Glacier
Now descending Luna Cirque.
We seemed to have made the right call given that the clouds never parted west of the Pickets.
Fractured snow on some rock slabs
Typical conditions descending Luna Cirque
Unnamed moraine lake at the bottom of the Cirque
And the named Luna Lake more than a thousand feet above
The cloud machine continues over the Northern Pickets
After a quick dinner, we started making our way up Luna Peak
We got up at the perfect time for the light show
Hozomeen
Prophet
Jack
The shadow of the very peak we’re on
The classic North Cascade peaks
The pointy Southern Pickets
Mount Fury and the Northern Pickets, Baker peeking out
Baker, Shuksan
Redoubt
Sunset
Post sunset magic clouds
Day 4: Luna Peak Col → Ross Dam Trailhead
Good morning!
The cloud machine finally stopped overnight
McMillan Spires
Mount Degenhardt
Mount Terror
Twin Needles
Outrigger Peak
The snowcapped peak is Mount Fury
Mount Baker peeking out
Mount Challenger
Lower Challenger Glacier, Larrabee and American Border peaking out
Getting off Luna Col
One last look at McMillan Cirque
Descending into Access Creek
One last look at the walls on Luna
Crossing Big Beaver Creek
After many many many mindless miles on the Big Beaver Trail, some final views on Ross Lake
Ross Dam
Finally done!!!
Red is what we did, purple is what was intended
Notes
- This was probably ~56 miles and ~25000 feet of vertical gain over four days.
- Kyle’s trip report