Behind the Picket Fence

As a PNW mountaineer, it is impossible to avoid the legend of the Pickets. I heard about them before I ever saw them – a fabled jagged line of peaks with even more intimidating valleys beneath them. I read about the epic bushwhacks, terrible weather, and long approaches. But I also heard those who have experienced the Pickets wax poetic about the sheer cliffs, unmatched ruggedness, and raw beauty. I knew the Pickets were a real place, but they might as well have been Fantasia. The lore runs deep.

In 2019, I got my first taste of the Pickets with a day trip up West McMillan Spire. While I stood on a Picket summit, it really didn’t feel like it – I had hiked up a well maintained climber’s trail with no real bushwhacking. It was too simple. I knew that the real Pickets wouldn’t be such a walk in the park, but a little nibble at the edge was good for the appetite.

In 2021, I had plans to finally do a Pickets High Route during the first week of August, the statistically driest time of the year here. But when the forecast came around, the chance of smoke, thunder, and rain chased us to the Bailey Range Traverse, which was an amazing trip in its own right.

During 2022, I missed the Pickets prime time in the “real” Alps, while Kaitlyn and Jenny blazed through the Pickets as part of their incredible North Cascades High Route. In 2023, I focused on the Glacier Peak High Route and the thin snowpack evaporated before any Picket plans could even come into focus. When would I finally get the Pickets?

Initially, 2024 did not seem like the year. 2024 was shaping up to be similarly dry to 2023. I figured that June would be the window for the Pickets, but I knew that June was off the table with a trip to pace Blake at Western States 100. So it seemed that another year was going to pass with the Pickets once again eluding me. But then “May Mist” and “June Gloom” settled in, bringing hope that the snow would last a little longer than last year. Maybe, just maybe, the Pickets could be on the menu for the long 4th of July weekend…

Our Glacier Peak High Route team of me, Wyatt, and Anthony made plans to unite for yet another 4th of July Epic. While I was in California, Wyatt did all the prep, pouring over trip reports, photos, and maps. When we had our pre-trip virtual meeting, Wyatt asked us if we were nervous. Wait, should I be nervous? Work and life had been so busy for me that I didn’t have time to be nervous. But now that Wyatt mentioned it, I started to get nervous. However, as I have learned over the years, the best trips leave me a little nervous in the days leading up.

In a surprising turn of events this spring, we had gone from worrying about too little snow to worrying about too much unconsolidated snow. The forecast was completely dry, but warm. Temperatures were supposed to gradually climb, peaking around 95F in Marblemount by Sunday, the final day. For this reason, we wanted to go south to north to get through the snowy, hazardous sections earlier in the trip when temperatures were still reasonable. However, that left some major uncertainties, as almost every party does the Southern Pickets from north to south, the opposite of our direction. For example, could we climb the section that parties rappel on Outrigger?

The Pickets themselves are broken into two sections: the Southern Pickets and the Northern Pickets. The Southern Pickets are more rugged. There are multiple high traverse options in both sections. Steph Abegg has produced the premiere Pickets guide on her website. We wanted to traverse the east side of the range through the deep cirques to get the best view of the steep north and east faces. We chose to approach via Stetattle Ridge and exit Wiley Ridge. These are two of the longer, less used approaches for the Pickets, but they would be highly scenic and not require a car shuttle.

Excessive research has diminishing, and eventually negative, returns. Preparation was important, but deep down I knew that Wyatt, Anthony, and I were ready for the Pickets. It was time to venture behind the fence.

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Day 1: Ross Dam to Elephant Butte

The first crux of the trip was getting our permit from North Cascades National Park. I can count on one hand the number of times I have overnighted in the Park. The permit system, requiring in person permit pickup during business hours, is very unfriendly to weekend warriors who need to get an early start on big 2-day trips. For this reason, I try to avoid camping in the Park. Fortunately, Wyatt was able to run up the evening before and get a ticket, meaning we were able to be early in the line the next morning. We had our permits by 8 AM!

From the moment we left our cars at Ross Dam, every single step of this trip would be new ground for me. This was a huge contrast to the Glacier Peak High Route, which felt like an alpine performance after many years rehearsing different sections. I had left this huge swath of North Cascades, the most remote, for this trip. And we were finally doing it.

Since the Sourdough Mountain fire burned the trail last year, we had to take the long way up Sourdough Mountain, the Pierce Mountain Trail. The trail was overgrown and brushy.

We were pleased to find a breeze when we entered the alpine. Diablo Lake looked mighty turquoise from the Sourdough Lookout.

While all the Cascades have been sculpted by glaciation, this particular region has the additional influence of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet overrunning the local alpine glaciers during the last Ice Age. There are some notable effects:

• The depression where Ross Lake now sits was carved by a tongue of the continental ice sheet blasting through the North Cascades.
• The ancestral Skagit River where Ross Lake now sits actually used to flow north into the Fraser River in Canada. When the Ice Sheet was advancing from the north, it dammed up the river at the north end, creating a deep lake. Eventually this lake breached the divide to the south. The steep canyon where present day Diablo Lake and Highway 20 lies was carved by catastrophic floods. That is why that canyon is so deep and narrow compared to our typical wider glacier carved valleys.
• The Ice Sheet also flattened out some alpine ridges like Yellow Aster Butte and Stetattle Ridge, which we were walking on. These alpine ridges, typically around 6k in elevation, are strangely flat on top. Such features do not really exist further south, where the Ice Sheet did not barrel through the Cascades.

While the ridge is generally “flat”, almost no sections are actually flat. We had many ups and downs to get to the edge of the McMillan Cirque, which was our stretch goal for the first day.

The Sourdough Fire burned up to the ridge in places. I had never seen alpine heather scorched black. It was a unique scene, with lush green meadows right next to black soil.

We went over nearly every bump along Stetattle Ridge, making for a lot of gain with full packs. Do not underestimate this section – it may look quick on a map, but it is a lot of distance!

Elephant Butte presents a major obstacle. Once can go over it, but that requires an overhung fifth class move that would not be fun with overnight packs. Other groups have horror stories about cliffy micro terrain going around. Luckily, Wyatt had tamed the Elephant once already, and knew the most efficient way around. Getting down to the pass and back up still required a fair bit of brush, mossy cliffs, and mosquito whacking. We were a bit worse for the wear when we rounded the shoulder of Elephant Butte and decided to settle at a nice flat camp.

Originally, I had thought our days would be a lot shorter than last year’s Glacier Peak High Route. On paper, this high route was much smaller. However, this was almost an 11 hour day and we did not make it as far as we initially hoped. But then I reminded myself – this is the Pickets – and realized I wouldn’t want the Pickets to go easily.

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Day 2: Elephant Butte to Luna Col

It was calm overnight, which was fortunate because we discovered that Wyatt’s “3 person” tent was very much a 2 person tent and so one person would have to sleep outside each night.

The snow had consolidated overnight, but not refroze solid. This was good because the next sidehill section featured probably a hundred snow / rock transitions, so if we had needed crampons, it would have been incredibly annoying. In general, the Pickets feature far more snow to rock transitions than I have ever experienced before. Part of this was due to our timing, but part of it was due to the terrain. If you are not comfortable with undercut snow and jumping between snow and rock, then this definitely is not the trip for you.

When we rounded the corner of Peak 6914, the terrain finally got easier en route to the edge of the McMillan Cirque.

At this saddle, we got our first real view into the heart of the Pickets. We could plainly see the south ridge of Outrigger, which was one of our biggest concerns. We knew that people descended the ridge and made one rappel. But there was minimal information about climbing up it, which we would be doing. We found one account of a snow bypass of the steep section, so we felt confident we would figure it out.

We ascended briefly and then began a downward traverse into the McMillan Cirque. It started off as pleasant snow.

The ease of travel ended abruptly as we encountered some giant blocks of snow scattered about on slabs. We tried to move quickly, but we ran into a few dead ends trying to navigate through the blocks. In the back of my mind, I knew that the snow blocks would not be here forever…

After this section, we continued through classic complex post glacial slabs. Above us, the peaks towered with their hanging glaciers. The overhead was so steep that it was difficult to even capture in a photo. We stayed too high in some places and ran into trouble when we encountered a deeply inset waterfall that was raging. This forced us to drop a few hundred feet, where we found a way to scamper across the waterfall.

Lower in the cirque, there is a cliff band that forced us to drop below 4k. We traversed beneath it, trying to stay above the brush, but inevitably bashing through some. By the time we reached the lake, we were hot and bothered. We could see why Steph Abegg refers to the McMillan Cirque as the “hellhole of the Cascades”.

After a nice break to recover and lick our wounds, we started up “The Enchanted Gully” – a weakness that is the only path up and out of the cirque. There are so many miraculous feeling features that connect different sections and make this route possible. The Pickets, and the McMillan Cirque in particular, is a series of doors, where the passage through one unlocks the next room. It is constant problem solving and hazard management. Slowly, yet surely, we were getting it done.

The rightward exit out of the gully partway up was chossy and spicy, but doable. Confronted with more snow on slabs, we traversed above it, heading up and right towards Picket Pass.

There was a fair bit of vegetated scrambling, steep snow, and funky snow bridges, but overall, I felt the climb out of McMillan Cirque was relatively “chill” compared to the descent. Regardless of which direction you go, I think the descent into McMillan Cirque will feel more difficult than the ascent because of visibility.

Picket Pass has a cool vibe set beneath the Southern Pickets and just across from Mongo Ridge. We had a great breeze as we geared up for our climb up Outrigger, the biggest unknown of the trip.

The ridge begins mellow. After a flat section, one comes across a terrifyingly narrow knife edge. While some “knife edges” are a steep ridge, this truly was a knife edge – a hundred feet of straight air to either side. Once again it amazed me how such fortuitous features like this make the entire trip just barely possible.

I broke out the rope and rock gear and led across the knife edge. The crux was a committing downclimb that involved lowering my body, full pack weight and all, on some good hand holds, smearing my feet above the abyss. After that move, I sunk a bomber pink tri-cam and finished the traverse.

Shortly thereafter, we encountered the short vertical section. We investigated the wall, which appeared to be 20-30 ft of unprotectable mid fifth class face climbing. It seemed too risky to lead. We had the option of descending snow to the right and bypassing the ridge, but there would be later uncertainty getting back onto the ridge. I was curious if there was a middle ground.

I shuffled across a steep snow fin to the right and transitioned onto the rock. Steep, but positive, fourth class scrambling brought me to a final corner. I made a committing low fifth mantle move and the difficulties were over! There was a rap anchor up top, so I tossed ropes down to Wyatt and Anthony and belayed them up. Anthony tried out the direct route, which he described as loose 5.7R face climbing – not recommended.

We felt relieved to get through the technical crux, but we still knew difficulties could await on the descent. Fortunately, the rest of the scramble up Outrigger was simple.

We didn’t have much information about the descent off of Outrigger, since most people climb up it from the north. We wanted to descend further west before traversing beneath the north face, but there were some weird early season cornice problems that forced us down more directly. We encountered some sketchy class 3-4 down climbing through this section, but there was probably a better way. Even the last bit to get onto the snow at the col feature a giant moat. With a hop, we cleared the moat and were finally back in relatively “well-traveled” terrain. We all felt relieved.

The shadows were getting tall and we still had a long ways to go before Luna Col, so I blitzed up the Fury Glacier, plunging steps into the shin deep saturated snow. This was the only part of the entire trip where the snow truly got terribly soft, a fear of ours going in with the warm temperatures and unconsolidated snowpack. It was a slog, but we got through it, and joined an existing bootpack for the final steps to the summit of Fury.

Fury is the tallest peak in the Pickets and centrally located in the range. It feels like the beating heart of the Pickets, the most rugged range in the lower 48. In every direction you can see vertical peaks, steep glaciers, and wild valleys. It is definitely a worthwhile summit!

We left the summit of Fury around 7 PM, with three hours of light. It would turn out that we needed every last minute of light.

There was a bootpack leading us back over to Luna, which was greatly appreciated. We descended the slushy glacier and began a long sidehill towards Luna. About halfway, the route climbs back onto the ridge and I raced ahead, chasing the last bits of sunlight.

On a map, the traverse to Luna Col looks short. But in reality, it climbs steeply up and down along the ridge. There are fifth class moves, steep snow fingers, the whole nine yards. Nothing comes easy in the Pickets. While it would have been nice to be already chilling at camp, I also appreciated the spontaneity and fleeting nature of the moment. How cool is it that we are here right now? Who could have scripted this? There might not be a more beautiful ridge to traverse, at a more beautiful time of day.

In almost all great trips, there comes a moment where you have to dig deep and find some energy that you didn’t know you had. For me, it always comes not from looking inward, but outward. Beauty like this is life-giving, powerful, and energizing.

Wyatt lingered back, taking pictures, as Anthony and I raced the impending darkness. Right as we could peer down to Luna Col, we suddenly got cliffed out. But when we saw Wyatt below us sneaking across a hidden ledge to the left, we backtracked and joined him, stumbling down to the col at 10 PM, just before head lamps would be needed. I have never cut it so close.

There were four one person tents already camped on snow at the col, so we searched above for some dry camp sites. Eventually, we found some suitable sites above the col, but nothing was very protected from the strong north winds. A man pointed me uphill a few hundred feet to the nearest running water. So I set went on a side quest in the dark, scrambling a decent ways up Luna to get us water. By the time I made dinner and got settled for bed, it was nearly midnight.

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Day 3: Luna Col to Wiley Ridge

The wind blasted us all night, flattening the tent. While I was in the tent for a good four hours, I probably only slept two. Anthony volunteered to sleep outside, and fared even worse. While Wyatt and I rose at 4 AM to catch sunrise from Luna, Anthony chose to keep “sleeping”.

We packed a little food and clothes and quickly hiked up Luna, which is mostly a nice class 2 trail to the false summit. Then we only had to wait. I had always wanted to climb Luna, supposedly one of the best summit views in the state. But I wanted to do as part of a true Pickets High Route. I had dreamed of this experience for so long, so as I watched the sky light up, I felt relaxed and at peace.

Slowly, the sky turned from deep blue to purple to pink, as the peaks slowly caught the first light. Luna is truly a fantastic vantage of the entire Pickets range, in the center of the theater between the Southern and Northern Pickets. Best summit view in the Cascades? Certainly possible.

Once the sunrise show was over, Wyatt set off to tag the true summit, while I hung around in the warm morning sun.

On our way down, we passed Anthony, who was going up to bag the summit. Wyatt and I napped at camp until Anthony returned.

Anthony felt really tired after the long 16 hour day and poor sleep. We discussed our options and he decided he would head out Access Creek, the standard approach for Luna. After a pleasant converstaion with some other peakbaggers at the col (shoutout Andrew Hall), we went our separate ways.

The descent was pretty simple, although less of it was on snow than I had hoped for. There was one cliff band to navigate through, where existing GPX tracks were helpful.

Luna Lake is a lovely spot, with wonderful sandy camp options.

Below the lake, we traversed far left across some rocky slopes, eventually getting to a snow finger that dropped us down towards the glacial lake at the bottom of the cirque. This was the firmest snow we encountered all trip, so we carefully descended in our strap on crampons. There is still a glacier here, despite the lake being below 4k ft!

While the Luna Cirque descent was by no means trivial and still took us a few hours, it felt remarkably simple compared to the McMillan Cirque the day before. We were glad to be in easier terrain, able to relax and completely enjoy the scenery.

After a lunch break, we started the climb out of Luna Cirque. The initial climb out of the moraine was unpleasant, but very tame by moraine standards. Then we began a long climb up towards a weakness in the cliff bands that would get us to the slopes beneath the Challenger Glacier. I had been feeling a little strange all day, but here my stomach really started to revolt. I think the long day prior and late dinner, which I ate far too quickly, messed me up. Did I eat something bad? Luna Cirque is a really bad place to get sick.

As we climbed and traversed right, we suddenly saw another group! We passed them and chatted. They had come from Wiley Ridge, our planned exit. Their leader seemed very knowledgeable about the Pickets and said that Wiley Ridge was “his least favorite approach in the Pickets”. Uh-oh. But he also sprayed us down with some bushwhack beta. When we finally said goodbye, my stomach started feeling better!

While most parties hold a low traverse beneath Challenger, we went a little higher, eventually rounding the ridge at about 6700 ft. This put us on the same contour as the pass between Challenger and Big Beaver Peak, our next objective. There was some funkiness, but we were able to stay completely on snow.

The eastern arm of the Challenger Glacier was huge and smooth. I joked with Wyatt that it would be a good place for summer turns – only a two day approach with skis!

It was the hottest day yet of the trip, and the climb up Big Beaver Peak was sweltering. I made use of my sun sleeves, putting snow in them periodically. The melting snow helped keep me cool all trip. I highly recommend this strategy!

We dried out our feet atop Big Beaver Peak. With the Northern Pickets now complete, we were just one step closer to completing the Pickets High Route. It felt great.

We reversed course slightly and traversed quickly across the glacier on the north side of Big Beaver Peak. After taking a few hours to travel just one mile in the Southern Pickets, we were now absolutely flying!

While the Southern Pickets were the star of the show, Wiley Ridge was the surprise. Travel along the ridge was marvelously simple. With granite boulders, heather meadows, and expansive views of the Northern Pickets, it is absolutely primo high country for a summer stroll.

Wyatt explained to me that there was this peak along the ridge called “Beheaded Dog Burying a Bone” with no ascents on Peakbagger yet. So of course we dropped our packs and put the dog in the bag.

On the ridge just north of Eiley Lake, we found a campsite that was too good to pass up. We had running water nearby, soft heather, and flat granite boulders to stretch out on.

After such a strenuous, stressful day in the Southern Pickets, we both needed a relaxing evening where we could just eat food and watch the sunset. Nearly all the uncertainties were gone, and I knew with certainty that this would go down as an all-time great trip.

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Day 4: Wiley Ridge to Ross Dam

When we woke on the final day, we could see a little bit of smoke drifting in from the Pioneer Fire near Lake Chelan. Just like the Glacier Peak High Route, we were getting out just in time.

We dropped down, making our way through beautiful meadows and trickling streams (and thick mosquitoes). With the lovely high country and dramatic views of Luna and the Northern Pickets, we were blown away by Wiley Ridge. The contrast between the docile meadows in the foreground and the rugged peaks in the background is classic Cascadia. Wiley Ridge may not be a common approach for the Pickets, but it should be.

After a traverse across the south side of Little Beaver Peak, we said goodbye to the Pickets and hello to the Wiley Ridge bushwhack. The other party had intimidated us, but also given us helpful beta: stay between the two gullies. We had a GPX track that corroborated with this, so it made sense.

We found a decent trail from 5700 ft to 5200 ft. Below that, we started schwacking, occassionally finding a use path. Around 4900 ft, we ran into a cliff band. The party we met had warned us about this. We had the option to rappel, but I eventually found a fifth class jungle descent that involved some scrambling but also some lowering off of vines.

Below the obstacle, we picked up a use path and followed it down through steep, remarkably brush free forest. There was another cliff band around 4400 ft, which the path circumvented on the skier’s left side.

The timbered ridge stayed quite pleasant, until it got a little schwacky down near the creek crossing. But five minutes later we hit the trail and were home free. Only 21 miles to go! In all, it had taken us less than two hours from the ridge top at 6300 ft to the trail at 3600 ft.

We had hours to kill on the descent, so we discussed “Wyatt’s Alpine Challenge Rating” (covered later), reflected on the trip, and debated what we wanted to eat when we were done. Sections in the sun were quite hot, but we jumped in many water sources to cool off. I found that if I wetted my entire body and clothes once an hour or so, I lost virtually no water to sweat because I got so much cooling from my clothes drying out. I was able to use the lessons from Blake Slattengren’s elite heat management at Western States.

On the final 600 ft climb back to the car, Wyatt pushed the tempo and I broke into a run. And just like that, the Pickets were done!

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Over the course of four days, we traveled through some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain in the lower 48, or really anywhere. For me, it felt like turning a fable into reality. I had spent so many years reading, dreaming, and scheming about the Pickets. The anticipation and anxiety only magnified my appreciation for the Pickets. It was everything I expected, and more. Coming out the other side felt inspiring, but also like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

The summer of 2014 was the first summer I really dove into the Cascades. Ten years later, I completed a dream high route, combining so many skills I have learned over the last decade – snow travel, route finding, rock climbing, not to mention the raw fitness to get it done. The Pickets High Route truly feels like a capstone trip, much like the Glacier Peak High Route, although the challenge was more cerebral and technical than purely physical. Huge thanks to Wyatt and Anthony for being such adaptable and strong partners. And I give a nod to all the explorers who came before us, solving the mysteries of the Pickets. And for those who have yet to get Picketed, adventure awaits behind the Picket Fence.

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Notes

• Our total stats were 66 miles and 25k gain. At least half of those miles and majority of the gain were off trail.
• While we expected a 4 day itinerary to be pretty easy, the challenging terrain made our days longer than expected. We had approximately 11 hour, 16 hour, 11 hour, and 11 hour days. While this still left plenty of time to hang out at camp on most days, it was definitely more aggressive that we expected. Any less than 4 days would have been unreasonable given the style we were doing it in.
• It is important to keep packs light in the Pickets. There is so much 3rd/4th class that can feel quite challenging with a heavy pack. Wyatt’s pack was around 40 lbs, and Anthony and I had about 30 lb packs, so we were not light.
• The technical gear we brought was:
  • Light harnesses.
  • Glacier kits (Petzl Rad kit) plus a few slings.
  • 2x30m ropes. We brought one dynamic rope for leading and one static one for rescues or following.
  • 1 picket (fitting, because it is the Pickets).
  • Assorted nuts and tri-cams. I think the nuts were unnecessary. Only used the pink tri-cam.
  • Some cord for rap anchors.
  • Rappel / belay devices.
  • Helmets.
• We had different footwear strategies:
  • I used the La Sportiva Crossover GTX (now replaced by the Cyklon GTX), a gaitered running shoe.
  • Anthony used the high top La Sportiva Ultra Raptor GTX.
  • Wyatt brought Brooks Cascadias for the dry sections and some hiking boots for the snow.
  • We all alternated multiple pairs of waterproof socks.
  • For all of us, our shoes eventually wetted out after many hours on wet snow. But ultimately we all were pretty happy with our decisions, although Wyatt definitely got annoyed by a second pair of shoes on his pack while bushwhacking.
  • There was a ton of slab climbing and thus smearing, so think twice before bringing a rigid mountaineering boot that doesn’t smear well. Trail runners are much better on slabs.
• For more information on high route gear I like, see this article.
• We each brought strap on crampons and an ice ax. Wyatt and Anthony brought steel, while I used aluminum. We only used crampons a few times because temps were warm and the snow was soft, even in the morning. If the snow had been firmer, then my aluminum crampons would have been a big pain because of all the snow / rock transitions.
• We felt that the amount of snow coverage was near ideal, although the snow was less consolidated that we wanted. The Pickets are certainly doable later in the season, but I would expect a lot more choss and loose rock to deal with. Snow is your friend in many sections.
• There are many different approaches and routes through the Pickets. I liked our route because of the long scenic ridge approaches and traveling through the rugged glacial cirques. It is probably the longest possible route through the Pickets. Steph Abegg covers all the different options in her Pickets masterpiece.
• Mosquitoes were generally pretty light at each of our camps, but thicker at the mid elevations in forested areas. We probably could have gotten away without a tent entirely, but the wind at Luna Col was vicious, and the campsite walls are not really built up there (or they were still under snow).
• You can hire the Ross Lake water taxi to cut some mileage off of the trail walking.
• Overall, we felt that the route finding would be slightly easier going north to south. Additionally, you could rappel the steep section on Outrigger and the knife-edge would be easier going that direction. The descent down into McMillan Cirque could feel a little blind though.
• Wiley Ridge bushwahck was not that bad! It is a beautiful way into the Northern Pickets, although very long.
• I refer to this as a “high route” rather than a “traverse” to delineate this route from more technical traverses that link up many summits, with consistent fifth class climbing. However, many might call this a “Pickets Traverse”.

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Bonus: Wyatt’s Alpine Challenge Rating (WACR)

During trip planning, Wyatt detailed the anticipated challenges we would face throughout the Pickets with a 1-3 rating system. On our long hike out, we decided to codify this system to capture the many hurdles of the Pickets. We came up with the WACR (pronounced “wack-er”) system.

Any difficulty with a WACR rating is significant; we chose to only focus on notable challenges in route finding, schwacking, chose, technicality, etc. A general description of the levels are:

• 1: a notable challenge, but typically not too difficult with the right beta. Duration is relatively short, like an hour or less.
• 2: a significant challenge, with some unknowns and unavoidable sketchiness. Duration could be short or up to half a day.
• 3: a major challenge, with many unknowns, hazards, and variety of skills required to overcome. There will be sketchiness and weirdness. Duration is extended, from a few hours to an entire day.

Upon reflection, the WACR challenges present in our Pickets High Route were:

• 1: Getting around Elephant Butte.
• 3: Navigating the McMillan Cirque.
• 2: Up and over Outrigger Peak.
• 1.5: Traverse from Fury to Luna.
• 1.5: Luna Cirque.
• 1: Wiley Ridge Bushwhack descent.

This represents a cumulative “WACR Factor” of 10, which is the highest of any route we have done, by far. In comparison, the Glacier Peak High Route was approximately a 5, and the Extended Ptarmigan Traverse was a 3.