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- Aug 11, 2014
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Glorious Cascade Summer Welcomes Climbers to Mount Triumph
It’s early August in the Cascades and high barometric pressure has been providing an excellent weather window for rock routes on the higher peaks. Nate, Sara and I had a great trip on Mount Triumph, a Cascade classic in a remote setting with amazing views of the Pickets to the north and the North Cascades to the south. The first day we approached via the very scenic Thorton Lakes trail. Once at the lakes we said goodbye to the well-traveled trail and set off on the climber’s trail, weaving our way through scree and steep heather to the col where we would spend the next two nights.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=f594d2b898c7635b15d9d5be7fa9cb8d 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=6fdacd3270503c0a06e6e7e0adc37339 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=136f5a830915bdc15c396f45fb216c48 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=4ce0f83d80f8352baf59906386154278 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=147c69137c3009466a74c3dc4bb528db 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=416f4067c0dcd5f4eaaacebd1e5bc7bb 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=58a7f920137bd3b316b9117136758177 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=a394d8fb75dfd320cf28b895d2932379 1024w)
Triumph from camp. NE ridge is the right sky line. Dave Ahrens photo
The next day we headed for the summit, making our way across the glacier and gaining the notch after an exciting moat crossing. We shared the ridge with one other party and made good time up the exposed ridge as it steepened to the final headwall and crux pitch. The final pitches went well and had the best rock of the climb. After a bit of steep heather we found ourselves on the summit!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=42d3f01779ff1d01a4a977e6d3b5ee7d 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=3e36296f8be1e40252e123f4a51906f5 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=f7bf29453fa9b4caa11ffc32f1680d23 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=a955ef09d66ae3792e05fde2de0fed6c 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=c99dfa634a0fbdf639f31e3d96fae4d8 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=07e446855d3c0b36b58b2d455b7bb74c 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=9128a90ecf4b3aa0a7b438778c2946c7 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=ae551722ad6261ecbac71b5fad5e3a91 1024w)
Working up the ridge with the southern Pickets in the background. Dave Ahrens photo
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=91d85473e02850ea3830226913818206 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=5a753450b23220eb1fade1f5f3e79983 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=876902a2f3a97bd0227650af94d9211c 640w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=0970f2e854e811ad7578fe312a94d9a8 640w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=c8dc6d9f70dc6995d86e112a8d66c109 640w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=f9ae359c7a7eb2cd4894687c1706d921 640w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=d71d5fe4f80580201930583ca813d19a 640w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14NW0808WILHITE_1024px-3.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=299fb82b8074ec1dc45ee37c7387b28b 640w)
Summit! Dave Ahrens photo
After numerous rappers we found ourselves back on the glacier and headed back to camp as the full moon began to rise. After 14 hours on the move we were thrilled to be back at the col. The following day we got up and headed out, reaching the car 5 1⁄2 hours later. The decent seemed to go on forever, but all that was forgotten once we reached the car and only splendid memories of a great climb remained.
~MM Guide Dave Ahrens