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- Oct 11, 2012
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Picket Range Expedition — Stunning Cascades Climbing
I hope everyone is recovering from the Thanksgiving festivities. As we recover from too much pumpkin pie and hunker down for the start of the winter, let’s take a look at another great trip that happened this last summer. Our Picket Range Expedition is a great, rugged adventure for those seasoned climbers wanting to sample all of the beautiful features of the North Cascades. MM Guide Ian Nicholson and MM veteran Tracey Bernstein took off on this one-of-a-kind expedition this last summer. Check out Ian’s stories below:
“On August 22 I met Tracey Bernstein a long time client and alpine crusher from New York. We drove from Seattle to Newhalem and Goodell Creek campground. Our object was to go into Washington’s famous but rarely visited Picket Range. Why is it rarely visited? Well, we parked our car at 600 feet, our goal for the end of the day, to cross over a 6200 feet pass and camp at 5800 feet. To make matters even more challenging, there is no official trail into the Picket Range, just a famously steep climbers path.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=23481033939144766b0b83b8e357aab1 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=de4b28c88166aa193d86c4266a2b1664 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=87a324f5a297052776e6e9c8353b6953 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=0ae469864143d53e68297258f88e3a23 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=6b83491e39d8842ce1840910aef5b338 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=39e9e8a315cb32097d085d10f9478095 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=6e98525867f464dfdd68b8f3f4347ce6 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040709.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=331c271f90ca883331a8eb48d1c13879 1024w)
Indications of the trailhead. Ian Nicholson photo
“We hiked along side Goodell Creek which, in any other state, would be a river for four miles, before taking a right off the old road bed onto a climbers trail marked by a famous arrow. We hiked for 8+ hours uphill, sometimes the trail was pretty good, but in other places the trail involved pulling on roots and balancing our way across logs. We reached the 6200 foot col just minutes before dark. Unfortunately a 60 degree bullet hard snow slope separated us from camp. Now in the dark we were forced to build a bollard to rap from (Pay attention in our Glacier Mountaineering Course to this — you never know when you might need it). We rolled into camp, a wonderful flat spot a couple hours after dark with no one for miles.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=bcbe1328144d1c8b2ae8a3f2b8ac6746 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=819044fc3df81a58dfbb0e3588ef8eee 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=383809d456ba4a1c18e0664df332e523 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=e8f2c7c85a790ed046952884e28eecc4 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=40e185a5731d2385a3d51baf5c6a9198 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=66c9fb36360cb3c428b4f6978dc6b972 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=306af4ecab43ed506a477bac1e6a2ba3 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040716.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=8a6714d9271c63acc1373f5893640430 960w)
Steep approach. Ian Nicholson photo
“The next day the weather looked threatening but we decided to dial in the approach getting across the slabs leading to the Terror Glacier and have a go up to West McMillian spire to attempt the west ridge because it is the “easiest” route in the Southern Pickets (but thats saying something because there is nothing “easy”). Rain turned to snow which turned to harder snow, we couldn’t even see more than 20 feet in front of us at times. But we gained the West Ridge notch and thought we would go for it. Occasionally being slammed by wind, ice pellets burning our faces, we battled upward. After a few hours of climbing in unpleasant conditions (to say the least) we made it to the summit!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=71dd20aab8923ddaa6daad42bc502b68 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=0019e00e0e6ce49c10fd2d5dd3b06a73 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=692e0c0c5d64d6b75b50094e21268da5 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=00c8138e731a6f1ecf07b2eb3aaca678 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=18cdb5f5b11cfe46a218c927d5460816 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=8913d2cd5cff5f2f00e9b25d84064e80 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=8809448d7741799e4d1f91e594d681e1 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040752.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=4137254d5ba8ebb9108b3a3bf493ba58 1024w)
The stunning Picket Range. Ian Nicholson photo
“We descended back to camp in the pouring rain and ate dinner. The next morning we awoke to more terrible weather and even some snow in camp!!!!
“So we stayed in the tent hoping for the weather to clear which it finally did in the afternoon. To fill the day we read and worked on other skills like crevasse rescue.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=83bfaa8b542a6ef199a743180a48649e 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=875fd33c7cc77cec2dc00c7fd6c8647a 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=4ede051e2e8bb4aaf2c3a5dfa1b9d517 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=d32e988491972bd715a2f873a6905663 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=a9aa7bc226ea84e78036b742a9541a98 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=74a0e7070f81c92c02776eb61c1b3eb3 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=6753bf86210324e95572556f7c1ae711 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040760.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=aa33d6d60b0a87707368fde7ad43e5fb 1024w)
Camp before the snow hit. Ian Nicholson photo
“The next day of our trip we got an early start hoping to climb the East Ridge of Inspiration, one of the most famous and sought after routes in the Southern Pickets. Inspiration seems huge with its massive south face but is less than 200 feet wide, an amazing fin of rock that just begs to be climbed. We worked our way back up to the Terror Glacier and after some route finding through crevasses we made it to the base of the route. After 8 pitches just to gain the notch in the ridge we reached the meat of the route.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=7d25d37bc98afe131edcd41c82aaf7b5 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=7a4d6a76c55e2108f8e51d90763df516 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5b670a62d3bae21e791acdf7d303e697 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=0e9bae0b775e000b36ce06fa34478492 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=186540037220245eb8e904c18dae78b0 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=085b5ffa7571a512f135d83ec46e4504 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=0ccc78e47efd2c109ef510a8e695cdaa 768w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040810.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=252e91de86ed85f2c0e7fca169ab755f 768w)
Unbelievable rock climbing in the Pickets. Ian Nicholson photo
“The first of the crux pitches, a burly lie-back leading through some roofs to some face climbing went down fast. Tracey, a true Gunks climber, cruised this pitch. Then we were met with the route’s signature pitch — the 100-foot solitary 2 – 4 each Indian Creek-style crack, splitting the face on the ridge which is less than 80 feet wide. Rated old school 5.9, it is easily 5.10a or b. Bumping a 3” cam with me for 40-some feet, I punch it to get a couple more pieces in before making the exposed face traverse to the right. Tracey followed working on his OW skills. After this crux pitch, we could see the Northern pickets and the views all around us become even more spectacular. Another 6+ ridge climbing pitches brought us to the summit of Inspiration and one of the best routes I’ve ever climbed in the mountains. We descended the equally slender West Ridge aided by a 120-foot hunk of rope that someone else had gotten stuck. Because these peaks are so infrequently visited, most of the rope on the rap stations was old and we were forced to replace or add new rope. By the time we had made the 10+ raps off the West Ridge, I had already burned 3 cordalletes and a bunch of our newly found rope.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=2163c87611e9ae023804081fc6ba16a1 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=2bd2d25e33c1295abebc9fa9df7f64ff 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=d826b615176a741ea15575ee96597828 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=bda90dbf0dc547204c55e15b7ff157b8 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=e57f07048e47840b15c7542a0f3a915f 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=6e94ef86cf75e71ebc4fbb07acb574be 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=152efa2c2e91b50161c3ee17ff7716d2 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040822.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=e2c02703be8b274db0f0acf7488513b5 1024w)
Summit shot! Ian Nicholson photo
“We walked back to camp excited for what we had just accomplished.
“The next day we hiked up to Little Mac Spire (Though named Little Mac, its shortest route is 800 feet of technical climbing) and climbed the SW Arête. The route had some tricky route finding, but the rock and the movement of the route was excellent. For our 9 pitch route, the Beckey Guide had a 2 line description. We made what is likely the first guided ascent of this peak as well as an ascent of a mountain that would surprise me if it has seen less than 15 or 20 ascents. A true adventure in one of the wildest settings in the Cascades. The rap stations looked ancient!
“We descended back to camp and slept well. The last day of our trip we made the brutal hike back down to the car, elated with our fantastic adventure.”
~ MM Guide Ian Nicholson
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=3c32d87f6ffcd2ececf321fb1ea96baf 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=9ec1893697c726ecfb76dcf85a3740e7 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=bd9c9221276f94e1ee1afee86b449505 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=4140a08eeeb9f51f844fd2efd525bb4d 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=af4d1590226a1e8bbaa4e8b8712e8771 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=a10b1d54025199cdeda7d85987613f3b 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=9c90c19324c1a3d2c165f36065a315d8 1024w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FP1040878.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=5213cba40e13c2aa13f8c48291a639fa 1024w)
Old climbing buddies. Ian Nicholson photo