Trip Date: June 15, 2002

Gunn Peak Day Climb

Barclay Creek Valley
Tailgunner Pass
Gunn Basin
Gunn Peak (6240 ft)

Trip Report Summary

Region: North-Central Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Skykomish Mountains

Area: Wild Sky Wilderness

Starting & Ending Point: Barclay Lake Trailhead at end of Barclay Creek Road (Elev. 2300 feet)

Way Points: Barclay Creek & Tailgunner Ravine & Tailgunner Couloir & Tailgunner Pass & Gunn Basin & Gunn Lake Saddle (off-trail hike & rock scramble & bushwhack & snow climb)

Summit: Gunn Peak (snow climb & rock scramble via Southwest Couloir—South Face—East Ridge)

Approximate Stats: 6 miles traveled; 4700 feet gained & lost; 4.7 hours up; 3.0 hours down.

Related Posts

>>> Gunn Peak via Tailgunner Pass—South Face—East Ridge – August 2020

>>> East Gunn Peak + Gunn Point + Tailgunner Peak + Wing Peak via Tailgunner Pass – June 2020

>>> Gunnshy Peak via Tailgunner Pass—Southeast Slope – March 2015

>>> Tailgunner Peak + Gunn Point via Tailgunner Pass – May 2009

Full Trip Report

Gunn Peak is the large, dark, bullet-shaped pinnacle in the Skykomish Mountains that stands due east as you drive US-2 from Sultan to Zekesville. It’s often admired but seldom climbed, probably due in part to the fact that Beckey’s approach description is woefully outdated. No doubt many would-be climbers simply whither away in the lowland brush. I set out on an overcast morning to climb Gunn with Jon and Ryan, two strong lads who appear to have a high tolerance for discomfort. We went in armed with route descriptions from three sources, hoping to avoid the worst of the floral clamjaphry.

We parked at the Barclay Lake trailhead, then walked back down the road a few hundred yards to an unmarked spur road that heads straight for Barclay Creek. At the creek, we traveled upstream for 50 feet to find an easy log jam crossing. Once across, we proceeded due north through heavy timber and brush (this is the icky part) for about 100 yards (felt like a mile) until stumbling upon a vague, overgrown road, then we followed this west for another 100 yards.

A key fork is marked with flagging and tree blazes. We followed the right fork northward to its end, then continued straight ahead on a crude path. Eventually, this path entered heavy forest and became better defined. We passed another party en route to Gunn and began a day-long game of leap-frog with them. As we climbed into sunshine above the valley clouds, Mt. Baring popped strikingly into view.

After ascending 1500 feet or so, the path appeared to end at a high cliff, but a little scouting around disclosed that it turns right and follows the cliff base. Shortly, the path again seemed to end, this time at a waterfall ravine (“Tailgunner Ravine”). However, closer inspection revealed an improbable series of ledges that lead down into the gully, across the stream, and up the other side (this felt like something out of an Indiana Jones movie). We kept climbing upward and rightward along the cliff base until breaking out of the forest and into a large, snow-filled couloir (will be brushy after the snow melts). Easy step-kicking took us to the broad 5300-foot saddle (“Tailgunner Pass”) above, where we got our first close-up look at Gunn’s summit.

Fom the pass, Beckey’s description is very accurate. We dropped into  snowy Gunn Basin, then climbed up to the southwest corner of the imposing summit block. Here, a hidden, drippy, uninviting ramp angles to the right through a lower cliff band. Although it initially appears difficult, the steep face on the right edge of this ramp offers an enjoyable Class 3 route to the trees and hanging snowfield above (we climbed this unroped but downclimbed it with a belay).

A few more step-kicking zig-zags brought us to the tiny notch east of the summit. We squirmed through to the north side, where a series of exposed heather ledges and snowpatches led us to the panoramic summit.

All of the central Cascade peaks were in view, and patchy fog filled the Puget Sound basin. The summit register indicated that we were the second and third parties of 2002, but apparently Heinz Graupe has yet to make his annual appearance.

Photo Gallery

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