Trip Date: June 19, 2004
Hibox Peak Day Climb
Box Canyon Creek Valley
Hibox Peak aka Hibox Mountain (6547 ft)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Snoqualmie Range
Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Starting & Ending Point: Rachel Lake Trailhead at end of Kachess Lake Road (Elev. 2750 feet)
Way Points: Box Canyon Creek & Hibox Peak climbing path junction & Hibox Peak ridge step & Box Ridge crest & Hibox Peak summit (trail hike & off-trail hike & rock scramble)
Summit: Hibox Peak (off-trail hike & rock scramble via Southwest Slope—Southeast Ridge)
Approximate Stats: 8 miles traveled; 3800 feet gained & lost; 3.5 hours up; 2.9 hours down.
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Full Trip Report
On Saturday, I joined Karen and Jared for their climb of Hibox Peak in the Lake Kachess area. We climbers all seem to have our quirky list obsessions, and Karen is no different. Hibox Peak is on her “Schurman Sixty-Nine” peak list, which comprises all 69 peaks featured in a little book of pen-and-ink sketches by Clark E. Schurman. As Karen explained to me, Schurman was not only a prolific backcountry sketch-artist but also an active Mountaineers member, a legendary Boy Scout leader/taskmaster, and the eponym of both Camp Schurman (on Mt. Rainier) and Schurman Rock (in Seattle).
We started our trip at the Rachel Lake trailhead on a beautifully sunny and warm morning. First, we hiked up the trail alongside Box Canyon Creek for 50 minutes, until just past a brushy stream swath. In the forest beyond, we turned sharply right and followed a climber’s path upward through the trees and the meadowy slopes above.
- Hibox Peak with Karen and Jared
Jared led the entire way, doing a good job of keeping us on track. Eventually, we found ourselves directly beneath the steep and imposing summit block, which certainly didn’t appear to have any route easier than Class 5 on it! We ascended a final 200 feet of loose talus to gain the ridge crest immediately southeast of the summit block. From here, a very enjoyable Class 3 scramble unfolded along the block’s southeastern edge.
- Lemah Mountain, Chimney Peak, and Jim
We topped out several minutes before noon and spent over 2 hours lounging on the sun-baked summit rocks. The register, which had been placed in 1995, indicated that Hibox Peak gets several ascents per month between May and November.
- Jared and Karen On Summit
No wonder; it offers splendid views of numerous summits in the Snoqualmie Mountains, including Three Queens (seemingly only a stone’s throw across the valley), Chikamin Peak, Lemah Mountain, Summit Chief Mountain, and Mt. Daniel.
- Mt Daniel and Three Queens
The most remarkable sight, though, is the implausibly narrow, vertical, sky-piercing summit tower on Chimney Rock!
- Lemah Mountain, Chimney Peak, and Glacier Peak
Furthermore, as if all these nearby rugged mountains weren’t enough to look at, Glacier Peak happens to be perfectly framed in a U-shaped gap between Chimney Rock and Summit Chief Mountain. Below us, Rachel Lake and Park Lakes sparkled in the sun.
By 2:00pm, dark clouds had built overhead and a cold breeze had come up. We carefully down-climbed the summit block and then hustled back down the climber’s path, hoping to beat the likely rain shower. But all this while, the clouds dissipated, and the sky was again bright blue when we reached the trailhead, where Jared had cold drinks waiting for us. During our drive home, Karen lazily flipped through the Schurman sketchbook, no doubt wondering which peak would be her next.
Photo Gallery
Click to enlarge…
