Trip Date: June 23, 2005
Hozomeen Mountain Day Climb
Ross Lake / Hozomeen Ranger Station
Howlett Creek
Poley Benchmark
Hozomeen Mountain: north peak aka North Hozomeen Peak (8066 ft)
(Note: “Hozomeen” is spelled “Hozameen” in Canada)
Trip Report Summary
Region: Northeastern Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Upper Skagit Mountains
Area: Ross Lake National Recreation Area
Starting & Ending Point: Hozomeen Ranger Station on Silver–Skagit Road (Elev. 1600 feet)
Way Points: Howlett Creek & West Hozomeen Ridge & Poley Benchmark & Point 7068 (off-trail hike & bushwhack & rock scramble); return via Lower North Hozomeen Basin & International Boundary Swath & Silver–Skagit Road & Hozomeen Ranger Station (rock scramble & bushwhack & road walk)
Summit: North Hozomeen Peak (snow climb & rock scramble via North Ridge—North Cirque—Northeast Ridge)
Approximate Stats: 15 miles traveled; 6800 feet gained & lost; 7.1 hours up; 6.0 hours down.
Related Post
>>> Hozomeen Mountain: South Peak via West Gully–South Face – July 2006
Full Trip Report
Mike C. and I had been trying to put together a midweek day-climb but were having trouble identifying a peak of mutual interest. Then, Mike dropped the name “Hozomeen” on me. Ahh, the irresistibly frightening devil horns! That immediately hooked me, and he quickly reeled me in.
Hozomeen Mountain comprises two principal peaks: a north peak and a south peak. Our plan was to climb the higher (but easier) north peak, which could be called “Easy Hoze” in understated terms. The south peak (“Hard Hoze”) involves technical climbing and did not appear feasible as a day trip. Actually, I wasn’t even sure whether the north peak was feasible as a day trip but was at least willing to find out.
We left town on a Wednesday evening and drove north to Ferndale, where we spent the night with Mike’s friends John and Denise…and Oscar the Cat. This would shave off 2 hours of travel time the next day. We were out the door at 4:30am Thursday morning and drove up to Abbotsford, over to Hope, then down to Ross Lake. It was about 7:30am when we pulled into a small parking area next to the vacant Hozomeen Ranger Station chalet.
Our approach began on a little loop trail (Trail of the Obelisk) just north of the chalet. We soon diverged from the trail, hopped over Howlett Creek, and proceeded on an easterly cross-country route through moderately open forest on Hozomeen Mountain’s western flank. Travel was fairly steep and strenuous, with scattered zones of annoying brush and cliffs. Although CAG recommends following the international boundary swath up this hillside, we were never able to find the darn thing!
We eventually surmounted a heathery knoll at 5900 feet (3.4 hours from car) on a ridge spur that trends westward from Hozomeen’s North Ridge and is situated closely south of the boundary.
- Chilliwacks and Mike From Knoll
From this knoll, a path directed us upward along the ever-narrowing crest and over a series of rocky knobs until we intersected the North Ridge at 6800 feet.
- Mt Prophet From Hozomeen Ridge
We followed the North Ridge up and over several bumps (including “Poley” benchmark) but eventually were blocked by a cliffy peaklet. This required us to descend 250 feet to reach the lower snowfields within the mountain’s northern cirque. From here, our view of the north peak was pretty unsettling: steep snow fingers cutting through steep rock bands in the cirque, which is cradled by the ragged North and Northeast Ridges. I was really wishing I hadn’t left my ice axe at home!
- North Face Of North Peak
Because Mike had prudently brought his axe, he kicked steps up the snowfield and up the first snow finger. Above, we traversed over to a rock band and scrambled up numerous wet slabs until reaching an upper snowfield.
- Mike Ascending Snowfield
It was now decision time: should we aim for the North Ridge or Northeast Ridge? CAG states that both options are “easy,” but it sure didn’t look that way to us. Both ridges seemed to involve steep and exposed rock. We ultimately decided to try the Northeast Ridge because it looked a bit less ominous.
A short leftward traverse across the base of the upper snowfield got us to a broad, sloping ledge that appeared to reach the Northeast Ridge crest. This turned out to be a key ledge for us; it was generally Class 2 or 3, except for a short but very exposed Class 4 segment near the midpoint where it had eroded away.
- Mike Traversing Key Ledge
I initially balked at the eroded segment, which involved several moves across loose, wet, dirty, slippery, down-sloping holds. Not my favorite sort of climbing! To make matters worse, the rock didn’t provide any cracks, horns, or other forms of protection, so that the rope I’d toted along did us no good. Nonetheless, Mike led the way across (unroped) and I carefully followed.
Once past the eroded ledge segment, Class 3 scrambling up somewhat better rock (nothing on Hozomeen feels very solid) gained us the ridge crest at a 7600-foot step. We were immediately dismayed to see that this crest transitioned into a narrow strip of exposed rock on one side and a strip of melted-out-cornice snow on the other.
- Scrambling On Northeast Ridge
Hozomeen was not going to give in easily. Looks can be deceiving, however; the left side of the crest actually turned out to be a fun Class 2-3 scramble on pretty good rock. Within 30 minutes, we were standing on the surprisingly roomy summit (7.1 hours from car).
- Jim and Jack Mountain
The mostly clear weather gave us nice views westward to the Picket and Chilliwack Ranges, and eastward into the Pasayten.
- Mt Raeburn and Pickets Pano
We could see tiny boats on deep-blue Ross Lake far below.
- Chilliwacks and Ross Lake
The summit register, which had been placed by Don and Natala Goodman in 1992, revealed only one party every few years on average. Mike and I were the first people registering since Stefan Feller’s team and another party logged in during 2003.
For our descent, we retraced our route back down the Northeast Ridge, across the key ledge, and down to the lower basin. Rather than continue following our route up and over the North Ridge, however, we proceeded straight down through the basin, then contoured across scenic heather slopes to catch a 6300-foot saddle farther down the ridge. Unfortunately, we overshot the target saddle and ended up at a 5900-foot saddle closely to the northeast, where the boundary swath cuts through.
For the next several hours, we paid a stiff fee for this navigational error, as our westward descent to the road took us through various zones of vine maple, slide alder, devils club, and horrible jackstraw forest. Uhggg! Just as darkness came, we stumbled onto the Silver–Skagit Road and hobbled a long mile back to our vehicle (6.0 hours from summit).
Photo Gallery
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