Trip Date: July 26-29, 2019

MID-SUMMER OUTING NO. 17:  RAGGED RANGE

Mt. Arriva & Fisher Peak Climbing Trip

Easy Pass
Fisher Creek Meadows
Silent Lakes
Mount Arriva (8215′)
Fisher Peak (8040’+)

Trip Report Summary

Region: Northeastern Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Ragged Range

Area: North Cascades National Park

Starting & Ending Point: Easy Pass Trailhead on Highway 20 (Elev. 3700 feet)

Way Points: Granite Creek footlog & Easy Pass Creek & Easy Pass & Fisher Creek & Fisher Creek Basin & Fisher Overlook Camp & Silent Pass & Upper Silent Lake (trail hike & off-trail hike & snow climb & rock scramble)

Campsites: Upper Silent Lake (Elev. 7000 feet) & Fisher Overlook Camp (Elev. 6000 feet)

Summit: Mt. Arriva (off-trail hike & rock scramble via South Slope—South Ridge)

Summit: Fisher Peak (rock scramble & rock climb via Northwest Ridge)

Approximate Stats: 18.5 miles traveled; 11,200 feet gained & lost.

Related Posts

Mt Arriva via South Ridge + Fisher Peak via Northwest Ridge – August/September 2008

Full Trip Report

For our 17th annual Mid-Summer Climbing Trip, old-timers Jon, Adam, Todd, and I were joined by newcomer-brothers Kris and Eric J.  Our summit goals this year were Mt. Arriva and Fisher Peak in North Cascades National Park.  The unseasonably cool and wet weather that has prevailed in Washington all summer did continue through our trip but had little adverse effect on our success and shenanigans.

Day 1: Trailhead to Upper Silent Lake

On a sunny and warm Friday morning, we started hiking up the Easy Pass Trail.  W.A.C. friends Wayne, Heather, and Alli hiked with us to the pass (2.3 hours + 2800 feet from TH) before peeling off to the west.  Our objective peaks were clearly visible to the southeast.

We continued down the trail to Fisher Creek, then turned eastward and headed up through Fisher Creek Basin—initially on a good bootpath and later on a cross-country route through pleasant meadows.

After working our way up talus slopes on the right side of the creek, we took a break at scenic and breezy Fisher Overlook Camp (5.4 hours + 4100 feet).  From there, we assessed our options for gaining the next 1000 vertical feet to Silent Pass.  The most obvious route is directly up a gully on the far right, but my previous experience with this feature (not-so-fondly nicknamed “the death gully”) was far from positive.  A second option (endorsed by my brother Brad) is to ascend a series of heathery zig-zag ramps immediately left of the gully, and a third option (endorsed by my wife Eileen) is to ascend a different series of ramps farther to the left.  We chose the third.

Snow and loose talus led up to the left end of a broad talus ramp, which we then followed back to the right.  Where the ramp terminated at a deep slot, we scrambled up a Class 3 rock step.

More heather ramps and a snow chute took us up to Silent Pass, followed by a short stroll down to Upper Silent Lake (7.4 hours + 5600 feet from TH).

We made camp near the lake, which is tucked between Fisher Peak, Black Peak, and Mt. Arriva.

Day 2: Mt. Arriva Summit Climb

Although nighttime rain had been forecasted, it held off until 3:00am and kept us pinned down in our tents and bivouac sacks until 9:00am.  Dark clouds persisted throughout the late morning but began to dissipate by the time we headed out for Mt. Arriva at 11:45am.

A mile-long westerly traverse across heather slopes took us to a 7200-foot saddle in a spur ridge, from which we made a rising traverse across a talus bowl to gain a key 7800-foot notch in Arriva’s south ridge.

We crossed through the high notch and entered a hidden slot formed by an eroded volcanic dike.  This led us back up to the crest of the southwest ridge.

Remarkably, a continuation of the same volcanic dike sliced across the peak’s southeastern face, thereby providing a series of interconnected slots.  The highest (and steepest) slot ended closely east of the summit.

The dike-slot initially appeared to be a dead end, but a fortuitous ledge system here (possibly a geologic contact) runs around the summit block and provides easy access back to the south ridge.

A short scramble up the ridge crest put us on top in mid-afternoon (2.9 hours + 1900 feet from camp).

Summit views were restricted by lingering clouds, but many of the landmark peaks managed to poke through.

After a leisurely summit break, we packed up and began descending.  Our group mood was jovial, and everyone was looking forward to swimming in Silent Lakes.  However, the mountains do not tolerate such complacency; they can be quick to punish inattention or carelessness.  And so it was.  Scant minutes after we left the top, a surfboard-size rock was accidentally dislodged and sent careening downhill, narrowly missing two members of our group.  No harm was done, but everyone was shaken by this near-miss.  We completed our descent with a greater focus on rockfall and were happy to reach Upper Silent Lake without further incident (2.4 hours + 500 feet from summit).

Day 3 (AM): Fisher Peak Summit Climb

Following a surprisingly cold night, we awoke to clear blue skies and no wind.

We assembled summit packs and headed for Fisher Peak in mid-morning.  Our route followed the crest of the peak’s northwest ridge over several knolls before serious scrambling began at a deep notch.

Eric, Jon, and Todd gradually reached their individual quotas of loose rock, so they headed back to the last knoll.  Meanwhile, Adam, Kris, and I continued up the steepening ridge, working over or around numerous horns and pinnacles.

Approximately two-thirds of the way up the ridge, we came upon “The Fisher Step,” a steep, 20-foot-high, Class 4 (or 5.0) dihedral face.  We pulled out our rope, tied in, and belayed each other up the dihedral.

Once past this crux, another 400 feet of easier scrambling put us on the summit shortly after noon (2.7 hours + 1400 feet from camp).

In contrast to yesterday, today’s visibility was nearly unlimited.

Our descent was slow and careful, with a belay rope being used at the steep dihedral.

We rejoined our comrades on the knoll and then dropped down to camp (2.3 hours + 200 feet from summit).

Day 3 (PM): Upper Silent Lake to Fisher Overlook Camp

Because it was only 3:00pm when we arrived in camp, our group elected to spend the remainder of the afternoon descending to Fisher Overlook Camp.  We packed up and headed over Silent Pass, generally following our previous up-route down the snow chute and heather ledges.

At the Class 3 step, we set up an overly complicated (and unintentionally humorous) rappel system that consumed a full hour.

It was early evening when we reached well-named Fisher Overlook Camp (2.2 hours + 100 feet from Camp 1).

Day 4: Fisher Overlook Camp to Trailhead

Hoping for an easier descent to Fisher Creek Basin on our final day, we followed a game path along the eastern side of the valley.  Farther down, half of our group traversed through the forest, while the other half walked through the valley-bottom meadows.  We ultimately found that the latter route is slightly faster.

We regrouped at the trail junction (1.2 hours from camp), then humped over Easy Pass and down to the trailhead (4.3 hours + 1500 feet from camp).  A quick plunge into frigid Granite Creek finished off another fun and successful Mid-Summer Outing!

Route Maps & Profile

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Photo Gallery

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