Trip Date: July 2-6, 2009

Stehekin Mountains Climbing Trip

Lake Chelan / Stehekin Landing
Devore Creek Valley
Bird Creek Camp
Tupshin Peak (8320+ ft)
Bird Lakes
White Goat Peak (7800+ ft)
(Note: erroneously called “White Goat Mountain” in some references)
Devore Peak (8360+ ft)
Stehekin Airstrip

Trip Report Summary

Region: North-Central Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Stehekin Mountains

Area: Glacier Peak Wilderness

Starting Point: Stehekin River Trailhead at Weaver Point Campground on Lake Chelan (Elev. 1100 feet)

Way Points: Devore Creek & Bird Creek Camp (trail hike);  return via Devore Creek & Stehekin River & Stehekin Airstrip & Company Creek Road & Harlequin Bridge (trail hike)

Ending Point: Company Creek Roadhead on Stehekin River Road (Elev. 1200 feet)

Campsite: Bird Creek Camp

Sidetrip: Tupshin Ridge & Tupshin Basin (off-trail hike & bushwhack & rock scramble)

Summit: Tupshin Peak (rock scramble & rock climb via East Face)

Sidetrip: Bird Creek Valley & Bird Creek Basin & Bird Lakes Basin (off-trail hike & bushwhack & rock scramble)

Summit: White Goat Peak (rock climb via Southeast Buttress)

Sidetrip: Bird Creek & Devore Creek Valley & West Fork Devore Creek & West Devore Basin (trail hike & off-trail hike & rock scramble)

Summit: Devore Peak (rock scramble & rock climb via Southeast Slope—Southeast Ridge)

Approximate Stats: 26.5 miles traveled; 16,000 feet gained; 15,900 feet lost.

Full Trip Report

Here are some photos from my Independence Day Weekend climbing trip into the Stehekin area with Beth, Fay, and Eileen. I like the name “Stehekin Mountains” for the not-officially-designated cluster of remarkably rugged peaks that are neatly encompassed by Agnes Creek on the west, Lake Chelan on the east, Stehekin River on the north, and Railroad Creek on the south. This whole cluster has a different look and feel than the surrounding mountain regions and is well-anchored by its Chairman of the Board, Bonanza Peak.

Day 1: Fields Point to Weaver Point to Bird Creek

We rode the Lady Express from Fields Point Landing up Lake Chelan to Stehekin Landing, then caught a ride over to Weaver Point in a private skiff (thanks to Beth and Eileen for sweet-talking the owner). From there, it was a hot 5 miles or so to Bird Creek Camp—an uninspiring but functional forest campsite alongside Devore Creek Trail. This became our home for the next four nights.

Day 2: Tupshin Peak Summit Climb

While Fay headed off to peaks east, Beth and Eileen and I headed westward to Tupshin Peak. We crashed through forest litter and worked onto a ridge north of Bird Creek. Around 6500 feet, we crossed a larch basin and then went up hard snow to Tupshin’s looming east face, which starts at 7600 feet.

There was lots of time-consuming scrambling on zigzagging ledges, with some backtracking to stay on route. This was mostly Class 2-3 with a few spots of Class 4 and an elective 5.2 pitch. We eventually found ourselves below the final 150-foot summit pitch, which began with some dubiously protected 5.4 moves, then eased back to Class 4.

A short unroped scramble got us to the summit by mid-afternoon for impressive views over the entire Stehekin Mountains. Surprisingly, the register consisted of original papers signed by the 1940 first-ascent party!

We descended via three double-rope rappels, one of which gave us some tense moments when the rope got stuck. Later, Eileen and I did two more single-rope rappels to reach the lowest ledge, while Beth scrambled down. The rest of our descent was tedious but uneventful, and we reached camp shortly before dark.

Day 3: White Goat Peak Summit Climb

Fay and Eileen and I headed up the north side of Bird Creek to battle trees and brush, leaving Beth to relax at camp. A hot bushwhack got us to avalanche-hammered Bird Creek Basin. From there, we ascended a south-trending couloir and then a west-trending scree slope to reach beautiful Bird Lakes Basin at 6800 feet.

It was a deceptively easy traverse over to the base of White Goat Peak, where we checked out both documented routes. Since they looked equally intimidating, we chose the Southeast Buttress because it seemed more straightforward. The first pitch involved a full 150 feet of Class 5.3 climbing on generally solid rock, but there were enough loose holds to keep things entertaining.

The second pitch involved 75 feet of breathtakingly exposed scrambling along a very narrow and jagged crest of white rock. None of us had ever experienced anything like this before; it added an unforgettable thrill to an exhilarating climb!

The original summit register from 1940 was rolled up in a small aluminum tube. We recognized a few recent names, but it appeared that we were only the ninth party to sign in since the first ascent party.  They christened this remarkable rock pinnacle as “White Goat Peak.”

It was tempting to linger for an hour or more on this precipitously amazing and seldom-visited perch.  Unfortunately, the sun was dipping toward the horizon, and we had a long, convoluted descent ahead. After crab-walking back along the summit crest, we made one double-rope rappel to the base, then hurried toward camp.

Darkness caught us 1000 feet above Devore Creek valley and punished us with a disorienting bushwhack through the steep, junky forest. We stumbled into camp at 11:00pm feeling both satisfied and thrashed. Beth was anxiously waiting for us there but not surprised at our late return; after all, Fay is the queen of headlamp descents!

Day 4: Devore Peak Summit Climb

It was difficult to get motivated in the morning, but we eventually headed up Devore Creek Trail as a foursome. After 1.5 miles of easy hiking, we cut off at Devore Creek’s west fork and ascended pleasant lupine slopes to a waterfall cirque.

Semi-open slopes and a snow ramp took us farther up to a 7000-foot snow basin between Wy’North Peak and Devore Peak. Fay struck out for the former while Beth and Eileen and I struck out for the latter. We three Devorians picked our way up steep dirt, scree, loose talus, and a little Class 3 rock until reaching the false-summit block.

Beth, always out for a challenge, scrambled on to the summit; Eileen and I roped and belayed each other up the first pitch (Class 5.0), around the exposed left-side ledges (Class 3), and up the final summit pitch (Class 4). Once again, we were treated to signing an original 1940 summit register.

Views were similar to those from Tupshin Peak, but the sky seemed clearer. We enjoyed a long break and then started our descent, which included two short rappels. With the tricky work behind us, we settled in for a routine descent down the long scree-and-dirt slopes.

Of course, that’s when the mountain specter reared its ugly head: Eileen’s foot snagged a rock and she instantly went tumbling downhill for 15 scary feet! We were all relieved to find no broken bones, but she suffered numerous contusions and abrasions, and a painfully bruised rib. The rest of our descent to Devore Creek was slow and careful, but we managed to hobble into camp just before dark. Fay had already arrived, following her successful climb of Wy’North Peak.

Day 5: Bird Creek to Stehekin to Fields Point

Eileen and I packed up and started down the trail at 8:00am. We had a date with a cold river, a warm bakery, and a venerable Lady. A friendly man and his 4-year-old son (who was learning to drive!) gave us a ride to the bakery and then Stehekin. Beth came down the trail an hour or two behind us, whereas Fay headed back up Devore Creek in search of yet another summit. Despite our differing agendas, we all had a terrific weekend!

Route Maps & Profile

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Photo Gallery

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