Silver Peak
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
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Since March I have been participating in the Mountaineers Alpine Scrambling course. The course provides an introduction to mountaineering and teaches essential techniques of off-trail wilderness travel needed for scaling snow and rock summits. Because...Want to get to a mountain peak where the trails don't take you? Yes I do! The Silver Peak scramble represented our graduation field trip (or the culmination of our training) and the opportunity to be evaluated by the course instructors to "pass" the course.
Our scramble route up the north basin of Silver Peak started from Forest Service Road 9070 and the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), just south of Snoqualmie Pass. Our group of eight traveled south on the PCT for a few short minutes before heading off-trail for the remainder of the day. We bushwhacked and scrambled over rock fall to gradually climb above the tree line and into the giant snow bowl on the north basin. The instructors found a shaded and (somewhat) icy section of snow to test and further refine our crampon travel skills. We then climbed partially up the side of the snow bowl for several intensive rounds ice axe self-arrest practice.
The group continued across the snow bowl and scrambled up more rock fall to the summit block of Silver Peak. The final push to the summit was steep with a significant amount of loose rock and dirt. Annette Lake sparkled below us, Mount Rainier (Tahoma) was in fully glory, and the Cascade Range was on display to our east. After a brief rest at the summit, the group scrambled back down the rock to the snow bowl. We found multiple glissade shoots for a quick and easy decent back down the snow field. Once below tree line again, a final bushwhack delivered us to our cars parked on Forest Service Road 9070.
While the scramble itself was fairly moderate, the instructors did not take it easy on us! Our skills were tested (and re-enforced) with much coaching and guidance. I learned a lot and no doubt this day's outing will help me to become a safer and better alpine scrambler. With the 100 degree heatwave upon the Pacific Northwest, it also felt good to spend the day in the mountains with a breeze and slightly cooler temperatures.
Our scramble route up the north basin of Silver Peak started from Forest Service Road 9070 and the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), just south of Snoqualmie Pass. Our group of eight traveled south on the PCT for a few short minutes before heading off-trail for the remainder of the day. We bushwhacked and scrambled over rock fall to gradually climb above the tree line and into the giant snow bowl on the north basin. The instructors found a shaded and (somewhat) icy section of snow to test and further refine our crampon travel skills. We then climbed partially up the side of the snow bowl for several intensive rounds ice axe self-arrest practice.
The group continued across the snow bowl and scrambled up more rock fall to the summit block of Silver Peak. The final push to the summit was steep with a significant amount of loose rock and dirt. Annette Lake sparkled below us, Mount Rainier (Tahoma) was in fully glory, and the Cascade Range was on display to our east. After a brief rest at the summit, the group scrambled back down the rock to the snow bowl. We found multiple glissade shoots for a quick and easy decent back down the snow field. Once below tree line again, a final bushwhack delivered us to our cars parked on Forest Service Road 9070.
While the scramble itself was fairly moderate, the instructors did not take it easy on us! Our skills were tested (and re-enforced) with much coaching and guidance. I learned a lot and no doubt this day's outing will help me to become a safer and better alpine scrambler. With the 100 degree heatwave upon the Pacific Northwest, it also felt good to spend the day in the mountains with a breeze and slightly cooler temperatures.
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