Glacier Peak

We approached from the Trinity trailhead, located northwest of Lake Wenatchee. This 15 mile approach includes 9.5 miles and about 3000 ft of gain to Buck Creek Pass on an excellent trail and another 5 miles and 2600 ft drop to Chocolate Creek. We spent the first night at Buck Creek Pass with deer and marmots. The second day we were slowed by a lot of down timber on the decent to the Suiattle River where we crossed on a log jam. The guide book recomends crossing the wide flood plain and finding the trail in the trees on the other side. We spent several hours crashing around in the brush and never did find the trail on the west side of the Suiattle. You would be smarter to go up the Suiattle about a half mile to the mouth of Chocolate Creek, then up Chocolate Creek about a quarter mile or a little more. This is where we camped the second night. There is a faint trail here that will get you up over the overhung canyon wall and onto the ridgeline headed toward the mountain. The weather deteriorated but four of us got up at 3:30 to scurry up the ridge along the south side of Chocolate Creek. There really isn't a trail here. We bushwhacked up to about 5900 without making it to the snow. This is really appears to be the hardest part of the climb. The drizzle started so we gave up our explorations. Needless to say, we didn't summit but we learned alot about this route. We are planning to clear the trail from Buck Creek Pass to the Suiattle River next July. With that done you should be able to make it to Chocolate Creek in one long day. That would allow us to put a high camp in above 6000 ft in position for a summit push up Cool Glacier to Cathedral Rock and then follow the ridgeline to the summit.

This route is probably the most remote, wilderness approache to any volcanoe on the northwest. We're looking for some help. We're going to asseble a crew and we might need a horse to bring in a couple of buck saws to clear some of the bigger trees from the trail. If you're interested in helping us reopen this route e-mail me.