South Picket Range from Luna Peak, North Cascades National Park, Washington
This photo of the South Picket mountain range was taken from near the summit of Luna Peak, deep in the heart of North Cascades National Park.
We had backpacked in from Ross Lake, leaving the trail to climb Luna Peak, on whose shoulder we wanted to camp so we could see into the Pickets. It was about sixteen miles in, a very long day, especially when you have to bushwhack your way up a steep mountain with a full backpack.
The autumn weather was clear and calm, and the view did not disappoint. The Picket Range is so far back in the north unit of North Cascades National Park that it takes a lot of effort to even get a glimpse of it, let alone get close. We only had time on this trip to hike in, climb Luna, sleep there so we could enjoy the evening and morning views, then get out.
The Pickets are said to be world class mountain climbing. Not so much due to their elevation ('only' about 8,200 feet at the summits), but because of their extreme ruggedness. Their name supposedly comes for their resemblance to a picket fence, their peaks are so sharp and close together.
The names of some of the summits bear testimony to the fearsome experiences there by climbers: Mt. Terror, Mt. Fury, Mt. Challenger, The Barrier, Phantom Peak. Of course, the range has also inspired names like Inspiration Peak, Perfect Pass, and Easy Peak (relatively speaking on that one, I'm sure).
We slept out in the open that night, above timberline in the calm, clear weather. The glaciers hanging from the summits of the Pickets would let loose some ice now and then throughout the night. Although miles away and across a very deep canyon, the sound of that ice hitting their lower slopes made a cannon-like roar. It woke me from a sound sleep several times, causing me to sit bolt upright in my sleeping bag, wondering for a wide-eyed second if it were ice above us, even though we had been careful to locate our camp where such a danger was impossible. Then I would drift back to sleep, wondering how far that ice was falling over there. A thousand feet? More?
The only problem with a trip like this, a view like this, is that you want more. More time to hike and climb further back in, to get to see more, explore more.
May there always be wilderness. Even if you never get to go, somehow it's comforting to know it's there, waiting for you in case you have the time and the desire.
Photo location: Luna Peak, North Cascades National Park, Washington.
