Search trip reports

Trip Report    

Basic Glacier Climb - Sherman Peak/Squak Glacier

A successful overnight climb of Sherman Peak via the Squak Glacier route as part of the Everett Basic Climbing Course graduation. Perfect weather, solid snow conditions, and a scenic summit made for a smooth and rewarding weekend.

Dmytro Gayvoronskyy Dmytro Gayvoronskyy
June 10, 2025
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • The Scott Paul Trail was mostly snow-free up to around 4,000 ft, with dry, stable footing. Continuous snow coverage began above that elevation, with firm morning conditions resulting in minimal postholing. The upper ridge to the summit was partially melted out—mostly solid and manageable, with only a short, exposed section requiring extra care. Given the recent warm weather and upcoming forecast, moat and crevasse features are expected to expand soon.

Successful weekend climb of Sherman Peak as part of the graduation requirement for the Mountaineers Basic Climbing Course with Everett branch. Our group consisted of approximately 15 climbers, organized into four rope teams.

  • Trailhead to Camp: 4 hours
  • Camp to Sherman Peak: 6 hours
  • Sherman Peak to Camp: 2 hours
  • Camp to Trailhead: 2 hours

Weather was prefect through the weekend, clear blue skies and sun, with light winds, lows in mid 30s and highs well in 60s.

Saturday

We started at the Park Butte Trailhead (3,400 ft) on Saturday at 9:30 a.m., ascending the Scott Paul Trail to around 4,700 ft. From there, we joined the Squak Glacier route and continued to our campsite at 6,100 ft (UTM 10U 587279E 5398997N), arriving around 1:00 p.m. The lower trail was mostly snow-free, and overall conditions were favorable with minimal postholing.

After setting up camp, we spent the afternoon practicing snow travel techniques on the nearby slopes before dinner, wrapping up for the night around 8:00 p.m.

Sunday

On Sunday, we roped up and began our summit push at 2:00 a.m. From camp, we initially traversed north but had to retrace our steps back to camp and drop east slightly after encountering a deep north-south-running moat between the rocky slope to the west and the glacier to the east.

At approximately 7,900 ft, we encountered a long transverse crevasse arching NEE from about UTM 10U 586780E 5400827N. Keeping it on our right, we made a direct ascent toward the saddle west of Sherman Peak, reaching it at 9,800 ft (UTM 10U 586870E 5402294N). Snow conditions were solid, with a firmer crust developing between 7,500 and 8,500 ft.

The final ridge climb from the saddle to the summit was straightforward, though we placed several pickets for running belays. The ridge was partially melted out and mostly secure, aside from a short exposed section roughly 10 feet long. Our rope team was the first to summit Sherman Peak at 8:20 a.m.

After returning to the saddle by 9:00 a.m. and waiting for the remaining teams to summit and descend, we dropped crampons and departed at 10:00 a.m., returning to camp at 11:45 a.m. On the descent, we took a slightly different line for the last 10% of the route, scrambling over a melted-out rocky outcrop near UTM 10U 587103E 5399406N.

Following a short rest and camp breakdown, we departed at 1:20 p.m., glissaded down several slopes, then followed our Saturday route and reached the trailhead by 3:00 p.m.