Trip Report
Ptarmigan Traverse
Rob Busack and Sherrie Trecker completed the Ptarmigan Traverse over July 28-August 2, 2016.
Sherrie Trecker
- Thu, Aug 11, 2016 — Tue, Aug 2, 2016
- Ptarmigan Traverse
- Climbing
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The route was in great shape. A few sketchy moats here and there, but all were navigable. We brought a picket each and one ice screw, and while we placed two pickets total on the trip, they were deemed unnecessary afterward (where we placed them; we still would have wanted them in a rescue scenario). The glaciers are starting to get icy so the ice screw might be helpful in a rescue as well.
Bachelor Creek and Downey Creek trails are terrible as always. There are some cairns and tape to try to help guide the way, but you should expect it to take a long time to travel the 12 miles back to the car.
Suiattle road is open all the way to Downey Creek TH as of summer of 2016.
The trip report for each day is on my blog, shelovesclimbing@blogspot.com. I am posting it here because the photos Rob drew on of the route each day might be really helpful for people who want to complete this trip in the future.
- Day 1: Cascade Pass TH to Kool Aid Lake (6 hours)
- Day 2: Kool Aid Lake to Yang Yang Lakes (8 hours)
- Day 3: Yang Yang Lakes to White Rock Lakes (11.25 hours)
- Day 4: Rest Day at White Rock Lakes (pure laziness)
- Day 5: White Rock Lakes to Bachelor Creek (11 hours)
- Day 6: Bushwhacking for 9 miles (8 hours) (I didn't write a blog about this... you can imagine how it went)