Date: September 16-19, 2023
Location: Pasayten Wilderness, Washington State, USA
Total Trip Distance: 31.42 mi / 50.56 km Total Elevation Gain: 9,814 ft / 2,991 m
Trip Duration: 4 Days
Team: With Alex Catalfamo
Field Notes: An incredible 4-day trip over remote, rugged terrain that includes a 6 mile long alpine ridge connecting two summits with a class 3 scramble. Osceola peak makes a worthy objective as well with absolutely stunning views over the Pasayten Wilderness. Water is abundant (except on the ridge lines) and the camp spots quiet and undisturbed. The Pasayten is a place I hope to revisit in the future.
Rating: Class 2 / 3
On Friday we left for the open road and left behind a special three month stint in Fernie, British Columbia. This summer had been a classic. I got to live with one of my closest friends, we didn't kill each other, and we went on tons of incredible trips in the Canadian Rockies.
All of this was just training in my mind as my ultimate goal is to be back in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. To be honest, it's been hard to be present this summer...even with all the incredible trips. The stronger I felt, the more excited I became to return to New Zealand in October. As we drove back to Seattle to return our rental car we had one final destination: The Pasayten.
The Pasayten Wilderness is a 531,000 acre wilderness zone that has more than 150 peaks above 7,500 feet in elevation. The area is a habitat for deer, moose, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, the gray wolf, and is home to the largest population of lynx in the Lower 48.
This is my type of trip. Off the beaten path. Remote. Quiet.
We drove up the road to the "famous" Slate Pass and were surprised to see a lot of cars. There were a shit ton of cars actually. We quickly packed up our belongings and got started. It was two in the afternoon and the temperature was in the mid 60's. We had a near perfect weather forecast for the next four days. It felt like we could do no wrong this summer.
From Slate Pass we descended down to the Middle Fork of the Pasayten River and then headed north up Robinson's Creek. After 5 miles or so, we turned right and made the ascent up to Furguson Lake. When we arrived at the lake, the sun was setting and the temperature was dropping off. I knew it was now or never so I jumped into the lake. Cold magic. We set up our sleeping arrangements for the night, collected firewood, and got a fire going.
We hung out by the fire accompanied by the wind, trees, and last light hitting the western slopes of Wildcat Mountain. You could feel it - this was going to be a spectacular trip. By nine I was completely fried and went to go to bed. As I was drifting off I heard pounding on the ground near me and I shot up out of bed... "HOLY SHIT!" I scrambled to get my headlamp and turn it on. I flashed it in all directions while Alex was asking me what the hell was going on.
It was a deer.
Jesus. The deer scampered off into the woods. Fifteen minutes later the pounding came back and on went the headlamp. The deer again. This scenario repeated itself (and no, I'm not kidding) until three in the morning. This deer would come right into our camp. I'm not sure if this was where it feeds, or sleeps, or both...but it would not leave us alone. Alex was particularly bothered.
We woke up to cloudy skies on day two. As we had breakfast I realized it was wildfire smoke. I think we were a bit downcast because we thought we had left that behind in Canada. As we worked up the climbers right ridge of Wildcat and got above treeline, the sky was blanketed in smoke. There was still a view and we made our way to the summit. We both agreed that "it is what it is" and vowed to make the best of it.
The summit of Wildcat has some amazing views, even though visibility was clearly limited. We looked north in anticipation at the alpine ridge that awaited us.
We made our way off of the summit and took on the ridge. Almost immediately we were met by loose, crumbly rock combined with loose terrain. I hoped this wouldn't be the theme for the day. It turned out that the majority of the ridge was nice going. Most of the ridge was nothing more than a class 2 scramble with some sections of class 3 that I will describe later on. An added bonus was that the more time we spent on the ridge, the more the weather cleared.
A few hours later we had perfect visibility and could see the glaciers in the Northern Cascades. Just in time for the summit of Rolo. We easily bypassed a tricky section and made our way up the south ridge of Rolo. The summit was spectacular. Just a few hours ago we woke up in wildfire smoke and now we stood alone atop a 7,800 foot peak in perfect conditions. This area was magic and I was drooling just thinking of the backcountry ski potential out here. Mountains surrounded us in all directions.
After a nice break on the summit we decided to head down to camp at Lake Doris. The crux of this entire route is coming down the North Ridge of Rolo. There were some very steep and exposed sections where a fall would not be a good idea. This is where the route becomes class 3. However, navigation is easy and we just stayed on the North Ridge. Anytime it got beyond class 3, we simply found easier terrain to bypass it.
Six hours on the move with overnight packs on loose rock and scree had me looking forward to getting to camp. Just before we hit the seventh hour, we arrived at the stunning Lake Doris. The larches were starting to turn a golden color, the lake was crystal clear, and there wasn't a soul in sight. You could tell fall was knocking on the door waiting to be let in.
We set up camp so we had a view of the surrounding peaks - Osceola, Largo, Blackcap, and the stunning Monument Peak. Alex got to work with the fire and I soaked my legs in the lake. Dinner was a steaming hot red curry with chicken. The fire crackled, the wind blew, and the earth turned. All was well with the world. My body baked in the glory of rest from a day spent working in the hills and my belly was full. There is not much else a man needs.
The tarp tent flapped noisily as it was battered by strong winds. At least I had slept for a solid five to six hours. Little did I know Alex hadn't slept a wink. It was 3 am and I willed myself back to sleep for a few hours. Eventually we got up, quickly packed up camp, stashed our gear, and headed for Osceola Peak.
From camp, there is a loose trail that sidles along the slopes of Osceola. At the bottom of a forested gully there is a small cairn and a path that leads up towards the peak. Take this as it travels diagonally right up the mountain. Once above treeline travel remains straightforward as we angled directly at the face of the mountain.
Above the forest, the views were nothing short of spectacular. The clouds mixed with the early morning light and blue skies. A photographers dream. The higher we climbed, the more inspiring it became. The view of Lake Doris and Mount Rolo was just freaking awesome. As we crested the ridge, we reached the false summit. Five more minutes had us standing on the true summit with a 360 degree view, all alone. It's hard to describe the feelings and sights of being on a remote peak with such spectacular views, so I'll include a bunch of photos below. But this is one of my favorite summits of summer.
We stayed on the summit for awhile. If it wasn't for the cold wind I would've built a shelter up there and never left. Coming back down to earth is always the hardest part. Alex led the way down and I soon followed. Travel is fastest by sticking close to the skiers right ridge.
At camp we packed up our things and made a warm breakfast. To my dismay, an animal had chewed through my folding cup and put my morning coffee in jeopardy. For those that love coffee, this is a serious problem. However, I found a solution (addicts always get their fix).
The morning was really opening up now. The weather was perfect for hiking. We left Lake Doris and made the descent past Freds Lake to the valley bottom until we met Robinson's Creek. We then traveled south back towards Slate Pass. After close to eight hours on the move we set up camp at the Middle Fork of the Pasayten River and enjoyed one last fire. The trip had been a wild success.
The night was our coldest yet. After another night of poor sleep, Alex got up and made a fire at 4 am. I was out of my sleeping bag by 5 to sit by the fire and made a quick breakfast. I was sad to go and didn't want to leave the wilderness. It had been a perfect trip.
Under the glow of dawn, we worked up towards Slate Pass. We considered bagging Haystack Mountain or Slate Peak, but it was lightly snowing and the views obstructed. I passed on the invitation. As we got near the top of the pass it really opened up and again, the lighting was amazing.
At the top I suggested we bag Old Trail Peak. Alex needed no convincing and we left our bags at the car. It took about thirty minutes or so to stand atop the peak. The last thirty feet or so is a class 3 scramble. The views at the top were great and a fitting way to end a sensational trip.
Happy days...
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