Ptarmigan Traverse



Ptarmigan Traverse is an alpine climbing route in the North Cascades of Washington state. The route, from Cascade Pass to Dome Peak, is generally remote, unmarked, and challenging, traversing rugged terrain and several glaciers.

History
The first traverse took 13 days in July 1938. The group consisted of four members of the Ptarmigan Climbing Club: Bill Cox, Calder Bressler, Ray W. Clough, and Tom Myers. The second traverse was in 1953 and consisted of Dale Cole, Bob Grant, Mike Hane, Erick Karlsson and Tom Miller. Miller took high-quality photos of the peaks, valleys, glaciers, and lakes, which were later published in a book by The Mountaineers. The book, called The North Cascades, was published in 1964 and proved instrumental in the bid to create the North Cascades National Park.

The route is named after an alpine bird, the rock ptarmigan. The "p" is silent and is pronounced "TAR-mig-an".

The third successful traverse of the route was made in 1958 by a party led by photographer Ira Spring, with Coleman Leuthy, Ray and Marge McConnell, Peggy Stark and Russell Bockman. The trip was described in an article published in The Saturday Evening Post that was illustrated with Spring's stunning photos of the trip. Today the route is a common goal of Cascade Range mountaineers.

Route
Place names are listed from north to south:

Cascade Pass area

 * Buckner Mountain (9091 ft) – 48.49515°N, -120.99794°W48.49425°N, -121.00043°W
 * Boston Peak (8845 ft) – 48.49583°N, -121.03579°W
 * Sahale Peak (8680 ft) – 48.49111°N, -121.03863°W
 * Cascade Pass (5351 ft) – 48.4679°N, -121.06011°W - last improved trail
 * Mixup Peak (7440 ft) – 48.45389°N, -121.06035°W
 * Cache Col (6903 ft) – 48.44846°N, -121.05289°W - boundary between North Cascades National Park and Glacier Peak Wilderness
 * Magic Mountain (7618 ft) – 48.44573°N, -121.04106°W
 * Pelton Peak (7132 ft) – 48.44868°N, -121.03259°W

Middle Cascade area

 * Hurry-up Peak (7818 ft) – 48.43395°N, -121.03789°W
 * Middle Cascade Glacier (5748 ft) – 48.41985°N, -121.05455°W
 * Mount Formidable (8340 ft) – 48.41623°N, -121.06695°W
 * Spider Mountain (8291 ft) – 48.40944°N, -121.03608°W

South Cascade area

 * Le Conte Mountain (7739 ft) – 48.3792°N, -121.0618°W
 * LeConte Glacier (7434 ft) – 48.36374°N, -121.03566°W
 * Sentinel Peak (8205 ft) – 48.35624°N, -121.04039°W
 * South Cascade Glacier (6138 ft) – 48.36012°N, -121.05761°W - largest glacier on route after Chickamin Glacier on Dome Peak
 * White Rock Lakes (6197 ft) – 48.34074°N, -121.05696°W

Dome area

 * Dana Glacier (6735 ft) – 48.31929°N, -121.0515°W
 * Spire Point (8146 ft) – 48.31762°N, -121.07122°W
 * Dome Peak (8852 ft) – 48.30179°N, -121.03177°W