Guarded by the expansive Neve Glacier, the 8347-foot summit of Snowfield Peak offers a deliciously exposed scramble and stunning 360-degree views of the North Cascades.
We had been planning this trip since 2023, but were skunked several times due to various reasons – injury, sickness, bad weather and wildfire. The curse was finally broken, and we had a glorious summit day with perfect weather.
The approach to Snowfield Peak starts with a two-mile hike up to Pyramid Lake. From here, the trail is relentlessly steep and overgrown, with a fair amount of bushwhacking and some scrambling involved.
Seven hours and almost 5000 vertical feet later, we arrived at the campsites in Colonial Basin. Perched atop a rocky ridge, the campsites have great views of the iceberg-filled glacial lake.
With a 5 am start from camp the next morning, we headed up the Colonial Glacier as the sun painted the cliffs behind us.
As I reached the Colonial-Neve col, I turned around and saw this incredible frame of our rope team against the backdrop of Paul Bunyan’s Stump, Pinnacle Peak and Pyramid Peak, all strikingly lit by the early morning sun.
On the other side of the col, we were greeted by a great view of Snowfield Peak and the Neve Glacier. This is an absolutely massive glacier, stretching over a mile across from Snowfield Peak to the left and Horseman’s Pack to the right, before splitting up into its two terminal tongues in opposite directions, perpendicular to the upper glacier.
There was one party ahead of us heading towards Snowfield Peak, providing some human reference for scale.
It took us almost two hours to cross the Neve Glacier. It was not even 9 am, and the sun was bearing down intensely. We stashed the ropes and glacier gear at the base of the summit pyramid, and started hiking up to where the scramble begins.
The scrambling was thoroughly enjoyable. Easy movement on solid rock with a moderately spicy amount of exposure; an airy traverse with the vast expanse of ice below, and our local favorites Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan providing a stunning backdrop.
The views from the summit were unreal. Looking to the south, layer upon layer of glaciated peaks stretched out across the horizon, with Mt. Rainier peeking over Sloan Peak’s shoulder.
Right across the valley from us were the peaks forming the Inspiration Traverse – Primus, Austera, Klawatti, with the Backbone Ridge extending westward from Eldorado Peak. Simply incredible.
The panoramic image below can be scrolled horizontally to see the entire image.
Looking towards the north, a panoramic view prominently featuring Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. Scroll horizontally for the full image.
The team standing on Snowfield Peak’s summit.
We camped one more night in Colonial Basin before hiking out, and got to enjoy a great show of a pair of baby goats playing around on the cliffs below.
It’s always cool to see the vibrant little alpine wildflowers thriving in such an inhospitable environment. This mat of moss campion on the summit block of Snowfield Peak especially caught my eye.
