{{short description|Alpine climbing route in the North Cascades in Washington, United States}} {{Use American English|date=April 2025}} thumb|View from Cascade Pass, at the northern end of the traverse. Beyond Cascade Pass the route is a challenging, trail-less mountaineering endeavor. [[File:USGS South Cascade Glacier.jpg|thumb|A portion of the southern Ptarmigan Traverse, looking east: route climbs the LeConte Glacier (left edge of photo), traverses around the west side of Sentinel Peak (dark pyramidal peak, left-center), descends to the South Cascade Glacier (center), ascends to ridge at top of the glacier (right-center), and crosses over to the White Rock Lakes.]] thumb|Dome Peak at the southern end of the 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== {{unreferenced section|date=July 2018}} 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:
{{GeoGroupTemplate|section=Route}}
===Cascade Pass area=== * Buckner Mountain ({{convert|9091|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Buckner Mountain|48.4951508|-120.9979393|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}{{Coord|format=DMS|name=Horseshoe Peak|48.4942472|-121.0004337|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Buckner Mountain|id=1517063|accessdate=2018-06-18}}</ref> * Boston Peak ({{convert|8845|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Boston Peak|48.4958308|-121.0357868|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Boston Peak|id=1516811|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Sahale Peak ({{convert|8680|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Sahale Peak|48.491113|-121.038632|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=1854 |title=Sahale Peak, Washington |publisher=PeakBagger.com |access-date=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Cascade Pass ({{convert|5351|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Cascade Pass|48.4679040|-121.0601123|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Cascade Pass|id=1517449|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> - last improved trail * Mixup Peak ({{convert|7440|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Mixup Peak|48.45389|-121.060353|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=1866 |title=Mixup Peak, Washington |publisher=PeakBagger.com |access-date=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Cache Col ({{convert|6903|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Cache Col|48.4484594|-121.0528892|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Cache Col|id=1517198|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> - boundary between North Cascades National Park and Glacier Peak Wilderness * Magic Mountain ({{convert|7618|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Magic Mountain|48.4457262|-121.0410560|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Magic Mountain|id=1522636|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Pelton Peak ({{convert|7132|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Pelton Peak|48.4486751|-121.0325950|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis|id=1524314|name=Pelton Peak|accessdate=2019-10-29}}</ref>
===Middle Cascade area===
* Hurry-up Peak ({{convert|7818|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Hurry-up Peak|48.4339524|-121.0378950|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Hurry-up Peak|id=1521096|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Middle Cascade Glacier ({{convert|5748|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Middle Cascade Glacier|48.4198477|-121.0545548|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Middle Cascade Glacier|id=1523052|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Mount Formidable ({{convert|8340|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Mount Formidable|48.4162304|-121.0669530|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Mount Formidable|id=1519700|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Spider Mountain ({{convert|8291|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Spider Mountain|48.4094435|-121.0360771|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Spider Mountain|id=1526365|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref>
===South Cascade area===
* Le Conte Mountain ({{convert|7739|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=LeConte Mountain|48.3792|-121.0618|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=48.3792%2C-121.0618#map=14/48.3792/-121.0618 |title=Ptarmigan Traverse, Chelan County, Washington, Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika |publisher=OpenStreetMap.org |access-date=2018-06-19}}</ref> * LeConte Glacier ({{convert|7434|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=LeConte Glacier|48.3637364|-121.0356633|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=LeConte Glacier|id=1521964|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Sentinel Peak ({{convert|8205|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Sentinel Peak|48.3562361|-121.0403855|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Sentinel Peak|id=1525574|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * South Cascade Glacier ({{convert|6138|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=South Cascade Glacier|48.3601244|-121.0576082|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=South Cascade Glacier|id=1526140|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> - largest glacier on route after Chickamin Glacier on Dome Peak * White Rock Lakes ({{convert|6197|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=White Rock Lakes|48.3407393|-121.0569598|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=White Rock Lakes|id=1528086|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref>
===Dome area===
* Dana Glacier ({{convert|6735|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Dana Glacier|48.3192906|-121.0514954|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Dana Glacier|id=1518475|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Spire Point ({{convert|8146|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Spire Point|48.3176231|-121.0712180|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Spire Point|id=1526374|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref> * Dome Peak ({{convert|8852|ft|m}}) – {{Coord|format=DMS|name=Dome Peak|48.3017912|-121.0317721|type:mountain_region:US-WA}}<ref>{{cite gnis|name=Dome Peak|id=1518853|accessdate=2018-06-19}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} * Beckey, Fred, ''Cascade Alpine Guide Volume 2'', The Mountaineers Books {{ISBN|0-89886-152-7}} * Karlsson, Erick, "South of Cascade Pass," The Mountaineer, 1953, p. 38 * Miller, Tom, ''The North Cascades'', The Mountaineers, 1964
Category:Hiking trails in Washington (state) Category:North Cascades of Washington (state) Category:Landforms of Skagit County, Washington