The Southern Pickets Traverse
The line is striking. A row of jagged shards of granite, 3 miles long, towers high above jumbled cascades of ice. Deep valleys, lush with ancient forests, plunge over a vertical mile on every side. The soaring spires simultaneously beg to be climbed, and inspire fear and intimidation in alpine suitors- infamous tales abound of heinous, brushy, and steep approaches, followed by steeper, loose rock, gravelly gullies, and airy summits. A pure, raw place of beauty and challenge. I’d been hoping to visit the Pickets for years, and finally found myself in the right place at the right time for a great adventure. In Bellingham, with free time and a decent forecast, I brainstormed ideas. I eventually came across a truly impressive trip report from local legends Jeff and Priti Wright: The Southern Pickets Traverse. Part story, part route guide, the report chronicled their saga of alpine adventure, with excellent photo topos of much of the traverse. They recounted climbing up and ove...
