Sahale Mountain is a sight to behold for those who have walked the wildly switchbacked trail up to Cascade Pass and continued to Sahale Arm. Despite over 4000ft of elevation gain to reach the Sahale glacier camps, it still stands just under another 1000 ft above your head. I have been to the glacier camps several times and always stared in awe at its summit. On this day, the goal was to climb to the top in a single day and traverse across it to Boston Peak on the other side. Then hike back out to my vehicle. Masochism, anyone?
The first several hours climbing to Cascade Pass felt like the same old slog other than the slight distraction of wildlife walking along the trail with all of us hikers—that and the views that open up once you reach the end of the forest.
The views at Cascade Pass were as stunning as usual, even though the air east of the pass was thick with smoke from the Pioneer fire burning near Stehikin.
Since I had been training for this since January, I made it to the glacier camps in about 3.5 hours, surprising me and several other hikers I met who asked where I had camped the night before. One remarked that I was an "inspiration" for wanting to tackle both peaks in a single day.
The Sahale glacier was easy to navigate, and despite being alone up there, I never felt any real trouble. Though the day was heating up and the snow was starting to get soft, the glacier underneath felt solid. I did spend a fair amount of time trying to poke my ice axe through and probe for any trouble spots or weak snow bridges, but nothing ever seemed to be of concern.
Surprisingly, I arrived at the bottom of the summit block in under 45 minutes from the glacier camps.
The summit block of Sahale Mountain is where the only technical climbing comes into the summit bid. From the base of the summit block, I made a traverse around to the north side on the climbers' right. There was a small moat to contend with from the snow that was still melting back and a minimal amount of loose rock that I had to scramble up, over, or around. Scaling the lower portion of the summit block involved some fundamental climbing techniques and careful footwork. Anyone confident on class 3 rock should be able to handle it.
Once on the north side of the summit block, there is an obvious class 3-4 section of rock that all had solid handholds to the final summit spot. After all the years of dreaming of standing on top of this little pile of rock in a sea of peaks, it felt far too easy to get here.
The summit block of Sahale Mountain is where the only technical climbing comes into the summit bid. From the base of the summit block, I made a traverse around to the north side on the climbers' right. There was a small moat to contend with from the snow that was still melting back and a minimal amount of loose rock that I had to scramble up, over, or around. Scaling the lower portion of the summit block involved some fundamental climbing techniques and careful footwork. Anyone confident on class 3 rock should be able to handle it.
Once on the north side of the summit block, there is an obvious class 3-4 section of rock that all had solid handholds to the final summit spot. After all the years of dreaming of standing on top of this little pile of rock in a sea of peaks, it felt far too easy to get here.
My second goal for the day was Boston Peak, which has a bad reputation for being dangerous. That reputation, combined with the fact that it looks like a horror of loose choss and debris from the summit of Sahale Mountain, made me question whether I wanted to make an attempt or head back home.
Despite Boston Peak's daunting reputation, I knew that this climb was my last hurrah before heading back to New Zealand. So, I was determined to end this round of climbing in the Cascades on an epic note. With a mix of apprehension and courage, I rappelled off the summit of Sahale and began the traverse to Boston Peak.
Thankfully, due to the snow covering the ridge between the two peaks, the first section of the traverse was easy peasy with crampons and an ice axe. However, once I reached the rock, it was immediately evident why so many people point out how loose the rock is. All sizes of talus and scree cover the ridge line, and none is stable. Rock constantly slid out from under my feet and was sent careening down the slopes of the ridge. If you can follow it, there is a faint path along the entire ridge, but it offers minimal improvement over walking in other areas.
Aside from the loose rock, the ridge is extremely steep. I would describe it, but the Instagram reel I made speaks for itself (see below).
After navigating the ridge and arriving at the base of Boston Peak's summit block, it initially took a lot of work to figure out a way to the top. From below, everything on Boston Peak looks like it is crumbling. Everywhere I laid my eyes, it looked like I would be putting myself at serious risk if I tried to climb it. Having come this far, there was no way I was giving up now, so after a few deep breaths, I went for it.
Though it looks extremely loose from below, there are ample places to place hands. The higher I went, the firmer the rock became, and by halfway up the summit block, I felt very comfortable. There were a few places where I was a little nervous, but the climb felt like a standard class 3-4 North Cascades scramble with some loose gravel tossed in.
The summit of Boston Peak is genuinely epic. Nestled among the Cascade River Road peaks, it offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of these majestic mountains. I relish the sense of awe and wonder at their beauty every time I climb or hike out here.
A review of the summit register reveals that very few groups make it to the top of this Boston peak each year—maybe 10 on a good year, it would seem. While here, I highly recommend reading through the entries, which date all the way back to the 1960s. There are some hilarious little gems in there.
With the first half of my day accomplished, I sat for around an hour on top of Boston Peak, taking in my surroundings. After nabbing some summit photos and leaving my mark in the trail register, I decided to head back down. Though most people at this point abseil off the summit of Boston Peak, I had chosen to leave the rope out of my pack and downclimb. Most people will recommend against this, but with confidence on semi-poor quality rock, it is easier than people claim through many sources online. The ridge getting to the base of the peak was worse than the climb up or down the summit block.
If you bring a rope for the descent, the anchor others have left behind looks bomb-proof. However, I caution others to bring webbing to ensure the old anchor points left behind get backed up. A fall on that rappel would be excruciating at the least or deadly at worst.
A one-day push on these two peaks was one of my favorite climbs to date. The peaks are gorgeous, the views are insane, the challenge is medium to difficult, and up and down in 12-13 hours for a strong party is entirely possible.
I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my time in Washington than climbing Sahale Mountain and Boston Peak. Now, I'm back in New Zealand for the next adventure.
