Climbing Eldorado Peak (July 2024 Trip Report)

July 14, 2024

Route: East Ridge (glacier travel and 3rd class scrambling)

Mileage: ~12 miles

Elevation Gain: ~7,000 ft

Elevation Profile:

Map:

Helpful Caltopo map link for planning!

Route Description:

From the parking lot, cross Cascade River Road and find a suitable Cascade River crossing (there are often logs). On the other side of the river, a trailhead sign marks the start of the unmaintained climbers' path.

Hike straight up the steep, rooty forest for ~1,500 ft until emerging onto the boulder field. Follow the cairns up the talus field, staying towards the right to utilize dirt bypasses when available.

The boulder fields end when you cross the stream above the waterfall, ascending up and right (East). This was the first available water.

Continue up the footpath to Eldorado Creek Basin (~5,500 ft). Scramble up to the ridge crest (6,100 ft) and descend the gully with the large boulder at its top into Roush Creek Basin. The gully is mostly steep but stable dirt, with a short section of class 3 rock at the bottom.

Head to your right, through another boulder field, and enjoy your first views of Eldorado! Head towards the peak, shortly encountering the start of the moderately graded glacier. Ascend to a ridge, then continue across the flat section of Eldorado Glacier. Around the right (North) side of the ridge corner, the grade steepens. Follow the ridge up to the exposed two foot wide "knife edge" snow arête that leads to the summit (8,868 ft)!

Descend the route.

Trip Report:

Eldorado Peak has some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen! I've wanted to see that bright blue Moraine Lake underneath the massive glaciers since I started mountaineering, or honestly even before that– since I moved to Washington.

The route is in great shape right now. Greg and I climbed car-to-car (C2C, or all in one day) starting at 12:15AM.

Since we began our climb in the dark, it was extremely helpful to scout the river crossing in the light the evening prior. This allowed us a quick start to our morning.

There are good, wide logs that enable an easy, dry crossing.

From the parking lot, go left back down the road (West). Across the bridge, there's a bootpath (marked by pink flagging) on the right (North) side of the road. That leads right to a log crossing a small channel to a sandy/rocky beach. There's another bootpath through the trees leading to a log for the larger river crossing.

Follow the footpath on the other side of the log to the trailhead sign.

The steep, rooty forest reminded me of the Old Mailbox Trail and Cableline Trail.

There are a lot of cairns, so navigating the boulder fields in the dark was pretty straightforward. Staying towards the right, there were occasional dirt bypasses that made the climb easier.

There are some beautiful wildflowers right now, but the mosquitos are coming out as well. I got some bites but bugs weren't too awful, especially when we got high enough for the breeze to pick up.

Convenient water is available from the waterfall at the top of the boulder field, in Eldorado Basin, and at the camp site around the corner from the gully downclimb (saw 2 mountain goats around here as well!).

The gully was mostly steep but stable dirt with a short class 3 rock scramble right at the bottom. After, we got our first view of Eldorado!!

This scramble felt super easy to me, which was satisfying due to my fear of heights. I felt brave and proud of all the progress I've made working to overcome my fear!

After the gully, we headed to the right to cross another short talus field. There was unstable snow surrounding the rocks in this boulder field. Take care to avoid postholing and banging your shins here!!

Greg and I roped up at the start of the glacier before continuing our climb. Eldorado was already in view, the snow on its ridge glowing in the morning sun. The peak felt so close after our long morning, and I felt overwhelming pride in myself, Greg, and our partnership!

Eldorado is definitely a tough day climb (let alone climb in general) and I constantly underestimate myself. I had gone into the weekend expecting to not feel fit enough and bail.

Instead, I achieved my biggest day of elevation to date (~7,000 feet of climbing!) and felt strong, competent, and stoked. I was able to not just manage my fear but actually enjoy scrambling and the knife edge!!

I felt like a totally different mountaineer compared to who I was even just last season.

It felt like such an incredible privilege to share this experience, and this beautiful place, with Greg. I'm very thankful to have such a strong, supportive, and capable mountain and life partner.

There's a great bootpack in on the Eldorado Glacier right now with two small crevasses opening up that we stepped over at roughly ~7480 ft.

The grade steepens up the final ridge to the summit, but at this point my summit stoke was all I was capable of feeling.

We got up to the top around 9AM and the knife edge was already getting soft. The two-foot-wide knife edge was exciting, and Greg and I made careful steps through this no fall zone to the summit!

I don't have any photos of the knife edge itself because my hands were occupied with my ice axe and hiking pole. The boot pack on the ridge was in great shape.

We descended the summit shortly after arriving, eager to get down before snow conditions got any slushier. We enjoyed a break on some sunny rocks lower on the ridge before braving our long, but (thankfully) uneventful 7,000 ft descent.

It was a perfect day enjoying the gorgeous alpine views we worked so hard for! "Queen of the Cascade River" indeed.