Description

The Isolation Traverse is quickly becoming a classic within the Cascades.

What used to be done once every few years is now seeing traffic with a good weather window, and it is easy to see why.

This trip takes you along a high crest in North Cascades National Park where the only feasible way to go is with skis.

What it lacks in big descents is more than made up for with top notch views and a relatively straightforward route.

It should be mentioned that we did the Isolation Traverse from North to South because it was a section of the American Alps Traverse but it would be best heading the opposite way as skiing down Backbone ridge is much easier than climbing it.

So long story short the route is the same but I recommend doing it the opposite way. Leaving from Highway 20 we started the Isolation traverse by heading up the Pyramid Lake Trail.

Heading up the tree covered ridge just before it hits the rock mass of Pyramid Peak you need to traverse a steep northeastern bowl which is just as scary as the map shows but soon enough you get into the first flats of the trip.

After a nice break being happy to have the traverse out of the way make your way up the lookers right lobe of the Colonial Glacier to the high col where if you want this is a great place to camp. The next day it is time for a small descent heading south to the Neve Glacier where you now need to skin up to the small col between The Horseman and Snowfield Peak.

Now it is time for many hours of challenging terrain as you drop into the Southwest bowl but make a hard traverse to the skiers left to get onto Isolation ridge where you need to follow it before descending into the Southeast Basin of Isolation Peak at 5,720 feet.

From here do a direct climb West wrapping around the summit and make it up to the southern ridge at 6,350 feet, then climb the south ridge up to around 6,750 feet.

Now you need to traverse just under the summit over to the Southwest ridge following it down into the basin just above Wilcox Lake.

Climb up the lookers right low col before once again descending down to an open basin at 5,000 feet.

Head up the obvious north facing couloir which is relatively mellow and after around 1,600 feet you have arrived on the edge of Backbone Ridge. Being up on the Backbone Ridge Col make your way down 500 feet heading to the south where you are able to get access to the main ridge and start a long sidehilling traverse where you don’t want to gain any elevation Once in the western basin of the Dorado Needles it is once again time to climb making it over to the eastern side of the Marble Creek Glacier.

Camping on a small sub peak we dropped 300 feet to the south and arriving at the base of the Marble Needle Couloir which we climbed up and over to gain access to the McAlister Glacier.

Riding down we made a hard skiers right before skinning up to the obvious pass and wrapping around the Inspiration glacier before snowboarding down the Eldorado Glacier.

Staying on the skiers left side before climbing over the ridge 6,300 feet and descend towards the main gully staying on the skiers right.

Once the snow runs out it is time for the last challenging section finding the Eldorado Peak climbing trail which sticks to the west side of the main gully all the way to the valley floor.

And if you are wondering if the route is as confusing as this description the answer is yes!! To see my trip in the area and more photos check out this link https://www.whereiskylemiller.com/highway-20/isolation-traverse/