Marblemount, Washington
Marblemount is often viewed as a spot to pick up backcountry permits and information at the North Cascades National Park Wilderness Information Center before heading into the park, but much like neighboring Rockport, Marblemount is a portal to local adventures as well. The town earned its reputation because it’s the base for NP employees during seasonal work stints. But, even underpaid and overworked government staffers need to get out once in awhile. The town has a few great stopovers to satiate the malnourished and under-boozed traveler. Once you recharge, some of the best peaks in the state – Eldorado (8,868 feet), Boston Glacier and Peak (8,894 feet), Sahale Mountain (8,681 feet), Forbidden Peak (8,816 feet) – are just up the road and the exceptional fishing on the Skagit and Sauk Rivers keeps salmon and steelhead guides busy almost year round. Marblemount might be where the park service chose to hang its hat, but for good reason – access, quality of life, and maybe the fact that it’s just darn gorgeous.
Maps
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The Ptarmigan Traverse Summits
The Ptarmigan Traverse is a high elevation route in the North Cascade Range of Washington State. It was first done in 1938 by a group from the Ptarmigan Climbing Club and didn’t become popular with mountaineers until much later. Nowadays, many groups tackle the traverse every summer. For experienced mountaineers, this trip has a lot […]
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The Bulger List – Washington’s Highest 100 Peaks
In the summer of ’96, I ran into a friend that I hadn’t seen in awhile. After catching up and laughing about the crazy times back in college, he mentioned that a few guys were climbing Mount Shuksan in a couple of weeks and asked if I wanted to join them. I immediately said yes, […]
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Gamma Hot Springs – Places I’ve Never Been
I’ve never been to Gamma Hot Springs, but I heard about this remote soaking pool anytime the conversation steered towards hot springs around Seattle. Apparently, I’m not alone either – most folks know of someone who has been there, but the “knowing” feels more like playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon rather than scrolling through […]
Featured Mountains in Marblemount
| Mountain | Approx. Elevation |
|---|---|
| Snowking Mountain | 7,388 ft (2,252 m) |
| Sahale Mountain | 8,680 ft (2,646 m) |
| Mount Formidable | 8,325 ft (2,537 m) |
| Lookout Mountain | 5,699 ft (1,737 m) |
| Johannesburg Mountain | 8,100 ft (2,469 m) |
| Hidden Lake Peaks | 7,018 ft (2,139 m) |
| Helen Buttes | 5,246 ft (1,599 m) |
| Forbidden Peak | 8,815 ft (2,687 m) |
| Eldorado Peak | 8,868 ft (2,703 m) |