WASHINGTON'S HIGHEST PEAKS
with 400 Feet of Prominence
TOP 10 Peaks
Photos © John Roper 2004
| Rank | Rank | ||||
| 400'P | Bulger | ||||
| List | List | Name | Elev | Prom
|
| 1 | 1 | Mount Rainier | 14410 | 13210
|
|
| 2 | nb | Liberty Cap | 14112 | 472
|
|
| 3 | 2 | Mount Adams | 12276 | 8116
|
|
| 4 | 3 | Little Tahoma | 11138 | 858
|
|
| 5 | 4 | Mount Baker | 10781 | 8881
|
|
| 6 | 5 | Glacier Peak | 10520 | + | 7480
|
| 7 | NB | Sherman Peak | 10160 | + | 400
|
| 8b80 | 6b80 | Mt St Helens (b 5.18.80) | 9677 | 5917
|
|
| 8 | 6 | Bonanza Peak | 9511 | 3711
|
|
| 9 | NB | Colfax Peak | 9440 | + | 400
|
| 10 | 7 | Mount Stuart | 9415 | 5335
|
NB: Not on Bulger List because of volcano subsummit peculiarity
b80: Before the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mt St. Helens
MOUNT RAINIER 14410' Prominence 13210'
This is the view from the south, just west of Paradise. The apparent high point in this photo is actually Point Success 14158' (with a puny 118 feet of prominence). The 14410' top (Columbia Crest) is the white bulge just right. Nisqually Glacier is the tumbling icy beauty. This 13210-foot-prominence value is 21st-greatest on Earth, and more than K2.
MOUNT RAINIER 14410' P13210'
from NE, above Sunrise (at the highest paved road in WA). Little Tahoma (L). Huge Emmons Glacier (largest glacier in Washington, and the lower US) leads to the 14410' top. Liberty Cap (R).
(L) to (R): John Roper, Charlie Johnson, Chuck Welsh, Hurley Johnson, and Maurine Roper, August 6, 1967 after climbing Rainier. I was lucky to climb Rainier for the first time with Chuck Welsh who, in the late 1940's, made the first ascents of Liberty Bell, South Hozomeen, Golden Horn, Big Snagtooth, and Wamihaspi/Cornice Peak. My sister Maurine (R) was an Annie Wright Seminary schoolmate of Chuck's s daughter, Hurley. The three teenagers did great, and I was amazed at how powerful an "old man" of 42 could be.
LIBERTY CAP 14112' P472
from SW. Pretty nice summit, with a decent 472 feet of prominence, but not on the Bulger List because of the volcano subsummit exclusion. This was my final Top 100 peak by clean-400-foot prominence, climbed July 21, 1991, thanks to Gary and Joel Mellom. Sunset Amphitheater is the high bowl in the sun, with the cascading Puyallup Glacier icefall right. Sunset Ridge is the rocky route that leads to the summit, with the upper lobe of the South Mowich Glacier at its base. Mowich Face is in the left shadows with the Edmunds (not Emmons) Glacier below it. Ptarmigan Ridge is on left skyline. It's a lot easier from the other side.
MOUNT ADAMS 12276' P8116
from SW, on Flattop Mountain June 6, 1992. The Pinnacle (L), Pikers Peak (R). Usual route up right slope.
LITTLE TAHOMA 11138' P858
NW Face, looking across the Emmons Glacier from Camp Schurman. This is the only volcano subsummit that counts on the Bulger List because of the (Lix)variation that it has >800 feet of prominence.
MOUNT BAKER 10781' P8881
from NE with Park Glacier high, Rainbow Glacier in foreground. Sherman Peak pokes up on left. Cockscomb, the notched crag high right, is one of my last remaining named summits to do in the Skagit drainage. Anybody interested?
Winter aerial photos of Baker by John Scurlock will knock your socks off. My favorites: 1 2
GLACIER PEAK 10520+ P7480
South side, from Kololo
SHERMAN PEAK 10160+ P400
Lou Zibelli and Charlie Janeway pass by steam plumes emitting from Summit Crater with sulphur stain on snow, nearly to the top of Mount Baker. Silas Wild skied off of Sherman to become the second person to finish the WA Top 100 by the Clean 400-Foot prominence rule on 6/2/2007.
Spring aerial photo of Sherman by John Scurlock: 1
MOUNT SAINT HELENS 9677' P5917
North side before the May 18, 1980 eruption. The left skyline over the Dogs Head was a fabulous spring ski. Other features no longer with us after the cataclysm are the crevassed Forsyth Glacier on left, Leschi Glacier flowing between the Big and Little Lizard ridges, and Loowit Glacier under Goat Rocks on right skyline.
Mount St. Helens, May 1, 1977. Bill Affolter (L), Dave Stonington (R), and I skied
from the 9677' top of St. Helens 4 times in the 1970's before she blew.
BONANZA PEAK 9511' P3711
Company Glacier, north side
Aerial photos of Bonanza by John Scurlock on October 27, 2004: 1 2 3
BONANZA PEAK
The standard route is via Mary Green Glacier here, up the highest right-leaning snow thumb, then the final rock wall. This is the highest peak in Chelan county, and the hardest of the 39 county highpoints in the state, and the highest non-volcanic peak in Washington.
COLFAX PEAK 9440+ P400
on descent of Baker. Tragic rescue and retrieval in progress this day.
MOUNT STUART 9415' P5335
from the NE. The full 2800-vertical foot North Ridge dominates with Ice Cliff Glacier left, Stuart Glacier right.
Click for Photos:
P400' Peaks # 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100
Return to Washington's 100 Highest Peaks list
Copyright 2004, John W. Roper. All Rights Reserved.