Post by seano on Sept 6, 2015 19:15:08 GMT -5
Luna is an outlier in the Pickets, lying east of the main spine leading from the MacMillan Spires to Whatcom, and requiring no glacier travel and no more than a bit of third class scrambling near the top. However, the approach makes it a tough outing: after 17.5 miles of well-maintained trail, there is a fairly brutal bushwhack up "Access Creek" (assuming you can even find it...). Those familiar with the pleasant Pickets approaches via Goodell Creek, Easy Ridge, and Whatcom Pass will be dismayed by the fields of devil's club and complete lack of a use trail. I hesitated to put this up, but since Luna does not require much technical skill, this record should be beatable by many trail runners. Plus, it has one of the best views in the Cascades:
On July 14, 2015 I did Luna in 9h40 car-to-summit and 18h50 car-to-car, using the standard route via the Big Beaver trail and "Access Creek." The car-to-car time includes about 40 minutes of summit time and an hour of route-finding error, so it should be easy to beat, but the car-to-summit time is at least decent. I reached the Big Beaver boat landing at 1h40, and the start of cross-country travel around 4 hours.
Trip report.
On July 14, 2015 I did Luna in 9h40 car-to-summit and 18h50 car-to-car, using the standard route via the Big Beaver trail and "Access Creek." The car-to-car time includes about 40 minutes of summit time and an hour of route-finding error, so it should be easy to beat, but the car-to-summit time is at least decent. I reached the Big Beaver boat landing at 1h40, and the start of cross-country travel around 4 hours.
Trip report.