The goal of this trip is to enjoy a relatively remote area with great hiking and mountaineering objectives without having to carry a big load.  We will be hiking and scrambling in an area with no trails.  The terrain includes glaciers, alpine meadows, bush, and rough, recently deglaciated boulders, scree, and gravel.  You will need good hiking/mountaineering boots as well as have the equipment and knowledge for glacier travel.  This is not intended to be a course, but we will be reviewing crevasse rescue skills and basic ice axe and crampon use.  Microspikes may be adequate for crossing glaciers, but full crampons are recommended for climbing the peaks.  Ice axe, climbing harness and crevasse rescue equipment are required. 

We will fly into Ash Pass near Mout Thiassi and Pebble peak and camp in a beautiful alpine meadow next to a lake.  A nearby cabin will give us a place to run to in the event of inclement weather or excessive bugs.  The plan is to spend three or four days there, and then hike over to the BCMC North Creek cabin where we will have dropped off a food cache for a couple of days.  From the North Creek cabin, we will climb some of the local peaks which could include Sugas, Sessel, Sampson or Delilah, depending on the skills and fitness of the group.  We then hike out the North Creek trail back to our cars.  As food will be dropped at the two cabins, our packs should be relativly light when carrying from Pebble to North Creek and when carrying out from North Creek.  

Another option (option B) is available to traverse in from Railroad Pass and the Hurley FSR and just pay for the food drops, or fly to Athelney pass (Option C) and traverse over to Ash pass via Mount Icemaker with food drops in Pebble Creek and North Creek.  Both of these options require solid mountaineering and navigation skills.

The flight to Pebble creek with a food drop in North Creek will be about $500.  A flight to Athelney Pass with food drops in Pebble Creek and North Creek would be about $700.  Food drops in Pebble and North creek would be $100.  Helicopter costs are an estimate and will depend on group numbers and weather.   

As this trip will require participants to keep up a reasonable pace in rough terrain for a full day while carrying an overnight pack,  you should be able to hike the Grouse Grind or BCMC trail in about 70 min or less and have done at least one overnight trip this year.