ClimbWashington.com: Sperry Peak

Named after A.D. (Dick) Sperry, a Silverton prospector of the 1890's. Quote from Beckey's green book.
"SOUTH RIDGE: This is quite feasible and interesting, but a seldom used route...Follow generally easy rock, with one class 4 pitch after a prominent notch about midpoint. Rating: class 4 Time: 2-3 hours form pass."

2-3 hours from Headlee Pass? You'd really have to cruise to make it that fast to the summit. Sergio and I left the trailhead at 830am and headed up to Sperry Peak. Only a few cars at the trailhead and the trail is in good shape. Slippery creek crossings made it somewhat interesting. Up Weden (or Wirtz?) Basin and up Headlee Pass to our first views of Vesper. Good amount of dusting on the top 500 feet of the surrounding peaks.

We arrived at the lake (Elan, Copper or Vesper?) and headed up heather benches towards Sperry, then up a gully to the base of the climb. Beckey certainly does not give away the start of this climb, but it's damn obvious. We simulclimbed/extreme hiked the entire ridge. Sometimes it was 4th class, and sometimes we were struggling with trees and snags. Some parts of the ridge were quite exposed with some hairy moves, but none were more than low 5th. Fun climbing with a few button-hooks thrown in once in awhile. The summit looks onto Morning Star and Del Campo, and Vesper is about a mile away to the southwest.

The descent down from the summit was interesting since there was some snow remnants here and there that hid the extreme hikers trail, but we managed our way down to the lake and back to the cars by 530pm, a few minutes before the rain started to fall.
Photos >>

Directions: From Granite Falls, follow the Mountain Loop Highway and continue to the Sunshine Mine Road No. 4065 (30 miles east of Granite Falls). Continue for two miles on the forest road to the trailhead at 2,400 feet.

Map: USGS Silverton, Bedal & Green Trails No. 110 Silverton and Green Trails No. 111 Sloan Peak
Trail Conditions: click here
Road Conditions:: click here
Web References:
MtnPhil.com
TheronWelch.com
books.google.com (Green Beckey)
SeattleTimes.com

Rock Type: Metamorphosed sandstone, shale and conglomerate
First ascent :Norval Grigg and Art Winder via West Ridge on July 4, 1927.
Additional Info: Darrington Ranger Station, 360-436-1155.

Sperry Peak Summit Elevation: 6120 feet Trip Length: 9 hours Route: South Ridge Difficulty: 4th class Elevation Gain: 3720 feet Trailhead Gain: 2400 feet Distance: 9.5 miles roundtrip Date: Sunday October 14, 2007 Photos by: Scott Harder & Sergio Verdina [Click here to view the shutterfly photo collection]
Named after A.D. (Dick) Sperry, a Silverton prospector of the 1890's. Quote from Beckey's green book. "SOUTH RIDGE: This is quite feasible and interesting, but a seldom used route...Follow generally easy rock, with one class 4 pitch after a prominent notch about midpoint. Rating: class 4 Time: 2-3 hours form pass." 2-3 hours from Headlee Pass? You'd really have to cruise to make it that fast to the summit. Sergio and I left the trailhead at 830am and headed up to Sperry Peak. Only a few cars at the trailhead and the trail is in good shape. Slippery creek crossings made it somewhat interesting. Up Weden (or Wirtz?) Basin and up Headlee Pass to our first views of Vesper. Good amount of dusting on the top 500 feet of the surrounding peaks. We arrived at the lake (Elan, Copper or Vesper?) and headed up heather benches towards Sperry, then up a gully to the base of the climb. Beckey certainly does not give away the start of this climb, but it's damn obvious. We simulclimbed/extreme hiked the entire ridge. Sometimes it was 4th class, and sometimes we were struggling with trees and snags. Some parts of the ridge were quite exposed with some hairy moves, but none were more than low 5th. Fun climbing with a few button-hooks thrown in once in awhile. The summit looks onto Morning Star and Del Campo, and Vesper is about a mile away to the southwest. The descent down from the summit was interesting since there was some snow remnants here and there that hid the extreme hikers trail, but we managed our way down to the lake and back to the cars by 530pm, a few minutes before the rain started to fall. Photos >> Directions: From Granite Falls, follow the Mountain Loop Highway and continue to the Sunshine Mine Road No. 4065 (30 miles east of Granite Falls). Continue for two miles on the forest road to the trailhead at 2,400 feet. Map: USGS Silverton, Bedal & Green Trails No. 110 Silverton and Green Trails No. 111 Sloan Peak Trail Conditions: click here Road Conditions:: click here Web References: MtnPhil.com TheronWelch.com books.google.com (Green Beckey) SeattleTimes.com Rock Type: Metamorphosed sandstone, shale and conglomerate First ascent :Norval Grigg and Art Winder via West Ridge on July 4, 1927. Additional Info: Darrington Ranger Station, 360-436-1155.