GUNN PEAK June 15, 2002 Gunn Peak is the large, dark, bullet-shaped pinnacle that stands due east as you drive US-2 from Sultan to Zekesville. It's often admired but seldom climbed, probably due in part to the fact that Beckey's approach description is woefully outdated. No doubt many would-be climbers simply whither away in the lowland brush. I set out on an overcast morning to climb Gunn with Jon and Ryan, two strong lads who appear to have a high tolerance for discomfort. We went in armed with route descriptions from three sources, hoping to avoid the worst of the floral clamjaphry. We parked at the Barclay Lake trailhead, then walked back down the road a few hundred yards to an unmarked spur road that heads straight for Barclay Creek. At the ""Barclay-lounger"" chair, we traveled upstream for 50 feet to find an easy log jam crossing. Once across, we proceeded due north through heavy timber and brush (this is the icky part) for about 100 yards (felt like a mile) until stumbling upon a vague, overgrown road, then we followed this west for another 100 yards. A key fork is marked with flagging and tree blazes. We followed the right fork northward to its end, then continued straight ahead on a crude path. Eventually, this path entered heavy forest and became better defined. We passed another party en route to Gunn and began a day-long game of leap-frog with them. As we climbed into sunshine above the valley clouds, Mt. Baring popped strikingly into view. After ascending 1500 feet or so, the path appeared to end at a high cliff, but a little scouting around disclosed that it turns right and follows the cliff base. Shortly, the path again seemed to end, this time at a waterfall gully. However, closer inspection revealed an improbable series of ledges that lead down into the gully, across the stream, and up the other side (this felt like something out of an Indiana Jones movie). We kept climbing upward and rightward along the cliff base until breaking out of the forest and into a large, snow-filled couloir (will be brushy after the snow melts). Easy step-kicking took us to the broad 5200-foot saddle above, where we got our first close-up look at Gunn's summit. Fom the saddle, Beckey's description is very accurate. We dropped into a snowy basin, then climbed up to the southwest corner of the imposing summit block. Here, a drippy, uninviting slot angles to the right through a lower cliff band. Although it initially appears difficult, the steep face just right of this slot offers an enjoyable Class 3 route to the trees and snowfield above (we climbed this unroped but downclimbed it with a belay). A few more step-kicking zig-zags brought us to the tiny notch east of the summit. We squirmed through to the north side, where a series of exposed heather ledges and snowpatches led us to the panoramic summit. All of the central Cascade peaks were in view, and patchy fog filled the Puget Sound basin. The summit register indicated that we were the second and third parties of 2002, but apparently Heinz Graupe has yet to make his annual appearance. Stats: 6 miles, 4700 feet, 4.75 hours up, 3.0 hours down.

I don`t think the Beckey book is up to date on this trail. The road spur turn-off is at close to 4 miles up and the river cannot be crossed at the spur end. Instead, from the one little parking spot at the end of the road spur head into the woods, east, and follow a almost non-existant boot path to the river and a log jam to cross on. From the other side of the river it gets confusing. There seems to be flags everywhere and the start of paths everywhere but nothing goes anywhere for any distance. After wondering around in salmonberry, devils club, slide alder, vine maple and thickets of small conifers, I came back to the log crossing to start over and see if I missed something. Finding nothing, I decided to head NE, aiming for the creek that drains the high basin. After 5 minutes I reached the creek and followed that north another 5 min and came across what looked like an old overgrown road. I followed this west, then east, then west again before finding the faint path that heads north from the abondoned road. The path is a little sketchy at first but soon becomes well beat in and easy to follow. The path ascends steeply to around 3800 ft, where it runs into the buttress Beckey talks about. The path traverses the base of the rock, going slightly uphill. It then descends into a gully where a series of beautiful waterfalls drop above. Cross the creek and ascend steeply up the other side following a boot path. I hit snow at 4000 ft where again traverse east into the open basin and aim for the ridge. The basin is very pretty, with little waterfalls and silver snags sccattered about. The view of Baring is spectacular. There were some cornices at the ridge but was able to get around them. The route to the summit is very obvious from here(it is the picture in the Beckey book) but due to a late start and route finding difficulties at the beginning I was close to my turn around time. Instead of Gunn I headed for the 5760 ft peak east of the pass, ate dinner, enjoyed the views and headed back down. On the way down I had no better luck staying on the path after the abondoned road. It was flagged from the abondoned road but the flags quicklly dissappeared along with the path. When I come back I am bringing a machetee and flags and punching in a new trail from Barklley Creek to the abandoned road. Time was 3 1/2 hrs to ridge, another 20 min to peak 5760 and 2 hrs down.