Mountaineering · YDS Class 3-4

Mary Green Glacier

Distance RT
14.8 mi
Gain
6,749 ft
High Point
9,514 ft
Trailhead
Holden Village (Railroad Creek Trailhead)
3,301 ft elevation
Route Description

The standard route on Washington's highest non-volcanic peak, a remote glacier-and-rock climb reached only by a Lake Chelan ferry and bus combination rather than a road.

Approach

Access is unusual for a Washington peak: drive to Chelan or Fields Point Landing and take the Lady of the Lake passenger ferry up Lake Chelan to the town of Lucerne, then take the connecting bus about 11 miles up to Holden Village. Camping is available a mile west of the village at the Holden Campground. From Holden Campground, follow the Railroad Creek Trail about 1 mile to its junction with the Holden Lake Trail, turn right, and follow that trail roughly 4 miles to Holden Lake. From the head of the lake, continue north-northwest to a high camp at Holden Pass. From Holden Pass, make a rising traverse west along the ridge to a snowfield below rock slabs (which may be snow-covered early season). Scramble up the slabs — watching for icefall hazard from above — to the northern edge of the Mary Green Glacier. Rope up and ascend the glacier along its north edge, then traverse southwest along the base of Bonanza's northeast ridge to the glacier's upper corner. From there, climb a steep upper snow finger to its high point and look for an exit left onto rock, crossing a moat or overhanging snow lip that varies with the season. Climb Class 3-4 rock just right of a gully for several rope-lengths, then traverse left into another gully to a notch in the upper northeast ridge just north of the summit, and scramble the final loose ridge crest (Class 4) to the top.

Descent

Much of the route can be downclimbed, but the slabby dihedral section below the glacier is commonly rappelled on descent rather than downclimbed; numerous fixed rappel anchors exist through this section. Rock throughout is loose in places, so parties should stay close together and be deliberate when pulling ropes.

Weather Forecast
⚠️
Air Quality: Moderate · AQI 62
PM2.5: 4.9 μg/m³ · Check conditions before travel
5-Day Air Quality Forecast
Today
101
Unhealthy
Tomorrow
43
Good
Sun, Sep 27
73
Moderate
Mon, Sep 28
82
Moderate
Tue, Sep 29
74
Moderate
PM2.5 wildfire smoke threshold: 35 μg/m³ · Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo
7-Day Forecast
Today
❄️
Snow
29° / 16°
90%
❄ 0.7"
💨22
Tomorrow
❄️
Snow
26° / 16°
34%
❄ 0.7"
💨19
Sun, Sep 27
☁️
Overcast
36° / 17°
💨6
Mon, Sep 28
☁️
Overcast
37° / 16°
12%
💨7
Tue, Sep 29
🌨️
Rain
28° / 23°
58%
💧0.54"
💨8
Wed, Sep 30
🌧️
Drizzle
29° / 14°
44%
💧0.01"
💨9
Thu, Oct 1
☁️
Overcast
32° / 13°
34%
💨7
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