Mountaineering · YDS Class 3-4

Ragged Ridge Traverse

High Point
8,599 ft
Trailhead
Easy Pass Trailhead
3,701 ft elevation
Permit Required

A Northwest Forest Pass or other valid recreation pass is required for trailhead parking. A separate, itinerary-based backcountry permit from the National Park Service is required for any overnight stay once past Easy Pass, since the Ragged Ridge cross-country zone lies within North Cascades National Park.

Route Description

One of four rugged, remote Bulger-list summits on Ragged Ridge, reached by continuing the same cross-country traverse used for neighboring Mesahchie and Katsuk Peaks rather than by any separate approach.

Approach

Approach exactly as for Mesahchie and Katsuk Peaks: drive to the Easy Pass Trailhead on Highway 20, hike over Easy Pass and down to Fisher Creek, then climb and traverse west to a high camp in the basin below Mesahchie and Katsuk. From this camp (or from a camp advanced further west along the ridge), continue the cross-country traverse of Ragged Ridge past Katsuk toward Kimtah Peak, staying above treeline where possible and picking through talus, blocky terrain, and occasional snowfields; parties doing the full Ragged Ridge traverse typically continue on to Cosho Peak beyond Kimtah.

Descent

Reverse the ridge traverse back toward the Mesahchie-Katsuk basin and out via Fisher Creek and Easy Pass, or continue the traverse if visiting additional Ragged Ridge summits.

Weather Forecast
⚠️
Air Quality: Moderate · AQI 58
PM2.5: 9.6 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
34° / 20°
91%
❄ 2.2"
💨19
Tomorrow
❄️
Snow
30° / 20°
45%
❄ 0.4"
💨13
Sun, Sep 27
☁️
Overcast
39° / 20°
💨6
Mon, Sep 28
🌧️
Drizzle
40° / 19°
13%
💨6
Tue, Sep 29
🌧️
Showers
29° / 25°
58%
💧0.64"
💨6
Wed, Sep 30
🌧️
Drizzle
33° / 17°
40%
💧0.01"
💨6
Thu, Oct 1
🌧️
Drizzle
29° / 16°
40%
💧0.02"
💨6
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