Mountaineering · YDS Class 3-4

Redoubt Glacier

High Point
8,970 ft
Permit Required

Mount Redoubt lies within the Stephen Mather Wilderness of North Cascades National Park, but the standard approach crosses into the US on foot from Canada at an informal border point rather than through a park entrance, so no NPS trailhead permit process applies in the usual sense; confirm current backcountry and border-crossing requirements before the trip regardless. A valid passport or NEXUS card and Canada-valid vehicle insurance are required for the Canadian portion of the drive and approach.

Route Description

One of the "Classic Eight Peaks" of the North Cascades, in the remote Chilliwack group so close to the border that the standard approach starts in Canada.

Approach

Drive into Canada via Highway 1 to Chilliwack/Sardis, then the Chilliwack River Road and the unsigned Depot Creek Road (watch for a locked gate around the 0.9-mile mark, and a fork requiring a left turn onto the older road bed). Park near the road's end and walk a way trail about 200 yards into old growth to the US/Canada border obelisk and trail register at Monument 65 — this is an informal, unstaffed border crossing on foot, not a designated port of entry, so carry a passport or NEXUS card and confirm current border-crossing requirements before the trip. From the border, follow the old trail up the Depot Creek valley; the route gets wet, noisy, and misty near a waterfall partway up. Continue to Lake Ouzel (about 5,700 feet), a good camp for both Redoubt and Spickard on flat, sandy, treeless benches, or camp lower in Depot Creek Meadow if splitting the approach over two days. From camp, gain the Redoubt Glacier (a shortcut via a large buttress exists if camped partway up the valley around 4,800 feet) and follow a line described as Redoubt Glacier-South Couloir-Southwest Shoulder-Southwest Chimneys-Cannonhole-Upper East Face to the summit — a long, multi-stage line combining glacier travel, a couloir, and rock scrambling.

Descent

Descend the climbing route back to Lake Ouzel camp.

Weather Forecast
⚠️
Air Quality: Moderate · AQI 75
PM2.5: 2.6 μg/m³ · Check conditions before travel
5-Day Air Quality Forecast
Today
156
Unhealthy
Tomorrow
64
Moderate
Sun, Sep 27
85
Moderate
Mon, Sep 28
93
Moderate
Tue, Sep 29
81
Moderate
PM2.5 wildfire smoke threshold: 35 μg/m³ · Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo
7-Day Forecast
Today
❄️
Snow
30° / 19°
88%
❄ 6.1"
💨20
Tomorrow
❄️
Snow
25° / 17°
64%
❄ 1.0"
💨13
Sun, Sep 27
☁️
Overcast
37° / 16°
💨10
Mon, Sep 28
☁️
Overcast
37° / 18°
24%
💨7
Tue, Sep 29
🌨️
Rain
27° / 19°
63%
💧0.65"
💨7
Wed, Sep 30
🌧️
Drizzle
30° / 16°
45%
💧0.02"
💨7
Thu, Oct 1
❄️
Snow Showers
28° / 15°
44%
❄ 0.2"
💨5
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