Windy Peak
1. The Windy Peak Trail (the one that starts from Long Swamp and ascends past Hickey Hump) is actually 7 miles long, not 9 miles as you state. This "new" mileage was confirmed two ways:
A. a mileage on a sign at the junction with the trail going east to Irongate (about 5 miles north of Hickey Hump)
B. my topo software
2. There is apparently a new trail west of the Windy Peak Trail that is two miles shorter. The new trail is called the Windy Creek Trail. The trailhead for this is approximately 3 miles west of Long Swamp on FR-300. The Windy Creek Trail starts at ~5,560 ft and climbs 5 miles in a generally NNE direction to the summit. It junctions with the Windy Peak Trail a couple hundred yards below the summit.
Jack Mountain
There is a shortcut class-4 route to Jack's South Face from Little Jack that warrants more consideration since it will probably save about 2 hours round trip. (Plus, it avoids the brush farther below the South Face.) Sergio Verdina and I did this route in September 2002. After where you state in your guide, "then bear downhill (NE) along the cliff base" this is what we did:
On the downhill traverse at 5,600 ft at the base of the buttress forming the lower part of the SE-bearing spur ridge coming off of Pt. 8161, we turned left (due north) and followed the base of the buttress between rock and brush for a hundred feet or so. There, the terrain opened up for easy walking until cliffs confronted us. We worked our way up through the cliffs and gullies closely left (west) of the first major stream course plunging through a canyon. This canyon presents a further impasse going east unless you get above the cliffs. On the return trip we found an easier way through this cliff where it abuts the aforementioned stream course. We dubbed this way the "Zigzag Route." It is this route that can be used on the ascent and the descent with only minor difficulties. However, a sketch would be helpful. I have attached a rough version. If you should choose to accept this alternate route and sketch, then I would be happy to draw one up that meets the current visual standards of your guide. After surmounting the cliffs and crossing the stream, it was a straightforward climb NE up steep heather to the corner at 6,800 ft on the SE-bearing spur ridge coming off of Pt. 8905. From this corner, it is a simple traverse to the base of the South Face, whereupon our route re-followed that of your write-up (more or less).
Here is what I would say regarding the Zigzag Route (it seems to me this should be considered the standard route from Little Jack):
When at 5,600 feet at the base of the SE-bearing spur-ridge of Pt. 8161, turn north and climb along the rock wall of the buttress for a short distance until the terrain opens up. Continue north for a couple hundred yards until a cliff to the NW and a canyon to the NE present an impasse. Locate a ramp bearing NE along the base of the cliff that goes through a short evergreen squeeze tunnel and thereafter becomes a ledge. The ledge terminates about 50 ft farther along. At the terminus, make an eight-foot step up (class 4) to another ledge that goes back left (west) about 50 feet to above the aforementioned tunnel. Make another step up (easier) to the next ledge that goes back right 60 ft or so. This ledge makes a jog upward at its east end (class 4) and more or less ends just beyond a scrub evergreen. Use the evergreen to green-belay yourself up to a short, grassy face (class 3 or 4) then bear right to a large evergreen patch. Footing here is hidden underneath but the evergreens should hold you snug to the rock. Keep going straight up from one evergreen patch to the next. Above this second patch there is a scree ledge that crosses the watercourse just above the canyon (easy). From here, it is easy all the way to the South Face. Note: it may be advisable to do a running belay up this zigzag. There are ample trees to girth-hitch runners to but rope drag could be a problem. A 30m rope should suffice.
The foregoing is obviously fairly long, hence the reason for including a sketch. (An
annotated photograph would be even better.) With a sketch or annotated photo, the foregoing description can be condensed.
Here is the sketch in its current style:
Ptarmigan-Lago Traverse
A class 2-3 traverse can be made between Ptarmigan Peak and Mt. Lago. A cursory mention of this seems warranted. The only difficulty en route is to locate the eroded, talus ledge on the west side of Pt. 8165. It is not really possible to climb up and over Pt. 8165 due to a class-5 wall on the NW corner. The ledge is class 3 rubble. It bypasses Pt. 8165 entirely about 50 feet below the top. Also, it is probably less of a hassle to climb up and over Dot Mountain as opposed to around its SE slope.
Two pictures of the traverse and the bypass ledge:
Traverse to Lost from Butte Pass
A traverse can be made to Lost Peak (in the Pasayten) from Butte Pass by way of Pass Butte. If coming from Shellrock Pass, this is the best route as it avoids all the scree slopes on the SW flank of Lost. From Butte Pass, the idea is to hike the pass divide eastward and then directly up class 3 gullies and talus to the ridge crest between Pk 8211 and Pass Butte. Turn right and traverse the ridge around to Lost. No difficulties. The SW flank of Lost makes for an excellent scree descent but I wouldn't wish it on anyone for an ascent route from Monument Creek.
Ptarmigan Creek
When I went through there in August 2001, the trail down Ptarmigan Creek on the north side of Butte Pass was heavily windfallen. It seems the Forest Service no longer feels it necessary to clear trees from unpopular trails within the Pasayten Wilderness.
Route up to Big Craggy Basin (to camp)
If climbing up to the basin encircled by Big Craggy, West Craggy, and Pt. 8112, I found that the SW side of Copper Glance Creek was mostly open meadow-like travel between the talus acclivity at the base of Pt. 8112 and the full-on trees farther to the east. The creek descends through here. It was very easy going all the way up to the basin.
Mt. Bigelow is NOT an "all-talus" hike from Eagle Creek
The route up Mt. Bigelow from Eagle Creek (Upper Eagle Lake) is most definitely
not an all-talus hike as you state in your previous edition. If you were referring to a route over Horsehead Pass then around the west side to the summit, then you ought to state it as much. The east side of the South Ridge of Bigelow is a shear wall all the way from the summit to Pt. 8202 a half-mile south. The (easiest) route up the east side of Mt. Bigelow from Upper Eagle Lake is as follows:
From the NW end of the lake, hike NW up talus and through minor cliff bands to the upper talus and boulder slope. Turn north and climb all the way to the the East Ridge immediately below the summit tower. Climb exhilaratingly exposed class 3 along the NE wall of the tower through a small notch to a shallow class-3 gully on the left (south). Scramble this gully to the top.
A picture of the upper east side of Bigelow (with the class 3 finish near the small vertical snowpatch at far right shown):
The summit tower completion goes up next to the snowpatch just below and right of the summit then crosses through a notch into the gully just below and left of summit.
Also, a route can be climbed from Crater Creek. From Upper Crater Lake, climb up to the East Ridge just east of Pt. 8356 then scramble through a corrugation of gullies and ribs on the south side of the ridge to the summit tower (with rest of route as described above).
The East Summit of Raven Ridge is higher than the West
Even though the West Summit of Raven Ridge (aka Libby Mountain) is triangulated at 8580 and the East Summit (aka Corax Peak) is triangulated at 8572, I am fairly certain that the East Summit is higher than the West. I think there was a survey error. My guess is that the East Summit is about 10 feet higher than the West.
Triumph approach to notch camp is longer than 3 hours
You state 3 hours to get from the car to the notch camp (5,760+ ft) on Thornton's East Ridge. I don't know of anyone that has done that approach in three hours with a heavy pack. It took us 4 hours, 15 minutes and we're not slowpokes. You might consider revising to 4 hours (or 3-4 hours). You could possibly do it in three hours if you were not carrying overnight gear.
Custer from East Ridge
You state that "a traverse along the entire E ridge of Mt. Custer was made to Mt. Rahm by Dick Kegel [note spelling] and Rus(s) Kroeker in July 1979". Tom Sjolseth and I did the reverse of this in August 2003. Except for the routefinding up the east end of Custer, the traverse is no harder than class 3, though it is regularly exposed along the crest. The crest is often the best choice due to loose scree and talus on the south side. Further, it seems worthwhile to give a description of the route one takes to bypass the steep step on Custer's East Ridge 200 yards before the summit:
From the notch below the steep step, contour twenty feet downward on the south side of the ridge to a loose ledge. The ledge bears into the wall beyond and soon becomes a gully full of debris. Scramble nearly to its head to a small, unseen notch on the left. Cross through this notch to the next gully over, then climb 20 feet of class 4 in the gully to the top of the wall. From there the rest of the climb is class 3 scrambling to the top.
Here is a picture of the route:
Mt. Spickard NE Ridge Variation from Glacier
A variation for the Silver Glacier (North Glacier) Route is to complete the climb on the east side of the NE Ridge. Instead of climbing all the way to the top on steep snow and ice (possibly problematic in late season due to a schrund higher up), go through the obvious notch at the base of the NE Ridge. Scramble a succession of gullies and ribs either on the crest or closely east of it to the top (class 3/4).
Here is a picture of the schrund high up on the glacier (the notch exit for the variation is at far left at the snow swale):
Swamp Creek is not that bad
For a route to Tower Mountain and Golden Horn, you say "Swamp Creek is a bushwhack and not recommended." I personally wouldn't say that. Eric Hoffman and I approached the above two peaks from the highway via Swamp Creek and did it in a reasonable amount of time (approximately 3 hours to Snowy Lakes). It may be a push in terms of time requirements to go this way versus the Pacific Crest Trail from Rainy Pass/Porcupine Creek. The Swamp Creek approach is only four miles to the lower lake. The PCT approach is eleven.
For the Swamp Creek approach: the first mile or so from the road is through open forest with minimal bushwhacking. We started by going up the south side of the creek from the south end of the road clearing at Swamp Creek (this is the obvious wide segment of highway with the low-angle embankment on the east side of the road). The second mile contains the worst bushwhacking but it was never so bad so as to completely bog us down. The south side of the creek here (from the 4,700 to 5,000-ft level) is largely open, though a tad boggy terrain with interconnecting bands of trees one must hike through. The last mile to the PCT rendezvous we did on the north side of the creek. There was a minor avalanche-churned forest to negotiate but it can be avoided by staying closer to the creek. The key is to turn north at 5,100 feet and hike up the drainage for the lakes. This is the concise version:
A three-mile shortcut to the PCT where it crosses the basin below Lower Snowy Lake. Park at the wide spot in the road (c. 4,200 ft) about 3.5 miles from Rainy Pass [actual distance and elevation needs verifying]. Start by hiking through forest on the south side of the creek. The second mile is through boggy meadows and tree bands. Cross the creek at around 5,000 ft and at 5,100 ft bear northward up the lakes' drainage. Time: 3 hours to PCT.
Oakes Peak approach road is becoming overgrown
Your road description for the "Bacon Creek Road No. 3717" write-up should now mention that the branch road No. 3708 (East Fork)--the one that goes up and past Bacon Point--is in bad shape. The first mile or so is up a steep and stream-abraided road--especially at 0.7 miles (c. 880 ft). High clearance vehicles may be a must before too long. From there on, but especially after 2 miles, the road is becoming quite encroached upon by brush and small trees (alder?). I don't expect the road to be passable in that two miles in another couple of years. Lastly, at 3.2 miles (c. 2,080 ft), the road is washed out. It is undrivable through this washout. Ironically, the road is drivable beyond this washout for another 2 miles or so but the washout won't let you get onto it. Certainly it is amenable to mountain biking. However, after the October 2003 rainstorm, who knows the current state of this road. I know you cannot currently get to the junction to this road (1.5 miles from highway) due to washouts on Bacon Creek Road.
A picture of the road in its current state (May 2003):
Lastly...
Sauk Mountain T.H. is at ~4,500 ft (not 3,650 ft)
You mention that the trailhead for the Sauk Mountain Trail is at 3,650 ft. According to my Topo software (and verified by my memory of the terrain at that elevation), the trailhead is really at 4,500 ft.