The official slogan for town of Whittier is “The Gateway to Prince William Sound”. It’s an ideal slogan – the town is nestled into a small anchorage at the far western edge of Passage Canal and a short boat ride leads to lifetimes of mountains. That said – if you don’t have a boat (or lifetimes to devote to approaches) there are several easily accessible peaks that you can scramble up just above the town.
This page is a collection of pictures and notes for routes up those five peaks: the Northeast Ridge of Cummings Peak, North Ridge of Bard Peak, South Ridge of Maynard Mountain, West Ridge of Learnard Peak and the South Ridge of Lowell Peak. The routes range from moderate ridgeline strolls with actual trail approaches, to bushwhack adventures and spicey glacier travel.
First some Whittier tips: In general Whittier is not a fun place to be. Wind, rain, and heavy snowfall are common. The average annual precipitation is 196 inches (16 ft). Average annual snowfall is 241 inches (20 ft). That is not a typo. Every picture you’ll see on this page features bluebird skies and near perfect conditions. It is not normally like this. I once did a trip in Prince William Sound where it rained so much that I’m pretty sure sea level rose.
If you’re heading to Whittier to climb or ski you’ll want to check and then doublecheck the forecast. Below are some useful links:
- NWS Spot Forecast for Whittier: The spot forecast for town. Check the hourly forecast graph for a detailed breakdown. You’ll want no rain forecasted and no more than 40% sky cover (you don’t want to climb peaks that are known for views when all you’ll see are clouds).
- Windy.com Comparison Forecast: Look at the various models and compare data. If the models aren’t in synch then don’t bother. Look for agreements across all models. Chances are if you’re looking 1 or 2 days out and every model agrees on good weather then you’ll have good weather. If the models differ then stay on the west side of Portage and you’ll have better weather.
- Chugach Avalanche Center: Technically the avalanche forecast doesn’t extend to Whittier – but it does extend to Portage and sometimes people submit obs from the Whittier area. If you’re going for a ski ascent then pay attention to overall trends. My general rule of thumb is to amplify dangers in this zone. For example – if there is a risk of persistent slab in Turnagain I just assume it’s worse and more likely to be a problem on mountains above Whittier.
- Cliffside Marina Webcam: This is a view of the lower shoulder of Lowell and the East Face of Maynard and gives you a quick reference for clouds. Keep in mind that morning fog is common and it often burns off.
- Port of Whitter: This webcam looks across the water at the shoulder of Lowell.
- Whittier Tunnel Webcams: These mostly just point at the road but they can be useful to check to see if there is lingering wetness.
- Whittier Tunnel Schedule: When the tunnel is open either direction. It takes about an hour to reach the tunnel from Anchorage so plan accordingly. Murphy’s law says you’ll miss it by 5 minutes at the end of your day and there’s nothing you can do about it.
All that said – don’t let the threat of foul weather chase you off. Make a habit on checking conditions on your free days and if sun is in the forecast then head through the tunnel and scramble up one – or more – of the surrounding peaks for some amazing views.
Gerrit descending form the summit of Cummings.
Cummings Peak – Northeast Ridge (3609’)
Cummings Peak is the southernmost bump of the Blackstone Bay ridgeline between Whittier and Blackstone Bay. Named for E.E. Cummings as part of the poet’s theme that surrounds the area (Bard Peak, Shakespeare Glacier, John Greenleaf Whittier), the peak is a popular point for both summer and winter travelers. Details of the first ascent are unknown – but given the proximity to Whittier and the ease of access it was probably climbed 50+ years ago.
The peak is easily approached via the Horsetail Falls trail. The Horsetail Falls trail peters out around 1200’ but by then you’re above most of the brush and the open alpine meadows and snowfields can be easily followed to gain the actual ridge. Once on the ridgeline the walking is easy up until point 3600. Beyond 3600 the ridgeline gets a little steeper and to actually reach the top of Cummings you need to downclimb a few hundred feet of Class 3 rock to reach the col at the base of Cummings. Once at the col you scramble up about 400’ of loose rock to gain the actual summit.
Gerrit Verbeek and I climbed Cummings on a perfect Summer Solstice day. We took our time walking up to the ridge and once on the ridge we spent most of our time gawking at the surrounding views while slowly working our way down the ridge. Gaining the first and second bump on the ridgeline requires nothing more than making sure you don’t walk off the cornice while staring at the blue waters below – but beyond the second peak the ridgeline gets steeper and you have to scramble down a few short rock steps. There was still plenty of snow when we climbed the route so we worked our way down the rock until it got steep, then we dropped down onto snow slopes on the east side of the peak and worked our way around the below the steepest section of rock.
The col between point 3400’ and the summit was a strange jumble of snow that was somewhere between an icefall and a giant cornice – so we stayed further east to avoid the blocks out of fear that a crevasse or moat might be hidden somewhere near the col. Once past the col it was an easy scramble to the summit. We spent a while on the top basking in the sun and staring down at Blackstone Bay before reversing our route.
Note that this peak sometimes gets skied. If you’re planning on a ski ascent then head up the snowmachine access corridor to Whittier Glacier and ski up glacier to the Whittier / Bard col. You can then skin right up the west face to the summit.
Of all the routes listed on this page, this is the easiest – and perhaps the most scenic. If the weather is decent and you have a free afternoon then head through the tunnel with this in mind!
Cummings Peak – Northeast Ridge (Class 3)
Approach: Park at the Horsetail Falls trailhead, hike the trail till it ends then work your way to the ridgeline.
Route: Once on the ridge head south towards the summit – which is the third and furthest along the ridge. The only section of Class 3 that you’ll encounter is the downclimb from the middle bump to the col at the base of the true summit. As a general rule of thumb trend to the east side of the ridge to avoid most difficulties (this should be quite obvious given that the west side of the ridge is a giant cornice for most of the year). Be aware that the area around the col might have a moat/bergschrund/crevasse. Finally scramble up the ridge to the summit.
Descent: Retrace your route.
Gear: Basic hiking stuff. Ice axe/crampons will be necessary through mid-June.
Time: Total distance/elevation is 11 miles / 4700’. It took us a very leisurely 7 hours round trip. This is a peak you should linger on so don’t rush!
Season: This can be climbed year round if you have skis – but the best time for hiking is late June – early September.
Yvonne & Dan Boccia approaching the North Ridge of Bard.
Bard Peak – North Ridge (3800’)
Bard Peak is the sweeping picturesque peak that sits above Portage lake. As Grace Hoeman, the first to make a recorded ascent of the peak wrote: “One cannot enter a stationery or drugstore where picture postcards or slides sold without the mountain staring at you above the caption, Beautiful Portage Glacier.”
Grace made the first ascent on Aug 21, 1969. She was solo and given the lack of trails in 1969 turned what is now a casual stroll into an epic adventure:
In the parking lot she ran into a Seattle mountaineer whom she tried to convince to going with her but, as Grace wrote, “he said he knew me and no thank you” 🤣. So off she set – up and over Byron and through thick brush and across “a most amazing earthquake shattered ridge” until finally summiting and then reversing her arduous route for “7500 feet to reach my 3850 foot summit”.
The problem with Bard Peak in summertime is crossing the Lake and unless one is endowed with divine power (water conveyances being verboten) one somehow has to get to the base of the mountain the hard way. Looking over possibilities I decided to work myself over the end of the NE ridge of Byron Peak, down to Portage Glacier, across the Glacier, up Burns Glacier and Bard Peak’s west face along the WNW ridge to the summit.
– Grace Hoeman, September 1969 Scree
Grace left a summit register and note on top and when Tim Kelley and Bill Spencer climbed the peak in 2001 they found the note was wet and falling apart so they brought it home and gave it to the Mountaineering club / Steve Gruhn for archiving.
Since then most people opt for a much less demanding route up from the Whitter campground. When we climbed the peak in 2007, we forded the creek near the campground then turned off the main creek and worked our way up a small stream that was directly on the other side of Whittier Creek. We picked our way up the small stream, wading through it and jumping back and forth for about 10 minutes until we reached a clearing. We were then able to move left and ascend meadows till we reached rocks that border the creek. In total we only bushwhacked for maybe 15 minutes!
We then picked up way up hill piecing together the rocks and within an hour we were at the toe of Whittier glacier. We stopped for a snack and then hiked up the glacier staying to the far right side to avoid crevasses. An hour later we reached the scree / snow slopes that head up to the col between Bard Peak and Shakespeare Shoulder. We scrambled up the slopes only to find that our view began to give away as clouds moved in and enveloped us in a thick mist for the rest of the day.
The north ridge is a fun hike. It’s very casual and from the base of the col it only took us 45 minutes to reach the summit. Once on the top we relaxed in the mist hoping for a view. It never came though so we soon turned and hiked back down in a thick surreal fog.
Round trip the hike took us a little less than 6 hours complete with almost an hour of lounging around on the summit. If you ever find yourself in Whittier on a sunny day it makes for a beautiful hike!
Alternatively you can climb Bard in the winter / spring by either ascending Shakespeare Glacier or the Burns Glacier. These routes are a bit longer and either require crossing the lake or approaching via Portage Pass. If you’re into ice skating and multi-sport adventures there is a short window every few years where people have been known to skate across the lake, ski up Bard Glacier and then down Shakespeare Glacier and ice skate back across the lake.
Bard Peak – North Ridge (Class 2)
Approach: Cross the creek near the in-town campground and work your way up a small stream that drains from the glacier. You’ll have to wade back and forth across the creek several times – but within 20 minutes you should be above the brush and in relatively dry terrain. Continue up the creek bed working your way to the toe of the glacier.
Route: Hug the (climbers) right side of the glacier to avoid crevasses and work your way up to the base of the Shakespeare Shoulder Bard col. Scramble up the slopes to gain the ridge and then walk the North Ridge to the summit.
Descent: Retrace your route.
Gear: Basic hiking stuff. Ice axe/crampons will be necessary through mid-June.
Time: Total distance / elevation gain is 6 miles / 3700’. It took us 6 hours.
Season: This can be climbed year round if you have skis – but the best time for hiking is late June – early September.
Looking across at Portage Glacier from the slopes of Maynard Mountain.
Maynard Mountain – South Ridge (4137’)
Maynard Mountain is the peak at the head of Passage Canal. This is the peak that the 2.5 mile tunnel passes directly through – an amazing engineering feat that boggles the mind when you walk across the summit ridge 4000’ above the line of cars waiting to pass through beneath you.
The peak was named for Robert L. Maynard – an Army helicopter pilot who was killed when he crashed his CG-231 helicopter into the mountain in April 1964 transporting personnel and supplies from Anchorage to the Port of Whittier after the Good Friday earthquake.
The first recorded ascent of Maynard was in December 8, 1969 by Bill Babcock, Grace Hoeman and Vin Hoeman via the Northwest Ridge from Bear Valley. Compared to the South Ridge, which has become to route of choice these days, the Northwest Ridge is much more challenging and difficult to reach. Given the brush it’s only viable in winter and you have to ski up Bear Valley and then ascend a steep ridge with several rock steps to gain the summit. I don’t know of any repeated ascents of this route – if you are aware of any additional ascents let me know.
Yvonne and I climbed the South Ridge on a beautiful early September day. We took the 10:30 tunnel and had parked and were hiking up the Portage Pass trail by 11am. A quick 15 minutes brought us to Portage Pass at which point we took a sharp right and worked our way over to the steep East face.
The crux of Maynard is the first 500’ of steep grass. I had read that the grass was as steep as 60 degrees in places which I found hard to believe… but trust me – it is. There’s minimal brush – just steep grass!
To start the route work your way over to the eastern slopes looking for a pile of talus that comes down to Portage Pass. Work your way up this talus staying on the climbers left hand side of it. Work your way up the talus and then start trending up and left aiming for an alder filled gully left of the rock bands. The climbing is steep but you should be able to get good foot placements and at the very steepest point you have alders to hang onto. The gully you’re aiming for looks very brushy from below but is actually quite easy to ascend. In total this section is about 500’.
Going up isn’t so bad. We were concerned about down-climbing this section – but the descent ended up being fairly easy. That said – as many have mentioned – this portion of the route would not be fun if it was wet.
Once above the initial steep grass you continue to work your way up via steep tundra and grass. It’s not as steep as the lowest section – but a slip could be bad. Ascend these steep slopes for another 500’ until you reach a broad bench at the 2000’ level. At the bench traverse north towards the summit for almost a mile. The bench eventually peters out at a waterfall at which point you work your way up steepish grass and rocky slopes for another 1000’ until eventually reaching mellow snow and talus slopes that lead to the summit ridge at 3400’. Refer to the map and the route becomes pretty clear.
Upon reaching the summit ridge you have exactly 1 mile and 1000’ of talus hopping to reach the summit. There aren’t really any difficulties per se – it’s just slow going given the loose talus blocks that want to shift everytime you walk across them.
It took us 4 hours to reach the summit and 3 hours to get down. We missed the tunnel opening by 5 minutes!
Maynard Mountain – South Ridge (Class 3)
Approach: Park at the Portage Pass lot and hike up thge nice trail until you reach Portage Pass. At the pass turn right/west and work your way to the base of the eastern slopes aiming for the large talus pile near the pass.
Route: The bottom 500′ is the crux. Look for a short gully between hemlock and a rock outcropping and aim for that gully. Once above the bottom portion work your way to 2000′ and then follow a north trending bench for a mile. At the bench work your way to the summit ridge and then follow the ridge to the summit.
Descent: Retrace your route.
Gear: While there is little chance of rockfall there is possibility of tumbling down steep grass – thus I’d advise wearing a helmet. Likewise the talus is pretty loose so hiking boots are nice to have. Depending on the time of year you might need crampons to gain the summit ridge.
Time: Total miles / elevation is 11 miles / 4700′. It took us 7 hours.
Season: Summer. This has been climbed in winter and spring but in my opinion it’s a better summer climb.
West Face of Learnard Peak from the summit of Maynard Mountain. Photo taken September 2004. The bergschrund is no joke.
Learnard Peak – West Ridge (4500’)
I’ve written over 6000 words about Learnard Peak so I’ll just include the route beta on this page for easy browsing. I climbed this route in May 2021 with Aaron Holeman and Isaac Swanson. We had perfect weather and perfect ski conditions and were able to ski right off the summit and link turns all the way to sea level. This is a classic route and I consider it to be one of the best accessible ski mountaineering lines in SCAK. If you have glacier skills and like skiing give it a go.
Learnard Peak – West Ridge (Glacier Travel, Steep Snow, Class 3+)
Approach: Park at the beach parking lot just past the City of Whittier campground and walk north along the water until you reach the creek that drains the large valley above the road. Hike up the creek for less than a half-mile to enter the valley where you’ll encounter the terminus of the Learnard Glacier.
Route: Once in the valley assess avalanche conditions because from this point on you are committed to moving up a valley where the avalanche and rockfall from above routinely cross the valley. Next ski up valley until you reach the icefall and work your way from 1500’ – 2500’ through the icefall via the safest route possible. As of May 2021 there was a straight forward ramp that angled up and (climber’s) right below the seracs. This is a legit icefall – so serac fall (as well as crevasse danger) is a strong possibility.
Alternatively the icefall can be bypassed by ascending the South Ridge of Lowell until the 3000’ contour line. At that point you can slide out onto the upper glacier and bypass most of the crevasses entirely. Kaleb Notte has a GPS file here. To be honest this is probably the smarter and wiser way to climb this peak as it bypasses most of the objective danger. That said – linking turns down the icefall is pretty damn fun (albeit foolish).
The final summit ridge is guarded by a distinct bergschrund followed by an exposed 500’ crampon to the summit.
Descent: Retrace your route. If you’re skiing the top 500’ is an exposed drop with a large bergschrund below that doesn’t allow for error. The icefall is an exciting ski that requires study and risk assessment as to whether or not a rope is necessary.
Gear: Full glacier rack plus crampons and axe.
Time: Total distance / elevation is 11 miles / 4,800’ and 5 to 7 hours roundtrip. You could potentially detour and climb Lowell peak to the east – but if you’re doing this as a spring route it is prudent to get down as quickly as possible before the afternoon sun starts loosening up the rocks and snow above the tight valley that you’ll need to exit.
Season: This is a spring route. Best from late March through early May. It has been climbed in mid-summer by traversing in from the Lowell shoulder – but why bother climbing a ski peak in hiking boots?
Looking down at Whittier from the summit of Lowell. Note Cummings Peak directly above town.
Lowell Peak – South Ridge (4728’)
Lowell Peak lies on the eastern flank of the Learnard Glacier and is flanked to the north by the Lowell Glacier. Continuing with the poetry theme for this region, the peak and connected glacier were named for James Russell Lowell, an American poet from New England who lived from 1819-91.
The first recorded ascent was by Tim Kelley and Bill Spencer on the same day that they climbed Learnard – however they found a cairn on the summit but no one has been able to figure out who made the first ascent.
As far as routes go – this one was a full body workout that throws a little bit of everything at you. The bushwhack to gain the upper ridge is full on over the head alder warfare. This is followed by moderate tundra hiking and then you have to climb steep snow, navigate an exposed Class 3 ridgeline and finally ascend 500’ of really steep and loose Class 3+ teetering blocks to the summit.
An aside about ratings in the Chugach…
I often post numbers but have never actually given my explanation. Ratings can vary from area to area and there is no real consensus in SCAK. In general I consider Class 2 to be easy hiking with minimal scrambling. Think something like the North Ridge of Wedge, South face of Ramp or the regular route up Matanuska Peak. Class 3 is slightly steeper and requires hands here and there. My go-to classification for Class 3 near Anchorage is the West Ridge of Ptarmigan. For the most part you can scramble easily, but here and there you’ll want to use your hands.
Where the classification become gray is Class 3+. Class 3+ is really steep terrain where a fall could be fatal. Many of the harder Chugach peaks fall into this category like the North Ridge of North Suicide (Yuyanq’ Ch’ex), the East Ridge of Bounty, SE Gully of Benign Peak or the normal route up Yukla. That said – there’s a fine line between Class 3+ and Class 4. Most climbers want a rope for Class 4. A fall would be fatal and there is generally a lot of exposure. My go-to definitions for Class 4 in the Chugach are Chickenshit Gully on Bashful, the North Couloir of Flute and the Southwest Face of Devil’s Mistress. Depending on the variation you take some of these routes could be considered 3+, 4 or even easy 5. The line between Class 4 and 5 is also hazy as it depends on the variation. There are a couple routes in the Chugach that I consider Class 5 because all climbers are forced to take that section – namely the NE Ridge of Baleful and the ridge variation of the Shroud on Bellicose. Note that in the Talkeetnas you can easily get yourself into Class 5 terrain due to better rock quality.
In short – Class 3+ is a hazy area that might feel easier or harder depending on conditions or what you ate for lunch and where you head is at the time. The same goes for the hazy line between Class 4 and 5. However – as a general rule of thumb if I say Class 3+ most climbers would be comfy without a rope in good conditions (but might want one if it was snowy or wet). If I say Class 4 then most climbers would want a rope regardless of conditions.
All that said – I consider Lowell to be solid Class 3+ with a lot of exposure and many sections where slipping is not an option.
As for the route… approach the route as you would for Learnard by heading up the creek and into the valley between the South Ridge of Lowell and East Face of Maynard. Access the creek however you can – but in general the easiest way is to just walk up the creek form the ocean. Once in the canyon follow the creek until you can easily cross it via the large mound of avalanche debris that persists for most of the summer. Once over the debris work your way up on the South Ridge via sections with the least amount of brush.
The first few hundred feet of the route is easy travel on exposed rock and grassy slopes – but at 500’ you encounter a band of brush that you must bash through for 400’ / 1/4 mile. This seems like a slight setback but don’t be fooled. This 400’ / 1/4 mile took about 30 minutes – but it felt like I was in the brush for hours. It was awful. If anyone was to ever haul a chainsaw up to this section it would instantly transform the route into an ultra-classic – but until them the brush will temper the enthusiasm for some.
That said – other climbers have bypassed the brush by ascending a steep gully that bypasses the brush. However they have had to rappel to descend this gully. I didn’t take a rope so I didn’t want to bother with a route where I might have to rap.
Once above the brush the route improves dramatically. The route ascends moderate tundra slopes sprinkled with lupine and the views of the Passage Canal grow better with every step. From 8000’ to 3000’ it was easy walking with amazing views. At 3000’ the nature of the route changes. The ridge steepens considerably and you’re either forced to scramble up a few hundred feet of Class 4 loose rock – or traverse left and climb 500’ of steep snow. I had brought crampons and axe so I opted for the snow which was ascended easily. Then it was another 500’ of exposed Class 3 rock and ridges until finally reaching the base of the summit block.
The final 500’ to the summit was steep loose rock. Every step required care not to dislodge stacks of loose blocks – and there were several moved where I forced to traverse underneath mound of loose talus as well as a couple moves where I had to actually trust the rock and pull for a move or two.
I finally reached the summit where I took a breather, snapped some pictures and mentally prepped myself for the descent. Then everything in reverse with extra care on the down.
Eventually I downclimbed the steep rock and then the steep snow and worked my way down the tundra slopes to the brush. Then a 20 minute bash through the jungle before finally emerging and working my way back to the river. To add insult in injury I took a ”short cut” to reach the car and ended up bashing through more brush before finally reaching the road.
I reached the car 9 hrs and 45 min after starting. A long day. Once again I missed the tunnel by 5 minutes but this time I was happy to sit by the ocean and watch the soft waves roll into shore.
Lowell Peak – South Ridge (Class 3+)
Approach: Head up the creek that drains from the Learnard Glacier. Just as you enter the canyon there is a large pile of avalanche debris that should completely cover the creek. Once across the debris look for a break in the brush where it will be easy to gain the ridge. (Note if it’s been hot summer / low snow year then consider crossing the creek closer to the mouth and gaining the ridge at the corner.)
Route: Once on the ridge work your way up. You’ll have 300’ section of brush but above the brush the hiking is easy all the way until 3000’ where the nature of the route changes. At 3000’ you’ll need to choose between a few hundred feet of Class 4 or steep snow. The steep snow might have crevasses and/or and open bergschrund. Above the snow the ridge continues to get steeper and the rock is more shattered. The final 500’ to the summit is steep and extremely loose. Exercise a lot of caution when ascending this – especially if you are climbing the route with partners.
Descent: Retrace your route.
Gear: Boots / Crampons / Ice Axe / Helmet. Chainsaw recommended but not required.
Time: Total distance / elevation is 11 miles / 5000’. It took me just after 10 hrs. I’d say this is a pretty standard time as the upper ridge is quite loose and requires slow careful climbing.
Yvonne on Carpathian with Blackstone Bay behind her. A lifetime and more of peaks on the horizon.
And beyond
The above peaks is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list of the Whittier area. Walk or ski a little further and there is more to explore. A few worthy endeavors that stand out are:
- Traversing the entire Blackstone Bay ridge: This would be a relatively easy linkup. Gain Blackstone Bay ridge further to the north at Blackstone Bay Vista (2866′) and then walk the entire ridge to Cummings.
- Blackstone Bay / Cummings linkup: Get dropped off at Blackstone Bay with your skis and ski the ridge back to Whittier. I’ve wanted to do this for years!!
- Lowell / Learnard / Peak 4100 / Maynard traverse: Expect miles of steep loose rock. Probably best in spring when you can downclimb or ski the slopes. The crux wil be linking up 4100 and Maynard.
- Mount Luther Kelly: This peak lies northeast of Lowell. Getting there looks difficult but you could probably downclimb the NE ridge of Lowell.
Beyond that the peaks keep going. All you need is a lifetime or two to get to them.