Squire Creek Wall — Skeena26
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Skeena26 is a 12-pitch, ~1,500 ft Grade III 5.9 trad slab on the South Face of Squire Creek Wall — a 2,000-ft sweep of white knobby granite outside Darrington. The 5.9 crux is on P1; the bulk runs 5.4–5.6 with occasional 5.8 on immaculate sticky stone. A committing wilderness day: a ~3-hr brushy approach, hand-drilled bolts spaced 10–20 ft apart with sparse natural gear, and a multi-rappel descent.
🚗 Getting there & comms
Trailhead: Squire Creek Trailhead (end of Squire Creek Rd, Trail 654)
From Hwy 530 in Darrington, S on Madison Ave to a T, right on Darrington St (becomes Squire Creek Rd); follow to the end. Road may be washed out/gated ~2 mi short of the historic TH (old Jumbo Mtn slide) — be ready to walk extra road.
⛽ Last services: Darrington, WA (~5–10 min) — gas, food, groceries (Mountain Loop Country Store / Shell; Darrington IGA). Granite Falls is the next hub south on the Mountain Loop.
📶 Cell signal: Spotty/usable in Darrington town; NO coverage in the Squire Creek drainage or on the wall. Off-grid — carry inReach/PLB, leave an itinerary.
🧗 Routes
🥾 Approach · descent · season
Approach: Hike the overgrown Squire Creek Trail (654) — a tunnel of vegetation with a stream crossing — toward the South Face; expect extra road/alder walking from the slide plus recent avalanche debris. Gain the South Face saddle, continue W ~5 min to a smaller saddle, scramble up grass into a minor gully to the base. ~3 hrs; bolts are hard to spot in shade.
⬇️ Descent: Rappel the route — built for 50m ropes (most raps use the full 50m; P5–6 combine with a 60m). A variation descends toward Lone Tree Pass with a steep drop and a ~25m rappel over a bergschrund early season. Know your anchors before committing; bail by rapping the established line.
🗓️ Season: Summer, ~late June–September. Needs dry, settled weather; mid-June reports found snow at elevation, wet sections (start of P7), and avalanche debris on the approach. July–September most reliable.
🎒 Gear & food
Rack: Light single rack to 3 inch. FA beta: BD Stoppers #5–8; C3 #1–2; C4 .5/.75/1/2/3; ~5 quickdraws + ~5 alpine draws for the hand-drilled bolts. Gear is sparse — protect the slab on the bolts, supplement at cracks.
Ropes: Single 50m standard; 60m links P5–6. Consider double ropes / pull cord for full-length rappels.
✅ Before you leave the trailhead
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🏕️ Land · camp · water · permits
🪧 Land & passes: Mt Baker-Snoqualmie NF (Darrington RD); borders the Boulder River Wilderness (route bolts were hand-drilled — power tools prohibited).
📋 Permits: NW Forest Pass to park. No special climbing permit. Wilderness regulations apply.
⚠️ Hazards · fire · emergency
- Runout slab: bolts 10–20 ft apart, sparse natural gear — a slip means a long sliding fall
- Route-finding: bolts hard to spot in shade; easy to miss gear cracks and run it out
- Wet rock early season (water seeps on lower pitches, e.g. start of P7)
- Brushy, overgrown approach with stream crossing; slide/avalanche debris
- Committing: ~1,500 ft up a 2,000 ft wall, multi-rappel descent — far from any road
- Bergschrund / steep snow on some descent variations early season
- Afternoon thunderstorms on exposed white slab
🆘 Emergency contacts
- Emergency (all) 911 — Cell absent in the Squire Creek drainage — call from Darrington or use a satellite messenger/PLB
- Snohomish County Sheriff (SAR) 425-388-3393 — Non-emergency dispatch; SAR activated via the Sheriff
- Cascade Valley Hospital ER, Arlington 360-435-2133 — 330 S Stillaguamish Ave, Arlington — ~45–60 min from Darrington
🌤️ Live conditions
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👀 In the field
Tap any for ID, edibility & first-aid.
📍 Nearby & other interest
- Slab Daddy (V 5.10+ A0, 22p)
- Excalibur (5.10+, 10p)
- Western Dihedral — South Face
- Three O'Clock Rock / Exfoliation Dome area, Darrington
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