South of Cutthroat Peak Cache Traditional Cache
South of Cutthroat Peak Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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The cache is up near the South side of Cutthroat Peak off the North Cascades Highway between Rainy and Washington Pass.
I placed this cache so that others might venture up there and appreciate the area and views as much as I do.
Highway 20, the North Cascades Highway, closes for the Winter around mid November and reopens in Spring around mid April. Therefor the cache is realistically a Spring through Fall Cache.
Check road status here: (visit link)
The cache is about 1.3 miles one way from Highway 20. The elevation gain is about 1500ft. There is parking at the trailhead (which is just an extra wide and long pull-off) at: N48 30.802, W120 41.295. The climbers trail begins down the embankment and into the trees. It's kind of hard to spot. It's ~ 175 paces along the road from the end of the guard rail to the East. There was a bamboo marker with a orange piece of tape attached to it marking the tail entrance at the tree line. There is a extra wide pull off from the highway that is at least 500 feet long. There's room for many many cars.
The trail is a climbers trail. There are a couple of small creeks to cross in the valley bottom. There are no bridges, but they are small enough to get across without getting your feet wet (boulder and log jumping is necessary). After crossing the valley bottom, the trail skirts the bottom of the avalanche runout, then it begins to climb, heading generally North. The trail is a climbers trail, so it pretty much goes up... no real switchbacks or easy grade. There are also a few places where you will be scrambling up small rocky outcrops. The trial peters out up in the cirque at the base of Cutthroat Peak and Whistler Mountain. It took me about an hour and ten minutes to reach the cirque.
It really is an awesome spot. It's about as up close and personal with Cutthroat Peak as you can get with out being a climber. The views over to Liberty Bell and Early Winter Spire are very cool.
I've seen Mt. Goats up on Cutthroat and Whistler Mountain as well. There are deer and plenty of marmots to be seen. I even spotted a black bear running across the road just to the East of the trailhead one time.
If you are in the area you can also visit:
Maple Pass Loop Trail Cache GCGY9W
Rainy Lake Trail GCH0CA
BLT...not the sandwich GCQ3P6
Early Winters Glacier GC1DGZY
Washington Pass Cache GC131C
cuttthroat creek GCYKHN
Picture Perfect GC1EF30
Up the Creek GC1EF38
Walk the Plank GC1EF3C
Cutthroat Cache GCQ00K
Tensegrity on Liberty GC1G5BY
You should bring bug spray as the misquotes can be quite annoying at times.
Sunscreen is probably a good idea as well.
I hope you enjoy the hike.
The cache is a .30 caliber ammo can painted army green (what other color is there?)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Onfr bs Fbhgu fvqr bs 10 sbbg phor funcrq obhyqre.