As I was volunteering in a Boy Scouts of America activity called "On Target" last month, we were lucky enough to spot this guy. It was a fun angle because of the elevation since we where at the top of the peak at this point. We hiked to the top which is 8,050 feet above sea level.
108 teams from around the state climbed numerous peaks in the area and contacted each other through the use of signaling mirrors and ham radio. We made about 15 contacts using a signaling mirror, 11 of which were reciprocated, from the top of the peak.
Bismarck Peak is the high peak which anchors the southern terminus of Nelson Ridge, the high north-south trending ridge southeast of Bumping Lake. Along with Mount Aix, these two peaks constitute the highest peaks between Mt. Rainier and Yakima. This area is dry as it lies east of the Cascade Crest. Consequently, this area melts out earlier and offers good early season access while the Western slopes of the Cascades are still snowbound. Furthermore, your chances of finding good weather here are much better than west of the crest. In mid-summer, many may find this area to be a bit too hot. Consequently, one might want to save this trip for a cool or cloudy day.
The majority of the trip to Bismarck lies along good trail. Even though the Green Trail maps show a trail to the summit, this is incorrect. The final 1200 feet will be a steep scree scramble to an airy summit. The views of Mt. Rainier to the Northeast, the Goat Rocks Wilderness to the Southwest, and Mount Aix to the North are outstanding.
Getting There
My mistake since I didn't provide much info originally in my first post. I haven't been to the Bismarck Peak in Washington yet, but I hope to one day. This is the Bismark Peak in Utah.
