Windy Peak
- Jun 15, 2025
- 2 min read
6/15/2025
The furthest northeast of all the Bulger peaks, Windy Peak feels like a bit of an outlier amongst Washington’s tallest mountains. Its gentle slopes allow a trail to go all the way to the summit, making it the only Bulger List peak with a trail to the top. Plus, it is significantly removed from the Cascade crest, and even its Pasayten neighbors, giving it a remote and isolated feel.
Katie, my dad, and I spent the prior day car-camping at Toats Coulee Campground and exploring the trials that emanate from Iron Gate trailhead, before a big rain squall forced us to turn back. Thankfully there wasn’t a cloud in the sky on this day, and we set off from the Chewuch Trailhead at 7:30 am.
This trail follows Windy Creek for a gentle 3.5 miles through recently burned forest before leaving the creek and heading up Windy’s west ridge. I could see this section being oppressively hot in mid-summer, but thankfully the mid-June sun was mild for us on this day.
The final thousand vertical feet of climbing was a bit steeper, but still on a signed trail, that felt positively luxurious compared to most Bulger trips. We topped out after a tiny bit of class 2 rock hopping to expansive views in all directions. Cathedral Peak and Remmel both looked rugged from this angle, but surprisingly distant, and the heart of the North Cascades was a long way away to the west.
I wished we had more time to explore out in the direction of Arnold and Armstrong and the Boundary Trail. This area would make for some prime trekking and backpacking country.
After enjoying the views and meeting some nice high schoolers from Moses Lake who were just beginning their Bulger journey, we set off back down the trail. The hike out was uneventful but felt quite a bit hotter as the day heated up. We returned to the car 5 and a half hours after we left it, happy to have another Bulger under the belt, and inspired to come back to this part of the Pasayten for more adventures.
Final Stats: 10.16 miles / 2595 feet of gain
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