Route:  Glacier Pk, Ptarmagin Glacier
Climbed:  July 4, 1997


Approach: Hike up the White Chuck river trail to just 1/4 mile before
Kennedy hot springs.  Shortly after the trail enters the river flood
plain turn left onto trail 639 which connects with the PCT.  Continue
north on PCT into Glacier Creek.  Camp here for access to the lower
Kennedy Glacier.  For the Ptarmigan Glacier, continue N until it is
easy to leave the trail and gain the ridge separating Glacier and
Pumice Creeks.  Hike E up that broad ridge and camp above the edge of
the Ptarmigan glacier between 7,000' and 7,500'.

Climbing Route: From the Glacier Creek camp, ascend the lower Kennedy;
Glacier to 8,100' where one may either stay left to gain Frostbite
ridge or right to ascend upper Kennedy.  From the Ptarmigan camp,
ascend the ridge till it is easy to gain the glacier.  Make a left
rising traverse to cross the shoulder NE of Kennedy Peak at 8,000'.
Continue S in valley between Kennedy Pk and Frostbite ridge.  Here you
may either stay left to gain Frostbite ridge or right to ascend upper
Kennedy.

The upper Kennedy Glacier may be climbed directly to the crater rim.
May be heavily crevassed in late season.  Alternately, gain Frostbite
ridge up snow slope then continue S through rabbit ears and down 100
ft' to minor saddle.  (Loose rock and somewhat exposed.  May have hard
snow in early season.)  Traverse L across steep snow into crater or
ascend to crater rim, cross it, and drop into crater.  Finally, ascend
S 200' of steep snow to summit.

Descent: Descend the climbing route or carry over and descend the
Sitkum.

Elevation:	Gain cars to Glacier Creek camps is 3,300'.
		Gain Glacier Creek to summit is 4500'.
		Gain cars to Ptarmigan Glacier camps:  4,400'.
		Gain Ptarmigan Glacier to summit is 3,400'.

Time:		Cars to Glacier Creek camps is 7 hours.
		Glacier Creek to summit is 6 hours.
		Cars to Ptarmigan Glacier camps is 9 hours.
		Ptarmigan Glacier to summit is 7 hours.
		
Comments: This is a less traveled alternative to the Sitkum Glacier
route.  Camps above Ptarmigan Glacier are spectacular and seldom
visited.  The route is beautiful and Frostbite ridge provides
interesting variation in the climbing.  A carry over and descent of
the Sitkum Glacier is an interesting variation and makes for a shorter
deproach.



[Route description written by Tom Unger]