Hiking Courtney & Star Peak in the Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness
Contents
Courtney & Star Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 29Km (18 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,950m (6,400 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 2,644m (8,675 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 13.44%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: Overnight
– Moderate: 10 – 12 Hours
– Fast: 8 – 10 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Minimal
Courtney & Star Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 48°18’41.6″N 120°20’10.2″W
Courtney & Star Peak Overview
Courtney and Star Peak are a duo of summits located in Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness in Washington. Typically accessed from the West Fork Buttermilk Trailhead near the town of Twisp, these two peaks are both Washington Bulgers (100 highest peaks in Washington), and they both offer outstanding views from their respective summits.
The West Fork Buttermilk trail is a long, gradual hike that climbs to Fish Creek Pass. Thanks to its mellow ascent to an expansive wilderness filled with lakes and peaks, it’s a popular route for trail runners and backpackers. From the pass, both of these peaks are largely non-technical (albeit off trail) climbs with little in the way of scrambling or exposure.
Due to the long drive (for most) and approach, many parties will opt to complete these peaks as an overnight hike, typically camping at Star Lake between the peaks. The valley below these peaks is filled with larch trees, and during the golden larch season in the early fall this trail becomes incredibly popular, with masses of visitors camping at Star Lake each day. Of course, the scenery is breathtaking during this period, but if you’re looking for solitude you may want to avoid it.
There are numerous options for extending this hike, with many parties adding on Oval Peak or Gray Peak to the agenda, though this tends to be as part of an overnight trip rather than a day hike. Note that the linked GPX here includes an ascent of Oval Peak, so ignore it if you don’t plan to add it.
Dogs are welcome in the area and of course camping is fine as well.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Are Courtney & Star Peak worthwhile?
The Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness is a beautiful region filled with massive peaks and clear lakes. These two peaks and the surrounding valleys offer incredible views with largely straightforward access. While the drive out might be a long one, if you spend a night or two it is absolutely well worth the visit. This is probably one of the finest larch regions in Washington, so if golden larch hunting is your thing, this trail will blow you away.
How difficult is the hike to Courtney & Star Peak?
While the elevation gain for this hike is massive, the majority of the trail is very gradual as evidenced by the 13% average gradient. Reaching Fish Creek Pass requires around 12km (7.5 Miles) of hiking with 1,100m (3,600 Ft.) of gain, but it’s all simple even with heavy backpacks. The remaining gain up to each peak is of course steeper and largely off-trail, but navigation is simple and there is little scrambling and no exposure. The hike back out is perhaps the biggest slog of the trip, but thankfully it’s all downhill.
One thing to note is the West Fork Buttermilk Trail passes through a burn zone. In the early season you may have to deal with deadfall, but the locals usually clear the trail in the early summer, so the majority of visitors going later in the summer/fall likely will not have to deal with it.
Courtney & Star Peak Route Information
This hike begins from the West Fork Buttermilk Trailhead which is easily accessed for any vehicle via a simple gravel road. There is only one trail from the trailhead, so get cracking. After a few hundred meters of largely flat hiking, you’ll need to cross a large log over West Fork Buttermilk Creek. On the other side of the creek, the trail continues its long, gradual ascent.
Much of the trail passes through a burn zone where a previous fire tore through. This means a lot of the trail is exposed to the sun, and as noted it also means deadfall covering the trail is a common occurrence. If locals have cleared the trail then this won’t be a concern, but it’s not unheard of for some parties to face 100+ dead trees to climb over along the route.
There is really little to note on this trail as there are no junctions and relatively little to see the entire way to Fish Creek Pass. At one point you do cross a wide mud slide, but other than that is a nonevent.
As you approach Fish Creek Pass the larch trees start to appear and you’ll get your first views of the impressive Star Peak. Only when you reach Fish Creek Pass do you actually break out of the treeline, at which point the views really open up to both the east and west.
From Fish Creek Pass you can now climb up Courtney Peak. If you’re carrying heavy overnight gear you may want to leave the heavy stuff down at the bottom to make things easier. Heading up Courtney is largely straightforward whichever way you go. The majority of the climb follows an obvious route, but as the terrain transitions to rock it becomes less distinct. Whatever way you go it’s mostly just boulder hopping rather than scrambling.
From the summit the views are staggering, especially of Star Peak and the lake below. The Oval Lakes will dot the valley below, with countless other peaks on display. You can even see Rainier and Glacier Peak on a clear day.
After finishing on Courtney, head back down to Fish Creek Pass, then continue down towards Star Lake. If you’re camping there, you can now set up camp. Even if you’re not camping, the lake is beautiful with the imposing Star Peak cliffs looming overhead. Continuing on to Star Peak, you may want to refer to your GPX as you head towards a scree slope that climbs up to the SE ridge. From afar this scree slope looks steep and potentially exposure, but once you get there it’s actually simple.
Once at the ridge, the views back down into the larch filled valley and Courtney Peak backdrop are beautiful. Following the ridge is largely simple. The initial trail wraps around a bump before joining the ridge crest. You’ll work around a few sparse trees following whichever route pleases you, before joining the rocky ridge as you continue to climb. At this point you can really pick whatever way you prefer. Some parties stay on the ridge crest and follow it around, but you can cut across the slope and make a more direct approach if preferred. The final 50m or so is a little steeper but still mostly just hiking.
The summit views are very nice, but there are no lakes from this one. After resting and taking photos, head back the way you came to Star Lake. If heading back the same day you’ll now climb back up Fish Creek Pass before the long trudge down the West Fork Buttermilk Trail.
When should I hike Courtney & Star Peak?
Given the elevation of these peaks and this trailhead the season generally runs from early summer to early fall (June to end of October). If you are planning to hit the golden larch window, that generally falls into the late September early October window. Snow will likely linger in June so if you want to avoid that entirely you may want to wait for July.
Top Tip
If you are looking to spend a few days in the zone there is plenty of opportunity to extend the trip. The nearby Gray Peak and Oval Peak are both popular additions, and many parties also opt to camp at the Oval Lakes as well. Oval Peak is quite a bit more involved than Star and Courtney, with bushwhacking and steep ridge scrambling (Class 2). I would only suggest this for parties that care about peakbagging as it’s nowhere near as nice as Star/Courtney.
Make sure to bring plenty of sun protection on this one as much of the approach is sun exposed due to the burn zone you pass through.
