Peak 5390 (Compass Butte) Western Chugach Mtns: North of Organ Mtn (Anchorage A4, T 12N, R 1E, S 11)
by ?, Scree 11/94

August 21, 1994.  Why climb this obscure peak in the Eagle River Valley?  Well, it's a true peak - it meets the 500 foot minimum drop off all ridges, and it's a unique geological phenomenon in this part of the Western Chugach.  This peak is a fugitive nunatak.  It is escaping from the icy clutches of the Organ Glacier which surrounds all sides of this peak except the north.

Bill and I also had unfinished business with this peak. The previous fall Bill Spencer, Steve Bull and I tried approaching this peak from the Flute Glacier area. The maze of gaping crevasses of the Organ Glacier made us decide to climb Eagle Peak instead, and to try Peak 5390 by another route later.

Our second attempt started at the Eagle River Visitor's Center.  Bill Spencer, Tim Miller and I left at 10 a.m. under overcast skies and hoofed it to Icicle Creek.  Here we unpacked an inflatable pack raft to use for crossing the deep and swift Eagle River.

We tied a climbing rope to the raft and sent Bill out in the current to test things out.  After a couple of tries Bill was on the other side and we pulled the raft back to our side.  In doing this we ripped a grommet out of the raft which caused it to deflate.

Tim and I laughed hilariously at the predicament of stranding Bill on the other side of the river. But our laughter diminished quickly when we realized that to climb this peak we would have to get across Eagle River without the raft!

Tim and I ran up river a ways to a likely crossing spot.  I splashed 3/4's of the way across and it was only in up to my knees.  Hey - no problem!  Two steps later and my feet no longer touched bottom. It was now Bill's turn to laugh.

We crossed Heritage Creek and then paralleled it for 2000 vertical of vegetation navigation.  At tundra line we entered the wide, flat outlet of the Organ Glacier cirque - an impressive and beautiful valley.  We opted to climb the northwest rib of our destination peak.

It was easy going to a mesa at the 4400 foot level.  Here we worked a series of rotten rock gullies upward.  Careful scrambling got us to within 300 feet of the summit.  From here l led a protected pitch to the summit plateau.

On top the wind was picking up and we encountered light snow (termination dust was sticking at the 6000 foot level in nearby peaks).  Though clouds were rolling in, being on an elevated point in the middle of this glaciated cirque offered impressive views.  We feasted on bacon strips that Tim Miller had brought, built a cairn and left a register.  We found no signs of previous ascents.

We rappelled back into the crudite gullies as it began to rain.  There was no decent rock to place protection in from here on, so it took a lot of careful down climbing in deteriorating weather to get back to the mesa.  By the time we got to the valley floor a full tilt downpour was in effect.

After a slippery bushwhack through an old burn area and a crossing of Heritage Creek we were back at the Eagle River.  We found a crossing that was only chest high and then began